Iced Earth ...

panayiotis1984 · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:23 am Post subject: Iced Earth ...

The central figure of Iced Earth is rhythm guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer, who formed the band under the name Purgatory in Indiana in 1984. After moving to Florida and changing their name to Iced Earth, the group's Enter the Realm demo was popular enough that they released an eponymous debut LP with Century Media Records. Gene Adam was originally going to perform on the follow-up record, Night of the Stormrider. However, Schaffer was concerned that Gene wouldn't be able to handle the vocal melodies for the new material and asked him to take singing lessons. Adam refused and as a result he was replaced by John Greely.

Since then, the band has gone through numerous lineup changes, with only Jon Schaffer and ex-guitarist Randall Shawver lasting at least 9 years with the group. Vocalist Matt Barlow joined the band (after a three-year band hiatus following Night of the Stormrider) for Burnt Offerings, largely based on Dante's Inferno. Barlow's vocals proved extremely popular and he remained with the band for many years, even though Barlow was not vocally trained until The Dark Saga by Jon Schaffer's sister who appears as the female vocalist in The Dark Saga. Recording the albums The Dark Saga, Days of Purgatory, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Alive in Athens, Horror Show and Tribute to the Gods. Barlow eventually parted amicably with the band in June 2003 to pursue a career with the United States Department of Homeland Security!!! Schaffer wanted him to try and see if he could do The Glorious Burden before leaving, but he soon realized that Barlow had lost his enthusiasm, so he let Barlow go.

Conveniently, singer Tim 'Ripper' Owens soon left Judas Priest (to make room for returning original vocalist Rob Halford) and became Iced Earth's new vocalist. His first album with the band, The Glorious Burden, is an examination of many aspects of warfare and military figures who have shaped the modern world. Its topics range from the Declaration of Independence to 9/11 to Napoleon Bonaparte, and there are three songs dealing with the Battle of Gettysburg. There is a limited edition where the Gettysburg Trilogy is moved to a second disc and the songs Waterloo and the unplugged version of When the Eagle Cries are added to the first disc. The album's theme became the centre of a controversy after Schaffer gave an interview to Canadian heavy metal magazine Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. After the interview was published, Schaffer accused the magazine of taking him out of context and of pushing an anti-American bias, and subsequently announced that the band would boycott the magazine in the future. However, Schaffer granted Mark Gromen, also of BW&BK and a friend, an interview in issue 101 (Jan/Feb '07) effectively ending the boycott.

Together with Hansi Kürsch - lead singer and former bass player of Blind Guardian - Schaffer is also part of a side project called Demons & Wizards.

In 2005, lead vocalist Tim Owens and some friends of his started a new heavy metal band called Beyond Fear.

Iced Earth is currently working on their new album, which is due for release in 2007. Schaffer has stated in interviews that the new album will be a double CD, and will continue the "Something Wicked" story he started on the Something Wicked This Way Comes album.

In June 2006, Ernie Carletti became the new guitarist, and was to handle most of the guitar solos on Iced Earth's upcoming album. . However, he was arrested a few months later under rape charges . In October 2006, Schaffer announced that Carletti would not be participating in Iced Earth, and would be replaced by Tim Mills. At the same time, drummer Brent Smedley was re-hired for the recording and touring of the new albums, replacing Bobby Jarzombek.

In December 2006, Jon announced information about the two upcoming Something Wicked albums. He also announced that the bass guitar duties on the new albums will be handled by James "Bo" Wallace, as well as that the original "Something Wicked Trilogy" of the 1998 album "Something Wicked This Way Comes" would be re-recorded as an EP.
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panayiotis1984 · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:26 am Post subject:

OK people i like Iced Earth music and i voted for Barlow...

I just want to inform you that Barlow is currently employed as a police officer in the Georgetown Police Dept. in Georgetown, Delaware. He is also a vocalist for the "First State Force Band", which is comprised of law enforcement members from different departments throughout the State of Delaware. The band performs for schools, stressing such ideals as "Say no to drugs"; "Stay away from violence"; "Respect your parents, teachers, yourselves, others and life" through music Exclamation

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AVR · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 82

I had to vote for Owens, somewhat because he doesn't get a lot of the respect he deserves (he's an absolutely wonderful singer), and partly because, well, he fucking rocks.

agentalbert · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 606 Location: San Antonio, TX

I miss Barlow. Something Wicked This Way Comes is my favorite album of theirs. But Ripper did a great job when he took over. Matt didn't want to be there anymore, and getting Tim as a replacement was a real boon.

lailacooper · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:27 pm Post subject:

I'm The Stranger · Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Posts: 136 Location: USA

Why is John Greely not an option in your poll?

Greely is my favorite, but Barlow seems to have more power and more vocal character in his singing on Something Wicked This Way Comes. Ripper, however, is also a supremely talented vocalist, and he can do other peoples' styles almost flawlessly, but when it comes down to it, I don't know what Tim Owens, himself, sounds like. You know? He can sound like Barlow, Halford, Dio, and other greats in turns, but when does he ever sing with his own style? Does he have a distinctive style of his own?
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#75race · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:35 pm Post subject:

I'd have to say Barlow because he's the only one I've heard so far! I have recently started getting into the band's music, and I only have one of their albums; Days of Purgtory 2-disc. I really like this band now, and I'm really glad I gave 'em a listen. Cool

Stained Class · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:16 pm Post subject:

Well, I had to vote for the Ripper!

I was a fan of Tim Owens in Priest, in fact it was seeing the video for the reckoning and hearing he sang with priest which got me into both Iced Earth and Priest.

Also, his Beyond Fear album is simply awsome and I must agree that he doesn't get the respect that he deserves.

Matt Barlow was an incredible singer and one of a kind, but for me Ripper just edges it and produces my fave IE album in the Glorious Burden.

Dragon235 · Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 1221 Location: Massachusetts

Owens did a great job taking over the vocal job in Iced earth, but for me the voice of them is still Barlow, and I like all his vocal contributions (though "Horror Show" was a bit of a disappointment in that area).
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agentalbert · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 606 Location: San Antonio, TX

Bildo · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1413 Location: Uranus

Matt sounds like a heavy-metal Paul Stanley so he gets my vote!
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rnr_child · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:57 am Post subject:

Ripper
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