Horror Show (album)

Horror Show is the sixth studio album from the American heavy metal band Iced Earth, released June 26, 2001. It is a theme album based on classic monsters and horror-movie icons, including Dracula, Frankenstein, and the ghost from Phantom of the Opera. It was the first Iced Earth album to feature drummer Richard Christy, and the only album to feature Steve DiGiorgio on bass, though he did not tour with the band. Horror Show is usually considered Iced Earth's only straightforward power metal release, as little of the thrash metal influence from the band's earlier works is present. This album also featured more prominent usage of Matt Barlow's multi-layered vocals as a center point for the songs.

There was a special limited-edition 2CD set. The second CD featured the instrumental track "Transylvania" (an Iron Maiden cover) along with an interview with bandleader/rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer. There is also a single-disc version with "Transylvania", but without the interview. The song "Dracula" includes the line "the blood is the life", a quote from Deuteronomy 12:23. However, it is likely lifted from the 1992 version of Bram Stoker's Dracula which also features the line. As in "Dracula", many of the lyrics are lifted straight from the movies they were inspired by. Unlike other releases, it features much writing from Matt Barlow.

By the end of the song "Damien" there is a section where Matt's reversed voice repeats the message that is also in the middle, silent section of the song. So, if the song is played backwards, the true message can be heard. This kind of reversed voice was also done by Iron Maiden by the beginning of their song "Still Life" of their fourth studio album "Piece of Mind".

1 Track listing
- 1.1 Limited Edition
  - 1.1.1 Disc one
  - 1.1.2 Disc two
2 Personnel
- 2.1 Additional personnel
3 References

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Wolf" (inspired by The Wolf Man films)	Jon Schaffer	Schaffer	5:20
2.	"Damien" (inspired by The Omen films)	Schaffer	Schaffer	9:12
3.	"Jack" (inspired by Jack the Ripper)	Matt Barlow	Schaffer	4:14
4.	"Ghost of Freedom" (inspired by Matt Barlow's own concept [cited by the interview on disc 2])	Barlow, Schaffer	Barlow, Schaffer	5:12
5.	"Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh's Curse)" (inspired by The Mummy)	Barlow	Larry Tarnowski, Schaffer	4:45
6.	"Jekyll & Hyde" (inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)	Barlow	Schaffer	4:39
7.	"Dragon's Child" (inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon)	Barlow	Schaffer	4:21
8.	"Transylvania" (Iron Maiden cover)	(instrumental)	Steve Harris	4:30
9.	"Frankenstein" (inspired by Frankenstein)	Schaffer	Schaffer	3:50
10.	"Dracula" (inspired by Dracula)	Schaffer	Schaffer	5:54
11.	"The Phantom Opera Ghost" (inspired by The Phantom of the Opera)	Schaffer	Schaffer	8:41
Total length:				61:36

Limited Edition

The Initial Pressing was presented in a standard 2-CD jewel case with no reference to the tracks on the bonus disc (nor the disc itself) except for a sticker on the front.

Disc one

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Wolf" (inspired by The Wolf Man films)	Schaffer	Schaffer	5:20
2.	"Damien" (inspired by The Omen films)	Schaffer	Schaffer	9:12
3.	"Jack" (inspired by Jack the Ripper)	Barlow	Schaffer	4:14
4.	"Ghost of Freedom" (inspired by The Patriot)	Barlow, Schaffer	Barlow, Schaffer	5:12
5.	"Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh's Curse)" (inspired by The Mummy)	Barlow	Tarnowski, Schaffer	4:45
6.	"Jekyll & Hyde" (inspired by Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)	Barlow	Schaffer	4:39
7.	"Dragon's Child" (inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon)	Barlow	Schaffer	4:21
8.	"Frankenstein" (inspired by Frankenstein)	Schaffer	Schaffer	3:50
9.	"Dracula" (inspired by Dracula)	Schaffer	Schaffer	5:54
10.	"The Phantom Opera Ghost" (inspired by The Phantom of the Opera)	Schaffer	Schaffer	8:41

Disc two

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Transylvania" (Iron Maiden cover)	(instrumental)	Harris	4:30
2.	"Interview with Jon Schaffer" (conducted by Sumit Chandra)			69:27

Personnel

Jon Schaffer - Rhythm, Lead, Acoustic Guitars, Vocals, Mandolin, Keys
Matt Barlow - Lead Vocals
Larry Tarnowski - Guitar solos in all songs except "Ghost of Freedom"
Richard Christy - Drums
Steve DiGiorgio - Bass (Credited as 'Guest Musician')

Additional personnel

Yunhui Percifield - Lead Vocal in "The Phantom Opera Ghost" as "Christine", Backing Vocals
Richie Wilkison - Backing Vocals
Rafaela Farias - Backing Vocals
Sam King - Backing Vocals
Jim Morris - Backing Vocals, Keys, Guitar Solo in "Ghost of Freedom"
Howard Helm - Keys (Pipe Organ) on "The Phantom Opera Ghost"

References

^ Allmusic review

Iced Earth

Jon Schaffer · Stu Block · Brent Smedley · Troy Seele · Freddie Vidales See the complete members list

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 · The Crucible of Man · Dystopia

Live albums	Alive in Athens

EPs/Singles	Enter the Realm · The Melancholy EP · The Reckoning · Overture of the Wicked · I Walk Among You · Dante's Inferno

Compilations	Days of Purgatory · Dark Genesis · The Blessed and the Damned · Slave to the Dark · Box of the Wicked

Cover albums	Tribute to the Gods

Videos	Gettysburg (1863) · Alive in Athens – The DVD · Festivals Of The Wicked

Related articles	Discography · Something Wicked Saga · World Dystopia Tour