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

[glaurung]

After meeting Matt in September, his dismissive attitude told me two things: mother-fucker was tired...and that he wasn't nearly "into" it as much as we were lead to believe. Dumping Tim was huge mistake. This pretty much proves how big of a nose-dive the band has taken.



That being said, I know Freddie the bassist and am attempting to get an audition

You know Tim, right? Has he mention what he thinks about this yet?

[MykeHavoc]

His only response: "Good for Matt"

[Perpetual Change]

Tim is awesome. Iced Earth should have never let him go, but he's much better on his own.

[CountVoorhees]

Myke, that would be totally awesome if you get it, good luck on getting an audition, man.

[MykeHavoc]

Tim is awesome. Iced Earth should have never let him go, but he's much better on his own.

Totally agreed.

Myke, that would be totally awesome if you get it, good luck on getting an audition, man.

Thanks dude! I ain't getting my hopes up, but ya never know!

[The Dark Master]

When I heard that Barlow would be back in IE in 2007, I was very pleased, as the band didn't quite sound right without him.  But after hearing the 2nd Something Wicked album, I realized it wasn't him.  It didn't help that their initial performances with him live pretty much sucked.  Although I've heard a bootleg since then that was somewhat better, it is clear that his heart really isn't in the band, and that they'd be better off going with someone who is into a full time touring schedule.  Unfortunately, they seem to have burned their bridges with Tim Owens, so it's unlikely we'll see him return.  Hell given the fact that musicians in IE have rotated all the time, I wouldn't be surprised to see Portnoy chuck the drums and become their new lead vocalist

In any case, I'm guessing this will be pretty much the last gasp for the band.  After all, Shaffer's best riffs from the last decade were in the Demons and Wizards project anyway.   I can't see how they really survive yet another lead singer change.  

From a totally objective point of view, I think Tim is a much better singer then Matt.  With that said, however, it always sucks when a band loses the singer who's voice has become synonymous with the sound of that particular band, so losing Matt in the first place was a total tragedy.  In my opinion, hiring Ripper as a replacement was basically making the best out of a bad situation.  Ripper is such a phenomenal talent, and Glorious Burden, despite some weak spots, gave him ample opportunity to shine.  Seeing Iced Earth on that tour was my favorite memory of that band live.  Ripper was on fire that night, and the band seemed refreshed with a new sense of purpose.  For a brief while, I allowed myself to believe that the Ripper-lead IE could actually have bright new future ahead of them.   Then came Framing Armageddon.  While there were a few great songs on that album, much of it was totally unmemorable, and after about a week, I stopped listening to it entirely, and it occurred to me that the odds of them continuing with Ripper were pretty slim  (Fuckin deja vu for the poor guy after what happened with his stint in Priest; a great first impression followed by a lackluster followup).  I was probably the only metalhead I knew who wasn't wetting my pants when I heard Matt was returning, partially because I thought Ripper deserved better, but also because I was afraid that such a reunion would be forced by commercial considerations rather then a genuine renewal of commitment to the band.  When I heard Crucible, my heart sank, and I knew that it was basically over for the band.  All the signs are there:  a revolving door of musicians; a half-assed reunion with a half-assed studio album; a side project that is taking up more and more of the band's musical mastermind's time, attention, passion and creativity.  And now this.  *Sigh*  I'm sorry, I really am.  Iced Earth is such a great band, and one of the last bastions of pure, unadulterated old school metal free of sub-genre tags (something that is all to rare in modern metal).  I was hoping that they would continue rocking until they were too old to get up on stage.  Sad to see a band of their caliber go out this way.

Oh well, had to end sometime I guess.  Still have tons of great memories and music.  Iced Earth FOREVER!!!  

[Perpetual Change]

Iced Earth haven't really been "pure metal free of genre tags" since Something Wicked.

