The Death of Iced Earth?!?!?!

[BurntOfferings666]

Well this may bring bad news to many.

I've come across an audio file of Jon Schaffer in conversation with two colleagues (from April 30) discussing the political issues in the USA and planning Jon's radio show. Much of the conversation revolves around the issues brought up on Sons of Liberty - Brush Fires of the Mind.

The biggest piece of news that I gathered from the file is that Jon is pretty much scared for the safety of his family, and to some extent his own safety since he's started talking about the governments plan to overthrow the people. So scared, that he is moving from his house in Indiana on Wednesday and moving to Honduras to escape the confines of the US prior to the boarders being shut down. He goes on to say that he will travel back and forth between the US and Honduras as long as he can, and he's ready to go down fighting, preferably in a non-violent Gandhi type way, but if they show up at his door to heard him and his family away that he will defend his family.

Scary shit to hear. This could spell the end for Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards and Sons of Liberty.

After listening to the conversation, I've really started to think long and hard about the various messages that Jon was trying to get across in the Brush Fires of the Mind songs, and for most of the conversation that I heard, I tend to agree with his points of view, even though I'm not an American.

I hope that you all tune in to the first podcast tomorrow night

 

[GuitarRage99]

Wow that is some heavy shit. I'm quite frightened by that.

 

[Thorns On My Grave]

Hmmm... according to IE's official site:

ICED EARTH Sign Worldwide Deal With Century Media Records;
Jon Schaffer Announces The SONS OF LIBERTY Project

There is no better way for Century Media Records to celebrate their 20th Anniversary in North America than by having the band that propelled them to success here return home. ICED EARTH, one of the most groundbreaking metal bands of all time is extremely excited to announce a return to their roots by partnering back up with Century Media. This new worldwide deal sees the band rejoin the label that released the legendary albums The Dark Saga and Something Wicked This Way Comes as well as all of the early Iced Earth albums. In addition to Iced Earth, Century Media will also release Iced Earth brainchild, Jon Schaffer’s SONS OF LIBERTY project.

Antje Lange, managing director of Century Media Records Europe, comments: “We are extremely happy and proud to welcome Jon Schaffer and his bands SONS OF LIBERTY and ICED EARTH back on the label. Schaffer is one of the most talented and charismatic musicians in metal and it is an honor for us as a label to work with him. Despite an already very successful past, we feel that an even bigger success is in the cards for the future.”
Schaffer further states: “I am excited about the opportunity to work on SONS OF LIBERTY and ICED EARTH with Century Media. This was the label where my career began and there are many memories, some of them great, some of them not. However, we all grew up and are able to see eye to eye on the mission ahead: making sure my creativity gets the best possible outlet. I am much looking forward to this team delivering the goods and releasing some killer music.”

SONS OF LIBERTY: Brush-Fires of The Mind is set for a July 13th release. Schaffer handles all vocals and instrumentation for Sons of Liberty, but the effort also features guest solos by legendary producer Jim Morris, ICED EARTH guitarist Troy Seele and world-class bassist, Ruben Drake. Born from Schaffer’s desire to stimulate curiosity about a pattern of global banking corruption that is undermining the independence of people and their countries, SONS OF LIBERTY aims to spearhead a multi-faceted and peaceful resistance of the tyranny being wrought every day on regular people. Schaffer, in turn, has reverently named his new project after a secret organization comprised of notable United States’ patriots that formed in 1765. These patriots worked fervently to expose and resist the tyranny that the colonists were subjected to, which ultimately led to the American Revolution. For additional information regarding Sons of Liberty and how you can learn more in its cause, head over to www.sons-of-liberty.net.

ICED EARTH has confirmed four special North American shows this fall. Meant as an “Escape From The Studio,” these exclusive dates will also get fans the chance to SONS OF LIBERTY on stage for their first-ever live performances.

VIP packages and exclusive pre-sale tickets via www.icedearth.com are now available. Regular tickets sales via Ticketmaster and all other outlets will not begin until May 7th and will be subject to local service fees.

ICED EARTH w/SONS OF LIBERTY

* Fri/Sep-10 - Washington DC -- 9:30 Club
* Tue/Sep-21 - Chicago IL -- House of Blues
* Thu/Sep-23 - New York NY -- Nokia Theater Times Square
* Sat/Sep-25 - West Hollywood CA -- House of Blues

 

[Iced Dog]

Hmz, Jon fleeing the country and uprooting his family to move to Honduras seems a bit far-fetched to me, but I guess anything's possible. Hopefully "Escape From The Studio" means another album will be in store for next year.

 

[Rockula]

I dunno... I mean if it was going to be the end of Iced Earth, I'm sure they would have put something on the IE website... instead they just said that they are going to be playing some shows and go re-signed with Century Media... where did you hear that he was leaving the states?

And even if he does leave the states, that doesn't mean that Iced Earth necessarily would be done, he writes all the music anyways, so he can just write/record wherever he wants and send the files to the other guys to add their parts in from their neck of the woods.

Nevertheless, fucked up shit... I'm not one for conspiracy theories, though I will admit that there are possibilities that stuff like this can be true.... but I think taking it to an extreme- like anything (religion, conspiracy theories- any belief) can't be healthy. I've heard the podcasts and keep up to date on the sons of liberty pages and videos and whatnot, but I can't help but feel that Schaffer is taking this wayyy too extremely.

