Iced Earth seem to be the last, best hope for heavy metal fo the U.S. Iced Earth have picked up the torch that Metallica dropped, and, oh my god, are they ever running with it!

I bought my first Iced Earth CDs just a week ago "Alive in Athens", the 2 CD (U.S. version, European version is 3 CDs, order from Century Media, as I should have) recording of live performances of Iced Earth in Athens, Greece, and I've reserved judgement until now.

When I first bought the CDs, I'd only downloaded a few songs, which I found via deja.com and downloaded via gnapster, and I didn't know it was a "live" CD. When I got home and put it on and heard the crowd noise, I thought "Oh shit, it's a live CD, (duh!) I'm an idiot!!! this is going to suck!!!"

Well, let me tell you, these guys do not suck!!!! These two CDs are totally fucking awesome!!! I say this after having lived with them for a week, (and I've listened to them every day for the last week, and am listening to the 2nd CD even now, as I write this.) Seriously, these guys kick ass. If you like old-school metal, (Ride the Ligntning era Metallica) You'll like this. These guys do the Iron Maiden twin guitar attack even better than Maiden.

(And why is it the Greeks are crazy about heavy metal? It's clear the Greek audience on these two CDs knew all the words to all the songs. And "Demons & Wizards", which featured Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth guitarist, debuted at number 1 in Greece, but almost nobody in the U.S. has ever even heard of them...?

Just goes to show how screwed up U.S. radio is, I guess.