[Zook]

I think Jon will be ok and this wont be the end of Iced Earth. The band has survived this long, and CoM wasn't a total loss. Every Iced Earth album has something to offer, and as long as he stops with the whole political nonsense, he'll be ok. I hope to Carl Sagan that he doesn't pick that ex-turd from DragonFarce though.

[jjrock88]

Well said Dark Master

[CrimsonE]

The thing that really baffled me is why they didn't fully take advantage of Ripper's vocal range when they did have him.  The material from the first two albums was far more suited to his vocals than the Barlow material, and yet they only did a few of those songs live:  Iced Earth, Pure Evil, Angel's Holocaust.   I would loved to have seen Ripper tackle Travel in Stygian or Curse the Sky or even When the Night Comes Down.  Instead, he does a lot of the Barlow material, and does a passable job, but rarely more than that (with the exception of perhaps The Coming Curse and Dracula, where the screams exceed what Barlow could have done). 

[The Dark Master]

Iced Earth haven't really been "pure metal free of genre tags" since Something Wicked.

They are about as close to pure metal as you can get these days.  I don't really consider Iced Earth to be power or thrash metal or anything else people attempt to classify them as.  In this day and age, every band needs a sub-genre tag, apparently.    I have even heard Judas Priest classified as power or speed metal by younger metal fans!  WTF?!  Granted, certain Priest albums/songs contributed to the creation of those sub-genres, but by no means does that make Priest anything but traditional metal.

I think Jon will be ok and this wont be the end of Iced Earth. The band has survived this long, and CoM wasn't a total loss. Every Iced Earth album has something to offer, and as long as he stops with the whole political nonsense, he'll be ok. I hope to Carl Sagan that he doesn't pick that ex-turd from DragonFarce though.

Yeah, Jon will be fine.  I guess since he basically is the band, he could just release whatever the hell he wanted to with whoever the hell he wanted to play with as Iced Earth.  Weather the fans would accept it as Iced Earth is another thing entirely.  Mustaine can get away with that sort of shenanigans in Megadeth because he is the singer as well as one of the guitarists; that won't fly with Iced Earth because Schaffer is not the singer and the Ripper/Barlow divide demonstrated just how much a change in vox can effect the sound of a band and the whole idea of what constitutes a "band".

And yeah, IE doesn't have any "bad" albums.  Granted, the last two albums didn't have a lot of songs I will be dying to hear at the next IE concert I attend, but they did have a few memorable compositions.  Glorious Burden had some stinkers on the first disc, but it had some awesome numbers, too, and the Gettysburg suite, to this day, remains my favorite thing IE has ever done, even if the GB album as a whole is far from their best.  But pretty much everything from Burnt Offerings to Horror Show is gold.  

As for the singer position, I would much rather have Portnoy front IE then that pussy from Dragonforce

FOR EVERY WORD YOU SAY TO ME, IN EVERY WAY, YOU ARE A SINNER! HRRRRAAAAAHHHH!!! INVENTORY!!!!

[CountVoorhees]

[MykeHavoc]

The thing that really baffled me is why they didn't fully take advantage of Ripper's vocal range when they did have him.  The material from the first two albums was far more suited to his vocals than the Barlow material, and yet they only did a few of those songs live:  Iced Earth, Pure Evil, Angel's Holocaust.   I would loved to have seen Ripper tackle Travel in Stygian or Curse the Sky or even When the Night Comes Down.  Instead, he does a lot of the Barlow material, and does a passable job, but rarely more than that (with the exception of perhaps The Coming Curse and Dracula, where the screams exceed what Barlow could have done). 

Well live, with such a revolving cast of musicians, its tough to get everyone in sync on such rhythmically based stuff that's all about keeping that staccato in check. So they tend to recycle the majority of a set-list each tour, which is sad. And they always tend to shoot for songs that were more anthemic and suited for a live atmosphere. That being said, on the albums he did, they definitely utilized his skills and range.

Also it's "When the Night Falls"

[Zook]

WHEEEEEN THEEE NIIIIIIGHT COMES DOWN! WHEEEEN THEEE MOOOON IIIIS FILLED UP!

