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| 12.05.2006 | › | Iced Earth - Writing New Album; Update |
| 10.08.2005 | › | Iced Earth - Matt Barlow's New Band |
| 26.01.2005 | › | Iced Earth - News on Gettysburg DVD |
| 13.09.2004 | › | Iced Earth bassist quits to join Megadeth |
| 09.07.2004 | › | Iced Earth bassist explains line-up changes |
| 05.07.2004 | › | Iced Earth: Guitarist leaves, joins Sebastian Bach |
| 27.05.2004 | › | Iced Earth - Best Of on its way |
| 20.05.2004 | › | Iced Earth update |
| 27.03.2004 | › | Iced Earth - Gettysbourg DVD is on its way |
| 18.03.2004 | › | ICED EARTH Guitarist In Suicide Bomber Scare! |
| 04.02.2004 | › | Iced Earth - European tour postponed |
| 22.01.2004 | › | Iced Earth - European chart positions |
| 25.11.2003 | › | ICED EARTH's Jon Schaffer Statement |
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Iced Earth - Writing New Album; Update
Iced Earth's guitarist and leader posted the following message on the band's website:
"Hello Everyone!
I know I've been really lame with the updates and I'm sorry about that. We've let things get pretty lax here at Iced Earth.com and we're going to be making some changes in this in the not too distant future. As some of you are aware, I'm not really the internet type of guy and only use it for my email, and even that I avoid often (which does annoy my business associates at times; but hey, that's what phones are for!), so I spend as little time as possible on a computer; unless it's my studio computer and I'm spending a LOT of time on that one. Tim enjoys surfing and all of that stuff so he's going to be involved in the IE site a lot more in the future. You'll be seeing some big changes in the site with the release of the next IE CD.
Which actually brings me to the next bit of news... I'm completely consumed in the writing process of what will be by far the most ambitious album(s) IE has ever done. Some of you probably know that the next 2 releases will comprise the full concept album of the Something Wicked story line, Part 1 & Part 2. I know it's taken quite some time to get this beast on its way to fruition, but it IS finally happening, and I really feel the time is right. The goal is to make this our most epic, dynamic, most melodic and heaviest CD ever. Because of the depth and detail of the story it would be impossible to do it on one CD, there simply is not enough time, so I'm writing both parts at one time so that the continuity is there. If I were to wait a year or two to start writing part 2 I would be in a completely different frame of mind and it wouldn't work nearly as well, so the best thing is to do all the writing at once. We'll get Part 1 recorded, mixed and released and then finish part 2 which will come out about 6 months later. That's at least the preliminary plan. We are still pretty early in the process but things are starting to move along nicely.
I know it's been some time since the release of "The Glorious Burden" and I ask you to please be patient because what's coming next is going to blow you away. This is the album that IE fans have been waiting for.
I want to apologize to the European fans for not making it over there for a headline tour on the last album. My back problems got too intense to be on the road and that really screwed things up for everyone, myself, the rest of the guys in the band, our crew, the promoters etc.. We would have toured a lot more than we did had I not had these problems. The great thing is that the last surgical procedure I had in October of 2004 seems to have worked to make the pain much more tolerable. I did very extensive therapy for many months and am committed to being in the best shape of my life by the time we tour again. It's good to be enjoying life for the first time in a very long time.
Read more ››
"Hello Everyone!
I know I've been really lame with the updates and I'm sorry about that. We've let things get pretty lax here at Iced Earth.com and we're going to be making some changes in this in the not too distant future. As some of you are aware, I'm not really the internet type of guy and only use it for my email, and even that I avoid often (which does annoy my business associates at times; but hey, that's what phones are for!), so I spend as little time as possible on a computer; unless it's my studio computer and I'm spending a LOT of time on that one. Tim enjoys surfing and all of that stuff so he's going to be involved in the IE site a lot more in the future. You'll be seeing some big changes in the site with the release of the next IE CD.
