Iced Earth
Encyclopedia
Iced Earth is an American
heavy metal
band from Tampa, Florida
. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio album
s, one live album
, three EP
's, two compilation
s and boxsets. Their first album, simply titled Iced Earth
, was released in 1990 and their latest release, Dystopia
, was released on October 17, 2011.
Iced Earth is well-known for having an ever-changing line-up, with band founder and rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer
staying the only constant member throughout the groups over 20-year existence. Besides Schaffer, the longest-running musician in the group was singer Matt Barlow
. Barlow originally joined for their 1995 album, Burnt Offerings
, and stayed until 2003, when he became a police officer
. After Barlow, the band was fronted by Tim "Ripper" Owens for two albums, until Barlow returned in late 2007. He left once again in 2011, this time citing family reasons and the bands tour schedule. Currently the band is fronted by Stu Block
from Into Eternity.
, who formed the band back in 1984, in Tampa, Florida
. Schaffer's original vision for the band started under the moniker "The Rose." The group was very short-lived, after which Jon formed, what would later be known as Iced Earth, under the name "Purgatory." Members often changed in the band, with Jon staying as the only constant member, but the band did record their first demo in 1984, titled Psychotic Dreams.
In 1989, the band (still known as "Purgatory") was forced to change their name after finding out there already was a band called "Purgatory." According Jon, it was his friend, who died in motorcycle accident prior to Jon moving to Florida, who is responsible for the name "Iced Earth." Also in 1989, the band, now known as Iced Earth, recorded another demo called Enter the Realm
, with the line-up of Gene Adam
on vocals, Randy Shawver on lead guitar, Dave Abell on bass, Greg Seymour on drums and Jon Schaffer on rhythm guitar and vocals. All of the songs on Enter the Realm would later appear on the bands debut album.
After getting signed to Century Media Records
, the band, now with Mike McGill now on drums, started work on their first album
. The album was recorded at Morrisound Recording
with Tom Morris and Jon acting as producers. The album was originally released in November, 1990 in Europe
and on February 25, 1991 in the US.
The album
, now with John Greely on lead vocals and Richey Secchiari on drums, was the group's first stab at a concept record
. The album tells the story of a man who is betrayed by religion and turns away from it in anger. After this, the dark forces of nature reach out to him and use him as their vessel to bring death and destruction to Earth
. Through it all, he feels no remorse for his deeds, and when we reach the end of the story, he numbly accepts his fate of eternity in Hell
.
Once again recorded at Morrisound with Schaffer and Morris as producers, the album was released in Europe on November 11, 1991. In the US the album's release was delayed until April 1992, so it wouldn't compete with the groups debut album.
and drummer Rodney Beasley. The group started work on a new album, once again with Tom Morris. Released April Fool's Day, 1995, Burnt Offerings
was the groups heaviest album yet.
The title track touches upon the band's troubles during the last three years, during which they almost broke-up, while the over sixteen minute -long closer, "Dante's Inferno
," is based on the Inferno
-segment of Dante Alighieri
's epic poem the Divine Comedy, where the main character, Dante, travels through the nine circles of Hell. The album's cover is also based on Lucifer
from the Divine Comedy. The picture was painted by Gustave Doré
in the 14th century
.
. Mark Prator was also replaced by Brent Smedley on the drums.
The record, titled The Dark Saga
, is another concept album, this time based on the comic book character "Spawn
," who also appears on the front cover. The lyrics tell the story of "a man who sells his soul in order to return to his true love on Earth, but he soon discovers that she is married to his own best friend. He is left completely alone in the world, and although he has good inside, he is influenced by dark forces. Everything that he desires is denied, even his own death." Many of the villains in the Spawn -series also appear on the album, such as the Clown ("Violate"), Billy Kincaid ("Vengeance is Mine"), Angela
("The Hunter") and Malebolgia
("The Last Laugh").
Released on May 20th, 1996, The Dark Saga also marked a change in the band's musical style, shifting the focus from long, heavy and technical songs into creating a complete story through sound and lyrics. Thus, the music is more dark, melodic and simple than other Iced Earth records.
On April 21st, 1997, Iced Earth released the compilation Days of Purgatory
, which featured songs from their first two albums aswell as the Enter the Realm -demo, resung by Matt Barlow with new drums and bass on some tracks aswell, by Brent Smedley and James MacDonough. The album also featured songs from Burnt Offerings remixed and remastered.
When asked about the reason for the albums title, Jon Schaffer said
. Drummer Brent Smedley also didn't play on the album, because of personal reasons, and he was replaced by previous drummer Mike Prator, who was also credited as a session member.
Released on June 17, 1998, Something Wicked This Way Comes featured many different styles to it. The ballad "Watching Over Me," talks about Jon Schaffer's friend Bill Blackmon, who originally inspired the name "Iced Earth," after he died in a motorcycle accident prior to Jon forming the band. But the the centerpiece of the album were the last three songs, commonly known as the "Something Wicked" trilogy. The songs tell the story of character created by Jon, called Set Abominae, who also appears on the album's front cover.
In 1999, the band released The Melancholy EP. Originally conceived as a radio only single in the US, the EP contained three previously released songs ("Melancholy (Holy Martyr)", "Watching Over Me" and "I Died for You"), aswell as two new songs (cover versions
of Bad Company
's "Shooting Star" and Black Sabbath
's "Electric Funereal"). Unfortunately the record company did not release the EP, so it was made available for fans as a limited 1500-copy special release. In January, 2001, The Melancholy EP was re-released with two new tracks (a cover of Judas Priest
's "The Ripper" and a live version of "Colors," originally recorded for Alive in Athens)
While on the Something Wicked Tour, (with Brent Smedley back playing the drums and Rick Risberg playing the keyboards) the band recorded their first live album
in Athens
, Greece
on January 23 and January 24, 1999. Titled Alive 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. This was also the group's second album to feature Set Abominae on the cover.
, The Phantom of the Opera
and the Wolf Man,
was already an idea the band had tinkered with, when they were still known as "Purgatory." In 1986, the band had released a demo called Horror Show, which also featured tracks called "Dracula" and "Jack," but also featured a track called "In Jason's Mind," which was based on Jason Vorhees from the Friday the 13th -film series
. The idea for releasing songs based on classic monsters was originally conceived by Jon Schaffer back in 1997, when he got the idea to release and EP
, with five songs based on the Universal monsters
and call it Monster. But this idea got shelved, after the band started work on the Days of Purgatory -album.
