Something Wicked Saga
The Something Wicked Saga is a fictional story featured in the works of American heavy metal guitarist Jon Schaffer from the band Iced Earth. The saga is a tale that begins with the origins of man, by way of descension upon the primitive Setian race, all the way to its downfall. It discusses mankind's evil intentions that begin to backfire in mankind's last days, with the Setian messiah Set Abominae serving as the catalyst. Events parallel to those in the Bible (similarly the Tower of Babel) occurred in order to further explain mankind's downfall.
Overview
The saga was first revealed in the final three tracks of Iced Earth's fifth studio album, 1998's Something Wicked This Way Comes (album), known as the Something Wicked trilogy. These three songs, Prophecy, Birth of the Wicked, and the Coming Curse, served as the backbone to the Jon Schaffer's Something Wicked story, as well as concert staples.
In December 2006, Jon Schaffer posted a journal announcing that Iced Earth's new album, then titled Something Wicked - Part 1, would be released in September/October 2007. The followup album, then titled Something Wicked - Part 2, would be released in January/February 2008. He later announced the final tracklist, and that the album would be renamed to Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1), with a new target release of August or September. On June 25, Schaffer uploaded the cover of the album on icedearth.com. Audio samples of all the tracks have been posted at spv.de, the official site of the band's record label. In addition to providing prospective album titles and track titles, he updates the band's mixing status on a new single entitled the Overture of the Wicked EP, which was then released in June of 2007. The EP, which featured vocalist Matt Barlow's then-replacement Tim "Ripper" Owens, contained the single to the upcoming album entitled Ten Thousand Strong, as well as a re-recording of the Something Wicked trilogy that showcased the band's more modern sound which was something to be expected for the upcoming release.
Framing Armageddon, released September 11, 2007, is the band's first studio album featuring lead guitarist Troy Seele, and drummer Brent Smedley, who never played on an Iced Earth studio album during his previous stints with the group. Tim "Ripper" Owens makes his final appearance as lead singer on this record, as well. Also, this was bassist Dennis Hayes' only appearance on an Iced Earth album, though he only appears on two songs. Former Iced Earth lead guitarist Tim Mills is featured on "Ten Thousand Strong" and "Reflections", and co-wrote both the latter song and "Infiltrate and Assimilate".
A music video for "Ten Thousand Strong" has been released, though lead guitarist Troy Seele was not yet with the band when it was filmed. The video features special effects to make the live action video resemble animation.
Following the release and tour in support of Something Wicked Part 1, it was announced that former vocalist Matt Barlow would return to the band, causing Ripper to front for Yngwie Malmsteen. Due to his long-awaited return, the release date for Part 2 was to be held back to around the same time that Part 1 was released, the fall of 2008. In June of 2008, the single I Walk Among You was released, which featured a track from the upcoming album "I Walk Alone," including various re-recordings of tracks from Something Wicked Part 1. Also in June of 2008 the final tracklist was revealed, and that the album title would be changed from Revelation Abomination to The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2), with a new target release of September 2008. In late July of 2008, the album was leaked on to the Internet.
To date, five releases have featured the story circulating Set Abominae:
- Something Wicked This Way Comes, the "Something Wicked" song cycle
- Overture of the Wicked EP
- Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)
- I Walk Among You
- The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2)
He also appears in the artwork of several other Iced Earth albums. Schaffer also plans to write a graphic novel based on the adventures of the all-powerful Set Abominae.
Story
Part One
Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 tells the story of the Setians, who were the original inhabitants of Earth, and are directly descended from the "Great Architect". They are said to have nearly omniscient knowledge. Humans, who have developed space travel, invade Earth in a bid for "ultimate power and ultimate knowledge", killing all but ten thousand Setians.
The remaining ten thousand go into hiding in the mountains in the east. The Setian High Council, which consists of the twelve Elders and the High Priest, make a plan to get revenge on the invading human race. They plan to initiate "The Clouding", which involves brainwashing all the humans and making them forget their origins. Once completed, the Setians will manipulate history by creating religions--Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc.,--to further divide the humans. Once human kind is sufficiently divided, after ten thousand years, the Setians will await, as the prophecy told millennia ago, the birth of the Antichrist, Set Abominae. Set Abominae will destroy all of the human race and execute the revenge the Setians have long awaited.
Framing Armageddon tells the story from the prophecy to the events right before the birth of Set Abominae.
Part Two
It is uncertain regarding the events that transpire in The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2), but based on past knowledge it is assumed that Setians will rejoice in the birth of Set Abominae, who will avenge their loss by destroying mankind.