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:

  1. Creatures of the Night (Kiss)
  2. Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden)
  3. Highway to Hell (AC/DC)
  4. Burnin' For You (Blue Oyster Cult)
  5. God of Thunder (Kiss)
  6. Screaming For Vengeance (Judas Priest)
  7. Dead Babies (Alice Cooper)
  8. Cities on Flame (Blue Oyster Cult)
  9. Long Way to the Top (AC/DC)
  10. Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath)
  11. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden)
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