Brush-fires of the Mind is the only album by Jon Schaffer

Jon Schaffer

Jon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...

's heavy metal solo-project Sons of Liberty. The album was released on the project's website on December 18, 2009, to download for free if you sign up for the Sons of Liberty newsletter. It is also available as a high quality download, however, this one is not for free. All music and lyrics were written by Schaffer himself, he also plays all guitars and sings lead vocals.

The album has been released on cd (regular version and limited edition) and 12" vinyl by Century Media Records

Century Media Records

Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...

 on July 12, 2010

The album is a concept album

Concept album

In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

 about corrupt world leaders holding the rest of the world in slavery. It is a subject that Schaffer holds close to heart, as is shown on the bands website where there are links and references to literature dealing with the subject.
Between some of the songs Schaffer quotes, among others, Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

 and Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

. Also, there are several speeches heard by various modern world leaders, including John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

. Several different covers of the album exist.

Track listing

Music and lyrics written by Schaffer.

1. "Jekyll Island" – 7:19
2. "Don't Tread on Me" – 5:08
3. "False Flag" – 4:50
4. "Our Dying Republic" – 3:48
5. "Indentured Servitude" - 4:42
6. "Tree of Liberty" – 6:11
7. "Feeling Helpless" – 4:01
8. "The Cleansing Wind" – 4:33
9. "We the People" – 5:18

Reception

Personnel

• Jon Schaffer - Lead and backing vocals, rhythm and lead guitar, drum programming

• Guest Musicians:
  • Jim Morris - Guitar solos on Jekyll Island, Our Dying Republic, Indentured Servitude, The Cleansing Wind, plus backing vocals and additional drum programming
  • Ruben Drake - Bass Guitar and Electric stand-up Bass
  • Troy Seele - Guitar solos on Don't Tread On Me, Feeling Helpless
  • Howard Helm - Piano on The Cleansing Wind, backing vocals
  • Jeff Brandt - Backing Vocals