Which actually brings me to the next bit of news... I'm completely consumed in the writing process of what will be by far the most ambitious album(s) IE has ever done. Some of you probably know that the next 2 releases will comprise the full concept album of the Something Wicked story line, Part 1 & Part 2. I know it's taken quite some time to get this beast on its way to fruition, but it IS finally happening, and I really feel the time is right. The goal is to make this our most epic, dynamic, most melodic and heaviest CD ever. Because of the depth and detail of the story it would be impossible to do it on one CD, there simply is not enough time, so I'm writing both parts at one time so that the continuity is there. If I were to wait a year or two to start writing part 2 I would be in a completely different frame of mind and it wouldn't work nearly as well, so the best thing is to do all the writing at once. We'll get Part 1 recorded, mixed and released and then finish part 2 which will come out about 6 months later. That's at least the preliminary plan. We are still pretty early in the process but things are starting to move along nicely.
I know it's been some time since the release of "The Glorious Burden" and I ask you to please be patient because what's coming next is going to blow you away. This is the album that IE fans have been waiting for.
I want to apologize to the European fans for not making it over there for a headline tour on the last album. My back problems got too intense to be on the road and that really screwed things up for everyone, myself, the rest of the guys in the band, our crew, the promoters etc.. We would have toured a lot more than we did had I not had these problems. The great thing is that the last surgical procedure I had in October of 2004 seems to have worked to make the pain much more tolerable. I did very extensive therapy for many months and am committed to being in the best shape of my life by the time we tour again. It's good to be enjoying life for the first time in a very long time.
Read more ››
| Source: | icedearth.com |
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth - Matt Barlow's New Band
Former Iced Earth frontman Matt Barlow ? who is currently employed a police officer in the Georgetown Police Dept. in Georgetown, Delaware ? has resurfaced as the lead singer of the First State Force Band.
According to a posting at FirstStateForce.org, First State Force Band "was comprised of law enforcement members from different departments throughout the State of Delaware. These law enforcement members through their dedication, performed concerts several times a month to the children of Delaware using music to stress the importance of staying drug free and to stay away from violence. The band was on a serious mission. The first three years the band had performed for every school district in Delaware."
Check out a recent photo of Matt Barlow at this location. Pictures of the entire band can be found here.
Read more ››
According to a posting at FirstStateForce.org, First State Force Band "was comprised of law enforcement members from different departments throughout the State of Delaware. These law enforcement members through their dedication, performed concerts several times a month to the children of Delaware using music to stress the importance of staying drug free and to stay away from violence. The band was on a serious mission. The first three years the band had performed for every school district in Delaware."
Check out a recent photo of Matt Barlow at this location. Pictures of the entire band can be found here.
Read more ››
| Source: | blabbermouth.net |
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth - News on Gettysburg DVD
"The new year will begin for Iced Earth with the delivery of the long-awaited Gettysburg DVD. This unique release will feature the epic work "Gettysburg (1863)" from 2004's The Glorious Burden stepping out of its stereo confines and expanding into a powerful 5.1-channel surround-sound mix. In fact, there will be two different surround-sound mixes (one "metal" and one "theatrical"), set to moving images. Additionally, the DVD will feature a historical commentary from the Gettysburg battlefield, and an in-depth interview with Jon Schaffer. More details will follow.
A brief trailer for the DVD can be seen at the Downloads page".
http://www.icedearth.com/
A brief trailer for the DVD can be seen at the Downloads page".
http://www.icedearth.com/
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth bassist quits to join Megadeth
Iced Earth bassist James MacDonough has officially left the band to join Megadeth as their touring bassist. MacDonough's statement on the matter (as posted at Iced-Realm.de) is as follows:
"A while back I had heard that Megadeth might need a bassist, so I contacted them via email and much later got a response, to my suprise. Before I knew it, I was on a conference call with Dave . I sent in some video of me playing a couple Megadeth songs and I got a call a couple of days later. Everything with Iced Earth has been up in the air as far as touring, so I told Jon Schaffer about this when I got the first email back, and being my older bro, he told me to go for it. Unfortunately, I won't be able to play with Iced Earth in the future because this will be a very lengthy tour, but we'll see what happens down the road. I am keeping in touch with Jon and maybe something in the future will happen.
"MEGADETH has always been one of my favorite bands and I have a lot of respect for Dave and what he's done for music. I feel honored to have been picked for this endeavor."
