Matthew Barlow (born March 10, 1971) is an American heavy metal singer. He is the lead singer for Ashes of Ares and former lead singer of

Iced Earth Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...

and

Pyramaze Pyramaze is a Danish power metal band formed in 2001. History Pyramaze was formed in 2001 by guitarist Michael Kammeyer. Next to join were fellow Danes drummer Morten Gade Sørensen ( Wuthering Heights, Anubis Gate) and bassist Niels Kvist. ...

. He is

Jon Schaffer Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968) is an American heavy metal musician. He is the rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter of the Indiana-based heavy metal band Iced Earth, which he formed in 1985 under the name Purgatory. He is also th ...

's brother-in-law.

History

Barlow joined Iced Earth after the ''

Night of the Stormrider ''Night of the Stormrider'' is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth, released in 1991 through Century Media Records. It is a concept album centered on an idea that was created by the band's leader Jon Schaffer. ' ...

'' tour with

Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.Burnt Offerings'' (1995). Barlow left the band in 2003, much to the chagrin of many fans. His reason for leaving was due to personal beliefs related to the

September 11 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

. He took a look at his life and realized that he wanted to contribute to the "real world" instead of living the illusion of a "rock star." He approached

with this in late 2002, but Schaffer, known for his persuasive personality, convinced Barlow to stay with the band. When the band recorded ''

The Glorious Burden ''The Glorious Burden'' is the seventh studio album by the American power metal band Iced Earth. It is a concept album, which explores various moments in military history, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revol ...

'', Schaffer decided that Barlow's vocals were not what he desired them to be; he believed they lacked the passion and quality that Barlow was known for. He decided to let Barlow go after all and hired

Tim "Ripper" Owens Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens (born September 13, 1967) is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest ...

, former lead singer of

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

. Barlow became a police officer in the police department in

Georgetown, Delaware Georgetown is a town and the county seat of Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade. Georgetown is part of the Salisbury, Marylan ...

. He was also a vocalist for the First State Force Band, which is made up of law enforcement members from different departments throughout Delaware. The band performs for schools, aiming to promote positive values through music. On April 13, 2007, Barlow returned to music more fully as the new lead singer of Danish progressive power metal band

. Barlow accepted the offer to join Pyramaze because it would allow him to return to the music scene, while still being able maintain his current job. However, on December 11, 2007, it was announced that Barlow had officially re-joined Iced Earth and would be singing on '' The Crucible of Man'' and following albums. Pyramaze confirmed that he would remain with them to record their album ''

Immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film ''The Wisdom of ...

'', but that their professional relationship would end there. MattBarlowBrazil

On March 3, 2011, Matt Barlow announced that he will again be leaving Iced Earth after the band finishes its European festival shows, citing his commitment to his family and the need for Iced Earth to tour more as his reasons for retirement. On August 6, Barlow performed his farewell show with Iced Earth at the

Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and subgenres of hard rock and metal are ...

festival. On June 26, 2012, Barlow announced on his Facebook page the creation of a new band named Ashes of Ares with former

bassist Freddie Vidales and

Nevermore Nevermore was an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1991. The band has been inactive since 2011, due to personal issues between the band members. In April 2015, lead singer Warrel Dane confirmed that Nevermore had n ...

drummer

Van Williams Van Zandt Jarvis Williams (February 27, 1934 – November 28, 2016) was an American actor best known for his leading role as Kenny Madison in both Warner Bros. television detective series ''Bourbon Street Beat'' (1959–1960) and its sequel ...

, posting on YouTube two one-minute teaser videos. The band signed with

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label move ...

, and the self-titled album released on September 6, 2013. In May 2013, Barlow contributed vocals to American power metal band Artizan's album ''Ancestral Energy'', being featured on the album's final track. On January 1, 2017, a joint project with Jonah Weingarten of Pyramaze named We Are Sentinels was announced by Barlow on his Facebook page. In 2020 he reunited with Jon Schaffer for a christmas EP, ''Winter Nights'' under the banner Schaffer/Barlow Project.

Discography

Cauldron

* Cauldron Demo (1990) * ''Driven by Hate'' (1993)

Iced Earth

Studio albums *'' Burnt Offerings'' (1995) *''

The Dark Saga ''The Dark Saga'' is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released on May 20, 1996, it was the band's first album to feature drummer Mark Prator, as well as the last with bassist Dave Abell and lead guitarist Randall ...

'' (1996) *'' Days of Purgatory'' (1997) *'' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' (1998) *''The Melancholy E.P.'' (1999) *'' Horror Show'' (2001) *''

Tribute to the Gods ''Tribute to the Gods'' is a covers album by heavy metal band Iced Earth. It is notable as the last Iced Earth album featuring Larry Tarnowski on lead guitar, and the last featuring singer Matt Barlow on vocals until his 2007 return. It was al ...

'' (2002) *'' The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2'' (2008) Live albums *''

Alive in Athens ''Alive in Athens'' is a live album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It was recorded on the nights of January 23 and January 24, 1999, in front of sold-out crowds of approximately 2000 people (on both nights) at the Rodon Club in Athens, ...

'' (1999) *''Alive in Athens'' (2006, DVD) *''Festivals of the Wicked'' (2011)

Pyramaze

Studio albums *''

'' (2008)

Ashes of Ares

Studio albums * '' Ashes of Ares'' (2013) * ''Well of Souls'' (2018) * ''Emperors and Fools'' (2022)

We Are Sentinels

* ''We Are Sentinels'' (2018)

Schaffer/Barlow Project

*''Winter Nights'' (2020)

References

External links

Matt Barlow
on Facebook {{DEFAULTSORT:Barlow, Matt 1970 births American baritones American heavy metal singers American municipal police officers Iced Earth members Living people People from Biloxi, Mississippi 21st-century American singers