Released on June 25, 2001, Horror Show
was the first album to feature veteran drummer Richard Christy
, and the second studio album to feature guitarist Larry Tarnowski (now a full-time member). Originally Steve DiGiorgio
played bass on the album, but left the group after the recording process. According to Jon Schaffer, DiGiorgio 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 Jon Schaffer's home studio "Schaffer Sound."
On November 26, 2001 (March 5, 2002 in America) the band released the boxset 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. Titled Tribute to the Gods
, the album was the groups first and only cover album
, featuring covers from bands like Iron Maiden
, Kiss
and Blue Öyster Cult
, among others.
While talking about Tribute to the Gods, Jon Schaffer said:
After the events of 9/11, Matt Barlow had started thinking about his life and realized that he wanted to contribute to the "real world." Barlow approached Schaffer with this in late 2002, but Schaffer convinced Barlow to stay with the band. When the band was recording their next studio album, Schaffer realized that Barlow's vocals were not what he desired; he felt they lacked the 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
. He also continued as a vocalist, singing for the "First State Force Band," which is comprises law enforcement members from different departments throughout Delaware.
rejoined Judas Priest, Owens joined Iced Earth fulltime. Also, prior to the recording process, Larry 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
.
Another so-called "theme album," The Glorious Burden
featured songs inspired by history and historical events, such as the American Revolution
, World War I
and Atilla the Hun, among others. The center-piece of the album was the 32-minute long, three part "Gettysburg (1863)" -track, which is based on the American Civil War
. It is no surprise that Jon Schaffer wanted to do an album based on history, as he enjoy's studying history and some his favorite movies are historical war films
, such as The Patriot
and Gettysburg.
Prior to the albums release, the band released The Reckoning
EP. The EP contained four songs off the new album the band felt were likely to get radio airplay. The Glorious Burden was released on January 12, 2004 in Europe and on January 13, in the United States, and this was the group's first album with their new record company SPV
.
After the supporting tour, James MacDonough left the band to join Megadeth
.
A few years later, Jon Schaffer further detailed the story in an interview:
Prior to starting work on the album, the band was faced with multiple line-up changes. In July, 2006, Ernie Carletti was named as the groups new lead guitar player, but after facing rape and kidnapping charges, he was replaced by Tim Millis. But Tim Millis was forced to leave to concentrate on his business "Bare Knuckle Pickups
." In October, 2006, Brent Smedley once again rejoined the group, taking the place of Richard Christy.
Due to the lack of a second guitarist and a bassist, Jon Schaffer ended up playing most of the lead guitar and bass parts on the album, but producer Jim Morris, guitarist Troy Seele, and bassist Dennis Hayes
were featured playing on some tracks. Troy Seele was later announced as a permanent member of the band, as was Dennis Hayes.
Prior to releasing the album, the band 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, titled "Ten Thousand Strong
." This was also the only Iced Earth -recording to feature guitarist Tim Millis. On the reasoning behind doing the EP, Tim Owens said:
The album, titled 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 Matt Barlow would be returning to Iced Earth, after five years apart.
Story wise, the album picks-up where the previous one left off, and in an interview Jon Schaffer detailed the story of Part 2:
All of the music, except some guitar parts and the vocals, were record at the same time as Framing Armageddon and originally Schaffer had planned to finish the album after the end of 2007. But after Matt rejoined the group, who still had prior commitments to his other band Pyramaze
, work on the album had to be pushed back. In early 2008, the band announced Freddie Vidales as the groups new bass player, replacing former bassist Dennis Hayes.
Before releasing the full-length album, the group released the single I Walk Among You
on June 13, 2008. The single contained a new song from the forthcoming album, aswell as two song from Framing Armageddon, with Matt Barlow on vocals.
After being retitled The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2
, the album was released on September 5, 2008 in [Germany, Austria
and Switzerland
, September 8, in rest of Europe and on September 9, in the United States and Canada
. After The Crucible of Man, the band released the boxset, 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, aswell as a bonus CD with one song from Framing Armageddon, now with Matt Barlow on lead vocals, and three previously unreleased live tracks from the Graspop Metal Meeting
-festival in 2008, also featuring Barlow on vocals. The boxset also included a poster and a booklet.
Also in early 2010, Iced Earth signed a new recording deal with old company Century Media Records.
-festival in Germany.
Shortly after announcing Barlow's departure from the band, Iced Earth announced that Into Eternity -frontman Stu Block
had been chosen as the bands new lead vocalist. With Stu Block now on board, work began on the groups next studio album.
While not a concept album, many of the albums songs are inspired by dystopian themes and films, such as such as V for Vendetta
, Dark City, Soylent Green
, and Equilibrium
, very much like how Horror Show was largely inspired by horror movies and similar subjects. Two of the albums songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also feature the return of the "Something Wicked" -storyline. In an update on the bands official website, Jon Schaffer told how "Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph" fit in to the "Something Wicked Saga":
This was also the first Iced Earth -studio album to feature Troy Seele and Brent Smedley on all the tracks, as well as the first Iced Earth album to simply feature Freddie Vidales and Stu Block.
On June 27, 2011, the band released the DVD
Festivals of the Wicked
, which featured shows from Metal Camp Open Air 2008, Rock Hard Festival
2008 and Wacken Open Air 2007. In September, the band released a new re-recording of the song "Dante's Inferno," from Burnt Offerings. This was also the first Iced Earth -song with Stu Block to be released to the public.
The bands new album, titled Dystopia
was released on October 17, 2011 in Europe and October 18 in the United States. After the release the band kicked off the supporting tour for the album, titled World Dystopia Tour
, which was named "the most extensive world tour Iced Earth has ever undertaken" and that it would take the band "to countries it has never previously played." During the first American leg of the tour, the band will be co-headlining with Symphony X
, and Iced Earth will also be playing their first show in Australia.
, Iron Maiden
, and Judas Priest
. The most distinctive element of the band's sound is the stutter-like right-hand gallop of rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer
, which sounds something like the 'eighth-note
, two-sixteenth-notes
' gallop made famous by Iron Maiden
's bass player/songwriter Steve Harris
. "The music is heavy, melodic, dark, fast, and complex. Schaffer plays true rhythm guitar, giving the band its trademark sound. Iron Maiden's 'galloping' rhythm is quite evident."
Strong melodic hooks are typically laid over the top of this gallop, sometimes doubled by two guitars playing in harmony, such as in "The Reckoning." They often vary rhythms by using the two dotted eighth note followed by a quarter note or four dotted eighth notes followed by two quarter notes, known as the clave or chopped clave pattern. This is often used by Judas Priest
.
