I got into Iced Earth in 2002 or so, after Horror Show's release; my first purchase was Alive In Athens and I went out over the next two weeks and bought everything I could get my hands on. I loved this band, pretty much the perfect band when I was in the mood for straight up, all out, heavy metal. I remember borrowing money until I got paid to buy Dark Genesis when it came out, and the only disappointment I had there was the covers CD, which was strangely flat and lifeless, but screw it, by then I'd heard Schaffer hated Century Media and that was likely to be a contract filler on the way out.
Iced Earth gets a deal on SPV, but then, horror of horrors, Matt Barlow leaves. This was, however, instantly overcome by the announcement that Ripper Owens had joined the band. I had a lot of problems with Judas Priest during Ripper's tenure, but none of them were with him; I thought he was awesome. The day The Glorious Burden came out I bought it, raced home to play it...and only just liked it. I wasn't crazy in love with it like I had been with every other Iced Earth CD.
Since the release of that CD, though, I've grown to feel, where Iced Earth is concerned, that I'm Charlie Brown, and Jon Schaffer is Lucy, holding the football that is a promised, awesome time for Iced Earth, only at the last second the damn football gets pulled away. Not an accurate comparison to the situation, but how I feel. The Something Wicked albums ranged from average to flat out dreadful (the concept was awesome for the original trilogy, but not worth a double album.) The band's line up changes became, frankly, almost hilarious. (The two jobs in music with the least job security? Bassist and lead guitarist of Iced Earth.) Ripper was dumped unceremoniously for Barlow, who just didn't have his heart in it anymore.
Which brings us to now. With Stu Block on board, this is, for me, the last chance for the band. I'm running at that football, and I hope to god I get to kick it into orbit. Because I really, REALLY liked Iced Earth for a couple of years there. I'd like that band back.