Iced Earth

Iced Earth were an American heavy/power metal band formed in 1985 in Tampa, Florida, initially as Purgatory. Rhythm guitarist and bandleader Jon Schaffer was the group's only constant member and creative center, writing nearly all the music and lyrics. The band's history is defined by a series of vocalists: Matt Barlow's deep baritone became the signature voice across Burnt Offerings (1995) through Horror Show (2001); Tim "Ripper" Owens fronted The Glorious Burden (2004) and Framing Armageddon (2007); Barlow returned for The Crucible of Man (2008); Stu Block held the role from 2011 to 2021. Schaffer's "Something Wicked" saga, introduced in 1998 and expanded into a two-part epic in 2007-2008, is the band's defining concept. The band effectively collapsed in 2021: Schaffer took part in the January 6, 2021 storming of the US Capitol and became the first defendant to plead guilty, sentenced in 2024 to probation. Century Media dropped the band and the remaining members resigned, leaving Iced Earth inactive since.