During Barlow's period in the band, the vocals were often low-pitched but with occasional high-pitched screams, however after Owens joined the band the emphasis shifted to the higher-pitched spectrum. Common throughout since the release of Something Wicked This Way Comes is the practice of recording multiple vocal tracks to simulate the sound of a small choir. Schaffer claims that this is probably due to his work with Blind Guardian
. A common element of the band's sound is the frequent usage of double-bass-drumming
. Iced Earth's drum work is often highlighted by frequent use of drags and flam
s on the bass drum, usually intended to complement Schaffer's rhythm guitar.
Iced Earth lyrics
tend to deal with theological
issues such as punishment
and sin
, destiny
, heaven
and hell
, the Antichrist
and the apocalypse
. Many of the band's recent albums have been concept albums written around a theme
, e.g. the antihero Spawn
(The Dark Saga
), horror movies (Horror Show
), and historical wars (The Glorious Burden
). Jon Schaffer also created original stories for concept albums, most notably on Night of the Stormrider
, Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) and its sequel The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2). Much of Iced Earth's lyrics currently deal with Jon Schaffer's fictional character Set Abominae.
In some songs (such as "Dante's Inferno," "Angels Holocaust," "Damien," and "The Coming Curse") Iced Earth uses the technique of Gregorian chant
. Multiple Iced Earth songs contain female vocals: "A Question of Heaven", "The Phantom Opera Ghost", "Melancholy", "Watching Over Me", "The Awakening", "In Sacred Flames", "Harbinger Of Fate", "Behold The Wicked Child", in addition to a remake of "Burnt Offerings" on the Days of Purgatory
album.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s, one live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, three EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
's, two compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s and boxsets. Their first album, simply titled Iced Earth
Iced Earth (album)
Iced Earth is the eponymous debut album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It was released in November 1990 internationally and February 1991 in North America. The original release of this album had three different covers . This album was Mike McGill's only album with Iced Earth, as well as...
, was released in 1990 and their latest release, Dystopia
Dystopia (Iced Earth album)
Dystopia is the tenth studio album from American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released on October 17, 2011, it's the band's first album with vocalist Stu Block, who joined after former vocalist Matt Barlow left the band for a second time on August 6, 2011....
, was released on October 17, 2011.
Iced Earth is well-known for having an ever-changing line-up, with band founder and rhythm guitarist 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:...
staying the only constant member throughout the groups over 20-year existence. Besides Schaffer, the longest-running musician in the group was singer Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow
Matthew Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He is the former lead singer for Iced Earth. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law.-History:...
. Barlow originally joined for their 1995 album, Burnt Offerings
Burnt Offerings (album)
Burnt Offerings is American heavy metal band Iced Earth's third album, released April 18, 1995, by Century Media Records. This album marked the introduction of vocalist Matt Barlow and was the only Iced Earth album featuring drummer Rodney Beasley...
, and stayed until 2003, when he became a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
. After Barlow, the band was fronted by Tim "Ripper" Owens for two albums, until Barlow returned in late 2007. He left once again in 2011, this time citing family reasons and the bands tour schedule. Currently the band is fronted by Stu Block
Stu Block
Stuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
from Into Eternity.
Formation and debut (1984-'91)
The central figure of Iced Earth is and has been rhythm guitarist Jon SchafferJon 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:...
, who formed the band back in 1984, in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. Schaffer's original vision for the band started under the moniker "The Rose." The group was very short-lived, after which Jon formed, what would later be known as Iced Earth, under the name "Purgatory." Members often changed in the band, with Jon staying as the only constant member, but the band did record their first demo in 1984, titled Psychotic Dreams.
In 1989, the band (still known as "Purgatory") was forced to change their name after finding out there already was a band called "Purgatory." According Jon, it was his friend, who died in motorcycle accident prior to Jon moving to Florida, who is responsible for the name "Iced Earth." Also in 1989, the band, now known as Iced Earth, recorded another demo called Enter the Realm
Enter the Realm
Enter the Realm is an independently-released EP cassette by Iced Earth. It was released in 1989 and re-released in 2001 as part of the Dark Genesis box set. It's the only Iced Earth release featuring drummer Greg Seymour....
, with the line-up of Gene Adam
Gene Adam
Gene Adam was the original singer of Iced Earth/Purgatory, he did not get to write most of the lyrics along with Jon Schaffer and Randall Shawver. Jon Schaffer was then introduced to John Greely through their mutual friend Tom Morris and after one short practice he was hired to replace Gene. Gene...
on vocals, Randy Shawver on lead guitar, Dave Abell on bass, Greg Seymour on drums and Jon Schaffer on rhythm guitar and vocals. All of the songs on Enter the Realm would later appear on the bands debut album.
After getting signed to 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 :...
, the band, now with Mike McGill now on drums, started work on their first album
Iced Earth (album)
Iced Earth is the eponymous debut album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It was released in November 1990 internationally and February 1991 in North America. The original release of this album had three different covers . This album was Mike McGill's only album with Iced Earth, as well as...
. The album was recorded at Morrisound Recording
Morrisound Recording
Morrisound Recording is an audio recording facility in Temple Terrace, Florida, owned and operated by brothers Jim and Tom Morris. Since its opening in 1981, Morrisound has been responsible for the popularization of genres such as heavy metal and death metal, but of course caters to every genre of...
with Tom Morris and Jon acting as producers. The album was originally released in November, 1990 in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and on February 25, 1991 in the US.
Night of the Stormrider (1991-'92)
After the groups first album, they quickly began work on their second record. Gene Adam, who also sang on the band's debut, was originally supposed sing on the group's softmore release, but after he refused to take singing lessons, Schaffer fired him.The album
Night of the Stormrider
-Personnel:*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, producer*John Greely – vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar, solo*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Rick Secchiari – drumsAdditional personnel*Roger "The Hammer" Huff – keyboardsProduction...
, now with John Greely on lead vocals and Richey Secchiari on drums, was the group's first stab at a concept record
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...
. The album tells the story of a man who is betrayed by religion and turns away from it in anger. After this, the dark forces of nature reach out to him and use him as their vessel to bring death and destruction to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Through it all, he feels no remorse for his deeds, and when we reach the end of the story, he numbly accepts his fate of eternity in Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
.
Once again recorded at Morrisound with Schaffer and Morris as producers, the album was released in Europe on November 11, 1991. In the US the album's release was delayed until April 1992, so it wouldn't compete with the groups debut album.
