The Dark Saga

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The Dark Saga
Studio album by Iced Earth
Released	July 23, 1996
Recorded	Morrisound Studios, Tampa, Florida, 1996
Genre	Power metal, thrash metal
Length	43:54
Label	Century Media
Producer	Jim Morris Jon Schaffer
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Iced Earth chronology
Burnt Offerings (1995) The Dark Saga (1996) Days of Purgatory (1997)

The Dark Saga is the fourth album by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It is a concept album based upon the comic book character Spawn created by Todd McFarlane, who also provided the album artwork.

Contents 1 Concept 2 Album info 3 Track listing 3.1 Bonus track (Limited Edition) 3.2 2008 Slave to the Dark Bonus Tracks 4 Credits 5 Songs 5.1 The Dark Saga 5.2 I Died for You 5.3 Violate 5.4 The Hunter

[edit] Concept

The Dark Saga tells the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil in order to return to his true love on Earth, but he soon discovers that she is married to his own best friend. He is left completely alone in the world, and although he has good inside, he is influenced by dark forces. Everything that he desires is denied, even his own death.

[edit] Album info

The majority of the songs on the album feature a relatively short running time (under four minutes), with the final four tracks being of longer duration. The song structure is more simple and straightforward than on previous Iced Earth albums. Many fans note the improved vocal range of lead singer Matt Barlow, who had taken singing lessons after the release of Burnt Offerings. This is also the first Iced Earth album featuring drummer Mark Prator, and also the last album to feature bassist Dave Abell and guitarist Randall Shawver. There was also a limited edition digipak version in Europe that includes a cover of "The Ripper" by Judas Priest as a bonus track that was originally recorded for the Judas Priest tribute album A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal Vol. 2. Which also later appears on the reissue of The Melancholy EP.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Dark Saga" (Jon Schaffer) – 3:43
2. "I Died for You" (Schaffer) – 3:47
3. "Violate" (Schaffer) – 3:38
4. "The Hunter" (Schaffer) – 3:55
5. "The Last Laugh" (Matt Barlow, Randall Shawver, Schaffer) – 3:47
6. "Depths of Hell" (Shawver, Schaffer, Simmons) – 3:02
7. "Vengeance Is Mine" (Shawver, Schaffer, Barlow) – 4:22
8. "Scarred" (Shawver, Schaffer) – 5:54
9. "Slave to the Dark" (Schaffer) – 4:03
10. "A Question of Heaven" (Schaffer) – 7:44

[edit] Bonus track (Limited Edition)

11. "The Ripper" (Glenn Tipton) – 2:44

[edit] 2008 Slave to the Dark Bonus Tracks

11. "Hellspawn (Mix 1)"*
12. "Hellspawn (Mix 2)"*

* Previously Unreleased

[edit] Credits

• Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, vocals
• Matt Barlow – lead vocals
• Randall Shawver – lead guitar
• Dave Abell – bass guitar
• Mark Prator – drums

[edit] Songs

[edit] The Dark Saga

Within the first song of the album, we see elements of the comic. The first pages of the comic, and the first lyrics of the song, correlate with one another; the opening lines of the comic read "I don't belong, not here not now. The deal was written down, he made me believe, and now there's darkness in my soul... I just want to die... again." and the beginning lyrics say "The deal was rigged, there's darkness in my soul. I want to die, again." The rest of the music tells the story of the Hellspawn known in life as Al Simmons. It focuses on his rage inside for being tricked in his deal with Malebolgia and his longing for his wife (as seen in the chorus of "I Died For You": "Oh how I love you, the pain won't go away. Oh when I need you, you're always so far away").

[edit] I Died for You

This song is about Spawn about not being able to reach for his wife, even though he gets to see her, because she is married to his best friend: "What makes it hurt so bad, is that I love them both, and they will never know. For love I sold my soul."

[edit] Violate

This song focuses on the character known as "Clown" or Violator, who is the "tutor" of Spawn, and henchman of Malebolgia.

[edit] The Hunter

This song focuses on the character Angela, an angel bounty huner who is sent from Heaven to combat with Spawn, though ends up allying with him.^{[citation needed]}

v • d • e Iced Earth Jon Schaffer · Matt Barlow · Brent Smedley · Troy Seele · Freddie Vidales See: Iced Earth former members Studio albums Iced Earth · Night of the Stormrider · Burnt Offerings · The Dark Saga · Something Wicked This Way Comes · Horror Show · The Glorious Burden · Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) · The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2) Live albums Alive in Athens EPs/Singles Enter the Realm · The Melancholy EP · The Reckoning · Overture of the Wicked · I Walk Among You Compilations Days of Purgatory · Dark Genesis · The Blessed and the Damned · Slave to the Dark Cover albums Tribute to the Gods Videos Gettysburg (1863) · Alive in Athens Related articles Discography · Set Abominae · Demons & Wizards · Pyramaze