Ya gotta respect Matt Barlow because he earned the right to have enough "EGO" to tell Jon, "I will not perform any songs from "Ripper" Iced Earth material, but he didn't feel any need to do that "Rock Star" B.S.... He sang the "Ripper" era material valiantly and skillfully. One of the best singer's in the history of recorded music and no ego.
Matt's belting has seriously always amazed me. Dickinson and Barlow are my two favorite metal singers of all time, just because they sound so DIFFERENT than the other singers. The sad thing is, I can sound like neither of them lol. Gotta keep trying.
This is ridiculous to argue about. Both singers are amazing. If someone prefers Ripper over Barlow or vice versa who cares? Everyone has their preferences. Every singer/member of Iced Earth have all contributed to the great metal band in one way or another.
Wow, both Barlow and Ripper are amazing singers. Not easy task to sing this song and he did a hell of a job. That chorus gave me goosebumps, just amazing.
So many ignorant comments on the video. For all of you who say that Owens has greater range than Barlow, you really need to check your stuff. Vocal range means how high you can go from your base voice without skipping notes. We have a baritone singer singing a song written for a tenor. Apparently Tims voice is more high pitched which means that Barlow has to use falsetto after some point since his base register is way lower. FYI you have a guy here nailing a song a after a long absence from singing and Matt was sick at that concert.
Wow! i havent listen to much to this band before. Im suprised how the singer can go from very deep growling-like voice to real power metal voice! Very impressive!
@fiqschmar Matt Barlow is not an amateur singer, he's considered to be one of the best metal singers by many people. So this song is not his strong point, but for a new song to him, and after years out of doing live performances, this is an awesome attempt and if you here his newer takes at the song, I would consider him better than Ripper at it!
It's probably the toll of the tour to, because I've seen them in the Netherlands a couple of weeks before Graspop... and he did this song almost perfect, especially the ripper scream at the beginning.
Listen to Matt Barlow's rendition of this song at Metal Camp 2008, and Ripper's version at Wacken 2007, and you will see Matt is the far superior singer even at a song not written for his vocal range.
Haha sorry dude I'm drunk, just re-read your comment. Thought you were asking about a song.. Iced earth does have some awesome barlow moments haha! Place!
@Wyndrax That song I think you mean is 'Blessed are you' and you are right! Barlow throws out stone almost inhuman notes! I think this was just a bad day for him. If you listen to 'a question of heaven' live in Athens, you will see what this man is capable of!!
You know, you really have to give Barlow a lot of credit. He naturally is a high baritone, and he's trying his best to hit Owen's tenor notes, which is very difficult to do. You can't expect a high baritone to sound exactly like a tenor, in the same way you can't expect a tenor to hit bass notes. I think considering the circumstances, Barlow did alright.
Actually it's real far better than Owen's, poor Owen's, he was kicked from 3 bands for getting back the Original singers hahahaha ahhh also Yngwie kicked him and prefer to put his Keyboards Singing!
I got into Iced Earth when Ripper was in the band, and I love both the albums he was on, and it wasn't until later I found out about Barlow, and I enjoyed the albums he was on as well. So bottom line: Matt sings Matt's song very well, Ripper sings Ripper's songs very well, and when they sing each other's songs, then comes to personal preference. They are both great singers in their own right.
@vampxblade I agree, this song was designed for Ripper, Matt sounds perfect in the song made for him, he troubles with songs from Framing Armaggedon and Glorious Burden. That's because Ripper is a high shrieker and Barlow has a deeper voice
@Poupouxios92 I think they should do studio recordings of Matt singing the best of Ripper era. I love the Ripper stuff, but it would be really interesting to hear the Barlow takes on songs like Reckoning day and When The Eagle Cries
I like how, at the end, the final "Seize the daaaaaaaaaaaay" his face is all, "Fuck it. I'm gonna shriek like I never have before, in three, two, one..."