Matt Barlow joins and Burnt Offerings (1995)
After a three year layoff following the release of Night of the Stormrider, the group resurfaced in 1995, now with lead vocalist Matt BarlowMatt Barlow
Matthew Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He is the former lead singer for Iced Earth. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law.-History:...
and drummer Rodney Beasley. The group started work on a new album, once again with Tom Morris. Released April Fool's Day, 1995, Burnt Offerings
Burnt Offerings (album)
Burnt Offerings is American heavy metal band Iced Earth's third album, released April 18, 1995, by Century Media Records. This album marked the introduction of vocalist Matt Barlow and was the only Iced Earth album featuring drummer Rodney Beasley...
was the groups heaviest album yet.
The title track touches upon the band's troubles during the last three years, during which they almost broke-up, while the over sixteen minute -long closer, "Dante's Inferno
Dante's Inferno (song)
"Dante's Inferno" is a song by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth. The song was originally released on the groups 1995 album Burnt Offerings, but was re-recorded in 2011, with the current line-up of the band...
," is based on the Inferno
Inferno (Dante)
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
-segment of Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
's epic poem the Divine Comedy, where the main character, Dante, travels through the nine circles of Hell. The album's cover is also based on Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
from the Divine Comedy. The picture was painted by Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
in the 14th century
14th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1301 to December 31, 1400.-Events:* The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age....
.
The Dark Saga and Days of Purgatory (1996-'97)
In January, 1996, the group started work on their fourth studio album, this time with Tom Morris' brother Jim Morris acting as co-producer along with Jon Schaffer. Since then, Jim Morris has co-produced on every Iced Earth -studio album. The album also included a new drummer, this time Mark Prator. The album would also become the last to feature longtime bassist Dave Abell, who left the group after finishing the album. While he was credited for playing bass on the album, bassist Keith Menser appears on the back cover, because Century Media demanded the touring line-up to appear on the cover. Coincidentally, Keith Menser was fired after he didn't learn any of the band's songs for the tour, so he was soon replaced by James MacDonoughJames MacDonough
James MacDonough born on April 3, 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida U.S.A. is a professional bass guitarist. He has played with Iced Earth, Nevermore, and most recently, Megadeth....
. Mark Prator was also replaced by Brent Smedley on the drums.
The record, titled The Dark Saga
The Dark Saga
-European Limited Digipak bonus track:-2008 Slave to the Dark bonus tracks:-Credits :*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, vocals*Matt Barlow – lead vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Mark Prator – drums...
, is another concept album, this time based on the comic book character "Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
," who also appears on the front cover. The lyrics tell the story of "a man who sells his soul in order to return to his true love on Earth, but he soon discovers that she is married to his own best friend. He is left completely alone in the world, and although he has good inside, he is influenced by dark forces. Everything that he desires is denied, even his own death." Many of the villains in the Spawn -series also appear on the album, such as the Clown ("Violate"), Billy Kincaid ("Vengeance is Mine"), Angela
Angela (comics)
Angela is a fictional character in Todd McFarlane's Spawn comic book series. The character was created for the series by writer Neil Gaiman and artist Todd McFarlane, which led to a legal battle between McFarlane and Gaiman over the rights to the character.-Fictional character biography:In the...
("The Hunter") and Malebolgia
Malebolgia
Malebolgia is a fictional character in the Spawn universe, drawing its name from the term in Dante's Inferno used to describe Malebolge, the ditches in the eighth circle of Hell where humans who committed the sin Fraud are punished...
("The Last Laugh").
Released on May 20th, 1996, The Dark Saga also marked a change in the band's musical style, shifting the focus from long, heavy and technical songs into creating a complete story through sound and lyrics. Thus, the music is more dark, melodic and simple than other Iced Earth records.
On April 21st, 1997, Iced Earth released the compilation Days of Purgatory
Days of Purgatory
Days of Purgatory is an American heavy metal album by Iced Earth. It is a collection of remixes and remakes from previous albums. Most of the songs from the Enter the Realm EP, Iced Earth, and Night of the Stormrider were re-sung by Matt Barlow, and on some of the songs the drums and bass redone...
, which featured songs from their first two albums aswell as the Enter the Realm -demo, resung by Matt Barlow with new drums and bass on some tracks aswell, by Brent Smedley and James MacDonough. The album also featured songs from Burnt Offerings remixed and remastered.
When asked about the reason for the albums title, Jon Schaffer said
"…the idea to use the word purgatory in the title...works for two reasons. 1.) It was the original name of the band from 1984-1989. 2.) It also symbolizes the many years of "suffering" and "paying dues" we have endured to get where we are now. And though we have a long road ahead of us things are definitely on the upswing…"
Something Wicked This Way Comes and Alive in Athens (1998-'99)
In March, 1998, the band began work on their fifth studio album, once again with Jim Morris as producer. Prior to the recording process, long-time guitarist Randy Shawver left the group. Guitarist Larry Tarnowski handled the lead guitar duties on the album, but wasn't credited as a full-time member of the bad, but as a session musicianSession musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
. Drummer Brent Smedley also didn't play on the album, because of personal reasons, and he was replaced by previous drummer Mike Prator, who was also credited as a session member.
Released on June 17, 1998, Something Wicked This Way Comes featured many different styles to it. The ballad "Watching Over Me," talks about Jon Schaffer's friend Bill Blackmon, who originally inspired the name "Iced Earth," after he died in a motorcycle accident prior to Jon forming the band. But the the centerpiece of the album were the last three songs, commonly known as the "Something Wicked" trilogy. The songs tell the story of character created by Jon, called Set Abominae, who also appears on the album's front cover.
In 1999, the band released The Melancholy EP. Originally conceived as a radio only single in the US, the EP contained three previously released songs ("Melancholy (Holy Martyr)", "Watching Over Me" and "I Died for You"), aswell as two new songs (cover versions
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
's "Shooting Star" and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
's "Electric Funereal"). Unfortunately the record company did not release the EP, so it was made available for fans as a limited 1500-copy special release. In January, 2001, The Melancholy EP was re-released with two new tracks (a cover of Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
's "The Ripper" and a live version of "Colors," originally recorded for Alive in Athens)
While on the Something Wicked Tour, (with Brent Smedley back playing the drums and Rick Risberg playing the keyboards) the band recorded their first live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
on January 23 and January 24, 1999. Titled Alive in Athens
Alive in Athens
-Disc II:Bonus track -Disc III:-Personnel:* Jon Schaffer − rhythm guitar, vocals* Matthew Barlow − vocals* James MacDonough − bass guitar* Larry Tarnowski − lead guitar* Rick Risberg − keyboards* Brent Smedley − drums...
, 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. This was also the group's second album to feature Set Abominae on the cover.