MEGADETH's lineup for the upcoming tour will be as follows:
Dave Mustaine - Guitar/Vocals
Glen Drover (Eidolon, ex-King Diamond) - Guitar
Nick Menza - Drums
James MacDonough (ex-ced Earth) - Bass
Read more ››
"A while back I had heard that Megadeth might need a bassist, so I contacted them via email and much later got a response, to my suprise. Before I knew it, I was on a conference call with Dave . I sent in some video of me playing a couple Megadeth songs and I got a call a couple of days later. Everything with Iced Earth has been up in the air as far as touring, so I told Jon Schaffer about this when I got the first email back, and being my older bro, he told me to go for it. Unfortunately, I won't be able to play with Iced Earth in the future because this will be a very lengthy tour, but we'll see what happens down the road. I am keeping in touch with Jon and maybe something in the future will happen.
"MEGADETH has always been one of my favorite bands and I have a lot of respect for Dave and what he's done for music. I feel honored to have been picked for this endeavor."
MEGADETH's lineup for the upcoming tour will be as follows:
Dave Mustaine - Guitar/Vocals
Glen Drover (Eidolon, ex-King Diamond) - Guitar
Nick Menza - Drums
James MacDonough (ex-ced Earth) - Bass
Read more ››
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth bassist explains line-up changes
ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough has posted a message on the ICED EARTH fan message board Iced-Realm.de regarding the recent departures of drummer Richard Christy and guitarist Ralph Santolla:
"Ok, just so you can stop freaking out and saying all kinds of outlandish things this statement should be sufficient for the situation.
"All of us were worried because this situation was dumped in our laps, in the middle of a tour. Richard got in touch with Bobby as soon as everything was transpiring and within days were talking to him personally at the shows. Bobby practiced his ass off for the gig and when we rehearsed he jumped in the pocket like he had been there all along. There's a true sense of chemistry with this line up and I'm happier more than I've ever been with the rhythm section. So yes, he's in for the duration. It's kind of hard to describe, you play with awesome musicians and you think 'well that's the peak' then another 'fated' face comes into the fold and you're like' DAMN, that's what it's supposed to be like, well that's the feeling I get when I'm grooving with Bobby, enough said. Richard is an awesome drummer and one of the best I've ever played with and a damn good true friend at that. I'm overjoyed he got his position with the Stern show and it's because of Richard that we have Bobby, he didn't want to leave us high and dry. I've had some of the best times of my life playing with Richard and he is on his way to achieving all of his dreams. Kudos to Richie, he's my bro and I'll miss him always. However, people are destined for their roles, and like I said, Bobby is the man and every time I look back at him on stage it's telepathy, perfect symmetry.
"Ok, on to Ralph. Ralph is the best guitarist I've worked with on this level and there are always things to be considered. There are personal goals to consider on both ends, the way you interact, what you get out of your performance, the whole nine yards. Chemistry. Some things are destined to be and others aren't. I love Ralph's solos and his style, it was exactly what Jon wanted for this album. There was no 'out or in' for Ralph. It was as you saw it. Jon writes the songs, and the solos are the ear-candy, and I love that ear-candy by the way, but other issues come into play and Ralph was destined to do other things instead. Ralph has become a good friend of mine and will definitely do things in the future with him. He's a character and we talk all the time, his plate is pretty full and I'm glad for him. There are no hard feelings between the ICED EARTH camp and Ralph and that's the bottom line, sometimes things fit and sometimes they don't. There is no reason to look further than that. We are in talks with a few people for that role and all will be 'very well' before the next leg. Jon and I talked the other day, and we were wanting to find that person where before they even played a note you could tell that your souls were connected, exactly what Jon felt with Tim the first time they met. In closing, I hope this answers some questions and when we find that last link to the puzzle you'll be the first to know. We're looking for that soulmate that belongs in the band and when we meet 'like Jon and Tim met' then we'll have the stable lineup we've always wanted."
Read more ››
"Ok, just so you can stop freaking out and saying all kinds of outlandish things this statement should be sufficient for the situation.
"All of us were worried because this situation was dumped in our laps, in the middle of a tour. Richard got in touch with Bobby as soon as everything was transpiring and within days were talking to him personally at the shows. Bobby practiced his ass off for the gig and when we rehearsed he jumped in the pocket like he had been there all along. There's a true sense of chemistry with this line up and I'm happier more than I've ever been with the rhythm section. So yes, he's in for the duration. It's kind of hard to describe, you play with awesome musicians and you think 'well that's the peak' then another 'fated' face comes into the fold and you're like' DAMN, that's what it's supposed to be like, well that's the feeling I get when I'm grooving with Bobby, enough said. Richard is an awesome drummer and one of the best I've ever played with and a damn good true friend at that. I'm overjoyed he got his position with the Stern show and it's because of Richard that we have Bobby, he didn't want to leave us high and dry. I've had some of the best times of my life playing with Richard and he is on his way to achieving all of his dreams. Kudos to Richie, he's my bro and I'll miss him always. However, people are destined for their roles, and like I said, Bobby is the man and every time I look back at him on stage it's telepathy, perfect symmetry.