@DavidKinner If you think that it sounds almost the same as the album, you clearly need to get your ears checked. His voice breaks many times, his tone is much weaker, he has to take breaths much more often, and he has trouble with pitch in many places.
@ThePower2MEtal He's baritone. Voice type has less to do with range and more to do with thickness of tone and agility. For a lower voice to try to be so agile in the upper registers is generally not a good idea.
Ah, I see. Yeah, I agree. It's out of Barlow's range. There is a cool duet video someone made that has Barlow's voice here dubbed over the original Owens recording. it's pretty cool to hear the distinction.
@dades92 Ehm its still relevant you know. It has to do with your tessitura and colour and not your extended range. Its the base. And its what you are working with. And if a baritone can reach high notes like Barlow then thats just awesome.
@rod3067 And what I was saying was that Gene Adam did the vocals on that song in such a way, that no one can sing it. I have sang Ten Thousand Strong really well many times, but then I try Iced Earth and it sounds horrible, unless I sing the main verses the way Matt and Tim do and sing the medolic part the original way that Gene does it(I'm good at that part,though) Sorry for the long comment.
Pues lo cierto es que duela a quien le duela, Owens tiene muchísima mejor voz, sobre todo en directo. Si hablamos fríamente, Barlow tipo tiene una voz "muy blandita" y sin fuerza, siempre que sea en comparación con Tim, claro.
this song wasnt made for matts voice, made for tim owens, matt in my opinion is the best iced earth singer and you should give props for Matt for giving his best at this one. and imagine the high notes he had to hit, his throat must of had hurt for days lol
This song is a monster, that was co-created by the Ripper, but as some of you already said: Matt got balls to sing it in front of their fans, although it is not easy to imitate a voice, that is away from your own vocal range..I'm somehow proud of ihm!
@Adrian92Smith i totally agree dude both had their own music within iced earth both were great both performed their own music better but thats their symbols within iced earth both are great and both deserve respect
@ThePower2MEtal Yeah, well back in reality he is a human being with an awesome voice that he ought to be responsible with so that it stays awesome for the foreseeable future.
wow matt barlow did a really good cover =O HE ALMOST NAILED THE SCREAMS!! which is fully understandable, the ripper has more controll over his pitch range even when the rippers intro is more of a scream and barlows more of a screach.. Its hard to explain.. but either way, still a fucking epic cover!
must be hard to sing this song in particular in the middle of a set. I think he did a good job though. Much respect for Barlow trying to do Ripper's 2nd best song on the album. (Something Wicked, Pt. I - Track 2 - Best Vocals on the album Framing Armagedoon)
I don't know why people are saying that Barlow sounds bad on this track when Ripper sounds just as bad AND uses thin head voice whereas Barlow is using chest.
To each their own. But if you listened to Ripper's work on the last Yngwie album knows he's got some pipes, he's not devoid of talent. While Barlow may be the voice of Iced Earth, it's Schaffer's band and Schaffer choose Ripper for a reason.
@SyluxLockjaw i think Barlow did a prety good job, considering Barlow and Owens have 2 different vocal styles Barlow managed to retain Owens presence in the song
Owens is made for this song although they have similar range. Matt's is more deep and hit the first scream very very close to the studio. and yeah apparently he was sick and still sung this well. for being sick this is amazing.
matt sings better than ripper for me...he knows how to sing with emotions which makes him one of the best singers...but since the song is made this way,he had to try it that way...iced earth 4ever ! We love you guys !
@kevgk Well its a pretty wierd opinion I mean. How can you not like.....I just dont get people sometimes. Maybe its because I dont really hate any singer. But Barlow just sounds majestic. Not matter how high or triumphant he goes it always sounds soulful. Even when his voice breaks it sounds soulful. Take Tim in the unplugged version of When the eagle cries. He just doesnt have the depth and smoothness of Barlow. Also his high notes makes him sound like an excited cockatoo.