Horror Show and the departure of Matt Barlow (2001-'03)
In 2001, work began on the groups next studio album. This time the band delved into horror movies and literature. A theme album containing songs based on stories such as DraculaDracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
and the Wolf Man,
was already an idea the band had tinkered with, when they were still known as "Purgatory." In 1986, the band had released a demo called Horror Show, which also featured tracks called "Dracula" and "Jack," but also featured a track called "In Jason's Mind," which was based on Jason Vorhees from the Friday the 13th -film series
Friday the 13th (film series)
Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise that comprises twelve slasher films, a television show, novels, comic books, and tie‑in merchandise. The franchise mainly focuses on the fictional character Jason Voorhees, who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp...
. The idea for releasing songs based on classic monsters was originally conceived by Jon Schaffer back in 1997, when he got the idea to release and EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, with five songs based on the Universal monsters
Universal Monsters
Universal Monsters or Universal Horror is the name given to a series of distinctive horror, suspense and science fiction films made by Universal Studios from 1923 to 1960...
and call it Monster. But this idea got shelved, after the band started work on the Days of Purgatory -album.
Released on June 25, 2001, Horror Show
Horror Show (album)
Horror Show is the debut EP by Springfield, IL rock band The Graduate. The album was self-produced and released independently in May 2006. After the CD's release, The Graduate were signed to Icon MES Records.- Track listing :# "Sit & Sink" - 3:34...
was the first album to feature veteran drummer Richard Christy
Richard Christy
Thomas Richard Christy is an American musician and radio personality who currently works on The Howard Stern Show. Christy began to work on the show after winning the "Get John's Job" contest on July 1, 2004. He is known for his prank calls, song parodies, personality, and stunts performed on the...
, and the second studio album to feature guitarist Larry Tarnowski (now a full-time member). Originally Steve DiGiorgio
Steve DiGiorgio
Steve DiGiorgio is an American bassist and musician.DiGiorgio has played bass guitar in heavy metal bands such as Death, Autopsy, Control Denied, Testament, Vintersorg, Iced Earth, Sebastian Bach, Charred Walls of the Damned, Obituary, and is a founding member of Sadus. He is widely renowned for...
played bass on the album, but left the group after the recording process. According to Jon Schaffer, DiGiorgio 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 Jon Schaffer's home studio "Schaffer Sound."
On November 26, 2001 (March 5, 2002 in America) the band released the boxset Dark Genesis
Dark Genesis
-Disc two:Iced Earth remastered, 1991-Disc three:Night of the Stormrider remastered, 1992-Disc four:Burnt Offerings remastered, 1995-Disc five:Tribute to the Gods, 2002-Personnel:...
, 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. Titled Tribute to the Gods
Tribute to the Gods
Tribute to the Gods is a tribute/cover 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, and their last album with Century Media...
, the album was the groups first and only cover album
Cover Album
-Tracklisting:#Misono to Utaou! Animedley I # #...
, featuring covers from bands like Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
and Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, among others.
While talking about Tribute to the Gods, Jon Schaffer said:
"So here it is, a tribute to the bands that have influenced and molded the very foundation of Iced Earth. We hope that you will enjoy the recording. It is a very different process due to the fact that I have only played 6 or 7 cover tunes in my entire life. Some of these tunes that are so called 'simple' presented a challenge to us and some of us develped a new respect for the artists that originally recorded these songs. You could say that we went to 'school' when we recorded this album and it was as much a pleasure as it was a challenge. For nearly two decades the vision has stayed the same, but without all of you, it would have been in vain… With sincerest thanks, Jon Schaffer"
After the events of 9/11, Matt Barlow had started thinking about his life and realized that he wanted to contribute to the "real world." Barlow approached Schaffer with this in late 2002, but Schaffer convinced Barlow to stay with the band. When the band was recording their next studio album, Schaffer realized that Barlow's vocals were not what he desired; he felt they lacked the passion and quality, so he decided to let Barlow go after all. Barlow became a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in the Georgetown Police Dept. in Georgetown
Georgetown
-Africa:*Georgetown, Ascension Island, main settlement of the British territory of Ascension Island*George, Western Cape, South Africa, formerly known as Georgetown*Janjanbureh, The Gambia, formerly known as Georgetown-Asia:*Georgetown, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. He also continued as a vocalist, singing for the "First State Force Band," which is comprises law enforcement members from different departments throughout Delaware.
Tim "Ripper" Owens joins and The Glorious Burden (2003-'04)
After Barlow's departure, Iced Earth continued work on their next album, and, eventually, Jon Schaffer got Tim "Ripper" Owens, from Judas Priest, to sing on the record as a favor. Owens, who was still in Judas Priest when he recorded the album, was originally supposed to be credited as a guest musician, but after singer Rob HalfordRob Halford
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is nicknamed the "Metal God" as a tribute to his influence on metal, and after the Judas Priest song of the same name from 1980's...
rejoined Judas Priest, Owens joined Iced Earth fulltime. Also, prior to the recording process, Larry 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
Ralph Santolla is an Italian-American metal guitarist. He has played in many bands in the past, most recently Deicide, but also including Eyewitness, Death , Millennium, Iced Earth, and the Sebastian Bach band...
.
Another so-called "theme album," The Glorious Burden
The Glorious Burden
-Disc 2: Gettysburg :-American version:-European version:-Iced Earth:* Jon Schaffer − rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Tim 'Ripper' Owens − lead vocals* Ralph Santolla − lead guitar* James MacDonough − bass guitar* Richard Christy − drums...
featured songs inspired by history and historical events, such as the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Atilla the Hun, among others. The center-piece of the album was the 32-minute long, three part "Gettysburg (1863)" -track, which is based on the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It is no surprise that Jon Schaffer wanted to do an album based on history, as he enjoy's studying history and some his favorite movies are historical war films
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
, such as The Patriot
The Patriot (2000 film)
The Patriot is a 2000 historical war film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Robert Rodat, and starring Mel Gibson, Chris Cooper, and Heath Ledger. It was produced by the Mutual Film Company and Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures...
and Gettysburg.
Prior to the albums release, the band released The Reckoning
The Reckoning (EP)
-Personnel:Comes with the Fall*Bevan Davies — drums*William DuVall — vocals, guitar*Adam Stanger — bass guitarProduction*Produced by William DuVall*Engineered by Jeff Bakos...
EP. The EP contained four songs off the new album the band felt were likely to get radio airplay. The Glorious Burden was released on January 12, 2004 in Europe and on January 13, in the United States, and this was the group's first album with their new record company SPV
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
.
After the supporting tour, James MacDonough left the band to join Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
.
Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 and Matt Barlow rejoins (2005-'07)
After The Glorious Burden, work began on the groups next album, which would be an expanded concept album on the "Something Wicked" -story from Something Wicked This Way Comes. Jon Schaffer had originally planned to release the album in 2005, but according to Tim "Ripper" Owens, Jon "wanted to wait for the right time. He knew that Century Media wasn't the right label to put it out on, and we signed to SPV, which is why we did The Glorious Burden first. He just knew it was the right time." The events of the album take place prior to the "Something Wicked Trilogy," and Owens talked about the story in an interview with Thrash Pit:"It's about how we humans really weren't the first people on Earth, and there were a race of people called the Setians who were actually the first people here on Earth. They didn't have any weapons or technology, and the humans were actually the aliens who attacked and took over Earth. It's pretty unique, but it's kind of hard to talk about the whole story because there's so much going on."
A few years later, Jon Schaffer further detailed the story in an interview:
"The premise is that mankind is actually alien to the planet earth. And that we came here on a quest for this ultimate knowledge that these beings called the Setians had. They were the true inhabitants of earth and they are the direct descendants of God or the grand architect of the universe. So they have all of the answers as to why things are the way they are. And human beings were after this unlimited power. So they come to planet earth and they basically wipe out the civilisation of the etians –this is all in ‘Framing Armageddon’- and that story takes place from the point of invasion up until the birth of Set.
The first part is a 10.000 year period. Before the invasion, the Setians see in a prophecy that this is going to happen. So they send 10.000 of their own chosen people to go into hiding to survive the attacks of the humans. And until after this event called “the clouding” which is where the earth goes through this cataclysmic shift like the magnetic properties of the polar caps shift and volcanoes erupt and there’s earthquakes and sandstorms and the whole of earth goes haywire. At this point, the human beings believe that they have wiped out all of the Setians and they go through the days of clouding.
When the days of clouding are over, they have lost their memories of where they came from and why they are here. And so this whole invasion armada that came, all the ships and other evidence has been buried in the desert. So they wake up and what was once a lush green land with water is now a desert. So the 10.000 come out of hiding after the days of clouding and they now look like human beings. Setians are humanoid anyway but they have different features, they can morph and shift and look exactly like humans. Another thing that happens after the days of clouding is like the story of the tower of Babel: the human beings that have similar skin colours can speak to each other. This creates confusion because now the white guys can talk to each other and the red guys can, but they can’t talk to guys with a different colour. Then they start to faction off. This is a way to keep people divided. It’s all part of the plan of the clouding. And when the Setians come back in and mix with humans, they take leadership positions and they spread around the planet, societies grow. But the whole time they are being manipulated by the Setian leaders. They build up the order of the Rose. This is a lodge, like a philanthropic organisation that is supposed to be different, doing good for the world and for humanity. And for the whole time they are actually plotting the destruction of mankind. Every empire that rises and falls, it all happens by their design. You could say, for instance, that the rise and fall of the Roman Empire was by the design of the Setians. And all of the religions of the world were created by the Setians as well, because all these things help keep mankind divided, they thrive on the weaknesses of man in order to bring us to our demise."
Prior to starting work on the album, the band was faced with multiple line-up changes. In July, 2006, Ernie Carletti was named as the groups new lead guitar player, but after facing rape and kidnapping charges, he was replaced by Tim Millis. But Tim Millis was forced to leave to concentrate on his business "Bare Knuckle Pickups
Bare Knuckle Pickups
Bare Knuckle Pickups , founded in 2003 by former Elkie Brooks guitarist Tim Mills, is a privately owned business based in the South West of England, UK, specialising in hand-wound electric guitar pickups....
." In October, 2006, Brent Smedley once again rejoined the group, taking the place of Richard Christy.
Due to the lack of a second guitarist and a bassist, Jon Schaffer ended up playing most of the lead guitar and bass parts on the album, but producer Jim Morris, guitarist Troy Seele, and bassist Dennis Hayes
Dennis Hayes (bassist)
Dennis Hayes is an American bass guitarist, currently playing for Beyond Fear.Hayes began his career with the heavy metal band Wretch. Later he was a founding member of the Progressive Heavy Metal band Castle Black with other former members of Wretch, Nick Giannakos and Drummer, Jeff Currenton...
were featured playing on some tracks. Troy Seele was later announced as a permanent member of the band, as was Dennis Hayes.
Prior to releasing the album, the band released the EP Overture of the Wicked
Overture of the Wicked
- Personnel :*Jon Schaffer – rhythm & lead guitars, bass guitar, backing vocals*Tim Owens – lead vocals*Tim Mills – lead guitar*Brent Smedley – drums...
, which featured re-recorded versions of the original "Something Wicked Trilogy" as well as a brand new track, titled "Ten Thousand Strong
Ten Thousand Strong
"Ten Thousand Strong" is a heavy metal song by American band Iced Earth. It appears on the band's EP Overture of the Wicked, and also on the band's ninth studio album, Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1, released in September 2007. The song is known for showcasing Tim "Ripper" Owens wide...
." This was also the only Iced Earth -recording to feature guitarist Tim Millis. On the reasoning behind doing the EP, Tim Owens said:
"Because it's what the story is about, the next two records are about. So Jon wanted to just re-release that, put that out there so that people kind of start getting familiar with it again. I mean, he wouldn't have done anything else, it just fit what we were doing and since the album was coming out, he thought while we're here let's do the "Something Wicked Trilogy", re-record it. Start the story off again; familiarize people before a couple of times."
The album, titled Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1
Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1
- Personnel :*Jon Schaffer - Lead/Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars; Bass Guitars; Backing Vocals*Tim "Ripper" Owens - Lead/Backing Vocals*Brent Smedley - Drums/Backing Vocals-Additional personnel:*Troy Seele - Guitar Solos...
, 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 Matt Barlow would be returning to Iced Earth, after five years apart.
The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 (2008-'10)
After Barlow's return work continued on Iced Earth's next album, originally titled Revelation Abomination: Something Wicked Part 2.Story wise, the album picks-up where the previous one left off, and in an interview Jon Schaffer detailed the story of Part 2:
"Ten thousand years pass and then the saviour is born named Set. He’s born six months before Christ and he is personally responsible for the crucifixion of Christ and for this new religion called ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
But the whole point is, part one deals with the period from the invasion up until right before Set's birth. And then part two takes it from his birth, like in 'Behold The Wicked Child,' to his youth when the minions are telling him what he is and what he has become, to the struggles that he has with that and how he finally comes to accept what he is. Then he goes through the trials and how he takes the crown and he finally accepts that he is basically the antichrist to mankind but he’s the saviour of his own race of beings. This thing doesn’t really end because the whole 'Something Wicked' -universe is really much bigger than a couple of Iced Earth albums. The way I chose to end the record is that it just comes up to modern day. And so we’ve got 2000 years of Set's life on part two. It's up now till modern day and the only way that the human beings can live through this is if we actually, truly evolve as species. Which means that we would truly have to start being honest. And that’s the problem with mankind. It's never going to happen and they are using that, it’s the whole weapon against us. Like in 'Come What May' there’s a lyric from living in caves till man flies in space, we’ve done all these great things but the nature of mankind has not evolved at all."
