Days of Purgatory

Days of Purgatory
Remix album by Iced Earth
Released June 6, 1997
Recorded Morrisound Studios
Genre Thrash metal
Length Disc 1: 1:20:27
Disc 2: 2:02:47
Label Century Media
Producer Jim Morris
Professional reviews

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Allmusic link
Iced Earth chronology
The Dark Saga
(1996)
Days of Purgatory
(1997)
Something Wicked This Way Comes
(1998)

Days of Purgatory is an American heavy metal album by Iced Earth. It is a collection of remixes and remakes from previous albums. Most of the songs from the Enter the Realm EP, Iced Earth, and Night of the Stormrider were re-sung by Matt Barlow, and on some of the songs the drums and bass redone. The 2-cd version also has rough mixes of several songs from Burnt Offerings with the opening to the titular track re-recorded. The album cover features artwork of the Chaos Comics character Purgatori.

The reason for the album was to improve the original songs, create nostalgia for older fans and introduce newer fans to Iced Earth's older work. The 2-CD limited edition was originally produced for European audiences but has since been released in the United States. Days of Purgatory was the last new release from the band featuring longtime guitarist Randall Shawver, and the first to feature bassist James MacDonough and drummer Brent Smedley.

The song "Written on the Walls" from the band's self titled album was given completely new lyrics and renamed "Cast in Stone". The only songs left unrecorded from the band's first albums were "Mystical End", "The Path I Choose", and "Curse the Sky", though the latter two were both performed live with Barlow on vocals. "Winter Nights" was recorded during early sessions for Night of the Stormrider while Gene Adam was still on vocals, but this was the track which prompted Schaffer to ask Adam to get singing lessons, as it was felt he could not handle the high notes. Therefore, the song was not used on the album due to its acrimonious history, though it would have fit in with the storyline of the album. Live performances of this song from that era (such as Wuppertal '91) show him struggling to sing it, probably contributing to his dismissal. Schaffer eventually dug the song out of the vaults to use on this album with Barlow providing vocals, but, as mentioned in the album's booklet, used a 1986 Purgatory demo for the backing track instead.

Contents

Track listing

One CD edition

No. Title Lyrics Music Original album Length
1. "Enter the Realm"   (instrumental) Jon Schaffer Enter the Realm 0:54
2. "Colors"   Schaffer Randall Shawver, Schaffer Iced Earth 4:50
3. "Angels Holocaust"   Schaffer Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 4:53
4. "Stormrider"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 4:47
5. "Winter Nights"   Schaffer Schaffer (previously unreleased) 3:55
6. "Nightmares"   Schaffer Schaffer Enter the Realm 3:42
7. "Pure Evil"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 6:33
8. "Solitude"   (instrumental) Shawver, Schaffer Iced Earth 1:44
9. "When the Night Falls"   Schaffer Schaffer Iced Earth 9:01
10. "Desert Rain"   Schaffer Schaffer, Dave Abell Night of the Stormrider 6:56
11. "The Funeral"   (instrumental) Shawver, Schaffer Iced Earth 6:15
12. "Cast in Stone" (rewritten version of "Written on the Walls") Matt Barlow Shawver, Schaffer, Abell Iced Earth 5:59
13. "Reaching the End"   Schaffer Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 1:11
14. "Travel in Stygian"   Schaffer Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 9:32
15. "Iced Earth"   Schaffer Schaffer Iced Earth 5:22

Two CD edition

Disc one

No. Title Lyrics Music Original album Length
1. "Enter the Realm"   (instrumental) Schaffer Enter the Realm 0:54
2. "Colors"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Iced Earth 4:50
3. "Angels Holocaust"   Schaffer Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 4:53
4. "Stormrider"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 4:47
5. "Winter Nights"   Schaffer Schaffer (previously unreleased) 3:55
6. "Nightmares"   Schaffer Schaffer Enter the Realm 3:42
7. "Before the Vision"   Schaffer Shawver, Abell Night of the Stormrider 1:35
8. "Pure Evil"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 6:33
9. "Solitude"   (instrumental) Shawver, Schaffer Iced Earth 1:44
10. "The Funeral"   (instrumental) Shawver, Schaffer Iced Earth 6:15
11. "When the Night Falls"   Schaffer Schaffer Iced Earth 9:01

Disc two

No. Title Lyrics Music Original album Length
1. "Burnt Offerings"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Burnt Offerings 7:22
2. "Cast in Stone" (rewritten version of "Written on the Walls") Barlow Shawver, Schaffer, Abell Iced Earth 5:59
3. "Desert Rain"   Schaffer Schaffer, Abell Night of the Stormrider 6:56
4. "Brainwashed"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Burnt Offerings 5:22
5. "Life and Death"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer Iced Earth 6:07
6. "Creator Failure"   Schaffer Shawver, Schaffer, Abell Burnt Offerings 6:02
7. "Reaching the End"   Schaffer Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 1:11
8. "Travel in Stygian"   Schaffer Schaffer Night of the Stormrider 9:32
9. "Dante's Inferno"   Schaffer Schaffer Burnt Offerings 16:26
10. "Iced Earth"   Schaffer Schaffer Iced Earth 5:22

Personnel

Additional personnel