Iced Earth

Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band that combines power metal and speed metal/thrash metal genres in its music. The band was formed by Jon Schaffer, the lead songwriter and rhythm guitarist, in Tampa, Florida in 1984. The original name of the band was Purgatory but was then changed to Iced Earth, introduced by Jon.

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”), 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.

Today, Jon is the only original member in the band, having changed multiple guitarists, drummers, and vocalists. The two most recognized vocalists of the band are Matt Barlow and Tim “ripper” Owens, the former vocalist of Judas Priest. Matt Barlow ended up marrying Jon’s sister, making Matt the brother-in-law of Jon Schaffer.

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), historical wars (The Glorious Burden) and the double concept about the anti-christ (Something Wicked).

Current Band Members:
Jon Schaffer • Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals (1984-now)
Matt Barlow • Lead and Backing Vocals (1994-2003, 2007-now)
Brent Smedley • Drums (1996-1999, 2006-now)
Troy Seele • Lead Guitar (2007-now)
Freddie Vidales • Bass Guitar (2008-now)

Former Band Members:
Gene Adam - Vocals (1985-1991)
John Greely - Vocals (1991-1992)
Tim “Ripper” Owens - Vocals (2003-2007)
Bill Owens - Lead Guitar (1985-1987)
Randall Shawver - Lead Guitar (1988-1998)
Larry Tarnowski - Lead Guitar (1998-2003)
Ralph Santolla - Lead Guitar (2003-2004)
Richard Bateman - Bass (1985-1986)
Dave Abell - Bass (1987-1996)
Keith Menser - Bass (1996)
Steve DiGiorgio - Bass (2000-2001) (studio)
James MacDonough - Bass (1996-2000, 2001-2004)
Greg Seymour - Drums (1984-1989)
Mike McGill - Drums (1989-1991)
Rick Secchiari - Drums (1991-1992)
Rodney Beasley - Drums (1992-1995)
Mark Prator - Drums (1995, 1998) (studio)
Richard Christy - Drums (2000-2004)

CD/Single/BoxSet/E.P./Remastered
Enter The Realm - Demo (1988)
Iced Earth (1990)
Night Of The Stormrider (1992)
Burnt Offerings (1995)
The Dark Saga (1996)
Days Of Purgatory - Re-Recorded Compilation (1997)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998)
Alive In Athens - Live Album - 3 CD BoxSet (1999)
The Melancholy - E.P. (1999)
Horror Show (2001)
Dark Genesis - Remixed And Remastered 5 CD BoxSet (2002)
Iced Earth - Remixed And Remastered (2002)
Night Of The Stormrider - Remixed And Remastered (2002)
Burnt Offerings - Remixed And Remastered (2002)
Tribute To The Gods - Covers Collection (2002)
The Reckoning - The Glorious Burden Single/E.P. (2003)
The Glorious Burden (2004)
The Blessed And The Damned - Compilation (2004)
Overture Of The Wicked - Framing Armageddon Single/E.P. (2007)
Framing Armageddon - Something Wicked Pt.I (2007)
Slave To The Dark - The Century Media Years - 14 CD/DVD BoxSet (2008)
I Walk Among You - The Crucible Of Man - Something Wicked Pt.II Single/E.P. (2008)
The Crucible Of Man - Something Wicked Pt.II (2008)

DVD
Gettysburg - Audio DVD (2005)
Alive In Athens - Live DVD (2006)
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One of the original bands that got me into metal, NOTS's my favorite.
Listening right now to Burnt Offerings.
I figured I'd go and make a thread before some idiot put's'em in PM...

I love their earlier albums. The later the worse they got. That's my opinion.

Burnt Offerings, Horror Show, and The Glorious Burden are my favorites.

Great band!

This should be in the power metal forum imo

Metalmash wrote:

This should be in the power metal forum imo

Haha, Did you see my comment in my initial post?
Their not PM... Their just good.

Mess wrote:

Haha, Did you see my comment in my initial post?
Their not PM... Their just good.

Whatever dude....

and Darkthrone is heavy metal too I guess :blabla:

EDIT: The fucking metal archives list them as "Power/Thrash Metal"

Metalmash wrote:

Whatever dude....

and Darkthrone is heavy metal too I guess :blabla:

What's that about? DISING Darkthrone!?
At's pure fukked maeteeeeeeeyyyy...

Metalmash wrote:

EDIT: The fucking metal archives list them as "Power/Thrash Metal"

That's cause MA's alway's been gay.

I always thought they were Power Metal aswell. Never been into them really, though.

Yeah, I'd say definitely Power Metal

It's not important if the band is power, or heavy metal. The important thing is if the band is good, or bad, so please focus on that.

Debut and albums with Owens sucks, but Night Of The Stormrider and The Dark Saga are just amazing!!

Matt Barlow is one of my favourites heavy metal singers. He puts all of his emotions into the songs. I'm happy that he returned the band, but the latest release is still decent.

Very true about the sub-genre.

I just checked them out....and they just got a new fan! Dante's Inferno is just as good as a orgasm...

I used to like Iced Earth a lot, but since Tim Owens joined the band they went downhill and the new album with Barlow didn't grab me either. I do especially like the albums The Dark Saga and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

ppffft...

Tim Owens performance on Waterloo, is orgasmic. Truly one of the greatest singers of our generation.

Oh yeah: Owens > Barlow

bucky01403 wrote:

Tim Owens performance on Waterloo, is orgasmic. Truly one of the greatest singers of our generation.

Oh yeah: Owens > Barlow

no way.... Owens is a good singer, but he was never right for Iced Earth

Barlow >>>>>>>> Owens

Yeah he was, his performances with Iced Earth are among his best.

Owens is crap.
Why? Because I said so, and because Jon Schaffer thinks so.

Mess wrote:

and because Jon Schaffer thinks so.

Obviously, that's why he hired him, made two albums, and re-recorded one of the bands most beloved trilogy.

...Then kicked him, yes.
And "beloved" isn't exactly how I'd describe the music they made with Owens...

Mess wrote:

And "beloved" isn't exactly how I'd describe the music they made with Owens...

I would describe it as "career filler".....lol

I was wondering why a band like Iced Earth who mixes heavy metal and thrash metal is in the heavy metal section and a band like HammerFall who isn't heavy or fast at all is in the power metal section.

Die Happy wrote:

I was wondering why a band like Iced Earth who mixes heavy metal and thrash metal is in the heavy metal section and a band like HammerFall who isn't heavy or fast at all is in the power metal section.

Iced Earth could've easily have been in either thrash or power metal section, that can I agree on. I just started to listen to the band earlier this week, so I'll consider to move this tread elsewhere when i have listened more to the band.

HammerFall is power metal. Period.

Voggis wrote:

Die Happy wrote:

I was wondering why a band like Iced Earth who mixes heavy metal and thrash metal is in the heavy metal section and a band like HammerFall who isn't heavy or fast at all is in the power metal section.

Iced Earth could've easily have been in either thrash or power metal section, that can I agree on. I just started to listen to the band earlier this week, so I'll consider to move this tread elsewhere when i have listened more to the band.

HammerFall is power metal. Period.

I remember the vocalist/bassist from Sodom saying they aren't metal at all and that even his grandma could listen to HammerFall.