All of the music, except some guitar parts and the vocals, were record at the same time as Framing Armageddon and originally Schaffer had planned to finish the album after the end of 2007. But after Matt rejoined the group, who still had prior commitments to his other band Pyramaze
Pyramaze
Pyramaze is a Danish/American progressive power metal band.-Biography:Pyramaze was formed in 2001 by guitarist Michael Kammeyer. Next to join were fellow Danes drummer Morten Sørensen and bassist Niels Kvist. American keyboardist Jonah Weingarten, who originally met Kammeyer over the Internet,...
, work on the album had to be pushed back. In early 2008, the band announced Freddie Vidales as the groups new bass player, replacing former bassist Dennis Hayes.
Before releasing the full-length album, the group released the single I Walk Among You
I Walk Among You
-Bonus track :- Personnel :*Jon Schaffer – rhythm & lead guitars, bass, backing vocals*Matt Barlow – lead vocals*Troy Seele – lead guitar*Brent Smedley – drums*Dennis Hayes − fretless bass on "The Clouding"...
on June 13, 2008. The single contained a new song from the forthcoming album, aswell as two song from Framing Armageddon, with Matt Barlow on vocals.
After being retitled The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2
The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2
- Additional information :* The booklet that came with the album included lyrics and illustrations for each song, except for the song "The Revealing", which was altogether not included in the booklet....
, the album was released on September 5, 2008 in [Germany, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, September 8, in rest of Europe and on September 9, in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. After The Crucible of Man, the band released the boxset, Box of the Wicked
Box of the Wicked
Box Of The Wicked is a box set released by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth, which include all the albums from the Something Wicked Saga concept...
, 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, aswell as a bonus CD with one song from Framing Armageddon, now with Matt Barlow on lead vocals, and three previously unreleased live tracks from the Graspop Metal Meeting
Graspop Metal Meeting
Graspop Metal Meeting is an annual metal festival in Dessel, Belgium that has taken place each year since 1996. Despite the small size of the festival grounds the festival draws a large number of international spectators, with a total of 142,000 visitors in the course of the 2011 edition...
-festival in 2008, also featuring Barlow on vocals. The boxset also included a poster and a booklet.
Also in early 2010, Iced Earth signed a new recording deal with old company Century Media Records.
Barlow leaves again, Stu Block joins and Dystopia (2011-present)
In March, 2011, Matt Barlow issued a statement on the band's official website, stating that he was retiring from the band, in order to spend more time with his family. Barlow was still going to take part in the bands upcoming festival shows during the summer, and he played his final show with Iced Earth on August 6th, at the WackenWacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
-festival in Germany.
Shortly after announcing Barlow's departure from the band, Iced Earth announced that Into Eternity -frontman Stu Block
Stu Block
Stuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
had been chosen as the bands new lead vocalist. With Stu Block now on board, work began on the groups next studio album.
While not a concept album, many of the albums songs are inspired by dystopian themes and films, such as such as V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta (film)
V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...
, Dark City, Soylent Green
Soylent Green
Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...
, and Equilibrium
Equilibrium (film)
Equilibrium is a 2002 American science fiction action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer. It stars Christian Bale as John Preston, a warrior-priest and enforcement officer in a future dystopia where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs...
, very much like how Horror Show was largely inspired by horror movies and similar subjects. Two of the albums songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also feature the return of the "Something Wicked" -storyline. In an update on the bands official website, Jon Schaffer told how "Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph" fit in to the "Something Wicked Saga":
"The opening song is a step back timeline-wise from the 'Come What May.' 'Come What May' sets the scenario that it's up to us and the decisions we make that will determine the future of the human race. These two songs ['Dystopia' and 'Tragedy and Triumph'] take place at a time when people are in highly controlled prison-like city states, and their eventual emancipation in the closer, 'Tragedy and Triumph'."
This was also the first Iced Earth -studio album to feature Troy Seele and Brent Smedley on all the tracks, as well as the first Iced Earth album to simply feature Freddie Vidales and Stu Block.
On June 27, 2011, the band released the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
Festivals of the Wicked
Festivals of the Wicked
Festivals of the Wicked is a 2011 DVD and CD release featuring live footage of heavy metal band Iced Earth's festivals from their Something Wicked Tour...
, which featured shows from Metal Camp Open Air 2008, Rock Hard Festival
Rock Hard Festival
Rock Hard Festival is a metal festival sponsored by the Rock Hard magazine. It is held annually in Gelsenkirchen, Germany since 2003. Its seventh edition will take place on June 10 – June 12, 2011....
2008 and Wacken Open Air 2007. In September, the band released a new re-recording of the song "Dante's Inferno," from Burnt Offerings. This was also the first Iced Earth -song with Stu Block to be released to the public.
The bands new album, titled Dystopia
Dystopia (Iced Earth album)
Dystopia is the tenth studio album from American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released on October 17, 2011, it's the band's first album with vocalist Stu Block, who joined after former vocalist Matt Barlow left the band for a second time on August 6, 2011....
was released on October 17, 2011 in Europe and October 18 in the United States. After the release the band kicked off the supporting tour for the album, titled World Dystopia Tour
World Dystopia Tour
The World Dystopia Tour is a worldwide concert tour by the American heavy metal group Iced Earth, in support of their 2011 album Dystopia. The tour is also the first with new lead vocalist Stu Block, who joined the band in early 2011....
, which was named "the most extensive world tour Iced Earth has ever undertaken" and that it would take the band "to countries it has never previously played." During the first American leg of the tour, the band will be co-headlining with Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
, and Iced Earth will also be playing their first show in Australia.
Musical style
According to Schaffer, Iced Earth's musical style is influenced by many traditional heavy metal and NWOBHM groups such as Black SabbathBlack Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, and Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
. The most distinctive element of the band's sound is the stutter-like right-hand gallop of rhythm guitarist 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:...
, which sounds something like the 'eighth-note
Eighth note
thumb|180px|right|Figure 1. An eighth note with stem facing up, an eighth note with stem facing down, and an eighth rest.thumb|right|180px|Figure 2. Four eighth notes beamed together....
