I really don't see the point to be honest. Schaffer has always been the main song-writer for Iced Earth, so why not just make it another Iced Earty album? Sounds exactly like IE anyway, only Schaffer singing rather than Barlow

Also when I think Sons of Liberty, I think of the video game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Well, i thought of the rebels "The Sons of Korhal" from my favourite pc game: Starcraft! Speaking of games

Is he trying to do something else? I'm curious nonetheless...
I will check the website - it's a promise!

Written by SteTech on 18.12.2009 at 21:37

I really don't see the point to be honest. Schaffer has always been the main song-writer for Iced Earth, so why not just make it another Iced Earty album? Sounds exactly like IE anyway, only Schaffer singing rather than Barlow

iced earth already has a song called don't tread on me, so when he wanted to write another one by the same name he was forced to create a new band for it.. duh

Has anybody else clicked that "Meet the Shackles" link at the bnottom of the website? He's saying anybody who doesn't think the "American" way should be imprisoned with spikes through their hands ... unless I'm grossly misinterpreting it. No politically biased message my ass...

Lame...

I never realized that Shcaffer was such a paranoid guy. I was hoping the music would stand up by itself, but...no, not really.

Written by insanity.peppers on 18.12.2009 at 22:05

Has anybody else clicked that "Meet the Shackles" link at the bnottom of the website? He's saying anybody who doesn't think the "American" way should be imprisoned with spikes through their hands ... unless I'm grossly misinterpreting it. No politically biased message my ass...

If you read what he says about the shackles, he basically explains that they are a symbol of people's eventual enslavement to big international banks. He's saying that we all need to rally against some oncoming malevolent global bureaucracy or we'll all end up in chains with no ability to resist or go back. I know it's all self aware, but it still seems really paranoid.

This is just kind of weird... I knew Schaffer was all about American Pride and all, but this shit's kinda scary... like he's off his rocker all of a sudden... crazy conspiracy theory shit... I'm not entirely sure what to think...

I'll probably check out the album but stay away from the nutty conspiracy theory website, thanks.

Congratulations to Jon Schaffer for making this project. It does seem a little bit, um, patriotic though. I'm not confident to believe that it isn't politically biased, comsidering the song titles and other stuff, but I'll have to check this band out sometime.

Maybe Jon Schaffer went and had lunch with Dave Mustaine and Tom Morello.... hahaha

Written by Holy Man on 19.12.2009 at 01:45

Maybe Jon Schaffer went and had lunch with Dave Mustaine and Tom Morello.... hahaha

If either Mustaine or Shaffer had lunch with Morello, they'd probably have a good fight if they ever discuss politics.

Schaffer has lost all inspiration and can't write good songs for Iced Earth anymore.
And now he's writing songs for a new band? Bad idea.

He should stick to IE and focus on writing decent material, instead. TCOM was excrutiatingly boring. I make the prediction that IE will be over in less than 5 years.

He's so hopelessly out of inspiration he even recycles a song title.

Written by bard on 18.12.2009 at 23:02

If you read what he says about the shackles, he basically explains that they are a symbol of people's eventual enslavement to big international banks. He's saying that we all need to rally against some oncoming malevolent global bureaucracy or we'll all end up in chains with no ability to resist or go back. I know it's all self aware, but it still seems really paranoid.

Wait wait, I'm still confused. So is the "Infinity Shackles" page supposed to be sarcastic? He's not actually condoning this idea of violently enslaving "free-thinker terrorists", is he? I feel like a retard asking but please someone explain this to me

Written by Lord_Regnier on 19.12.2009 at 02:03

Schaffer has lost all inspiration and can't write good songs for Iced Earth anymore.
And now he's writing songs for a new band? Bad idea.

I don't think he's lost inspiration, he's just getting it from the wrong place. Maybe that's Blind Guardian's fault?

Glad to see more Americans are finally waking up

Written by Holy Man on 18.12.2009 at 23:38

This is just kind of weird... I knew Schaffer was all about American Pride and all, but this shit's kinda scary... like he's off his rocker all of a sudden... crazy conspiracy theory shit... I'm not entirely sure what to think...

I am not sure he endorses all the ideas in the books and the documentaries he is listing. But even conspiracy theories, regardless if true or not, they may highlight or illuminate certain aspects of our lives which we normally skip over. In literature and cinema, lots of works feature themes related to those of conspiracy theories. Huxley's Brave New World, Orwell's 1984, and the Matrix are all about how our lives are more and more getting controlled by a small number of people.

Written by Lord_Regnier on 19.12.2009 at 02:03

Schaffer has lost all inspiration and can't write good songs for Iced Earth anymore.
And now he's writing songs for a new band? Bad idea.

He should stick to IE and focus on writing decent material, instead. TCOM was excrutiatingly boring. I make the prediction that IE will be over in less than 5 years.

He's so hopelessly out of inspiration he even recycles a song title.

I make the prediction that IE is already over and will never rise again. Schaffer appears really to have lost musical inspiration as you said. in the 1990's people were hailing IE as something that could be compared with Iron Maiden, but since the 2000's they never produced anything of high quality

Written by Lord_Regnier on 19.12.2009 at 02:03

Schaffer has lost all inspiration and can't write good songs for Iced Earth anymore.
And now he's writing songs for a new band? Bad idea.

He should stick to IE and focus on writing decent material, instead. TCOM was excrutiatingly boring. I make the prediction that IE will be over in less than 5 years.

He's so hopelessly out of inspiration he even recycles a song title.