@ELRLR Even though Balow is a bit deeper, I think that he was made for Iced Earth and should stay with them forever as the main singer, his voice is amazing. Dont get me wrong though, Ripper is great but he belongs in a different band, Hes just not iced earth in my opinion.
Well for as low as he usually, thats good, it just has the iced earth feel to the song with him singing I dont study iced earth much, but the singing was way diffrent in this album, i know why now xD
Not saying it isn't a good performance, but he's forcing it. If he'd have brought it into his usual vocal range akin to I Walk Alone, this would have been pure epic.
What the hell happened to Jon? is he balding or did he shave the sides of his head like Phil Anselmo? And the beard and earings? i dunno he looks totally different.
@ThePower2Metal...You might consider that yours is not the only opinion on the subject. So you love Barlow. Good for you. I happen to think Iced Earth is completely unlistenable with him as vocalist. Love the music. Hate the vocals. And I believe I'm allowed that opinion. You also might consider not making death threats that can be viewed by pretty much anyone and printed out as evidence of said threat. You've just broken the law. Evidence is here and in print. Think on that.
@NecroNikolai13 Well you can't expect a guy who actually has a pair to sing like Ripper.... That's doesn't mean that ripper doesn't have nuts, just that he can scream like he doesn't.
Here I am for my daily dose of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
@bloodyfool23 the metal camp was for a dvd, the graspop performance was badly mixed. Barlow is way out of his depth here and given that he walked out again, rehiring him was a big mistake
Barlow almost gave me a heart attack with that intro!!!!
Ya gotta respect Matt Barlow because he earned the right to have enough "EGO" to tell Jon, "I will not perform any songs from "Ripper" Iced Earth material, but he didn't feel any need to do that "Rock Star" B.S.... He sang the "Ripper" era material valiantly and skillfully. One of the best singer's in the history of recorded music and no ego.
tim ripper owens is proud after watching this. they have special talents each other
Best Chorus Ever !!!
HELL YEA MAN ... GREEK FLAG IN THE ARENA!! We respect ICED EARTH very much .. thanks for the Alive in Athens back then guys :) love from greece
Barlow, the GOAT vocalist. Any band. Any genre. Period.
It's a goddamm Genius and a Virtuous Vocals!!!
Matt's belting has seriously always amazed me. Dickinson and Barlow are my two favorite metal singers of all time, just because they sound so DIFFERENT than the other singers. The sad thing is, I can sound like neither of them lol. Gotta keep trying.
This is ridiculous to argue about. Both singers are amazing. If someone prefers Ripper over Barlow or vice versa who cares? Everyone has their preferences. Every singer/member of Iced Earth have all contributed to the great metal band in one way or another.
Thumbs up to the dude with the Greek flag. Iced Earth's most devoted fans! :P
We love ya guys. Come again!!
As much as I love Matt this song is definately one for the Ripper. I do like how he sounds on the chorus though! :)
Wow, both Barlow and Ripper are amazing singers.
Not easy task to sing this song and he did a hell of a job.
That chorus gave me goosebumps, just amazing.
This song was written to fit Ripper's voice, but you got to admit that Barlow fits perfectly in Iced Earth and Jon Schaffer knows that.
So many ignorant comments on the video. For all of you who say that Owens has greater range than Barlow, you really need to check your stuff. Vocal range means how high you can go from your base voice without skipping notes. We have a baritone singer singing a song written for a tenor. Apparently Tims voice is more high pitched which means that Barlow has to use falsetto after some point since his base register is way lower. FYI you have a guy here nailing a song a after a long absence from singing and Matt was sick at that concert.
I agree matt is extraordinary doing a super high song
I think Matt did a great job, even though his vocal range is lower than Tim's :P
THANK YOU!
amazing...Iced Earth Brazil!!! the best show ever!!!!
i love this song! this was the 1st iced earth song that i ever heard and i think Barlow did a great job hear keeping up with Owens' unique vocal style
What an amazing effort.
