Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

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 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 the ...

and original drummer Greg Seymour. Iced Earth released their debut album in 1990 and have since released twelve studio albums, four EPs, three

compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products *Compilation thesis M ...

s, three box sets, three

live albums An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

and eleven

music videos A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

. After releasing the demo EP ''Enter the Realm'' (1989) and signing to Century Media Records, the band released two full-length studio albums – ''

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 ...

'' (1990) and ''

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. ...

'' (1991) – before taking a two-year hiatus from 1992 to 1994, after which the band returned with new lead vocalist

Matt Barlow 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 and Pyramaze. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law. History Barlow joined Iced Earth after the ...

. Iced Earth went on to release four studio albums with him in over half a decade: '' 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), '' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' (1998) and '' Horror Show'' (2001). After ''Horror Show'', Barlow quit the band and joined the

police force The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

, while Iced Earth continued on with

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 ...

, formerly of Judas Priest, on vocals. With Owens, the band released two studio albums (2004's ''

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 ...

'' and 2007's '' Framing Armageddon''). In late 2007, Barlow rejoined the band, and they recorded one more album with him: '' The Crucible of Man'' (2008). In 2011, Barlow once again left Iced Earth, and was replaced by Into Eternity frontman Stu Block. '' Dystopia'', Block's first album with the group, was released that October; the album received a positive response, while some critics called it one of Iced Earth's best albums. The group recorded two more albums with Block: ''

Plagues of Babylon ''Plagues of Babylon'' is the eleventh studio album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released in January 2014, the album is the group's first studio release with bassist Luke Appleton and the only with drummer Raphael Saini, who was a gue ...

'' (2014) and ''

Incorruptible ''Incorruptible'' is an American comic book series written by Mark Waid and published by Boom! Studios. The series follows former supervillain Max Damage in his quest to become a superhero. The book is a spin-off of another Waid comic, ''Irredeema ...

'' (2017). Before arriving at their current lineup, Iced Earth has had numerous line-up changes, with founder Jon Schaffer as the only founding member remaining. As of 2021, there have been over thirty musicians in and out of Iced Earth since its formation in 1984. The band is composed solely of Schaffer and drummer Brent Smedley, with all other band members having departed following Schaffer's January 2021 arrest by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

for his involvement in the 2021 United States Capitol attack. Schaffer is in FBI custody on felony charges, which has generated new publicity for Iced Earth and has resulted in the band being dropped from their longtime label Century Media.

History

Formation and early years (1984–1989)

The central figure of Iced Earth is, and has been, guitarist

, who formed the band on January 20, 1985, in

. Schaffer's original vision for the band started under the moniker "The Rose" in 1984. JonSchaffer2010

The group was very short-lived, after which Schaffer formed a band called Purgatory, which would eventually change its name to Iced Earth. Line-up changes were common within the band, with Schaffer staying as the only constant member. The group recorded a demo in 1985, titled ''Psychotic Dreams''. In 1988, Purgatory changed its name to Iced Earth. According to Schaffer, a friend of his, who died in a motorcycle accident prior to Schaffer moving to Florida was responsible for the name. In 1989, Iced Earth recorded another demo called ''Enter the Realm'', with the line-up of Gene Adam on vocals, Randall Shawver on lead guitar,

Dave Abell Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Formed in 1985 under the name Purgatory, the group originally consisted of vocalist Gene Adam, lead guitarist Bill Owen, rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer, bassist Richard Bateman and ...

on bass, Greg Seymour on drums and Schaffer on rhythm guitar and vocals. All of the songs on ''Enter the Realm'' would later appear on the band's debut album, with the exception of "Nightmares" and the title track.

Self-titled debut album and ''Night of the Stormrider'' (1990–1993)

After getting signed to Century Media Records, the band, now with Mike McGill on drums, started work on their debut album. Recorded at

Morrisound Recording Morrisound Recording (also Morrisound Studios) is an audio recording facility in Tampa, Florida, United States, owned and operated by brothers Jim and Tom Morris. Since its opening in 1981, Morrisound has been responsible for the popularization ...