"Ok, on to Ralph. Ralph is the best guitarist I've worked with on this level and there are always things to be considered. There are personal goals to consider on both ends, the way you interact, what you get out of your performance, the whole nine yards. Chemistry. Some things are destined to be and others aren't. I love Ralph's solos and his style, it was exactly what Jon wanted for this album. There was no 'out or in' for Ralph. It was as you saw it. Jon writes the songs, and the solos are the ear-candy, and I love that ear-candy by the way, but other issues come into play and Ralph was destined to do other things instead. Ralph has become a good friend of mine and will definitely do things in the future with him. He's a character and we talk all the time, his plate is pretty full and I'm glad for him. There are no hard feelings between the ICED EARTH camp and Ralph and that's the bottom line, sometimes things fit and sometimes they don't. There is no reason to look further than that. We are in talks with a few people for that role and all will be 'very well' before the next leg. Jon and I talked the other day, and we were wanting to find that person where before they even played a note you could tell that your souls were connected, exactly what Jon felt with Tim the first time they met. In closing, I hope this answers some questions and when we find that last link to the puzzle you'll be the first to know. We're looking for that soulmate that belongs in the band and when we meet 'like Jon and Tim met' then we'll have the stable lineup we've always wanted."
Read more ››
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth: Guitarist leaves, joins Sebastian Bach
Guitarist Ralph Santolla has officially left ICED EARTH and joined SEBASTIAN BACH's solo band. "There are several reasons for this decision, and for the moment I will keep them to myself," Santolla writes in a statement sent to BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "The other guys know my reasons, and hopefully this won't turn into a public pissing match. On the other hand, if it does, at least execution by musketry has gone out of style. I made some great friends, played some great, albeit difficult (!) metal tunes, and learned a lot from the experience. Whatever anyone else says about Jon , he IS a phenomenal rhythm guitarist.
"On a different note, I am the new lead guitarist for Sebastian Bach. We start playing July 22nd, and I can't wait. We'll do a new album later this year, so look for that, and I hope to see some of the cool people I met on tour with at some of these gigs. I am also in talks with Steve DiGiorgio , Gene Hoglan , and Tom Englund from EVERGREY about making an epic, orchestral metal album called 'ex Cathedra'. More on this later."
Read more ››
"On a different note, I am the new lead guitarist for Sebastian Bach. We start playing July 22nd, and I can't wait. We'll do a new album later this year, so look for that, and I hope to see some of the cool people I met on tour with at some of these gigs. I am also in talks with Steve DiGiorgio , Gene Hoglan , and Tom Englund from EVERGREY about making an epic, orchestral metal album called 'ex Cathedra'. More on this later."
Read more ››
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth - Best Of on its way
Century Media is releasing a 2CD best of collection from ICED EARTH called The Blessed And The Damned on July 27th.
The album features 23 remastered tracks (over two hours of material) with two different album covers. IE leader Jon Schaffer talks about each song in the 20 page booklet that's included in the package.
The album features 23 remastered tracks (over two hours of material) with two different album covers. IE leader Jon Schaffer talks about each song in the 20 page booklet that's included in the package.
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth update
ICED EARTH have been forced to postpone their previously announced Japanese tour due to the recent departure of drummer Richard Christy. "Though we tried everything in our power to keep this from happening we have no other alternative," ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer writes on the group's web site. The affected dates are as follows:
May 25 - Osaka, JPN @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro
May 26 - Tokyo, JPN @ Shibuya O-East
May 27 - Tokyo, JPN @ Shibuya Club Quattro
As previously reported, ICED EARTH's final show with Richard Christy will take place on Thursday (May 20) at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Replacing Christy for the second leg of the group's North American tour will be former HALFORD/RIOT drummer Bobby Jarzombek. ICED EARTH will resume touring on June 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Support on the upcoming tour will come from BEYOND THE EMBRACE and TRIVIUM.
