iced earth Wolf (horror Show, 2001)

Jon Schaffer’s Horror Show concept dated back to a 1986 demo tape (when the band were still called Purgatory), but the idea was brought to fruition 16 years later. of all the album’s movie-themed songs, this face-ripping opener is the most powerful, musically and lyrically; rapid-fire staccato tech-thrash brings us into the fragmenting mind of larry talbot, Universal’s most mundanely named classic Monster. It’s a succinct retelling of 1941’s

The Wolf Man, where lon chaney Jr gave a memorable portrayal of a good man forcibly stricken with murderous evil, and Matt Barlow’s imploring vocals admirably reflect poor larry’s inner turmoil.

CHOICE LYRIC: “Now comes the rampage, a killing spree / Hunting his loved ones comes instinctively / Oh no, it’s maddening / A shape-shifting demon of pure lunacy!”