Iced Earth "The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2"

The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released in September 2008, it was the first Iced Earth album since 2001's Horror Show to feature singer Matt Barlow. The Crucible of Man is the second concept album based on guitarist-songwriter Jon Schaffer's Something Wicked Saga. It also the third album overall to feature the subject.

Originally titled Revelation Abomination: Something Wicked Part 2, the majority of The Crucible of Man had been written and recorded at the same time as the group's previous album, Framing Armageddon. Crucible had been intended for an early 2008 release; however, Matt Barlow rejoined Iced Earth in late 2007, and work on the album had to be put-off due to Barlow's prior commitments to the band Pyramaze.

The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 was released on September 5, 2008 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, on September 8 in rest of Europe, and on September 9 in North America. The album ended-up being the last Iced Earth studio album to feature bassist Dennis Hayes, as well as vocalist Matt Barlow, who once again left the band in August 2011.

The album's story picks-up where the previous album, Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1, left off. In an interview with Jon Schaffer, he detailed the story of Part 2:

Ten thousand years pass and then the saviour is born named Set. He's born six months before Christ and he is personally responsible for the crucifixion of Christ and for this new religion called Christianity. But the whole point is, part one deals with the period from the invasion up until right before Set's birth. And then part two takes it from his birth, like in 'Behold The Wicked Child,' to his youth when the minions are telling him what he is and what he has become, to the struggles that he has with that and how he finally comes to accept what he is. Then he goes through the trials and how he takes the crown and he finally accepts that he is basically the antichrist to mankind but he's the saviour of his own race of beings. This thing doesn't really end because the whole 'Something Wicked' -universe is really much bigger than a couple of Iced Earth albums. The way I chose to end the record is that it just comes up to modern day. And so we've got 2000 years of Set's life on part two. It's up now till modern day and the only way that the human beings can live through this is if we actually, truly evolve as species. Which means that we would truly have to start being honest. And that's the problem with mankind. It's never going to happen and they are using that, it's the whole weapon against us. Like in 'Come What May' there’s a lyric from living in caves till man flies in space, we’ve done all these great things but the nature of mankind has not evolved at all.

Track listing

1. "In Sacred Flames" Jon Schaffer Schaffer 1:29
2. "Behold the Wicked Child" Schaffer Schaffer 5:38
3. "Minions of the Watch" Matt Barlow Schaffer 2:06
4. "The Revealing" Schaffer Schaffer 2:40
5. "A Gift or a Curse?" Schaffer Jim Morris, Schaffer 5:34
6. "Crown of the Fallen" Schaffer Schaffer 2:49
7. "The Dimension Gauntlet" Schaffer Schaffer 3:12
8. "I Walk Alone" Schaffer Tim Mills, Schaffer 4:00
9. "Harbinger of Fate" Schaffer Schaffer 4:43
10. "Crucify the King" Barlow Schaffer 5:36
11. "Sacrificial Kingdoms" Barlow Schaffer 3:58
12. "Something Wicked (Part 3)" Barlow Schaffer 4:32
13. "Divide Devour" Schaffer Schaffer 3:15
14. "Come What May" Schaffer Schaffer 7:24
15. "Epilogue" (instrumental) Schaffer 2:21

Total length: 59:09

Japanese bonus tracks

1. "Setian Massacre" (Matt Barlow version) Schaffer Schaffer 3:44
2. "The Clouding" (Matt Barlow version) Schaffer Schaffer 9:13

The working title of the album was "Revelation Abomination: Something Wicked Part 2".

Release dates:

Sept. 5th - Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Sept. 8th - Rest of Europe

Sept. 9th - United States and Canada

Recording information:

Recorded at Soaring Eagle Sound in Nashville, Indiana.

Mixed and mastered at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida.

All principal recordings were conducted from February through April 2007 along with Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1). Lead vocals and remaining lead guitars, as well as mixing and mastering were completed during the months of March through May 2008.