, with Tom Morris and Schaffer as producers, ''

'' was released in November 1990 in Europe and on February 25, 1991 in the US. Following the album's release, Iced Earth toured across Europe 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. Following their self-titled debut, Iced Earth quickly began work on their second album. Prior to the recording process, singer Gene Adam was let go from the band after he refused to take singing lessons. Adam was subsequently replaced by John Greely, as was drummer McGill by Richey Secchiari. The album, entitled ''

'', was again recorded at Morrisound Recording, with Schaffer and Morris as producers. The album was released on November 11, 1991, in Europe, but in the US, the album's release was delayed until April 1992, so it wouldn't compete with the group's debut album. Following ''Night of the Stormrider's'' release, Iced Earth again toured Europe with Blind Guardian.

''Burnt Offerings'' and ''The Dark Saga'' (1994–1997)

Following the supporting tour for ''Night of the Stormrider'', Iced Earth entered a two-year hiatus from 1992 to 1994. During this downtime, the band was faced with issues that almost resulted in them breaking up, but eventually Iced Earth resurfaced with '' Burnt Offerings''. Heralded as Iced Earth's heaviest album, ''Burnt Offerings'' was released on April 14, 1995, and was the band's first album to feature drummer Rodney Beasley and vocalist Matthew Barlow. MattBarlow2010

In January 1996, Iced Earth began recording their fourth studio album, this time with Tom Morris' brother Jim Morris acting as co-producer, along with Schaffer. The album was also the first to feature drummer Mark Prator, and the last to feature longtime bassist Dave Abell, who left the group after finishing recording. Although Abell was credited for playing on the album, bassist Keith Menser appears on the back cover, because Century Media demanded the touring line-up to appear on the cover. Menser was fired after he didn't learn any of the band's songs for the tour, so he was soon replaced by

James MacDonough James MacDonough (born April 3, 1970) is an American bass guitarist. He has played with heavy metal bands Iced Earth, Nevermore, and Megadeth. Career MacDonough was part of Iced Earth's line up from 1996–2000 and again from 2001–2004. W ...

. Mark Prator was also let go from the band, and was subsequently replaced by

Brent Smedley 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 ...

. Released on May 23, 1996, ''

'' was a concept album based on the comic book character

Spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: ...

. Musically the album was much more melodic and simplified compared to previous Iced Earth albums. For the supporting tour, Iced Earth was joined by

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 ...

. On April 21, 1997, Iced Earth released their first compilation album: ''

Days of Purgatory ''Days of Purgatory'' is a heavy metal album by Iced Earth. It is a collection of remixes and remakes from previous albums, with the exception of their then-recent record ''The Dark Saga''. Most of the songs from the '' Enter the Realm'' EP, ' ...

''. The album featured songs from their first two albums, as well as the ''Enter the Realm'' demo, resung by Matt Barlow, with new drums and bass on some tracks as well. The album also featured a few songs from ''Burnt Offerings'', remixed and remastered.

''Something Wicked This Way Comes'' and ''Alive in Athens'' (1998–1999)

In March 1998, work began on the band's fifth studio album, with Jim Morris returning as the producer. Prior to the recording process, long-time guitarist Randall Shawver left the group. Guitarist Larry Tarnowski handled lead guitar duties on the album, but wasn't credited as a full-time member of the band, but as a session musician. Brent Smedley was also unable to play on the album, due to personal reasons, and was temporarily replaced by Mark Prator, whom Smedley had originally replaced in 1996. Released on June 17, 1998, '' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' was notable for featuring the debut of Schaffer's Something Wicked Saga, which he would expand upon on future albums. While on the supporting tour for ''Something Wicked This Way Comes'' (with Brent Smedley back on drums), the band recorded their first live album in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Greece on January 23 and 24, 1999. Entitled ''

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, ...

