Iced Earth

The whole album will probably have that sound considering We Are Sentinels is:
Matt Barlow: Vocals, Lyrics, Choirs
Jonah Weingarten: Keyboards, Piano, Percussion, Orchestration

The song is a bit on the boring side since Matt doesn't do much for powerful singing. Hopefully the rest of the album will have some of that.
 
The whole album will probably have that sound considering We Are Sentinels is:
Matt Barlow: Vocals, Lyrics, Choirs
Jonah Weingarten: Keyboards, Piano, Percussion, Orchestration

The song is a bit on the boring side since Matt doesn't do much for powerful singing. Hopefully the rest of the album will have some of that.

This is a bit bland ain't it??
 

Nothing too interesting in this one. Randall loves the first 3 albums and thinks Dark Saga is boring to play. He doesn't like the latter works and didn't even listen to them (he's more into thrash/speed metal than power metal with keyboards). Left the band because Spawn deal with Todd McFarlane fell through and he wasn't making any money from the band. Also because he had back problems. Said the band almost broke up between Night Of The Stormrider and Burnt Offerings because of record label problems. Schaffer almost left the music business to be a martial artist or something :p

Long haired host is kinda annoying though.
 

Larry liked Maiden covers the most from Tribute To The Gods. He left a bit before Barlow because Jon thought his heart wasn't into it anymore. Jim Morris had to teach him the solos because he never cared about learning solos before.

Check out 1:01:32 onwards :)

(The other dudes are still annoying <_<)
 
I saw Luke Appleton (bass player) doing an acoustic set on Saturday which included 'Melancholy' and 'Watching Over Me'. I asked him afterwards about Iced Earth's touring plans (specifically with regards to the UK) and he told me that as Jon is focusing on Demons & Wizards for the next year and a bit Iced Earth has been put on hold. This is frustrating news as I would like to see a full headline set with songs from 'Incorruptible'. Sad!
 
Wonder who is gonna complete the D&W lineup. They used Iced Earth drummers for the albums and live performances, Jon played bass in studio and Oliver Holzwarth from Blind Guardian live, Jim Morris played lead guitar in studio and some other guy played it live.

I think Brent Smedley will play drums, someone said it on FB.
 
Demons and Wizards will be playing at ProgPower USA in Atlanta next September. I reckon they probably won't do a UK show so I'd have to travel to see them and there's a few other good/decent bands on this line-up (Threshold, Evergrey, MaYaN, Orden Ogan, Pretty Maids) plus I have a friend who is expecting to be living in Atlanta next year so I am considering potentially in theory going to this. Have any of you lot been to a PowerProg before and are any of the North Americans interested in this?
 
Have any of you lot been to a PowerProg before and are any of the North Americans interested in this?
Never been to ProgPower before, but that's something I'd definitely be interested in going to. In addition to D&W, I quite like Seventh Wonder and Threshold.
 
That's such a North American way of putting it. Driving for that long is horrifying for British people. :lol:
If you drive 11 hours from almost anywhere in the UK, you are somewhere in the water on the other side of the UK.

Also, the UK doesn't have the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.
 
Jon Schaffer’s PURGATORY (pre- ICED EARTH) to release five-track EP in December, first song launched today

Century Media Records is proud to announce a very special release: ICED EARTH’s mastermind Jon Schaffer has teamed up with his old pals in PURGATORY, the band that he originally founded in 1985, then later became ICED EARTH, to record five tracks that were written between 1985 and 1987, now to be released as the “Purgatory” EP on December 21st as limited Digipak CD, limited LP (with 180 gram vinyl, 4-page inlay and etching) and digitally. Produced and mixed by Jon Schaffer and Jim Morris and mastered by Zeuss this very fine release showcases the foundation of the invincible metal monster known as ICED EARTH. All five tracks featured on the EP offer real US metal and perfectly capture the spirit of the mid 1980’s with a powerful production, rounded up by liner notes or comments of Jon Schaffer, Gene Adam, Greg Seymour and Bill Owen and a fitting cover artwork by David Newman Stump and Roy Young, known from their excellent work on ICED EARTH’s latest album “Incorruptible”. The greatest surprise might be Gene Adam, ICED EARTH’s original singer who sang on the band’s self-titled debut album from 1990, who delivers his best vocal performance ever. The song “Dracula” can be checked out as of now. Enjoy!


Jon Schaffer’s PURGATORY is for all ICED EARTH maniacs out there, for all fans of real US metal in the vein of Omen, Liege Lord or Savage Grace, and for all metal fans in general – young and old.

“Purgatory” is dedicated to Richard Bateman, the band’s original bass player, who passed away right before the EP went into production. Rest in peace, Richard.

The “Purgatory” EP can be pre-ordered here: https://jonschafferspurgatory.lnk.to/PurgatoryEP

“Purgatory” tracklist:

1. In Your Dreams (4:55)
2. Dracula (6:08)
3. In Jason’s Mind (5:03)
4. Jack (4:00)
5. Burning Oasis (5:38)

Jon Schaffer’s PURGATORY is:

Jon Schaffer – Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Vocals
Gene Adam – Lead Vocals
Bill Owen - Lead Guitar

Guest appearances by:
Jim Morris – Lead Guitar
Ruben Drake – Bass Guitar
Mark Prator – Drums
 
Major like.

Very interesting. Now all people Schaffer worked with in the 80s (and 90s) with Purgatory/Iced Earth have a playing credit on an official release.
Apart from the recently deceased bass player Richard Bateman. Would have been great if he would be on it as well, but he was probably not able.
I am wondering why Greg Seymour (Purgatory's drummer) is not playing on it. He contributed to the liner notes, so I'm expecting some sort of explanation.
It is a bit odd. Usually, either a(n old) band member is wanted and able to play, either not wanted or not able to play (and not connected to a release), but in this case we have a friendship with someone who still has an active contribution to the product (liner notes), but without playing on it.

I like the song! It has some motives that were used on later Iced Earth material*, but I can understand that later IE reused some parts from previously unreleased songs. I like this style and it's cool that people from the first hour can finally be heard as well. They take part in the legacy, so to speak.

*as someone pointed out on YouTube:
The part from 3:12 to 4:09 is the same as of "Iced Earth - Diary" from 4:12 to 5:00.
 
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I wrote earlier about Pod Cast In Stone, those guys interviewed Bill, Gene and Jon separately and apparently this prompted them to get together to hang out and that's how this came out. And yeah, some parts of the songs are similar because they reused them later. But this still is a cool little thing to do. And the cover is great. Maybe Greg Seymour gave up on drumming, who knows.

Gene Adam sounds better now than he did on the debut. Finally learned how to scream properly, it seems :D
 
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