Wow! i havent listen to much to this band before. Im suprised how the singer can go from very deep growling-like voice to real power metal voice!
Very impressive!
omg i jizzed in my pants. zalig liedje jammer dat ze niet nog es naar graspop komen van de jaar
I still can't believe they'll play in Buenos Aires in February. I can't wait for it!
Bring it on. Iced Fucking Earth!
@fiqschmar Matt Barlow is not an amateur singer, he's considered to be one of the best metal singers by many people. So this song is not his strong point, but for a new song to him, and after years out of doing live performances, this is an awesome attempt and if you here his newer takes at the song, I would consider him better than Ripper at it!
damn he pulled that song off just as well as could be expected. he truly is an amazing vocalist.
It's probably the toll of the tour to, because I've seen them in the Netherlands a couple of weeks before Graspop... and he did this song almost perfect, especially the ripper scream at the beginning.
Listen to Matt Barlow's rendition of this song at Metal Camp 2008, and Ripper's version at Wacken 2007, and you will see Matt is the far superior singer even at a song not written for his vocal range.
He is the GOAT of Metal Vocals, I have no doubts!!!
Haha sorry dude I'm drunk, just re-read your comment. Thought you were asking about a song.. Iced earth does have some awesome barlow moments haha! Place!
@Wyndrax
That song I think you mean is 'Blessed are you' and you are right! Barlow throws out stone almost inhuman notes! I think this was just a bad day for him. If you listen to 'a question of heaven' live in Athens, you will see what this man is capable of!!
Barlow should re-record the ripper albums, his voice RULES!!!
You know, you really have to give Barlow a lot of credit. He naturally is a high baritone, and he's trying his best to hit Owen's tenor notes, which is very difficult to do.
You can't expect a high baritone to sound exactly like a tenor, in the same way you can't expect a tenor to hit bass notes.
I think considering the circumstances, Barlow did alright.
Actually it's real far better than Owen's, poor Owen's, he was kicked from 3 bands for getting back the Original singers hahahaha ahhh also Yngwie kicked him and prefer to put his Keyboards Singing!
I got into Iced Earth when Ripper was in the band, and I love both the albums he was on, and it wasn't until later I found out about Barlow, and I enjoyed the albums he was on as well. So bottom line: Matt sings Matt's song very well, Ripper sings Ripper's songs very well, and when they sing each other's songs, then comes to personal preference. They are both great singers in their own right.
i heard that they did too, so that the full story can be released, with Barlow doing the vocals through out
@cubby3o5 that's what i meant, i was saying matt did a great job doing tim's work, since it is in my opinion the hardest iced earth song to be sung.
Ripper was made for this song live not Barlow
you can see Barlow is findin it hard hehe
@vampxblade I agree, this song was designed for Ripper, Matt sounds perfect in the song made for him, he troubles with songs from Framing Armaggedon and Glorious Burden. That's because Ripper is a high shrieker and Barlow has a deeper voice
@Poupouxios92
I think they should do studio recordings of Matt singing the best of Ripper era. I love the Ripper stuff, but it would be really interesting to hear the Barlow takes on songs like Reckoning day and When The Eagle Cries
@dabears530 I completely agree. Both have very different voices.
I like how, at the end, the final "Seize the daaaaaaaaaaaay" his face is all, "Fuck it. I'm gonna shriek like I never have before, in three, two, one..."
Look for the video of this song live in sao paulo in 2010. He's much better then.
shit, this song sure is one of the hardest to sing from iced earth matt did a great job!
@DavidKinner If you think that it sounds almost the same as the album, you clearly need to get your ears checked. His voice breaks many times, his tone is much weaker, he has to take breaths much more often, and he has trouble with pitch in many places.
Apparently Barlow was battling a nasty throat infection during this show. He still puts on one hell of a performance!