I don't think he's outta inspiration, he's just really taken an interest in this very patriotic stuff....Plus TCOM isn't boring, noone even gave it a chance, just one listen and thats it. Come What May and In Sacred Flames are 2 IE songs in my top 5

JON SCHAFFER goes GLENN BECK on your ass muthafuuuuckas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brutal metal for Amerikkka!

Schaffer is a brilliant guitarist, but his world views are pretty weird, i don't really care if the music stays good(and the last IE album was ok)

Whether it's IE or D&W he can still write good tunes... No matter what the subject matter.

Sons of Liberty - Brush-Fires Of The Mind is a fantastic album !!
And its free !

I can't be asshole to ask for more...

Written by [user id=291] on 19.12.2009 at 05:47

Written by Lord_Regnier on 19.12.2009 at 02:03

Schaffer has lost all inspiration and can't write good songs for Iced Earth anymore.
And now he's writing songs for a new band? Bad idea.

He should stick to IE and focus on writing decent material, instead. TCOM was excrutiatingly boring. I make the prediction that IE will be over in less than 5 years.

He's so hopelessly out of inspiration he even recycles a song title.

I make the prediction that IE is already over and will never rise again. Schaffer appears really to have lost musical inspiration as you said. in the 1990's people were hailing IE as something that could be compared with Iron Maiden, but since the 2000's they never produced anything of high quality

Let me bring some precision. What I meant is I believe the band will have called a quit less than 5 years from now. I mean that the band won't exist anymore.

Musically, the band is already over. From a songwriting point of view, IE is finished. I can hardly imagine a worst generic chugga-chug borefest than TCOM. When you touch the bottom like that, it's a very long way to the top. Too long, in fact. All that awaits IE is a painful descent in an abyss of mediocrity.
IE is often compared to Iron Maiden. I wonder if what happened to Maiden could happen to IE. Maiden sucked hardcore for an entire decade (the 90s), then became popular and very successful once more, after a painful descent in an abyss of mediocrity. Who knows? Maybe the same could happen with IE? But I don't believe it will. What saved Maiden is their name but Iced Earth has never been so famous. Far from it.

That's just your 2 cents... There are people who like the last album...
I think IE have bright future and Schaffer deliver great songs as always...
This album is great for me !

A lot of talking out of the ass comments i see.

You should read all of the story before reading one alinea and then give an oppinion. This is in no way a new band this is just a side project in which Jon Schaffer took some intrest in but was not intressting enough to bring forth with his Iced Earth.

The purpose of this "Sons Of Liberty" is to make people more aware about things going on in our world behind the curtain. Its message is: dont believe everything the media and politics feed you with. It got some very cool links and is a good source for people who are intrested in other views on our society and especially by whom it is ruled. I think its very cool and i am anxious to see this thing getting bigger.

It is not a statement, just a way to open up eyes if your intrested. A side project.. If your not, then just put on a Iced Earth record and enjoy one of the purest metal bands there is.
If you like Iced Earth style then you should be happy to download a album for free.

Also, people who complain Jon Schaffer has lost insperation....what do you think this is? The man has always been bussy with several things at once, simply because he has to many ideas in his mind. One of the most divers and hard working musicians in the buisness for sure.

Written by SteTech on 18.12.2009 at 21:39

Also when I think Sons of Liberty, I think of the video game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

i was trying to think of where i had heard that name from and you nailed it haha

I made a topic about the band if anyone feels obliged to talk more about them. May be easier than news commenting.

Written by BrightNight on 20.12.2009 at 00:29

Also, people who complain Jon Schaffer has lost insperation....what do you think this is? The man has always been bussy with several things at once, simply because he has to many ideas in his mind. One of the most divers and hard working musicians in the buisness for sure.

I'm saying that Schaffer has lost inspiration but it has nothing to de with this project.
I'm saying it because if you compare IE's recent songs to the old ones, they feel bland, generic and mediocre.
Nothing that stands out. You listen to TCOM and, as soon as it's over, you can't remember of a single memorable riff.

Diversity my ass, since a while. It's basically the same lackluster stuff all the time.
Listen to "Alive In Athens" and you hear lots of tempo changes, variations, different (and awesome) riffs. The songs have their own identity. Miles ahead of what this band does after SWTWC.

Also, IE was Power/Thrash Metal during the 90s. Since FA, the Thrash element is gone. Listen to "Alive In Athens" and almost every song has uptempo parts, harsher and more aggressive. You don't hear anything of the sort on TCOM and the only Thrashy song on FA is the title song.
The intensity and energy of old is not present on the new stuff.

This is a cool project from Schaffer.
It got me interested in these things which the site presents, though I've known about some of these before. Loads of information to chew, needs time to determine what makes sense and what not. Gives some topics to think about!

I'd say that Sons of Liberty is in a way very authentic Jon-Schaffer-music.
He said in the interview (video available!) that he put this project in front of everything else because he had a "gut-feeling", an "awakening", and he just had to let it out. Thus this is an album full of honest music.
Can't say, though, that this would be as good as Iced Earth (especially older stuff), but respectable anyway. This project isn't about music, it's about opening eyes.
For me he's accomplished in the mission so far.

And for the Iced Earth's current state with music: where's all the interest in progress and development?
All progress and development can not be towards "better" (opinion thingie here), but at least it's progress and development! Besides this lad has been making music for some 20 years for a living (correct me if I'm wrong), so I don't suppose he will be quitting in a long while.
Heh, also have to say, that I'm not too much into the couple of latest albums, but I'll give 'em a try every once in a while anyway. Barlow and Schaffer still are _the_ sound of IE.

Rooock 'n roll!