Jon Schaffer Reports From Road, Reveals Name of New Iced Earth Album

PurpleCrayonWriter

Just a Kid at Heart
This just in from Jon Schaffer:


Hello Gang!

Just a quick update for you from the road. We had a great weekend playing at Sweden Rock Friday and the Rock Hard festival in Germany on Saturday. The band’s having a lot of fun, and today we begin rehearsing the new songs for the forthcoming CD, titled Dystopia. We begin master tracking in Florida in 2 weeks and will be traveling between Europe and the US this summer to play festivals and finish the new album. I can honestly say that I haven’t had this many songs give me goose bumps since we recorded Something Wicked This Way Comes, way back in 1998, so this is also very exciting.

As you can imagine, it’s a very busy time for us. I think we’re all having emotional ups and downs as we’re coming to the end of an era with Matt’s retirement, and we’re also very excited about the future with Stu coming onboard, so it’s a little bit of a roller coaster ride for us. However, we are having a killer time, and Matt is performing at his absolute best and going out with pure class and style, which is always the way he rolls.

We also had a great time hanging out with the guys in Down last night at the Rock Hard festival. Freddie and my manager joined them onstage for a nice jam at the end of the show. It was brilliant and a lot of fun.

We’ll be keeping you posted on updates as things move along through the summer.

Best to you all!!

Jon
 
Im really looking forward to this album. I can understand the skepticism of fans but Stu is going to bring Iced Earth to the next level. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by this
 
You know, honestly. When the Stu announcement was first made I was kind of pissed, but for some reason I am looking forward to this now.
 
The title of the album obviously provides am indicator as to what some general themes might be, but somehow, I hope this isn't a full-on concept album. I liked the last two discs a lot, but I would like to see Schaffer perhaps focus solely on the songs, without having to worry about an overarching storyline and plot progression. Maybe the comparison to Something Wicked This Way Comes is a clue.
 
The title of the album obviously provides am indicator as to what some general themes might be, but somehow, I hope this isn't a full-on concept album. I liked the last two discs a lot, but I would like to see Schaffer perhaps focus solely on the songs, without having to worry about an overarching storyline and plot progression. Maybe the comparison to Something Wicked This Way Comes is a clue.

I seem to remember him saying this would NOT be a concept album.
 
I know this: lyrically, Sons of Liberty wasn't my thing, but musically, it's very much better than the last couple Iced Earth albums. All I want is for Iced Earth to pick up the pace. I want to thrash. I want to headbang. I don't need something to come in at 100 bpm and just lull me to sleep.
 
I know this: lyrically, Sons of Liberty wasn't my thing, but musically, it's very much better than the last couple Iced Earth albums. All I want is for Iced Earth to pick up the pace. I want to thrash. I want to headbang. I don't need something to come in at 100 bpm and just lull me to sleep.

This.I haven't loved an album by them the way I love Something Wicked(with Barlow) and everything before that.Horror Show had some songs that were cool IMO but I haven't gotten that "feeling" I had with the albums before it and certainly haven't since.Don't hate em,but just don't find that "thing" that hooked me like the other albums did.To be honest,with Barlow gone I don't know if it will ever be the same for me.I love Ripper and appreciate what he did with Iced Earth,but Barlow is one of my faves when it comes to vocalists so this new guy has some HUGE shoes to fill for fans like me.
 
Dystopia... a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

Why do I suspect we're going to get a spoonful of Jon's politics on this? I hope I'm wrong.
 
I'm looking VERY forward to this.. I didn't care for almost all of the Crucible of Man CD. I actually enjoyed the intro track most of all on that disc.

I think stu (granted on how much freedom[LOL] schaffer is giving him) will add some "freshness" to the new sound which I (hope) will be a little more aggressive like the days of the song violate or classic faster Iced Earth crazy riffing.

All or nothing for me on this new one.... can only help for the best!
 
Dystopia... a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

Why do I suspect we're going to get a spoonful of Jon's politics on this? I hope I'm wrong.

I don't necessarily think the album is going to be specifically about these things. After all, he presumably formed the Sons Of Liberty side project for a reason. That said, I don't recall that Schaffer has ever restrained himself in his lyrical content before for fear of offending anyone, so I see no reason to think he would start now.