Really dang
@ThePower2MEtal He's baritone. Voice type has less to do with range and more to do with thickness of tone and agility. For a lower voice to try to be so agile in the upper registers is generally not a good idea.
Ah, I see. Yeah, I agree. It's out of Barlow's range. There is a cool duet video someone made that has Barlow's voice here dubbed over the original Owens recording. it's pretty cool to hear the distinction.
that yell. so god like.
@dades92 Ehm its still relevant you know. It has to do with your tessitura and colour and not your extended range. Its the base. And its what you are working with. And if a baritone can reach high notes like Barlow then thats just awesome.
@DavidKinner I listened to the dracula performance of the same show and its quite clear to me it was less than perfect.
It is the most power metal Thrash voice in the biz.
@rod3067 No, the hardest to sing is the original version of Iced Earth.
Anyone who thinks Matt can't sing is high. This will always be Ripper's iconic song but my god did Matt step up to the plate.
@rod3067 And what I was saying was that Gene Adam did the vocals on that song in such a way, that no one can sing it. I have sang Ten Thousand Strong really well many times, but then I try Iced Earth and it sounds horrible, unless I sing the main verses the way Matt and Tim do and sing the medolic part the original way that Gene does it(I'm good at that part,though)
Sorry for the long comment.
@raythetse How is something that sounds almost exactly the same as the album less than perfect?
@raythetse I don't think he would in any way ruin his voice doing this song, he did Dracula perfectly which is also a very hard song for him to sing.
Pues lo cierto es que duela a quien le duela, Owens tiene muchísima mejor voz, sobre todo en directo. Si hablamos fríamente, Barlow tipo tiene una voz "muy blandita" y sin fuerza, siempre que sea en comparación con Tim, claro.
I agree.
Apparently they are re-recording Framing Armageddon with Barlow... I'm not sure, though.
The chorus sounds fucking awesome! Grand as shit!
this song wasnt made for matts voice, made for tim owens, matt in my opinion is the best iced earth singer and you should give props for Matt for giving his best at this one. and imagine the high notes he had to hit, his throat must of had hurt for days lol
This song is a monster, that was co-created by the Ripper, but as some of you already said: Matt got balls to sing it in front of their fans, although it is not easy to imitate a voice, that is away from your own vocal range..I'm somehow proud of ihm!
I prefer this version, it's just nuts, outrageous, perfection!!!
@Adrian92Smith i totally agree dude both had their own music within iced earth both were great both performed their own music better but thats their symbols within iced earth both are great and both deserve respect
@thunderrx91 as he saud in the begining he raised his voice loud and proud
@ThePower2MEtal Yeah, well back in reality he is a human being with an awesome voice that he ought to be responsible with so that it stays awesome for the foreseeable future.
heard jon wanted to re-record framing arma with matts vocals
@Kletyse i agree, but well done to him for trying!
Ripper's vocal range different from Matt's so its a challegne for him
@dades92 Sorry, but vocal types still apply to singing styles other than classical. Ignoring this fact will often cost a singer hi/her voice.
@Lightbringer667 All the more reason to show Barlow the respect you know he deserves!
I love Matt but this song was made for Owens, would love to see both run it together
wow matt barlow did a really good cover =O HE ALMOST NAILED THE SCREAMS!!
which is fully understandable, the ripper has more controll over his pitch range even when the rippers intro is more of a scream and barlows more of a screach.. Its hard to explain.. but either way, still a fucking epic cover!
This song isn't written for Barlow and you hear it with every note sung. ^^
@MAG0T yea
This song is probably why he didn’t stay… he was like “Jon, you’ve lost your goddamn mind!”
Prophetic hypothetical statement, I’d say
@111whitepony111
I agree
must be hard to sing this song in particular in the middle of a set. I think he did a good job though. Much respect for Barlow trying to do Ripper's 2nd best song on the album. (Something Wicked, Pt. I - Track 2 - Best Vocals on the album Framing Armagedoon)
I don't know why people are saying that Barlow sounds bad on this track when Ripper sounds just as bad AND uses thin head voice whereas Barlow is using chest.