May 25 - Osaka, JPN @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro
May 26 - Tokyo, JPN @ Shibuya O-East
May 27 - Tokyo, JPN @ Shibuya Club Quattro
As previously reported, ICED EARTH's final show with Richard Christy will take place on Thursday (May 20) at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Replacing Christy for the second leg of the group's North American tour will be former HALFORD/RIOT drummer Bobby Jarzombek. ICED EARTH will resume touring on June 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Support on the upcoming tour will come from BEYOND THE EMBRACE and TRIVIUM.
| Source: | roadrun.com |
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth - Gettysbourg DVD is on its way
JAG PANZER guitarist Mark Briody has issued an update on ICED EARTH's much-anticipated "Gettysburg" DVD, which he is currently producing for his recently formed video production company. According to Briody, "the DVD is still in production so don't look for it in the stores just yet. It's coming out very cool. Jon 's got some excellent ideas and I'm working hard to make them happen. I can't give out anymore information, that's something for Jon or SPV to do. But I just thought I'd say that the DVD is coming out excellent. I probably have another 4 to 6 weeks of production time left. There are issues beyond just making a killer DVD. Things like historical accuracy. I can't have a still from Sharpsburg in there, this is Gettysburg. The flags, maps and everything need to be historically accurate. At the same time it needs to be very entertaining for the average metal fan. To get an idea of the work involved, I have 2 terabytes of data (yes, 10 200-gig drives) in use for this project."
ICED EARTH will kick off a U.S. tour with CHILDREN OF BODOM and EVERGREY on April 18 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Read more ››
ICED EARTH will kick off a U.S. tour with CHILDREN OF BODOM and EVERGREY on April 18 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Read more ››
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
ICED EARTH Guitarist In Suicide Bomber Scare!
ICED EARTH guitarist Ralph Santolla demanded to be let off a flight to England earlier today (March 17) after he spotted two fellow passengers behaving strangely while boarding the plane. The following is Ralph's detailed account of the whole experience, as provided exclusively to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:
"OK. First of all, let me say unequivocally that I am not a racist. I have three Moroccan-Arab nieces, and more than a couple of Muslim family members (I'm Catholic).
"I was leaving today for the Manchester/Liverpool area of England to work on mixes for my modern rock/metal project, STARE. At the gate in Tampa, there were two Arab dudes getting on the plane. The three of us were at the end of the line boarding. One guy was dressed in a suit, the other like a college student. They were acting (?) like they didn't know each other. They seemed very nervous. About four elderly folks got in between the two guys. I noticed that the guy next to me, the one in the suit, had, at a minimum, his hands and wrists shaved. I thought that was weird, in a disturbing kind of way (shaving one's body hair is a religious obligation often observed by would-be suicide bombers so that they are 'clean' before entering heaven). They both noticed that I was watching them closely. The college-looking guy kept looking back and making eye contact with the other guy and then looking away. When we got on the plane, the guy in the suit turns out to be a pilot getting a free ride of the jumpseat in the cockpit. After the other guy looked around making eye contact with me several times, as if to see if I was still keeping an eye on them, I called the flight attendant. I told him there was something not right about these guys, and I wanted off. They had to bring the jetway back out to get me off the plane! The airline will let me use the same ticket on Friday, but I was pretty spooked!"
ICED EARTH will kick off a U.S. headlining tour with CHILDREN OF BODOM and EVERGREY on April 18 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Taken from Blabbermouth.net
"OK. First of all, let me say unequivocally that I am not a racist. I have three Moroccan-Arab nieces, and more than a couple of Muslim family members (I'm Catholic).
"I was leaving today for the Manchester/Liverpool area of England to work on mixes for my modern rock/metal project, STARE. At the gate in Tampa, there were two Arab dudes getting on the plane. The three of us were at the end of the line boarding. One guy was dressed in a suit, the other like a college student. They were acting (?) like they didn't know each other. They seemed very nervous. About four elderly folks got in between the two guys. I noticed that the guy next to me, the one in the suit, had, at a minimum, his hands and wrists shaved. I thought that was weird, in a disturbing kind of way (shaving one's body hair is a religious obligation often observed by would-be suicide bombers so that they are 'clean' before entering heaven). They both noticed that I was watching them closely. The college-looking guy kept looking back and making eye contact with the other guy and then looking away. When we got on the plane, the guy in the suit turns out to be a pilot getting a free ride of the jumpseat in the cockpit. After the other guy looked around making eye contact with me several times, as if to see if I was still keeping an eye on them, I called the flight attendant. I told him there was something not right about these guys, and I wanted off. They had to bring the jetway back out to get me off the plane! The airline will let me use the same ticket on Friday, but I was pretty spooked!"