'', the three CD set was recorded in front of a sold-out audience (both nights) at the Rodon Club. The album was released on July 19, 1999. Also in 1999, the band released ''The Melancholy E.P.''. Originally conceived as a radio-only single, the EP contained three previously released songs ("Melancholy (Holy Martyr)", "Watching Over Me" and "I Died for You"), as well as two new ones (

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of

Bad Company Bad Company are an English rock supergroup that was formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell. Bad Company ''AllMusic'' Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, a ...

's " Shooting Star" and

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

's "Electric Funeral"). However, Century Media Records did not end-up releasing the EP, so it was made available for fans as a limited 1500-copy special release.

''Horror Show'' and ''The Glorious Burden'' (2000–2004)

In 2000, work began on Iced Earth's sixth studio album. Entitled '' Horror Show'', the album contained songs based on horror films and

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

, such as '' Dracula'', ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

'' and the '' Wolf Man''. Released on June 26, 2001, the album was the band's first to feature drummer

Richard Christy Thomas Richard Christy Jr. (born April 1, 1974) is an American drummer and radio personality, best known for being the former drummer for several heavy metal bands since the early 1990s, most notably Death, and his tenure on '' The Howard Ster ...

, and the third with guitarist Larry Tarnowski (now a full-time member). Originally Steve di Giorgio played bass on the album, but left the group after the recording process. According to Schaffer, Di Giorgio was required and agreed to go on tour, but left due to "prior commitments". He was replaced by James MacDonough. ''Horror Show'' was also the first Iced Earth album to be partially recorded at Schaffer's home studio "Schaffer Sound". On November 26, 2001 (March 5, 2002 in America) the band released the

boxset A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

'' Dark Genesis'', which featured the band's first three albums plus the ''Enter the Realm'' -demo, remastered and remixed with new cover art. The set also featured a new album, entitled ''

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 ...

''. It was Iced Earth's seventh studio album, featuring songs from such bands as

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

and

Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla". The band h ...

. After the events of 9/11, Matt Barlow came to the conclusion that he wanted to start contributing to the "real world". Barlow approached Schaffer with this in late 2002, but Schaffer convinced Barlow to stay with the band. When Iced Earth began recording their next studio album, Schaffer realized that Barlow's vocals were not what he desired; he felt that they lacked passion and quality, so he decided to let Barlow go after all. Barlow became a police officer in the Georgetown Police Dept. 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 ...

. After Barlow's departure, Iced Earth continued work on their next album, and eventually Schaffer got

, from Judas Priest, to sing on the record as a favor. Owens, who was still in Judas Priest at the time, was originally supposed to be credited as a guest musician, but after singer Rob Halford rejoined Judas Priest, Owens joined Iced Earth full-time. Prior to the recording process, Tarnowski was let go from the band, so the lead guitar parts on the album were played by producer Jim Morris and session guitarist

Ralph Santolla Ralph Santolla (December 8, 1966 – June 7, 2018) was an Italian-American heavy metal guitarist. He played in many bands, most recently Deicide, but also including Eyewitness, Death (he never recorded any of their albums, but toured with them in ...

. Prior to the album's release, Iced Earth released '' The Reckoning''. The single contained four songs off the new album, that the band felt were most likely to get radio airplay. ''

'' was released on January 12, 2004, in Europe and on January 13, in the United States. Much like how ''Horror Show'' was based on horror films and literature, ''The Glorious Burden'' was inspired by historical events. It was also the band's first album with their new record company SPV. Following the supporting tour, James MacDonough left Iced Earth to join Megadeth.

