The Official Iced Earth Thread v. "Tastes Like Treason!"

[wolfking]

Plus their first live album is among the best live metal albums.

Alive In Athens is the Frampton Comes Alive of metal. You really don't need anything else by them.

That's not true. They have many excellent songs post-AiA.

Also, there's no way Kowtow has never heard of this band. Maybe never heard them, but he must have seen the name several times while browsing this forum over the years.

You both kind of have a point really.  AIA is indeed the platnium, but Horrow Show, TGB and even FA are terrific albums.

[Zook]

[TAC]

 

[gazinwales]

I've always thought IE as second tier band, they have never done anything for me at all.
A friend bought me 'Athens' and that is pretty good, but everything else has always left feeling that they are average.

[wolfking]

 

[SoundscapeMN]

I'm hardly much of a fan, but I've known about them and Schaffer through others for years.

You see him speak in this video from a few years ago, and it's strange to fathom he'd be involved
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMJfsgrWQto

[Grappler]

I don't think I've ever seen this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW00Vfl3cFI

Jon talking about a rigged and stolen election in 2016 and some thoughts on Trump back then.  He must be all-in on Trump, though he did endorse a Libertarian for Indiana's governor.  He also talks about being a freedom guy and generally agreeing about citizens rising up. 

This whole thing just makes my head spin trying to understand it.  I still feel like a lot of this is his reaction to the pandemic shutdowns and finally having a chance to say "enough is enough", though I do now understand that he may truly believe that this election was rigged, based on this video.

[Ben_Jamin]

All I see from this is. Social Media has given us access to an even deeper window into a musicians personal life. That when they act like a normal human being with faults and a mind of their own, it can easily be known. Obviously, as shown, Shaffer is a person who will speak his mind, and say whatever he wants to say regardless.

What is more revealing is, he felt more passionate about this, and took this to heart, more than making music itself. He felt, that this was what was right. As did many of those people did.

Very, very, unfortunate for fans of his music.

[SleeperAwake]

Jon has always been a bit... out there, but now he's apparently gone off the deep end.

"People die all the time"?  WTF Jon?

WTF indeed.

[SoundscapeMN]

Schaffer was not the only musician there yesterday.
https://twitter.com/i/events/1347266135264137217

Musician Ariel Pink says he went to Wednesday's Trump rally on the White House lawn, but says he wasn't part of the mob.

[gazinwales]

JS pic has made our main evening news bulletin in Australia, I wonder how long before he is arrested?

[Mister Gold]

JS pic has made our main evening news bulletin in Australia, I wonder how long before he is arrested?

I'm wondering how long it'll be before we hear anything from the other band members aside from Stu.

[Grappler]

Transcript of a video interview from November 2020 during a different march in Washington.  This is not going to help him once the FBI catches up to him:





Actual video interview:  https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/video223960882/Metal-Musiker-Jon-Schaffer-Die-kruden-Verschwoerungstheorien-der-Trump-Fans.html

 

[Elite]

Wow, he's actually insane.

[ErHaO]

Yeah, that is real bad. Many of these militia-esque people were going there with aim. I see way too many people on the internet handhaving this away as just some angry protestors. Read the shit they are saying. They have shown it isn't just words anymore. Thankfully, all the leaders were gone and returned to do their duty to their country.

Also, he is on the fbi's wanted site. I checked and he is indeed on their list.

[jjrock88]

Considering that Matt is a police officer, I wonder if he will comment on this or if his relationship with Jon will be damaged. 

[Elite]

Yeah, that is real bad. Many of these militia-esque people were going there with aim. I see way too many people on the internet handhaving this away as just some angry protestors. Read the shit they are saying. They have shown it isn't just words anymore. Thankfully, all the leaders were gone and returned to do their duty to their country.

Also, he is on the fbi's wanted site. I checked and he is indeed on their list.

Considering his name is already all over the news, I guess they'll have him arrested soon.

[Grappler]

Considering that Matt is a police officer, I wonder if he will comment on this or if his relationship with Jon will be damaged.

I'm not expecting him to comment at all.  He's married to one of Jon's family members, so they literally are brothers.  I think he'll just stay silent about it and support Jon however he can. 

[jjrock88]

Considering that Matt is a police officer, I wonder if he will comment on this or if his relationship with Jon will be damaged.

I'm not expecting him to comment at all.  He's married to one of Jon's family members, so they literally are brothers.  I think he'll just stay silent about it and support Jon however he can.

Yeah thats what I'm thinking will happen.  Best to remain silent on this one.