ICED EARTH will kick off a U.S. headlining tour with CHILDREN OF BODOM and EVERGREY on April 18 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Taken from Blabbermouth.net
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth - European tour postponed
ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer has posted the following message on the band's official web site:
"Hello All,
"As some of you may have heard I recently had lower back surgery. It seemed early on that things were going well with my recovery, however in recent weeks a new problem has developed. I will be undergoing some intense testing in the next week to 10 days to see what the next steps will be. Which leads to the bad news, due to the serious complications with my back, we're going to have to postpone the European leg of the tour and possibly even the first 2 weeks or so of the US Tour. It really depends on what the doctor says after all testing is done and the options are on the table. If another surgery is necessary it may push the tour back even more. Obviously this is the absolute last thing that we ever want to do, but my health has to come first, and the potential of causing permanent damage is very real.
"Those of you that have been following the band for a long time know that it's always top priority to give you the best show possible. At the current and very intense level of pain that I'm in, there's no way that I'd be able to do my part and give 100%, and you don't deserve anything less.
"The guys in the band are as disappointed as I am but they are understanding and supportive at the same time.
" 'The Glorious Burden' is by far the album that has received the best reviews in the band's history, charted the best around the world, sold more than double in the early stages compared with 'Horror Show' in all major territories, and continues to grow full steam ahead. It is the album that I knew it would be and I hate that we have to change our plans due to my back problems. However, in the big picture, it's the only decision that I can make.
"I hope you all can understand the seriousness of the situation. Please know that as much as this sucks, it's the best thing for me, the band, and for you.
"The tour WILL happen, and when it does, I guarantee you will see the best ICED EARTH show you ever have! I feel 10 years younger and am having fun again, it totally sucks that my back is causing these problems!
"I thank you in advance for your support through this tough time and will keep you posted as to my progress...
"Take care, Jon Schaffer"
"Hello All,
"As some of you may have heard I recently had lower back surgery. It seemed early on that things were going well with my recovery, however in recent weeks a new problem has developed. I will be undergoing some intense testing in the next week to 10 days to see what the next steps will be. Which leads to the bad news, due to the serious complications with my back, we're going to have to postpone the European leg of the tour and possibly even the first 2 weeks or so of the US Tour. It really depends on what the doctor says after all testing is done and the options are on the table. If another surgery is necessary it may push the tour back even more. Obviously this is the absolute last thing that we ever want to do, but my health has to come first, and the potential of causing permanent damage is very real.
"Those of you that have been following the band for a long time know that it's always top priority to give you the best show possible. At the current and very intense level of pain that I'm in, there's no way that I'd be able to do my part and give 100%, and you don't deserve anything less.
"The guys in the band are as disappointed as I am but they are understanding and supportive at the same time.
" 'The Glorious Burden' is by far the album that has received the best reviews in the band's history, charted the best around the world, sold more than double in the early stages compared with 'Horror Show' in all major territories, and continues to grow full steam ahead. It is the album that I knew it would be and I hate that we have to change our plans due to my back problems. However, in the big picture, it's the only decision that I can make.
"I hope you all can understand the seriousness of the situation. Please know that as much as this sucks, it's the best thing for me, the band, and for you.
"The tour WILL happen, and when it does, I guarantee you will see the best ICED EARTH show you ever have! I feel 10 years younger and am having fun again, it totally sucks that my back is causing these problems!
"I thank you in advance for your support through this tough time and will keep you posted as to my progress...
"Take care, Jon Schaffer"
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
Iced Earth - European chart positions
In addition to entering The Billboard 200 chart at No. 145 with their new album, "The Glorious Burden", ICED EARTH have debuted at No. 15 on the German charts, No. 24 in Austria, No. 30 in Finland, No. 80 in France and No. 77 in Switzerland.
ICED EARTH are gearing up for a full-scale North American tour beginning April 18, with support coming from CHILDREN OF BODOM. A European trek with PRIMAL FEAR and THUNDERSTONE will kick off on March 18 in Tilburg, Holland.
