Alive in Athens
Alive in Athens is a live album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It was recorded on the nights of January 23 and January 24, 1999, in front of sold-out crowds of approximately 2000 people (on both nights) at the Rodon Club in Athens, Greece. Iced Earth was supporting the Something Wicked This Way Comes album and were on tour. It was turned into a single DVD, and released in October 2006. The album features the return of former drummer Brent Smedley, who did not record on the band's previous album.
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| Released |
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| Recorded | January 23–24, 1999 | |||
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| Label | Century Media | |||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Metal Storm (DVD) | [2] |
At the conclusion of "Violate", the band plays the opening riff of "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden. "Colors" was also played at this concert, but was not included on the CD due to a track listing mix-up. It is, however, included on the reissue of The Melancholy E.P..
Next to the CD version, there also exists a vinyl box version. It was released in 1999 and contained five pictures of the band's albums. One had the Alive in Athens artwork, the other ones had the Night of The Stormrider, Dark Saga, Days of Purgatory and Something Wicked This Way Comes artwork. It came originally with an Alive in Athens poster signed by Jon Schaffer. This box had the same track list as the three-disc version.
In 2008, Century Media reissued the three-CD release in a limited mini-LP gatefold sleeve. It included "Colors" as a bonus track on disc two.
According to a 2003 post by Jon Schaffer, the album was certified Platinum in Greece.[3]
Track listing
Disc I
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Burning Times" | Matt Barlow, Jon Schaffer |
| 4:06 |
| 2. | "Vengeance Is Mine" | Barlow |
| 4:42 |
| 3. | "Pure Evil" | Schaffer |
| 6:32 |
| 4. | "My Own Savior" | Barlow |
| 3:42 |
| 5. | "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 4:55 |
| 6. | "Dante's Inferno" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 16:23 |
| 7. | "The Hunter" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 4:09 |
| 8. | "Travel in Stygian" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 9:02 |
| 9. | "Slave to the Dark" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 3:52 |
| 10. | "A Question of Heaven" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 8:17 |
Disc II
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dark Saga" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 4:02 |
| 2. | "The Last Laugh" | Barlow |
| 4:38 |
| 3. | "Last December" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 3:37 |
| 4. | "Watching Over Me" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 4:53 |
| 5. | "Angels Holocaust" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 4:31 |
| 6. | "Stormrider" | Schaffer |
| 4:50 |
| 7. | "The Path I Choose" | Schaffer |
| 5:44 |
| 8. | "I Died for You" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 4:44 |
| 9. | "Prophecy" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 6:10 |
| 10. | "Birth of the Wicked" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 5:42 |
| 11. | "The Coming Curse" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 8:56 |
| 12. | "Iced Earth" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 6:58 |
- Bonus track (2008 reissue)
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Colors" | Schaffer |
| 5:13 |
Disc III
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stand Alone" |
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| 3:30 |
| 2. | "Cast in Stone" | Barlow |
| 6:02 |
| 3. | "Desert Rain" | Schaffer |
| 7:19 |
| 4. | "Brainwashed" | Schaffer |
| 5:12 |
| 5. | "Disciples of the Lie" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 4:11 |
| 6. | "When the Night Falls" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 7:47 |
| 7. | "Diary" | Barlow |
| 5:52 |
| 8. | "Blessed Are You" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 5:46 |
| 9. | "Violate" | Schaffer | Schaffer | 3:53 |
DVD
On October 30, 2006, Century Media released a DVD version featuring live footage of the concert.
Shortly before the DVD was publicly released, Iced Earth rhythm guitarist and founder Jon Schaffer offered a statement which voiced dissatisfaction with Century Media (with whom Iced Earth was no longer signed at the time). A portion of this statement reads:
"I want you all to be aware of what it is that they [Century Media] are releasing. This is a very low-budget, badly edited video of an amazing concert and an awesome period in the history of Iced Earth. They promised me that they are going to keep the price down and that they are not going to market it as something it's not. But I feel it's my responsibility to let you know the reality of the situation."
Schaffer did not, however, go so far as to call for a boycott of the product, saying, "The decision to purchase the 'Alive in Athens' DVD is up to you. I just want you to be aware of what it is you're getting should you choose to do so."
The song order is not identical to that featured on the album version. A few songs are also missing, including "Slave to the Dark", "A Question of Heaven", and "Iced Earth". "Colors" was played at this concert as well, but was not included on the CD or DVD due to a track listing mix up. It is however included on The Melancholy E.P. and the 2008 re-release of Alive in Athens.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | Instrumental | 1:53 | |
| 2. | "Burning Times" | Matt Barlow | Jon Schaffer | 3:32 |
| 3. | "Vengeance is Mine" | Matt Barlow |
| 2:13 |
| 4. | "Dark Saga" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 3:30 |
| 5. | "The Last Laugh" | Matt Barlow |
| 4:16 |
| 6. | "Cast in Stone" | Matt Barlow |
| 5:53 |
| 7. | "Last December" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 3:29 |
| 8. | "Pure Evil" | Jon Schaffer |
| 6:16 |
| 9. | "Desert Rain" | Jon Schaffer |
| 6:29 |
| 10. | "Dante's Inferno" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 16:20 |
| 11. | "The Hunter" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 5:04 |
| 13. | "Angels Holocaust" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 4:39 |
| 14. | "Stormrider" | Jon Schaffer |
| 4:45 |
| 15. | "The Path I Choose" | Jon Schaffer |
| 5:39 |
| 16. | "Watching Over Me" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 4:53 |
| 17. | "Diary" | Matt Barlow |
| 5:52 |
| 18. | "Blessed Are You" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 5:46 |
| 19. | "When the Night Falls" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 7:47 |
| 20. | "My Own Savior" | Matt Barlow |
| 3:42 |
| 21. | "Travel in Stygian" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 9:02 |
| 22. | "Violate" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 3:53 |
| 23. | "Stand Alone" | Matt Barlow | Jon Schaffer | 3:30 |
| 24. | "Brainwashed" | Jon Schaffer |
| 5:12 |
| 25. | "Disciples of the Lie" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 4:11 |
| 26. | "I Died for You" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 3:47 |
| 27. | "Prophecy" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 6:10 |
| 28. | "Birth of the Wicked" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 5:42 |
| 29. | "The Coming Curse" | Jon Schaffer | Jon Schaffer | 8:56 |
| 30. | "Epilogue" |
Bonus features
- Iced Earth Backstage
- Jon Schaffer in Athens
Personnel
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References
- Hundey, J. (2011). "Alive in Athens - Iced Earth | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
- Metal Storm review
- "ICED EARTH's JON SCHAFFER: 'We Are Kicking Serious Ass'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 2003-11-24. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
External links
- Alive in Athens CD at The Official Iced Earth Website
- Alive in Athens DVD at The Official Iced Earth Website
- Alive in Athens CD Archived 2011-12-06 at the Wayback Machine at Century Media
- Alive in Athens DVD Archived 2011-12-06 at the Wayback Machine at Century Media