[Stadler]

What is more revealing is, he felt more passionate about this, and took this to heart, more than making music itself. He felt, that this was what was right. As did many of those people did.

For all the nonsense, for all the lying, for all the misinformation, for all the delusion, this sentence - and the spirit behind it - always sticks with me.  To be that passionate about something speaks, even if I don't always know what it says. 

[Madman Shepherd]

Considering that Matt is a police officer, I wonder if he will comment on this or if his relationship with Jon will be damaged.

I'm not expecting him to comment at all.  He's married to one of Jon's family members, so they literally are brothers.  I think he'll just stay silent about it and support Jon however he can.

Except Jon passively called for violence. In other words he said, "Hey if you guys are violent then we'll be violent right back." Gee, who do you think he's going to be fighting? The very people he pretends to care about, namely the police. If my brother in law called for violence against people in my occupation, and one of them ended up dying, I would like to think I would cut ties with him.

[jjrock88]

I feel bad for the police officers in the US........day in and day out they are overwhelmed beyond belief.

[WilliamMunny]

Even if Jon is completely 'right,' he is, and has been going about it the completely wrong way.

Giving incendiary interviews and marching alongside a bunch of GIJoe wanna-be's is hardly the most the effective way to inspire change.

Honestly, when he had his 're-awakening' ten years ago, a more effective path might've been to, dare I say, run for office (a la Jessy 'the Body').

[Ben_Jamin]

Considering that Matt is a police officer, I wonder if he will comment on this or if his relationship with Jon will be damaged.

I'm not expecting him to comment at all.  He's married to one of Jon's family members, so they literally are brothers.  I think he'll just stay silent about it and support Jon however he can.

Except Jon passively called for violence. In other words he said, "Hey if you guys are violent then we'll be violent right back." Gee, who do you think he's going to be fighting? The very people he pretends to care about, namely the police. If my brother in law called for violence against people in my occupation, and one of them ended up dying, I would like to think I would cut ties with him.

You are assuming, Jon is against any and all cops, as long as they are cops.

What if, Jon knows that there are good people that are cops, and that they are doing the best they can do. What if, Stu, understands that there are bad people that are cops, and he can't say much at all or else he risks his job, and income, that bad cop could be his higher authority he answer to. If someone enjoys what they do and are passionate about it, they will do stuff in order to keep from losing it.

Even if Jon is completely 'right,' he is, and has been going about it the completely wrong way.

Giving incendiary interviews and marching alongside a bunch of GIJoe wanna-be's is hardly the most the effective way to inspire change.

Honestly, when he had his 're-awakening' ten years ago, a more effective path might've been to, dare I say, run for office (a la Jessy 'the Body').

Again, he felt passionately about his belief that this is the only way that "the change" can start to be put into action.

Funny thing about groups, is if you were to really talk to each individual, you will find something that they all do not agree with, and due to passion of belief, they will end up fighting each other over that one difference that no one knew about, until someone asked them all how they feel about something. It's a way to infiltrate the group and let it destroy itself from within. I bet you anything, if you were to do that on both sides, these extremist people will then start to turn on each other.

I am not a psychologist, but I do find human psychology fascinating enough to notice certain qualities all humans are capable of being.

[splent]

Heard of them, never listened to them, and never will now. He’s a piece of shit

[Grappler]

Honestly, when he had his 're-awakening' ten years ago, a more effective path might've been to, dare I say, run for office (a la Jessy 'the Body').

He always said that he's a rabblerouser and not a politician and using music was a more effective way of getting his message out.

I really think he felt that the pandemic shutdowns equated to tyranny, and he was ready to charge into battle to fight it.  It saddens me to know how deeply he got sucked into this way of thinking.

[Zook]

I forgot that he had masks for sale back in March. He's anti mask, but was selling IE themed masks. What a guy.

[MirrorMask]

I wonder how much chit chat he did with other people before the assault. Can you imagine him casually describing the story behind the Something Wicked saga and stopping midway because wait, there's an opening, it's time to storm the Capitol? 

[Grappler]

I forgot that he had masks for sale back in March. He's anti mask, but was selling IE themed masks. What a guy.

Always a capitalist.  The more I think about this situation, the angrier I get at the kickstarter campaigns.  Both have been significantly delayed, the book he explained was due to the size - it grew by 100 pages by the time it was done.  The CD, Matt was signing them as of the last update.

Now, who knows where they stand.  I'm out $100 and waiting for products, while he was probably screwing around on Parler and traveling to DC, and now either in hiding or in jail.  He raked in $178,000 from those campaigns and all of his fans are stuck waiting, yet again.

