How about a quick story to start things off? There once was a man without a means to express his love and passion for music. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came upon him, and he became the vocalist of a largely respected, successful band. Through his passion and dedication, he earned the fondest respect of both critics and fans, being commonly named one of the greatest singers of our time. He had what many have struggled their whole lives for without any success. But one day, a couple planes knocked down a couple buildings and this man, who had it all, gave up everything he had to help save the world, becoming a police officer. It is to him whom I award the highest honor that can be bestowed upon any individual: Artist of the Week!
Artist of the Week – Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow was a policeman for about five years before returning to the music scene. As an officer, he did more than just police. He sang for the First State Force Band, performing to schools with anti-drug and anti-violence themes. However, as a musician, he sang for the renowned power/thrash metal band, Iced Earth. Their themes were much darker, such as the fall of man and the comic book character, Spawn. His vocal style is mainly a mixture of growlish aggression and high-pitched, melodic power, though he does sing ballads with impressive technicality and passion. His voice has incredible range and power, but also employs a high level of control. With the strength in his voice (and his heart), he has rightfully earned his place as the Artist of the Week.
Album of the Week – The Dark Saga (Iced Earth)
The Dark Saga
I was debating whether to give this to Primal Fear’s 16:6 – Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, but this album has been running on my playlist too long to forget about. The Dark Saga is based on the comic book character Spawn and his emotional struggles, as well as those with antagonists, such as the Violator. There is a mixture of heavy and light sections (though it is mostly heavy), as well as fast and slow (though it is mostly fast). However, it is dark, filled with anger and sorrow throughout. Nonetheless, it has become one of my favorite albums (at least top 50), and also has one of my favorite songs, the Song of the Week.
Song of the Week – A Question of Heaven (Iced Earth, The Dark Saga)
This is definitely one of Barlow’s greatest vocal performances. It is the last song on the album, dealing with Spawn’s pain of eternal damnation for the woman he loves. The song starts very mellow and builds up into a powerful burst of emotion that makes you cry inside. Although the instruments are nothing amazing, they do a fine job of reinforcing the vocals. Barlow’s sorrow is truly heartfelt during the softer passages, while his pain his personally aching during the heavy sections, especially the passage from 6:00 to 7:00, ending with the unbelievable Ab5 note. It’s hard to say if I’ll ever stop liking this song.
Thanks to Mr. Barlow for a wonderful week. I’ll try not to have anything too heavy for you guys next week, but no promises. Enjoy the last week of your break!