Iced Earth--Tribute to the Gods

Iced Earth--Tribute to the Gods (2002/Century Media) Rating--8.2

Part of the 2001 Dark Genesis boxset, and scheduled to be released on its own sometime in early 2002.
A selection of covers is featured here from some of classic metal's biggest names of the late '70s/early '80s. Other than Iron Maiden and (to an extent) Judas Priest, none of the bands really have Iced Earth's metal "style"--which makes listening to the tracks the first few times a somewhat strange experience indeed. However, these are the bands that influenced a large generation of metal's children--Iced Earth included.
Covers of Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "The Number of the Beast" are solid, though the omission of "Number's" spoken intro was a disappointment. Kiss' "God of Thunder" is nice and dark, and a similar menacing atmosphere appears in "Black Sabbath".
A crunching, bobbing rhythm moves AC/DC's "Long Way to the Top," and a surprise high point is Alice Cooper's "Dead Babies," which creeps along in fine style.
TRACK LIST: Creatures of the Night (Kiss)/Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden)/Highway to Hell (AC/DC)/Burnin' For You (Blue Oyster Cult)/God of Thunder (Kiss)/ Screaming For Vengeance (Judas Priest)/Dead Babies (Alice Cooper)/Cities on Flame (Blue Oyster Cult)/Long Way to the Top (AC/DC)/Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath)/Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden)

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