To each their own. But if you listened to Ripper's work on the last Yngwie album knows he's got some pipes, he's not devoid of talent. While Barlow may be the voice of Iced Earth, it's Schaffer's band and Schaffer choose Ripper for a reason.
Barlow, the best
Pica das Galáxias !!!
@NikoZombie this man just knows what he is doing :-)
@SyluxLockjaw i think Barlow did a prety good job, considering Barlow and Owens have 2 different vocal styles Barlow managed to retain Owens presence in the song
Owens is made for this song although they have similar range. Matt's is more deep and hit the first scream very very close to the studio. and yeah apparently he was sick and still sung this well. for being sick this is amazing.
matt sings better than ripper for me...he knows how to sing with emotions which makes him one of the best singers...but since the song is made this way,he had to try it that way...iced earth 4ever ! We love you guys !
@kevgk Well its a pretty wierd opinion I mean. How can you not like.....I just dont get people sometimes. Maybe its because I dont really hate any singer. But Barlow just sounds majestic.
Not matter how high or triumphant he goes it always sounds soulful. Even when his voice breaks it sounds soulful.
Take Tim in the unplugged version of When the eagle cries. He just doesnt have the depth and smoothness of Barlow. Also his high notes makes him sound like an excited cockatoo.
@metaleon021 yes he is a bartione...
like i said two great singers...
two great vocal range, but a prefer tim :D
both are different
@ELRLR Even though Balow is a bit deeper, I think that he was made for Iced Earth and should stay with them forever as the main singer, his voice is amazing. Dont get me wrong though, Ripper is great but he belongs in a different band, Hes just not iced earth in my opinion.
Well for as low as he usually, thats good, it just has the iced earth feel to the song with him singing
I dont study iced earth much, but the singing was way diffrent in this album, i know why now xD
Not saying it isn't a good performance, but he's forcing it. If he'd have brought it into his usual vocal range akin to I Walk Alone, this would have been pure epic.
What the hell happened to Jon? is he balding or did he shave the sides of his head like Phil Anselmo? And the beard and earings? i dunno he looks totally different.
@metaleon021
Amen to that...
is this barlow?
This round goes to the ripper
@ThePower2Metal...You might consider that yours is not the only opinion on the subject. So you love Barlow. Good for you. I happen to think Iced Earth is completely unlistenable with him as vocalist. Love the music. Hate the vocals. And I believe I'm allowed that opinion. You also might consider not making death threats that can be viewed by pretty much anyone and printed out as evidence of said threat. You've just broken the law. Evidence is here and in print. Think on that.
this is the best version of this awesome song...i have nothing against tim owens,but he just can't beat the mighty matt barlow!!!
@GameJourney if you notice he's having a really hard time singing this one, compared to songs which where originally written for his voice....
@NecroNikolai13 Well you can't expect a guy who actually has a pair to sing like Ripper.... That's doesn't mean that ripper doesn't have nuts, just that he can scream like he doesn't.
holy shit!!!! BBarlow singing Ripper's song!!! bad ass!!! he did more than try!!! he kicked ass!!! different style than ripper.
billspreston1213 he had a hard time singing this song
Barlow still does a good scream.
excelente cancion muy buena cancion aunque en vivo suena muy diferente la voz pero sigue teniendo una buena voz
@Wyndrax in this video,you see that matt can't pull off high notes??ok...your opinion man...
if u like iced earth search promitheos and check out the new incredible video ten thousand strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here I am for my daily dose of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
@agentcamo I completely disagree I think that Bruce sings Di'Anno songs better than Di'Anno!
@bloodyfool23 the metal camp was for a dvd, the graspop performance was badly mixed. Barlow is way out of his depth here and given that he walked out again, rehiring him was a big mistake