[CrimsonE]

Sorry about getting the songs mixed up.  I must have been thinking of the Judas Priest song "Night Comes Down," which is BTW a truly underrated gem from their catalog. 

[Zook]

NO EXCUSE! So for the past forever (since I've been an Iced Earth fan, 2004) I've been looking for Dark Genesis, whether it be at Best Buy or Zia, my local CD store. I knew it's been out of print for a long time, but I'd look anyway with no luck. Finally I found a somwhat cheap copy on Ebay and the search was over. Fast forward over a year later to last night. I went to Zia to get some movies, and as I'm making my usual rounds through the metal section, what do I see? DARK FUCKING GENESIS!!! Needless to say I was a little frustated... Would it have been there had I not bought a copy on Ebay? Who knows, but surely I would have shit my pants though.

[MykeHavoc]

I saw no need. I bought the individual re-released albums and then got a copy of the demo from a friend.

[Zook]

I collect everything Iced Earth, so I have multiple copies of their albums. I did recently get rid of the Alive in Athens DVD which was hard, but Jon didn't endorse it, plus it was very sloppily put together. The only Century Media cash grab I have is The Blessed and The Damned. The song selection isn't too bad and I like the liner notes, even if there is a few typos.

[Adami]

I collect everything Iced Earth, so I have multiple copies of their albums. I did recently get rid of the Alive in Athens DVD which was hard, but Jon didn't endorse it, plus it was very sloppily put together. The only Century Media cash grab I have is The Blessed and The Damned. The song selection isn't too bad and I like the liner notes, even if there is a few typos.

Really? I'm holding on to my AIA, but then again I don't know it just feels weird to get rid of, even if Jon didn't endorse it.


But I'm really looking forward to their new DVD. Any updates on that? Or still just sometime soon?

[Zook]

Yeah no release date yet. According to the site, it's in the final stages of editing. And I debated for a long time whether to get rid of the AIA DVD, and finally I just said fuck it. I still have the Gettysburg DVD. That one is disappointing too, but it isn't completely useless. I just can't enjoy a concert when there is audio pasted on to totally different video a lot of the times. Plus, my favorite song of the whole show isn't even on there. So that DVD will be lumped with Slave To The Dark and SPV's Box of the Wicked. Of course, when I'm rich I'll buy all those just for the hell of it.

[wolfking]

I never forked out and got Gettysburg DVD, even though I loved the trilogy.  Maybe a live performance or something would have made it worth my while.  It just seems like a waste, especially for the prices I've seen it.

[Zook]

Well honestly, I never made it through the whole video. I love the Trilogy, but a half hour After Effects project is just boring. As cheesy as it might be, I'd rather the video be footage from the Gettysburg movie or something.

[glaurung]

I never forked out and got Gettysburg DVD, even though I loved the trilogy.  Maybe a live performance or something would have made it worth my while.  It just seems like a waste, especially for the prices I've seen it.

You didn't miss out. It really wasn't all that great.

[wolfking]

Yeah, thought so.  I really don't know what Jon was thinking releasing that.  I have never seen a copy under $35!!

[Zook]

$35? I think I payed $17 or so when it came out.

[wolfking]

This is in store.  Never bothered looking online.  I think I remember seeing it in store once for $43.  I picked it up and 

[aurorablind]

Taken from www.icedearth.com:

"
ICED EARTH LEADER CHOOSES NEW VOCALIST, ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN LEG OF MASSIVE WORLD TOUR
 
In the wake of vocalist Matt Barlow’s retirement, dozens of demos and resumes flooded Iced Earth’s management team. But one name kept popping up – Into Eternity vocalist Stu Block, who has been named the new lead singer for Iced Earth.


According to Schaffer, Robert Kampf, CEO of Century Media, early on suggested Block, whose band Into Eternity was previously on the CM label. That reminded Schaffer of one night in September, 2008, when Into Eternity opened for Iced Earth.