''Framing Armageddon'' and ''The Crucible of Man'' (2005–2010)

After ''The Glorious Burden'', work began on the group's next album, which would be an expanded concept album on the "Something Wicked" storyline from ''Something Wicked This Way Comes''. Before starting work on the album, Iced Earth was faced with multiple line-up changes. In July 2006, Ernie Carletti was chosen as the group's new lead guitar player, but after being faced with rape and kidnapping charges, he was replaced by Tim Mills. Incidentally, Mills was also forced to leave Iced Earth in order to concentrate on his own business, " Bare Knuckle Pickups". In October 2006, Brent Smedley rejoined Iced Earth again, replacing Richard Christy on the drums. Because the band were left without a bassist and lead guitar player, Schaffer ended up performing most of the lead guitar and bass parts on the album (although some tracks featured playing from producer Jim Morris, guitarist Troy Seele and bassist Dennis Hayes) In May 2007, Seele was announced as a permanent member of the band, as was Dennis Hayes two months earlier. Before releasing the full-length album, Iced Earth released the EP '' Overture of the Wicked'', which featured re-recorded versions of the original "Something Wicked Trilogy" as well as a brand new track, entitled " Ten Thousand Strong". '' Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1'' was released on September 7, 2007, in Germany, September 10, in the rest of Europe, and on September 11, in the United States. In December 2007, it was announced that Barlow would be rejoining Iced Earth after five years. Following his return, work continued on Iced Earth's next album, originally titled ''Revelation Abomination: Something Wicked Part 2''. Majority of the album's music had been recorded at the same time as ''Framing Armageddon'', and originally Schaffer had planned to finish the album after the end of 2007. However work on the album had to be pushed back, due to Barlow's prior commitments to his other band, Pyramaze. In early 2008, it was announced that Dennis Hayes had been replaced by bassist Freddie Vidales. Before releasing their next full-length album, Iced Earth released the single '' I Walk Among You'' which contained a new song from the forthcoming album, as well as two song from ''Framing Armageddon'', resung by Barlow. After being retitled '' The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2,'' Iced Earth's tenth studio album was released in September 2008. After ''The Crucible of Man'', the band released ''Box of the Wicked'', in early 2010. The boxset contained ''Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1'', ''The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Part 2'', the ''Overture of the Wicked'' EP and the ''I Walk Among You'' single, as well as a bonus CD, containing one song from ''Framing Armageddon'', now with Barlow on lead vocals, as well as three previously unreleased live tracks from the

Graspop Metal Meeting Graspop Metal Meeting is a Belgian heavy metal festival held in Dessel each year since 1996, excluding 2020 and 2021 due to covid restrictions. Despite the small size of the festival grounds (upholding a perimeter of only ~4 km) the festiva ...

festival in 2008. The boxset also included a poster and a booklet. Also in early 2010, Iced Earth signed a new contract with their former record company, Century Media Records.

''Dystopia'' (2011–2012)

In March 2011, Barlow issued a statement on Iced Earth's official website, stating that he was retiring from the band due to family commitments, among other things. Barlow still took part in the band's 2011 summer tour, and played his final show with Iced Earth on August 6, 2011, 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 in Germany. Shortly after announcing Barlow's departure, Iced Earth revealed that Into Eternity frontman Stu Block had been chosen as the band's new lead vocalist. With Block now on board, Iced Earth began recording their next studio album in May 2011. On June 27, 2011, the band released the

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

''Festivals of the Wicked'', which featured shows from Metal Camp Open Air (2008), the Rock Hard Festival (2008) and Wacken Open Air (2007). On September 7, 2011, Iced Earth released a re-recorded version of the song "

Dante's Inferno ''Inferno'' (; Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem ''Divine Comedy''. It is followed by ''Purgatorio'' and '' Paradiso''. The ''Inferno'' describes Dante's journey through Hell, gui ...

", from the album ''Burnt Offerings''. The band's new album '' Dystopia'' was released on October 17, 2011 in Europe and October 18 in the United States. While not a concept album, many of the album's songs were inspired by dystopian themes and films such as ''

V for Vendetta ''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing serial in the British anthol ...

'', '' Dark City'' and '' Equilibrium''. Two songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also featured the return of the "Something Wicked" storyline. After the ''Dystopia''s release, Iced Earth kicked off the Dystopia World Tour, which was heralded as "the most extensive world tour Iced Earth has ever undertaken" and that it would take the band "to countries it has never previously played". On April 10, 2012, it was announced that Freddie Vidales had left Iced Earth. He was subsequently replaced by Luke Appleton from

Fury UK Fury UK is an English heavy metal band based in Manchester, England. Between 2007 and 2012 the band played a series of important festival appearances such as Bloodstock Open Air and Hammerfest in the UK, and Prog Power Metal Festival in Belgi ...

