http://metalstorm.ee/events/news_comments.php?news_id=9990

For those of you who haven't heard about Jon Schaffer's newest project, follow the link above. Now, I am making this topic for two reasons: 1) for the music and what people think of it and 2) what people think about the message. Now, many people don't concern themselves with a band's message, but it's kind of hard to ignore with a musician like Jon. It seemed to be pretty popular already with quite a few comments, so I thought I'd extend it to the forums.

I'm only personally finishing listening to the second song "Don't Tread on Me" and immediate feelings aren't that hot. Jon's musicianship and vocals are still top notch (all of it is, but I'm not sure if Jon plays everything or what) and I still believe him able to write some great licks, but it's not really leaving any impression on me musically. However, if this material came from any other musician than Jon Schaffer, I'm sure it would be more appreciated, since people are just so used to Jon's past output and largely unhappy with what it is recently.

As for the message, well Jon's a patriot, no doubt about that. I think people should be proud of where they come from, their history, et cetera but this sort of thing really isn't my thing. I enjoyed The Glorious Burden probably more than a lot of people and being an American maybe I am partial to that, but the message he is trying to push is too zeitgeist for my taste. I'm not saying he doesn't have a point, but it doesn't make him look that good when he's singing about defending our liberties as Americans yet he quotes Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson, former presidents who both owned slaves and pushed indigenous peoples out of their home ("conquered" I think Jon puts it) as they raped the land of milk and honey that was this continent. I agree capitalism isn't pretty and that it definitely needs a re-haul among many other things, and I have many issues with this country, probably as many if not more than most foreigners, but I still love living where I do. But I just hate extremism and fanaticism. I just hope this isn't what Jon is going for. Just bring me another Night of the Stormrider or Demons & Wizards, but we've had those albums, so anything the same would just be stagnation right? I'll return when I've finished listening to it all.

P.S. I do enjoy Jon's vocals but this stuff can get cheesy.

Wekk I red news, but where I can hera band It sounds good n intewresting , realy I wanna hear this then I will judge

You can stream it (and/or download) the album from the band's official site http://www.sons-of-liberty.net/

Written by Bad English on 20.12.2009 at 15:24

Wekk I red news, but where I can hera band It sounds good n intewresting , realy I wanna hear this then I will judge

Go to the sons of liberty site and put in your email adres. You will get a link to download it for free

Written by BrightNight on 20.12.2009 at 16:27

Written by Bad English on 20.12.2009 at 15:24

Wekk I red news, but where I can hera band It sounds good n intewresting , realy I wanna hear this then I will judge

Go to the sons of liberty site and put in your email adres. You will get a link to download it for free

I tryd it it was error when It tryd

Clint W, thanks for creating this topic. I think its a interesting thing to talk about!

About the music:

I think its pretty decent and to me as a real Iced Earth fan its refreshing to hear Jon's voice in different ways. It does not have the raw power Iced Earth songs have but still are build up the same way.
To me its difficult to see this as a different band. I think its just a one time solo thing with no sequel. Not like Demons And Wizards.

About the movement:

I agree totally with you about fantatisme and extremism, especially something a lot of Americans seem to have. And you being an American yourself knows more about that ofcourse. I to think there is nothing wrong with being a bit partiotic. Its cleary obvious that Jon Schaffer is really American minded and believes in the pure ways of the American (free) dream for which your ancestors fought so hard. He made that pretty clear with his Glorious Burden Record. Still its a theme based record and he is finished with that. I geuss thats why he made a solo project about this whole thing, because he doesnt want to travel along the same road again with Iced Earth. I think thats a good thing since i like the darker earlier Iced Earth records more, and with me most fans.

The Glorious Burden was about history and warfare, real fact thats happend once. This 'Sons Of Liberty' is about conspiracy's and theories, feeded by docu's like Zeitgeist and all the others out there which is something different. I think is a real eye opener and is made with that one intention only. This whole project is put up to let people be more aware of different views of our so called "democratic system" which is a lie.

