''Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1'' is the eighth studio album from

Iced Earth Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...

, released on September 11, 2007. It is part one of two concept albums based on a trilogy of songs from Iced Earth's fifth studio album, '' Something Wicked This Way Comes''. The saga, aptly titled the

Something Wicked Saga Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...

, tells the fictional history of mankind, from its creation to its destruction. It is the second and final album with vocalist

Tim "Ripper" Owens Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens (born September 13, 1967) is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest ...

. This is also the first album that Schaffer become more involved in playing lead guitars parts.

Overview

''Framing Armageddon'' is the band's first studio album featuring lead guitarist

Troy Seele Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...

, and drummer

Brent Smedley Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...

, who never played on an Iced Earth studio album during his previous stints with the group.

makes his final appearance as lead singer on this record, as well. Also, this was bassist Dennis Hayes' first appearance on an Iced Earth album, though he only appears on two songs. Former Iced Earth lead guitarist Tim Mills is featured on "Reflections", and co-wrote both that song and "Infiltrate and Assimilate". In December 2006,

Jon Schaffer Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968) is an American heavy metal musician. He is the rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter of the Indiana-based heavy metal band Iced Earth, which he formed in 1985 under the name Purgatory. He is also the ...

posted a journal announcing that Iced Earth's new album, then titled ''Something Wicked – Part 1'', would be released in September/October 2007. The follow-up album, then titled '' Something Wicked – Part 2'', would be released in January/February 2008. On March 17, Schaffer announced the final track list, and that the album would be renamed to ''Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)'', with a new target release of August or September. A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

for "

Ten Thousand Strong Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to: * 10, an even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 * one of the years 10 BC, AD 10, 1910 and 2010 * October, the tenth month of the year Places * Mount Ten, in Vietnam * Tongren Fenghuang Airport (IATA code ...

" was released, though lead guitarist

was not yet with the band when it was filmed. The video features rotoscoping. The Korean release of ''Framing Armageddon'' features the album's single, "

Overture of the Wicked Overture of the Wicked is an EP by American heavy metal band Iced Earth, released in June 2007. The EP features the band's new single " Ten Thousand Strong" which was recorded for the new album released later that same year '' Framing Armageddon ...

," as a bonus disc. Jon Schaffer had intended to release both of the Something Wicked albums in one boxed set, with Matt Barlow contributing the vocals on both albums for the sake of continuity, plus adding at least four songs to ''The Crucible of Man'' and

remixing A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

''Framing Armageddon''.Iced Earth: Video Of Athens Press Conference
.

Blabbermouth.net Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in Octob ...

. Retrieved on August 12, 2008. However Matt Barlow once again left the band before these plans came to fruition.

Story

Tim "Ripper" Owens talked about the story in an interview with Thrash Pit: A few years later, Jon Schaffer further detailed the story in an interview:

Track listing

Personnel

– lead/backing vocals *

– lead/rhythm/acoustic guitars; bass guitars; backing vocals *

– drums/backing vocals

Additional personnel

– guitar solos (tracks 5,6,10,12,14 and 17) * Dennis Hayes – bass guitars (7); fretless bass guitar (12) *Jim Morris – lead guitars (16); backing vocals * Tim Mills – clean guitars (7) *Howard Helm – keyboards; Hammond organ; backing vocals *Steve Rogowski – cello *Todd Plant – backing vocals *Patina Ripkey – backing vocals *Debbie Harrell – backing vocals *Kathy Helm – backing vocals *Jason Blackerby – backing vocals

References

{{Authority control 2007 albums Iced Earth albums Concept albums SPV/Steamhammer albums