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Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band that combines influences from thrash metal, power metal, NWOBHM with gothic touches, and is one of the few modern bands still producing 'true heavy metal' and refusing to follow trends.

Contents 1 History 2 Sound 3 Discography 3.1 Full-length albums 3.2 Singles and EPs 3.3 Other releases 4 Band members 4.1 Former band members 5 Former Line-Ups 6 External links

History

The central figure of Iced Earth is rhythm guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer, who formed 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. Since then the band has gone through numerous lineup changes, thanks in part to the authoritarian rule of Schaffer. 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, eventually parting amicably with the band in June 2003 to pursue a career with the United States Department of Homeland Security. 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 recent 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 having 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.

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

Sound

Iced Earth's music is often described as Iron Maiden combined with 80's thrash metal. The most distinctive element of the band's sound is the stuttering 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 (in such songs as "Run to the Hills", "The Trooper", and "Caught Somewhere in Time"), sped up tremendously and varied rhythmically. Overtop of this gallop are typically laid strong melodic hooks, sometimes doubled by two guitars playing in harmony. The vocals are often high-pitched, but express a full range, while the rhythm section uses thrash and power metal techniques such as double-bass-drumming to keep the speed and energy high. Iced Earth's drummer is known for his frequent use of drags and flams on the bass drum.

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).

In some songs (such as "Dante's Inferno," "Damien," and "The Coming Curse") Iced Earth uses the technique of Gregorian chant. Two Iced Earth songs contain female vocals: "A Question of Heaven" and "The Phantom Opera Ghost".

Discography

Full-length albums

• Iced Earth (Century Media 1990)
• Night of the Stormrider (Century Media 1992)
• Burnt Offerings (Century Media 1995)
• The Dark Saga (Century Media 1996)
• Something Wicked This Way Comes (Century Media 1998)
• Horror Show (Century Media 2001)
• The Glorious Burden (SPV/Steamhammer 2004)

Singles and EPs

• The Melancholy E.P. (Limited Edition) (Century Media 1999)
• The Melancholy E.P. (Century Media 2001)
• The Reckoning EP (SPV/Steamhammer 2003)

Other releases

• Enter the Realm demo (1989)
• Days of Purgatory (Century Media 1997) [containing remixes and rerecordings of material from earlier albums] [1-CD and 2-CD versions available]
• Alive in Athens (Century Media 1999) [live album] [2-CD and 3-CD versions available]
• Dark Genesis (Century Media 2001) [5-disc box set, containing the Enter the Realm demo, remixes and rerecordings of the first three albums, and the cover collection Tribute to the Gods]
• Iced Earth [remixed/rerecorded] (Century Media 2002) [released separately]
• Night of the Stormrider [remixed/rerecorded] (Century Media 2002) [released separately]
• Burnt Offerings [remixed/rerecorded] (Century Media 2002) [released separately]
• Tribute to the Gods (Century Media 2002) [released separately]
• The Blessed and The Damned (Century Media 2004) [2-CD Best Of]
• Gettysburg (1863) (SPV/Steamhammer 2005) [DVD]

Band members

• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars & Vocals (1984-)
• Tim 'Ripper' Owens - Vocals (2003-)
• Bobby Jarzombek - Drums (2004-)

Former band members

• Gene Adams - Vocals (1985-1991)
• John Greely - Vocals (1991-1992)
• Matthew Barlow - Vocals (1994-2003)
• Bill Owens - Lead Guitars (1985-1987)
• Larry Sapp - Lead Guitars (1986-1986)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Larry Tarnowski - Lead Guitars (1998-2003)
• Ralph Santolla - Lead Guitars (2003-2004)
• Richard Bateman - Bass (1985-1986)
• Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
• Keith Menser - Bass (1996-1996)
• Steve DiGiorgio - Bass (2000-2001)
• James McDonough - Bass (1996-2004)
• Greg Seymour - Drums (1985-1989)
• Mike McGill - Drums (1989-1991)
• Rick Secchiari - Drums (1991-1992)
• Rodney Beasley - Drums (1992-1995)
• Brent Smedley - Drums (1996-1997)
• Richard Christy - Drums (2000-2004)

Former Line-Ups

1984-1986

• Gene Adams - Vocals (1985-1991)
• Bill Owens - Lead Guitars (1985-1987)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• Richard Bateman - Bass (1985-1986)
• Greg Seymour - Drums (1985-1989)

1986-1987

• Gene Adams - Vocals (1985-1991)
• Bill Owens - Lead Guitars (1985-1987)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
• Greg Seymour - Drums (1985-1989)

1987-1989

• Gene Adams - Vocals (1985-1991)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
• Greg Seymour - Drums (1985-1989)

1989-1991

• Gene Adams - Vocals (1985-1991)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
• Mike McGill - Drums (1989-1991)

1991-1992

• John Greely - Vocals (1991-1992)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
• Rick Secchiary - Drums (1991-1992)

1992-1995

• Matthew Barlow - Vocals (1994-2003)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
• Rodney Beasley - Drums (1992-1995)

1995-1996

• Matthew Barlow - Vocals (1994-2003)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
• Brent Smedley - Drums (1996-1997)

1996-1997

• Matthew Barlow - Vocals (1994-2003)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• James McDonough - Bass (1996-2004)
• Brent Smedley - Drums (1996-1997)

1997-1998

• Matthew Barlow - Vocals (1994-2003)
• Randall Shawver - Lead Guitars (1988-1998)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• James McDonough - Bass (1996-2004)
• Richard Christy - Drums (2000-2004)

1998-2003

• Matthew Barlow - Vocals (1994-2003)
• Larry Tarnowski - Lead Guitars (1998-2003)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• James McDonough - Bass (1996-2004)
• Richard Christy - Drums (2000-2004)

2003-2004

• Tim 'Ripper' Owens - Vocals (2003-)
• Ralph Santolla - Lead Guitars (2003-2004)
• Jon Schaffer - Rhythm Guitars (1984-)
• James McDonough - Bass (1996-2004)
• Richard Christy - Drums (2000-2004)

External links

• Iced Earth's Official Site

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