, two-sixteenth-notes
Sixteenth note
thumb|right|Figure 1. A sixteenth note with stem facing up, a sixteenth note with stem facing down, and a sixteenth rest.thumb|right|Figure 2. Four sixteenth notes beamed together....
' gallop made famous by Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
's bass player/songwriter Steve Harris
Steve Harris (musician)
Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
. "The music is heavy, melodic, dark, fast, and complex. Schaffer plays true rhythm guitar, giving the band its trademark sound. Iron Maiden's 'galloping' rhythm is quite evident."
Strong melodic hooks are typically laid over the top of this gallop, sometimes doubled by two guitars playing in harmony, such as in "The Reckoning." They often vary rhythms by using the two dotted eighth note followed by a quarter note or four dotted eighth notes followed by two quarter notes, known as the clave or chopped clave pattern. This is often used by Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
.
During Barlow's period in the band, the vocals were often low-pitched but with occasional high-pitched screams, however after Owens joined the band the emphasis shifted to the higher-pitched spectrum. Common throughout since the release of Something Wicked This Way Comes is the practice of recording multiple vocal tracks to simulate the sound of a small choir. Schaffer claims that this is probably due to his work with Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s 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...
. A common element of the band's sound is the frequent usage of double-bass-drumming
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
. Iced Earth's drum work is often highlighted by frequent use of drags and flam
Flåm
Flåm is a village at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the Sognefjord. The village is located in the municipality of Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway...
s on the bass drum, usually intended to complement Schaffer's rhythm guitar.
Iced Earth lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
tend to deal with theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
issues such as punishment
Punishment
Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
and sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
, destiny
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
, heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, the Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
and the apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
. Many of the band's recent albums have been concept albums written around a theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
, e.g. the antihero Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
(The Dark Saga
The Dark Saga
-European Limited Digipak bonus track:-2008 Slave to the Dark bonus tracks:-Credits :*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, vocals*Matt Barlow – lead vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Mark Prator – drums...
), horror movies (Horror Show
Horror Show
-Limited Edition:The Initial Pressing was presented in a standard 2-CD jewel case with no reference to the tracks on the bonus disc except for a sticker on the front.-Disc one:-Disc two:- Personnel :...
), and historical wars (The Glorious Burden
The Glorious Burden
-Disc 2: Gettysburg :-American version:-European version:-Iced Earth:* Jon Schaffer − rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Tim 'Ripper' Owens − lead vocals* Ralph Santolla − lead guitar* James MacDonough − bass guitar* Richard Christy − drums...
). Jon Schaffer also created original stories for concept albums, most notably on Night of the Stormrider
Night of the Stormrider
-Personnel:*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, producer*John Greely – vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar, solo*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Rick Secchiari – drumsAdditional personnel*Roger "The Hammer" Huff – keyboardsProduction...
, Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) and its sequel The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2). Much of Iced Earth's lyrics currently deal with Jon Schaffer's fictional character Set Abominae.
In some songs (such as "Dante's Inferno," "Angels Holocaust," "Damien," and "The Coming Curse") Iced Earth uses the technique of Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
. Multiple Iced Earth songs contain female vocals: "A Question of Heaven", "The Phantom Opera Ghost", "Melancholy", "Watching Over Me", "The Awakening", "In Sacred Flames", "Harbinger Of Fate", "Behold The Wicked Child", in addition to a remake of "Burnt Offerings" on the Days of Purgatory
Days of Purgatory
Days of Purgatory is an American heavy metal album by Iced Earth. It is a collection of remixes and remakes from previous albums. Most of the songs from the Enter the Realm EP, Iced Earth, and Night of the Stormrider were re-sung by Matt Barlow, and on some of the songs the drums and bass redone...
album.
Discography
- Iced EarthIced Earth (album)Iced Earth is the eponymous debut album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It was released in November 1990 internationally and February 1991 in North America. The original release of this album had three different covers . This album was Mike McGill's only album with Iced Earth, as well as...
(1990/91) - Night of the StormriderNight of the Stormrider-Personnel:*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, producer*John Greely – vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar, solo*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Rick Secchiari – drumsAdditional personnel*Roger "The Hammer" Huff – keyboardsProduction...
(1991/92) - Burnt OfferingsBurnt Offerings (album)Burnt Offerings is American heavy metal band Iced Earth's third album, released April 18, 1995, by Century Media Records. This album marked the introduction of vocalist Matt Barlow and was the only Iced Earth album featuring drummer Rodney Beasley...
(1995) - The Dark SagaThe Dark Saga-European Limited Digipak bonus track:-2008 Slave to the Dark bonus tracks:-Credits :*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, vocals*Matt Barlow – lead vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Mark Prator – drums...
(1996) - Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998)
- Horror ShowHorror Show (album)Horror Show is the debut EP by Springfield, IL rock band The Graduate. The album was self-produced and released independently in May 2006. After the CD's release, The Graduate were signed to Icon MES Records.- Track listing :# "Sit & Sink" - 3:34...
(2001) - The Glorious BurdenThe Glorious Burden-Disc 2: Gettysburg :-American version:-European version:-Iced Earth:* Jon Schaffer − rhythm guitar, backing vocals* Tim 'Ripper' Owens − lead vocals* Ralph Santolla − lead guitar* James MacDonough − bass guitar* Richard Christy − drums...
(2004) - Framing ArmageddonFraming Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1- Personnel :*Jon Schaffer - Lead/Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars; Bass Guitars; Backing Vocals*Tim "Ripper" Owens - Lead/Backing Vocals*Brent Smedley - Drums/Backing Vocals-Additional personnel:*Troy Seele - Guitar Solos...
(2007) - The Crucible of ManThe Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2- Additional information :* The booklet that came with the album included lyrics and illustrations for each song, except for the song "The Revealing", which was altogether not included in the booklet....
(2008) - DystopiaDystopia (Iced Earth album)Dystopia is the tenth studio album from American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released on October 17, 2011, it's the band's first album with vocalist Stu Block, who joined after former vocalist Matt Barlow left the band for a second time on August 6, 2011....
(2011)
Band members
Current members- Jon SchafferJon SchafferJon 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:...
— rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals (1984 onward) - Stu BlockStu BlockStuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
— lead vocals (2011 onward) - Troy Seele — lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
s, backing vocals (2007 onward) - Freddie Vidales — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (2008 onward) - Brent Smedley — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1996–1997,1998-1999, 2006 onward)
External links
- Official website
- Official Facebook page
- Iced Earth at Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...
- Iced Earth at Metal StormMetal Storm (webzine)Metal Storm is a webzine specializing in various forms of heavy metal music. It is based in Tallinn, Estonia but caters to an international audience, symbolically recognized by the acquisition of an EU domain in 2008...