[Zook]

I wonder how much chit chat he did with other people before the assault. Can you imagine him casually describing the story behind the Something Wicked saga and stopping midway because wait, there's an opening, it's time to storm the Capitol? 

While singing the Stormrider chorus over and over.

I bet he was having a killer time.

[Stadler]

Considering that Matt is a police officer, I wonder if he will comment on this or if his relationship with Jon will be damaged.

I'm not expecting him to comment at all.  He's married to one of Jon's family members, so they literally are brothers.  I think he'll just stay silent about it and support Jon however he can.

Except Jon passively called for violence. In other words he said, "Hey if you guys are violent then we'll be violent right back." Gee, who do you think he's going to be fighting? The very people he pretends to care about, namely the police. If my brother in law called for violence against people in my occupation, and one of them ended up dying, I would like to think I would cut ties with him.

You are assuming, Jon is against any and all cops, as long as they are cops.

What if, Jon knows that there are good people that are cops, and that they are doing the best they can do. What if, Stu, understands that there are bad people that are cops, and he can't say much at all or else he risks his job, and income, that bad cop could be his higher authority he answer to. If someone enjoys what they do and are passionate about it, they will do stuff in order to keep from losing it.

Even if Jon is completely 'right,' he is, and has been going about it the completely wrong way.

Giving incendiary interviews and marching alongside a bunch of GIJoe wanna-be's is hardly the most the effective way to inspire change.

Honestly, when he had his 're-awakening' ten years ago, a more effective path might've been to, dare I say, run for office (a la Jessy 'the Body').

Again, he felt passionately about his belief that this is the only way that "the change" can start to be put into action.

Funny thing about groups, is if you were to really talk to each individual, you will find something that they all do not agree with, and due to passion of belief, they will end up fighting each other over that one difference that no one knew about, until someone asked them all how they feel about something. It's a way to infiltrate the group and let it destroy itself from within. I bet you anything, if you were to do that on both sides, these extremist people will then start to turn on each other.

I am not a psychologist, but I do find human psychology fascinating enough to notice certain qualities all humans are capable of being.

Famously, Bono took a picture shaking hands with George W. Bush, embracing the idea that even if I disagree with him, maybe we can talk and find common ground.

The Edge was PISSED.  Seriously.

[ProfessorPeart]

https://www.metalsucks.net/2021/01/09/iced-earth-members-release-statement-regarding-jon-schaffers-involvement-in-capitol-mob/

The four members of Iced Earth who are not Jon Schaffer — vocalist Stu Block, guitarist Jake Dreyer, bassist Luke Appleton, and Brent Smedley — have released a statement which is, in essence, a response to Schaffer’s participation in the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol on Wednesday (Schaffer is never specifically named in the statement). You can read it below.

We want to thank those of you who have sent words of support in recent days. Some of you have been concerned by our silence, which we understand. We needed some time to properly process the information and find out some facts before we made a statement.

“First and foremost we absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions.

“With broken hearts we are sending our love and compassion to everyone who has felt pain from the events on January 6th. We are deeply saddened and our hearts go out to the families of the lives lost that day. There are really no proper words to console. Just know we are with you in your shock, grief and pain. Much love to you all.

[MirrorMask]

Just a polite way of saying "Yeah, we know, he's a dick, but.... what do you want us to say? it's not that we egged him to do it or something" (but they say they hope everyone involved is brought to justice).

I don't really envy their position right now, it's like asking to family members what they feel about their relatives involved in the insurrection... I'll just give them a pass on this one.

EDIT: I've just seen the video where he identifies himself and I learnt that I've always pronounced his surname wrong. And so every other people I know in real life and had the occasion to speak his surname while talking 

[Grappler]

That's about all they can say without completely breaking from Jon.  We're all in the same boat, waiting to see if/when he gets arrested and what the charges and eventual sentence will be.  I have a feeling that the current band isn't going to be able survive this and Jon will eventually be all that's left of Iced Earth at some point.

[Zook]

That's about all they can say without completely breaking from Jon.  We're all in the same boat, waiting to see if/when he gets arrested and what the charges and eventual sentence will be.  I have a feeling that the current band isn't going to be able survive this and Jon will eventually be all that's left of Iced Earth at some point.

I think he just informally retired Iced Earth. Although he seems to be getting some support on Facebook, I'm not sure the majority of the fanbase feel that way, and his Kickstarter projects are going to take a hit. No action figures, comics, and I'm sure we won't be getting another Barlow colab.

I'm bummed we'll likely never get the new remixes of NOTS and BO, but remixing the original BO won't help it. He'd have to remix the other remix.