Iced Earth "Night Of The Stormrider"

Night of the Stormrider is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth, released in 1991 through Century Media Records. It is a concept album centered on an idea that was created by the band's leader Jon Schaffer. Night of the Stormrider is the only Iced Earth album to feature lead singer John Greely and drummer Rick Secchiari.

The album's concept is about a man who is betrayed by religion and turns away from it in anger. The dark forces of nature reach out to this enraged man and use him as their vessel to bring death and destruction to Earth. He is commanded to travel to a desert, where he is given visions that reveal the truth of humanity, and warp his mind further to make him the "Stormrider". After the destruction of the world, he is then damned forever into the depths of Hell, also referenced as the River Styx. After being forever damned and taunted by evil spirits, he eventually sees what he has done, and realizes that it is too late to repent.

Track listing

1. "Angels Holocaust" Jon Schaffer 4:53
2. "Stormrider" Schaffer, Randall Shawver 4:47
3. "The Path I Choose" Schaffer, Shawver 5:54
4. "Before the Vision" Schaffer, Dave Abell, Shawver 1:35
5. "Mystical End" Schaffer 4:44
6. "Desert Rain" Schaffer, Abell 6:56
7. "Pure Evil" Schaffer, Shawver 6:33
8. "Reaching the End" Schaffer 1:11
9. "Travel in Stygian" Schaffer 9:32

Total length: 46:06

2008 Slave to the Dark bonus track

1. "Stormrider" (live) Schaffer, Shawver 4:48

European release date: November 11th, 1991

U.S. release date: April 28th, 1992

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed at Morrisound Studios in 15 days in September, 1991.

Tom Morris – producer, engineer

Jim Morris - mixing, mastering (on 2001 remastered version)

Axel Hermann – artwork

Travis Smith – artwork (on 2001 remastered version)

Rick Borstelman – artwork

Frank Albrecht – photography

Dirk Rudolph – layout

Philipp Schulte - product coordination