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Iced Earth - An Update From Jon Schaffer


Jon Schaffer and IcedEarth.com got together on March 13, 2009 for an update on the band's forthcoming live DVD as well Jon's plans for the immediate future. The interview was posted a few days ago already, and here are the main talking points of the interview are outlined below, while the audio interview can be downloaded here (mp3 format, 8.4 MB).

Regarding the immediate plans for Iced Earth:

"Well, right now I'm wrapping up the post-production for the, "Festivals Of The Wicked" DVD which I expect will come out late Summer or Fall of this year. I don't know that for sure, it depends on when we wrap things up, but that's the plan. That's the next project.

Iced Earth is going to be taking some downtime. I've been very, very busy. I haven't taken any kind of vacation in six years and I have been non-stop Iced Earth for three-and-a-half years - from the beginning of the writing of both of these records through the recording, the touring - and there has been a lot of touring... it's just time. I need to step back from it a little bit. And I've got other things planned for this year which I'll be announcing in due course, but my goals are for right now are to get the DVD finished and (then) to get away completely - no cell phones, no e-mail, no contact with the outside world, just me and my family at a very nice isolated place, no music business, no nothing, and it's going to be awesome. That's going to be cool and I plan to come back completely recharged and ready to kill."

Regarding the kind of projects Jon will be working on after returning from vacation:

"You're going to have to wait and find out my man. I mean, I'm just not ready to divulge yet. I've got a few irons in the fire and some things I'm very excited about. Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) and I have planned late in 2009 to get together to do Demons And Wizards stuff so that's going to be cool. We saw each other in Cologne (earlier this year) and made plans and I think it's realistic to say that there will be a third Demons And Wizards album probably mid- to late 2010. We're going to have two song writing sessions. We are committed to doing the bulk of this in-person. One of the things I felt like from the last Demons And Wizards album was that we had this window of opportunity where we had to get it done and we kind of let time dictate the schedule instead of our feelings and that was probably a mistake. I mean I'm proud of that record ("Touched by the Crimson King" 2005) and it sold killer and it's a good album but I think Hansi and I are capable of a lot more especially when we get back to the root reasons of why we did this thing together.

We are not going to be bogged down by schedules - we're going to do this as we see fit and we're not going to let a particular window of opportunity dictate that this is when we have to do it. We're going to do it as it feels natural - and if we feel that in Spring of 2010 that we don't have the songs yet then we'll push it back. I mean, we don't have to do it on any specific schedule. We had a really long talk about it and I'm really looking forward to it because I always enjoy working with Hansi and just spending time with him. So, our first get-together is going to be late in the year, but before that I've got a few things going on and like I said, we'll announce it in due course."

Regarding the name and content of the forthcoming Iced Earth Live DVD:

"It's going to be called, "Festivals Of The Wicked." It is going to be (include) Wacken 2007 (with Tim Owens). The four headliners that particular year were Saxon, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, and In Flames - at that point the most successful Wacken ever - 70,000 people. It was a massive show. We're (also) including Rock Hard 2008 and Metal Camp 2008, and there will be some extras like a behind-the-scenes kind of documentary, videos from "Framing Armageddon" and "The Glorious Burden" era, the EPK - the electronic press kit. I think it will be interesting for the fans to see. It's kind of a video biography that was done for industry people. It's something that the fans would not typically see. It's going to have a Ross Halfin photo gallery. Rudy De Doncker from Belgium who's done a lot of photos of the band through the years - we're going to have his photo gallery there too. There's going to be a lot of stuff. I think we're looking at a three DVD set. I guess it's possible it could end up being four, but I think the plan right now is to squeeze all the stuff on three, so we should be able to do that.

The DVD thing is new to me - we haven't done one before with the exception of the Gettysburg thing, but that doesn't really count. That was just a Surround Sound version of that song that sorta snowballed into a little documentary about the battle. This is an actual concert release. When we hand in a CD master there is a three month turnaround time - that's what the labels like to have to prep things up and get press in order. It also depends on whether we can reach the goal of getting this thing wrapped up before I leave, but I would expect the latest release day would be Fall of this year."