I'm not the biggest Megadeth fan, I mean I like them, but I don't follow up on what Dave Mustaine is doing every month. I know he's into politics and conspiracy theories, but I don't think he has taken it to the extreme that Schaffer has, with the podcasts, and the whole 'awakening' thing. I might be wrong, as I said I don't really follow much on what Mustaine is up to, but I haven't heard anything about him writing an entire album about conspiracy's within the government and starting podcasts to get 'the message out' to other people to help them awaken. I mean sure he has song's about government coverups and politics, but he doesn't necessarily preach them to people like Schaffer has been.

I dunno, just an opinion, I'm just trying to figure out why people would say Iced Earth is dead. I can see Schaffer leaving Iced Earth if he gets really caught up in this conspiracy thing, but I don't think it would be a good reason to leave a band, and I think he realizes that too.

 

[BurntOfferings666]

Rockula,

Check out this file http://tinyurl.com/3a68436 (the first 2 minutes are just dead air, so skip through them). Jon says it himself that he's getting out with his family and that the movers will be at his house two days after this conversation which took place on April 30, to move them to Honduras.

 

[Thorns On My Grave]

Speaking of Iced Earth... I just read this online:

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/iced_earth_box_of_the_wicked_details.html

ICED EARTH's "Box Of The Wicked" will be released in Europe on April 26 (three days earlier in Germany) and May 18 in the U.S. via SPV/Steamhammer Records. The set is limited to 10,000 copies worldwide.

While ICED EARTH's 1998 album "Something Wicked This Way Comes" provided a general overview of the story guitarist/songwriter Jon Schaffer has been conceptualizing for well over a decade, the saga was fully brought to life with the release of the back-to-back conceptual albums "Framing Armageddon" and "The Crucible of Man". The albums provided answers to mysteries the previous releases created, and the timeliness of the story in today's world were guaranteed to keep people thinking and guessing. Schaffer's ability to convey the central themes and events of the story without always revealing exactly "why" characters' decisions are made and "how" events come to pass will keep fans of the saga coming back as future mediums for the "Something Wicked" storyline are revealed.

The whole saga is now included in this high-quality hardcover boxset (height 13 cm, depth 4.5 cm, width 14.5 cm) featuring the original digipak CDs "Framing Armageddon" and "The Crucible Of Man" as well as the original digipaks EPs "Overture Of The Wicked" and "I Walk Among You". In addition, the boxset includes a bonus cardboard CD with one song from "Framing Armageddon" now sung by Matt Barlow and three previously unreleased live tracks from the Belgian Graspop Metal Meeting festival in 2008, also featuring Barlow on vocals. The boxset will come with a full-color A1 poster and a 12-page booklet with previously unseen photos and liner notes.

Digipak CD - "Framing Armageddon"

01. Overture
02. Something Wicked (Part 1)
03. Invasion
04. Motivation of Man
05. Setian Massacre
06. A Charge to Keep
07. Reflections
08. Ten Thousand Strong
09. Execution
10. Order of the Rose
11. Cataclysm
12. The Clouding
13. Infiltrate and Assimilate
14. Retribution Through the Ages
15. Something Wicked (Part 2)
16. The Domino Decree
17. Framing Armageddon
18. When Stars Collide (Born is He)
19. The Awakening

Digipak Single - "Overture Of The Wicked"

01. Ten Thousand Strong
02. Prophecy (re-recorded version of the original from 1998 with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals)
03. Birth of the Wicked (re-recorded version of the original from 1998 with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals)
04. The Coming Curse (re-recorded version of the original from 1998 with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals)

Digipak CD - "The Crucible Of Man"

01. In Sacred Flames
02. Behold The Wicked Child
03. Minions Of The Watch
04. The Revealing
05. A Gift Or A Curse
06. Crown Of The Fallen
07. The Dimension Gauntlet
08. I Walk Alone
09. Harbringer Of Fate
10. Crucify The King
11. Sacrificial Kingdoms
12. Something Wicked (Part 3)
13. Divide Devour
14. Come What May
15. Epilogue

Digipak Single - "I Walk Among You"

01. I Walk Alone
02. Setian Massacre (re-recorded version of the "Framing Armageddon" track with Matt Barlow on vocals)
03. The Clouding (re-recorded version of the "Framing Armageddon" track with Matt Barlow on vocals)

Bonus CD (cardboard sleeve)

01. A Charge To Keep (re-recorded version of the "Framing Armageddon" track with Matt Barlow on vocals)
02. Dark Saga (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)
03. Iced Earth (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)
04. Pure Evil (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)

Plus:

* High-quality 12-page booklet with previously unseen photos and liner notes
* Full-color A1 poster

What the fuck? Why bother? The whole box thing was supposed to include Barlow on Framing and the extra tracks Schaffer wrote for continuity. What the hell is this?

 

[The Wicked One]

Jon himself has gone on the record to say that you don't need to buy it. It was simply SPV doing an old Century Media move.

 

[RedCriss]

Haha, I actually bought this a few weeks ago... I saw this box eventually at a record store and did not know if it contains "Framing Armageddon" re-recorded or not. However, as I did not have any of this 5 CDs yet I decided to buy it, especially as I could never even get both regular albums at that low price.

But trust me, if you have already the original albums - which I suppose you do - then you really will not need this!

To me, the best is still the "I Walk Among You" single. The songs on "Framing Armageddon" lack Matt Barlow, the songs on "The Crucible of Man" lack, well, quality.

I actually don't think that there will be another box set with the re-recorded album and some bonus tracks released some time - he won't get the money for it, no matter which record company they are signed with.

And I certainly HOPE it will never happen! Jon should move on and write some new material with better quality. I see no sense at all in re-working and re-recording any of this Something-Wicked-saga. He had the chance to do it right the first time, and he failed. I seriously doubt that the overall quality will move up noticeable, no matter what he would do. Sad, but true.

So I hope they will soon come up with somehting new!