ICED EARTH are gearing up for a full-scale North American tour beginning April 18, with support coming from CHILDREN OF BODOM. A European trek with PRIMAL FEAR and THUNDERSTONE will kick off on March 18 in Tilburg, Holland.
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |
ICED EARTH's Jon Schaffer Statement
ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer has posted the following message on the band's official web site:
"Season's Greetings!
"First of all, please accept my apology for the delay in this posting. These last 3 months have been extremely busy and I've been pretty overwhelmed with the workload. However, everything came to a screeching halt a few weeks back when I had lower back surgery. Everything's going well and I'm healing just fine, so in another few weeks I'll be as good as new.
"Anyway, there is actually quite a lot to report, so let's get to it!
"First, as you all know by now, the CD release has been delayed to early January. I know this has upset many fans and I wasn't happy about it myself, but when the label explained their reasons I couldn't argue with them. Because of the fact that we had to re-record the vocals and re-mix the record it pushed everything back and the label would have had to perform a miracle to do their job properly. It takes time and a lot of organization to release a priority record and they just wanted to do the best job possible, so as I said, I couldn't really argue the point. Believe me, we want you to hear the new tunes ASAP, but sometimes shit happens and we all have to live with it.
"It is an absolute pleasure to report that the response so far from journalists that have heard the CD has been very positive. We all expect big things for this record and that should make all I.E. fans proud. Tim and I did a 2-week whirlwind promo tour of Europe and it was a great time ? very intense but very positive, and fun.
"The single was released a few days earlier in Europe than here at home due to a release snafu but it didn't seem to hurt us any. In Europe we sold out of the digi-pak edition, which was 40,000 units in one week, so now the slim case versions are being made and sold. As for the States we entered the Billboard U.S. single sales charts at #13, which is a great accomplishment for a metal band in this day and age. I thank you all for that. It's your loyalty and dedication that has made all of this possible.
"Other good news from Europe is that the 'Alive in Athens' CD has now been certified Platinum status in Greece. This actually happened several months ago but I forgot to post it. My label in Greece (Sound & Vision) has also informed me that 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' and 'Horror Show' along with others in the catalog will be certified Gold very soon. We also expect 'The Glorious Burden' to reach Gold very quickly there. Again, the fans make all of this possible and we thank you dearly.
Read more ››
"Season's Greetings!
"First of all, please accept my apology for the delay in this posting. These last 3 months have been extremely busy and I've been pretty overwhelmed with the workload. However, everything came to a screeching halt a few weeks back when I had lower back surgery. Everything's going well and I'm healing just fine, so in another few weeks I'll be as good as new.
"Anyway, there is actually quite a lot to report, so let's get to it!
"First, as you all know by now, the CD release has been delayed to early January. I know this has upset many fans and I wasn't happy about it myself, but when the label explained their reasons I couldn't argue with them. Because of the fact that we had to re-record the vocals and re-mix the record it pushed everything back and the label would have had to perform a miracle to do their job properly. It takes time and a lot of organization to release a priority record and they just wanted to do the best job possible, so as I said, I couldn't really argue the point. Believe me, we want you to hear the new tunes ASAP, but sometimes shit happens and we all have to live with it.
"It is an absolute pleasure to report that the response so far from journalists that have heard the CD has been very positive. We all expect big things for this record and that should make all I.E. fans proud. Tim and I did a 2-week whirlwind promo tour of Europe and it was a great time ? very intense but very positive, and fun.
"The single was released a few days earlier in Europe than here at home due to a release snafu but it didn't seem to hurt us any. In Europe we sold out of the digi-pak edition, which was 40,000 units in one week, so now the slim case versions are being made and sold. As for the States we entered the Billboard U.S. single sales charts at #13, which is a great accomplishment for a metal band in this day and age. I thank you all for that. It's your loyalty and dedication that has made all of this possible.
"Other good news from Europe is that the 'Alive in Athens' CD has now been certified Platinum status in Greece. This actually happened several months ago but I forgot to post it. My label in Greece (Sound & Vision) has also informed me that 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' and 'Horror Show' along with others in the catalog will be certified Gold very soon. We also expect 'The Glorious Burden' to reach Gold very quickly there. Again, the fans make all of this possible and we thank you dearly.
Read more ››
| Band profile: | Iced Earth |