Source: icedearth.com
Band profile: Iced Earth
Posted: 05.04.2009 by Biedrik


Comments

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Comments: 20   Visited by: 211 users
05.04.2009 - 23:40
LeChron James
Helvetesfossen
A break makes sense. but more interestingly, demons and wizards? EPIC.
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Kick Ass, Die Young

Less is More
Stay Pure
Stay Poor

Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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05.04.2009 - 23:48
Crème fraiche

More Demons & Wizards would be amazing
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05.04.2009 - 23:51
styx

Written by Crème fraiche on 05.04.2009 at 23:48

More Demons & Wizards would be amazing

Yeah! However the second album wasn't so good.. just as Iced Earth last album(with Barlow) :/
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I am the Light...
That Leads to Darkness!
I am the Night...
Behold Pandemonium!
Behold the Morningstar!
Behold Lucifer!
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06.04.2009 - 00:07
DoomGuard

Nice nice nice i approve of this update, maybe Scahffer sees this styx n that's why he's taking a break
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06.04.2009 - 00:18
Daggon
Underpaid M.D.
Wiii more Iced Earth stuff, I don't have to wait a lot for something new. And yeah, mor Demons And Wizards! I enjoyed a lot the last album, "Touched By The Crimson King" is a killer song. Well, let's see what's next with this guys.
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"Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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06.04.2009 - 00:19
Akke920

Nice, you can't go wrong with a new Demons & Wizards album!
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06.04.2009 - 00:31
Valentin B
Iconoclast
Guess i'll have to wait some time for another chance to see Iced Earth live after they completely screwed me this february.... hope you come back a more focused and able person Jon(and i hope the guy who made it possible to cancel the shows you had in Spain got what's coming to him)

continue to grace us with your lovely music
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06.04.2009 - 01:45
Metal Defender

It would be good if they did more festivals soon, they were awesome last year.
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06.04.2009 - 02:25
Hrothdane

New Demons and Wizards? FUCK YES! Less rushed than last album? YES! Not coming out until late 2010? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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Despair is death, and I'm not interested in dying.

Member of the True Crusade against True Crusades
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06.04.2009 - 05:05
Symmachus

The DVD would be something that is interesting. The Demons and Wizards albums is someting I'll be anticipating. The decision for Jon to go on vacation is respectable.
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06.04.2009 - 11:22
ponderer

Glad the dvd will focus on Tim Owens. Nothing against Matt at all but Tim deserves a load of respect for his work on Burden and Armageddon. Framing Armageddon is a masterpiece. Good to hear Jon is taking some time away from the corporate side of things because the industry will grind you down to nothing if you let it.
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06.04.2009 - 12:00
Enissa

Wow, A new DVD? thats awesome!
"The Dvd thing is new to him" then what about That Alive In Athens Dvd???
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06.04.2009 - 13:27
GT
Coffee!!
A third Demons & Wizards! Now that's nice
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Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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06.04.2009 - 18:04
BMR Monkey

Iced eart rules its one of my favorite bands but latelly its been letting me down but still i trust them cuz mat barlow its back so i hope the new shit sound like the old days

and D&W should start to reinvented cus i didnt like the 2nd album like the first one
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06.04.2009 - 18:56
BrightNight

Written by Enissa on 06.04.2009 at 12:00

Wow, A new DVD? thats awesome!
"The Dvd thing is new to him" then what about That Alive In Athens Dvd???


Jon Schaffer didnt have a hand in the creation of the "Alive In Athens" Dvd....The producers said the dvd was finished and would not change or add things that Schaffer asked them to do, in the end....so thats why he wants to do it completly himself this time.....which is only good for the fans!

But this is great news indeed!
Iced Fucking Earth
----
"So you children of the world, listen to what I say
If you want a better place to live in spread the words today
Show the world that love is still alive you must be brave
Or you children of today are Children of the Grave."
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07.04.2009 - 00:42
juanopereira

Great news.. A new album form Demons & Wizards... interesting
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07.04.2009 - 04:02
Silent Jay

So no talk of the supposed 'Something Wicked' box-set that has both Crucible and a remastered Framing (with redone vocals by Barlow) and graphic novel of the story?
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07.04.2009 - 14:25
Enissa

Written by BrightNight on 06.04.2009 at 18:56

Written by Enissa on 06.04.2009 at 12:00

Wow, A new DVD? thats awesome!
"The Dvd thing is new to him" then what about That Alive In Athens Dvd???


Jon Schaffer didnt have a hand in the creation of the "Alive In Athens" Dvd....The producers said the dvd was finished and would not change or add things that Schaffer asked them to do, in the end....so thats why he wants to do it completly himself this time.....which is only good for the fans!

But this is great news indeed!
Iced Fucking Earth


Wow, thanks to let me know!
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08.04.2009 - 07:45
ToMegaTherion

Sounds like a well deserved break especially after 6 years of making records and touring. I hope this break will spawn more great albums for Iced Earth over the next few years.
And what's even better is the potential Demons & Wizards album thats great news.
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14.04.2009 - 15:03
Lord_Regnier

Written by Silent Jay on 07.04.2009 at 04:02

So no talk of the supposed 'Something Wicked' box-set that has both Crucible and a remastered Framing (with redone vocals by Barlow) and graphic novel of the story?


It has been cancelled.
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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