. On August 19, 2012, Iced Earth recorded a new live CD/DVD in Cyprus, entitled ''Live in Ancient Kourion''.

''Plagues of Babylon'' and ''Incorruptible'' (2013–2019)

20161202 Oberhausen Ruhrpott Metall Meeting Iced Earth 0180 Iced Earth

Iced Earth began writing new material for their twelfth studio album in early 2013. Drummer Smedley left the band in May 2013 due to personal reasons. Raphael Saini therefore played drums on the album, titled ''

'', as well as filling in on tour until

Jon Dette Jon Dette (born April 19, 1970) is an American heavy metal drummer best known for his time in Slayer and Testament. Over the years, he has also been chosen to fill-in with Anthrax, Heathen, and Iced Earth. Dette also played with Evildead a ...

took over on drums in November 2013. The album was released in January 2014, reaching position #5 on the German Media Control Charts, which is band’s highest chart position in their entire career. On April 7, 2015, following a period of inactivity as a result of Schaffer requiring cervical fusion surgery, the band announced that Iced Earth would begin writing for their 13th studio album. The announcement also revealed that drummer Smedley had rejoined the band, replacing Dette, and that the new album was to be tentatively titled ''The Judas Goat'', with an expected release date and subsequent touring cycle in early 2016. In August 2016 lead guitarist Troy Seele announced his departure from the band citing family reasons. He was replaced on September 25, 2016 by Jake Dreyer. On December 6, 2016, Schaffer spoke in an interview with Fernando Bonenfant from Metal Wani and announced that the new album would be called ''

'', originally due for release in May 2017. On March 13, 2017, the band confirmed that they had completed work on the album for a mid-June release. On April 6, the artwork was revealed with the album being set for a June 16 release. The release of the album also fulfilled the band's second deal with Century Media Records. On October 26, 2018, it was revealed that Jon Schaffer had recruited previous Iced Earth members Gene Adam (vocals) and Bill Owen (lead guitar); along with guests Jim Morris (lead guitar), Ruben Drake (bass guitar), and Mark Prator (drums); to form ''Jon Schaffer's Purgatory'', taking the name from the precursor to Iced Earth. The band had re-recorded old pre-Iced Earth demos, including (in their original form) tracks that were later re-recorded for Iced Earth releases. This EP, titled ''Purgatory'', was released in December 2018. Iced Earth's 1989 demo ''Enter the Realm'' was released on CD and vinyl for the first time on April 12, 2019, exactly 30 years after its original release.

Planned thirteenth studio album, Schaffer's arrest, and lineup changes (2020–present)

In a Facebook Live chat that took place on April 14, 2020, Schaffer confirmed that, after "a little bit of time off", Iced Earth would start working on their thirteenth studio album for a spring 2021 release. He stated: "Everything is a little bit up in the air right now. Even working on a new Iced Earth album is gonna be challenging until we see how all this plays out, because it's an international band.

Stu Stu is a masculine given name or nickname, usually a shortened form (hypocorism) of Stuart or Stewart. It may refer to: Stuart * Stu Barnes (born 1970), Canadian retired National Hockey League player * Stu Block (born 1977), Canadian singer-so ...

's in Canada and Luke is in the U.K., so that makes it even more difficult for travel…the biggest issue now is logistics of actually getting together to do it, because we're an international band. If we lived in the same town or even in the same country, it would make things a lot easier. But we will et around to making a new album and there will be a time for that, no doubt. To say when that's gonna be, my plan was to focus on it in the back half of this year and have a release in spring of 2021. But the world's flipped upside down and has gotten pretty weird lately." In early January 2021, Schaffer appeared on the Most Wanted section of the

after being photographed taking part of the 2021 United States Capitol attack. On January 9, Block posted a message via his personal Instagram account on behalf of the rest of the band members regarding Schaffer's situation:

"Some of you have been concerned by our silence, which we understand. We needed some time to properly process the information and find out some facts before we made a statement. First and foremost we absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions."