And i think there is nothing wrong if people exaggerate with zeitgeist movements and Conspiracy Theories. Since we are are only shown the one side the goverments and media wants us to believe and feed us with it 24/7. For all our lives.
I see it as a good development people are being shown the other side of the story. Fact is...we are lived, controlled by a few behind the curtain and are not truly free. we only think so because we can make some choices, but those choices are ones given us (selected by) the elite who rule all.
Telling this through music is a good thing indeed. Its not only Jon Schaffer doing this, think about Megadeth's last record ' End Game'. To me its a good thing people are getting more aware of the ways the world is ruled and has been for centuries.

Written by BrightNight on 20.12.2009 at 16:57

...

Well, personally I don't believe in any huge global conspiracy. As for "not being truly free" I really don't know what to think about that. I think we have become slaves, but in a different way. Technology, consumerism, entertainment, food, et cetera are all things that place a control on us that we don't want to live without but probably can. This is how life has evolved though, now in the 21st century. It's how people live and what they choose. Maybe I'm just blinded to the truth but while I don't like governments I don't think they're really out to destroy us either. Yeah, they infringe on our liberties, but they are what make the system, on this scale, run. But I'll just say conspiracy theories have been around for centuries. Maybe Jon just read Dan Brown's latest book and got all paranoid. Who knows. I'm just saying you have to figure things out for yourself and can't take what everyone subscribes to at face value.

Written by BrightNight on 20.12.2009 at 16:57


It does not have the raw power Iced Earth songs have but still are build up the same way.
To me its difficult to see this as a different band.

I agree in the sense that, to me, it sounds like a softer Iced Earth. More accessible to the masses.
I would add that some parts are not too bad but others sound very weak and cheesy.
Something I would surely not buy and won't even download for free.

I'm glad someone started this topic before me...

I'm digging the music for the most part... it isn't anything great, but it still has that Jon Schaffer punch to it. I certainly respect the message, above all... which is the point. I think the whole ideology of Sons Of Liberty is something very comforting... It has been around since the inception of this country. As a young American, I've seen in this country it's citizens have lacked to keep an eye on government and major business... have become careless, and above all LAZY to fight for their right to vote and decide what happens within our borders, as well as fight for the well-being of our troops, with which many I have called friends and have known to die over these past 8 years. There has not been a single movement since Vietnam where citizens of everyday America stood up to question their leaders... I think it's about time Americans stop being so fucking lazy and selfish and get involved in the world surrounding them again. I'm tired of the rhetoric and corporate funded bullshit that government feeds us... Lobby to your local politicians for change. Our parents accomplished things in the 60s and 70s with revolution... we're the new generation of Americans to bring change... let's not let down our parents who fought so hard for freedom- they waged peace at Woodstock, died and were wounded in Vietnam, got shot at Kent State, arrested for peaceful protest around the country, and got hosed down because of their skin color. We have a voice, and it's something people NEED to believe in again.

Im pretty surprised Jon just now found out about this, interestingly enough I wouldve thought with the content matter of the last 2 Iced Earth albums he already knew. Anyhow, it's a good move on his part to get involved, but one must do their own research on who this resistance actually is. For example, one of the leading figures Alex Jones talks about ending the fed & control the bankers, mass media & overall elite have on the masses, but he is a die hard christian & funded a polygamist church. Now the question I ask is why would someone who opposses the control of the masses fund & follow religion which is just a tool used for the control of masses.

I believe this whole "awakening" currently happening is really just a scheme formed by the elite to weed out any resistance they'd encounter in the future. People think everything that's been happening to us the last 60 years only started within the last 60 years, but the fact of the matter is that this has been going on since the dawn of civilization. Interestingly enough, everyone mentions bankers & their agenda but no-one mentions what group all these elite belong to & properly explain what it is.

Anyhow, I enjoyed the album. I thought it was nicely thought out & Jon did a great job on vocals.