“Iced Earth was backstage waiting to go on,” said Schaffer. “We heard one of Stu’s incredible wails. I remember turning to Matt and saying, ‘Damn, that dude has serious range.’”

So while Iced Earth’s management team sifted through the growing number of prospective vocalists, Schaffer got in touch with Block.

After several phone conversations with the then-prospective Iced Earth vocalist, Schaffer asked his manager to e-mail Block several key Iced Earth songs, with the vocals stripped. Block went into his studio and recorded himself singing, then sent the files back to the team.

The result landed Block an intense two days at Schaffer’s studio where the two musicians hit it off.

“I felt a lot of chemistry between us, we knocked out a couple of great original pieces of music in no time” said Schaffer. “He’s very good at coming up with catchy melodies, and will help with lyrical duties as well. There’s no doubt Stu has an amazing vocal range and a lot of energy, but he also has the touring experience, which is a big plus for our plans of performing in all corners of the world.”

In addition, Schaffer said Block has what Iced Earth needs in a front man: “stage presence that includes high energy, passion, and focused rage.”

“Stu is charismatic and understands the depth and varying emotions in Iced Earth’s music,” said Schaffer. “So he will embody not only the emotion of our songs, but he will be able to perform them in a dynamic way. I believe fans are in for some incredible records and live shows in the coming years.”

New Iced Earth vocalist Stu Block concurs: “Iced Earth fans are wonderful, wonderful people,” he said. “The music is so passionate. So they’re passionate, and very loyal to the band. I am, too. I’m a huge fan of Iced Earth myself. So I share that same passion, and I will show it on stage. I think the fans are really going to dig it.”

Block continues: “It’s a huge honor to be doing this, to be part of this team,” he said. “It’s a dream come true, for sure.”

Schaffer is totally stoked. “This is a new beginning,” he said. “It’s game-on time. Iced Earth is going to record and tour like it never has before. The band is really amped-up and ready to hit the ground running in November.”


And to prove it, Iced Earth has released the European leg of a world tour that will take the band to countries it has never previously played. All told, the 2011-2012 Iced Earth world tour will be the largest the band has undertaken since its inception.
"

[Adami]

Good choice, the man has a psychotic voice. I was actually talking to Stu about singing on one of my CD's but eventually he vanished, oh well.

[MetalMike06]

I didn't even know Barlow had left (again). Stu's great, but Barlow is the only one that fits IE IMHO.

[Adami]

I wonder if IE (who oddly enough have the same initials as Into Eternity) will start using screaming now that Stu's in the band.

[Zook]

Interesting. I haven't really ever listened to Into Eternity, but a song I did hear by them a long time ago I didn't care for because of the vocals Um, so did that band break up or something, and should I give them a chance? I guess I'm gonna have seeing as their singer is now fronting Iced fucking Earth. ... Very interesting.

[glaurung]

I wonder if IE (who oddly enough have the same initials as Into Eternity) will start using screaming now that Stu's in the band.

I hope not...

[Adami]

Interesting. I haven't really ever listened to Into Eternity, but a song I did hear by them a long time ago I didn't care for because of the vocals Um, so did that band break up or something, and should I give them a chance? I guess I'm gonna have seeing as their singer is now fronting Iced fucking Earth. ... Very interesting.

He has a very very different voice than Matt, but can screech higher than probably tim. But I don't know what song you've heard, since Into Eternity has had at least 2 different singers, but here's an example of his range, (like I said, very different than matt).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nQ4ZR-NI6A

[Zook]

Well I can't view the link 'til Thursday night cause that's when I get internet, but as far as the song I heard, I just remember the guy singing in many different styles and the song changing up alot. Is Stu the old singer of Into Eternity?

[Adami]

Well I can't view the link 'til Thursday night cause that's when I get internet, but as far as the song I heard, I just remember the guy singing in many different styles and the song changing up alot. Is Stu the old singer of Into Eternity?

No he's only been on the last 2 albums I think, unless they came out with another one.