On January 17, it was announced that Schaffer was in FBI custody, on six

felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...

charges, after turning himself in to authorities. Iced Earth and Demons & Wizards were both later dropped from

Century Media A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...

due to these events. On February 15, 2021, vocalist Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton both announced their resignation from the band as a result of the event. On the same day, Jake Dreyer also announced his departure, stating that he would be focusing on his band Witherfall. Only Schaffer and drummer Brent Smedley remain. Schaffer entered a guilty plea of unlawfully entering Congress and

obstructing an official proceeding Corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding is a felony under U.S. federal law. It was enacted as part of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 as a reaction to the Enron scandal, and closed a legal loophole on who could be ...

, on April 16, 2021, and was granted sponsorship for

United States Federal Witness Protection Program The United States Federal Witness Protection Program (WPP), also known as the Witness Security Program or WITSEC, is a witness protection program codified through 18 U.S. Code § 3521 and administered by the United States Department of Justi ...

. ''A Narrative Soundscape'' was released in January 2022.

Musical style and lyrical themes

Iced Earth has commonly been described as heavy metal,

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

and

speed metal Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It ...

. When asked about the band's musical style, Schaffer, Iced Earth's chief songwriter, said: "We're a metal band. That's what we are. We have every dynamic from Pink Floyd to Slayer and everything in between." Iced Earth's music has evolved and shifted several times during the band's history. On the group's 1990 self-titled debut album, the band's sound was characterized by time changes, acoustic passages and

-type galloping rhythms. Many of these elements carried over to the follow-up album ''

'', which added keyboards and

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

, as well as some choral arrangements. 1995's '' Burnt Offerings'' has been heralded as Iced Earth's heaviest album, and included the band's longest song to date, "

". As a counter measure to ''Burnt Offerings'', 1996's ''

'' featured a much more subdued sound compared to previous releases. The focus was less on technical musicianship, but on emotion and melody. '' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' combined elements found on previous albums with brand new ideas. The "Something Wicked Trilogy", which closes the album, took many cues from the ''Night of the Stormrider'' album. Iced Earth continued to expand their sound throughout the 2000s, like adding a full-piece orchestra to the song "Gettysburg" from 2004's ''

''. Common lyrical themes in Iced Earth's music have been religion, history, fantasy, literature, and films. The band has also released several concept albums, the first being 1991's ''Night of the Stormrider''. The second, 1996's ''The Dark Saga'', was based on the

Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic book creator, artist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horro ...

comic book character

. 1998's ''Something Wicked This Way Comes'' introduced the Something Wicked Saga, which was later expanded upon on 2007's '' Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1'', and 2008's '' The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2''. Iced Earth have also released several albums written around a theme. 2001's '' Horror Show'' was largely based on horror literature and films, 2004's ''The Glorious Burden'' was inspired by history and war, while 2011's '' Dystopia'' centered around dystopian themes in literature and film.

Band members

Current members *

– rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, mandolin (1984–present) *Brent Smedley – drums (1996–1997, 1998–1999, 2006–2013, 2015–present)

Discography

*''

'' (1990) *''

'' (1991) *'' Burnt Offerings'' (1995) *''

'' (1996) *'' Something Wicked This Way Comes'' (1998) *'' Horror Show'' (2001) *''

'' (2004) *'' Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1'' (2007) *'' The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2'' (2008) *'' Dystopia'' (2011) *''

'' (2014) *''

'' (2017) *''A Narrative Soundscape'' (2022)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1985 establishments in Florida American power metal musical groups American progressive metal musical groups American thrash metal musical groups Century Media Records artists Heavy metal musical groups from Florida Heavy metal musical groups from Indiana Musical groups established in 1985 Musical groups from Indiana Musical groups from Tampa, Florida Musical quintets