Iced Earth | Century Media Records | 1999
Line UP:
Matt Barlow – Vocals Jon Schaffer – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals Larry Tarnowski – Lead Guitar Dave Abell – Bass Brent Smedley – Drums
Production: Jim Morris – Producer, Mixing, Mastering Jon Schaffer – Executive Producer Recorded: Rodon Club, Athens, Greece | January 23-24, 1999
Tracklist:
DISC ONE:
Burning Times (3:42)
Vengeance Is Mine (4:04)
Pure Evil (6:36)
My Own Savior (3:54)
Melancholy (Holy Martyr) (4:47)
Dante’s Inferno (16:29)
The Hunter (3:58)
Travel in Stygian (9:45)
Slave to the Dark (3:52)
A Question of Heaven (7:40)
DISC TWO:
Dark Saga (3:43)
Last Laugh (4:23)
Last December (3:19)
Watching Over Me (4:33)
Angels Holocaust (4:53)
Stormrider (4:50)
Path I Choose (5:55)
I Died for You (4:06)
Prophecy (5:45)
Birth of the Wicked (5:12)
The Coming Curse (8:12)
Iced Earth (5:22)
DISC THREE (Import Bonus):
Stand Alone (4:17)
Cast in Stone (5:49)
Desert Rain (6:57)
Brainwashed (5:23)
Disciples of the Lie (3:40)
When the Night Falls (5:59)
Diary (5:54)
Blessed Are You (10:12)
Violate (3:42)
On two frigid January nights in 1999, at the Rodon Club in Athens, Greece, five musicians delivered what stands as one of the definitive live metal performances ever captured on tape. This wasn’t some carefully edited studio recreation masquerading as a concert recording. This was the real thing—raw, visceral, and executed with surgical precision across a staggering career-spanning setlist that would break lesser bands.
Iced Earth, fronted by the incomparable Matt Barlow and driven by founder Jon Schaffer’s relentless rhythmic assault, proved beyond doubt that American power metal could stand toe-to-toe with anything Europe had to offer. More impressively, they demonstrated that technical complexity and live accuracy weren’t mutually exclusive concepts. These weren’t simple bar-chord rockers cranked out for the arena crowd. These were intricate, progressive-influenced metal compositions performed note-for-note with zero margin for error.
Schaffer’s rhythm guitar work throughout provides the foundation—tight, percussive, militaristically precise. His riffing on tracks like “Pure Evil” and “Burning Times” drives forward with unrelenting momentum, while his backing vocals add textural depth. Larry Tarnowski’s lead work weaves melodic passages through the compositions, particularly shining during the extended “Dante’s Inferno.” The rhythm section of Dave Abell and Brent Smedley operates as a single unit, locking into grooves that range from galloping fury to doom-laden crawl.
But the revelation here is Matt Barlow. His vocal performance across three hours of material borders on superhuman. From the chilling screams during “Pure Evil” to the emotional depth of “A Question of Heaven,” from the power metal anthems to the progressive epics, Barlow commands every syllable with authority. The Greek crowd’s word-for-word participation during the slower passages of “Melancholy (Holy Martyr)” and “A Question of Heaven” speaks to both the material’s quality and Barlow’s ability to connect.
The first disc establishes dominance immediately. “Burning Times” opens faster and more aggressive than its studio counterpart, setting the tone for everything that follows. Then comes “Pure Evil”—a clinic in dynamics and intensity, its screaming chorus sending genuine chills even through speakers. “Dante’s Inferno,” the 16-minute centerpiece, represents the album’s ultimate achievement. That Schaffer and company navigate this labyrinthine composition flawlessly in a live setting defies belief. Every tempo change, every melodic shift, every subtle dynamic variation—captured perfectly.
The second disc maintains the momentum without flagging. “Stormrider” energizes the crowd with its galloping rhythm. “Path I Choose” showcases the band’s tighter, more intricate side. “I Died for You” offers melodic relief without sacrificing heaviness. By the time “Iced Earth” closes the main set, the band has proven their point beyond any reasonable doubt.
The third disc, available only on the import version, contains some of the performance’s hidden gems. Early catalog favorites like “When the Night Falls” receive treatments that honor the originals while benefiting from the band’s evolved musicianship. “Diary,” a rarity from Burnt Offerings, proves that deep cuts can devastate as effectively as singles. The closer, “Violate,” sends the Greek crowd into absolute frenzy—a brutal conclusion to a monumental performance.
After Athens: Triumph, Tragedy, and Tumult
Alive in Athens should’ve been a launchpad. Instead, it became a high-water mark—a document of a moment that, in retrospect, represented Iced Earth at their absolute peak. The following years brought both creative triumphs and catastrophic turbulence.
Horror Show (2001) and The Glorious Burden (2004) maintained the band’s artistic standards, with the latter’s 32-minute “Gettysburg” trilogy demonstrating Schaffer’s undiminished ambition. But Matt Barlow’s departure in 2003 to pursue law enforcement dealt a severe blow. His replacement, Tim “Ripper” Owens (formerly of Judas Priest), proved capable but couldn’t replicate Barlow’s unique connection with the material.
Barlow’s return in 2007 sparked hope for recaptured magic, and The Crucible of Man (2008) delivered quality material. Yet by 2011, Barlow departed again, this time permanently. Stu Block filled the vocal slot capably through several albums, but the revolving door of singers—combined with constant rhythm section changes—created instability.
Throughout these shifts, Jon Schaffer remained the sole constant, Iced Earth’s singular driving force and creative dictator. His uncompromising vision produced both the band’s greatest strengths and, ultimately, contributed to its downfall. The rigorous touring schedule, exacting standards, and Schaffer’s controlling approach led to numerous lineup changes over the decades.
Then came January 6, 2021. Schaffer’s participation in the U.S. Capitol attack shocked the metal community. His subsequent arrest, guilty plea to obstructing an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon, and cooperation with federal authorities as part of a plea deal sent shockwaves through his fanbase. The remaining Iced Earth members quickly distanced themselves from Schaffer and the band effectively ceased to exist.
Schaffer’s three-year probation sentence and his 2025 pardon didn’t resurrect Iced Earth or repair his reputation within large segments of the metal community. His actions fractured the legacy he’d spent decades building, dividing fans between those who separated the art from the artist and those who couldn’t.
His side project Demons & Wizards—a collaboration with Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kürsch—also dissolved in the aftermath, with Kürsch publicly severing ties. Former bandmates issued statements denouncing Schaffer’s actions. Record labels distanced themselves. The very empire Schaffer had constructed through sheer force of will crumbled.
Yet the music remains. Alive in Athens still stands as testament to what Iced Earth achieved when firing on all cylinders—a monument to technical precision, compositional ambition, and pure metallic power. The performance itself transcends later controversies; the notes don’t change because the man who wrote them made catastrophic personal choices.
For those who witnessed Iced Earth during this era, the memories of those flawless live performances remain untainted. For guitarists studying Schaffer’s rhythmic techniques or vocalists analyzing Barlow’s approach, the educational value persists regardless of biography. And for power metal enthusiasts seeking the genre’s apex, Alive in Athens still delivers three hours of uncompromising excellence.
The future Jon Schaffer envisioned—where Iced Earth would lead American metal’s charge—never materialized. Instead, his legacy became a cautionary tale about how swiftly decades of artistic achievement can be overshadowed. But in those Athens nights in 1999, before the fall, before the fracture, there was only the music—pure, powerful, and perfect.
That, at least, endures.
Essential. Complicated. Eternal.
Written by: Shadow Editor
Ratings: 10/10
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