As good a singer as Tim 'Ripper' Owens is, and despite the fantastic job he did fronting ICED EARTH - it was difficult to contain my excitement at the news that Matt Barlow was back as Jon Schaffer's frontman. Barlow is the voice of ICED EARTH and his passionate vocal tones are perfect for the atmosphere and melody of Schaffer's spellbinding musical creations.

'The Crucible of Man' is part II of the 'Something Wicked' story, following 'Framing Armageddon' (part I) which was released last year. Together, the two albums do make for an extremely interesting listen, although the story (which tells the fictional history of mankind, from its creation to its demise) is convoluted to say the least, and for this reason, the albums are unlikely to be considered amongst metal's best concept releases. However, like the other major metal concept album of 2008, JUDAS PRIEST's 'Nostradamus', you can pick out some really great songs – even if you're not into the whole concept idea – and song for song, 'The Crucible of Man' out does it's predecessor.

The excellent lead single from the album 'I Walk Among You' was enough to show that Barlow had lost none of his vocal qualities. The ferocious 'Divide and Devour' is a real standout which will almost certainly become a favourite in the live set. The melancholic 'Harbringer of Fate' also impresses, along with heavier cuts such as the short and sweet 'The Revealing' and 'Sacrificial Kingdoms', the latter of which has a NILE riff-esque Egyptian tinge being a subtle nod to the ancient setting of the album story.

Less impressive are some of the album's longer numbers, with both 'A Gift or a Curse' and 'Crucify the King' failing to satisfy a reasonable attention span. These songs may show up that the scale of this double album project was just a step too far, even for a supreme songwriter like Jon Schaffer. Despite some of the pitfals, it has to be said that the musicianship is once again first class – with Schaffer riff-tastic as usual, and the rest of his band pull together to do a more than adequate job.

All in all, if you like the music of 'Framing Armageddon' – then you'll undoubtedly enjoy this follow up release. If you're one of those strange ICED EARTH fans who likes to ignore the Ripper era, then 'The Crucible of Man' could be considered a more than worthy follow up to Barlow's last outing on 'Horror Show'. This is not ICED EARTH at their bombastic best, however, congratulations to Jon Schaffer on completing his 'Something Wicked' saga, and as it is a commendable effort, he can be proud of what he has produced.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

James Allman

Release Date: 8th September 2008