Iced Earth

About

Iced Earth built their reputation on a bruising blend of thrash, power metal, and traditional heavy metal, with guitarist Jon Schaffer the one constant across more than three decades and over thirty musicians cycling through the lineup. Their 1995 record Burnt Offerings is still considered their heaviest work, while The Dark Saga the following year showed a melodic side through a concept album inspired by the comic book character Spawn. The live album Alive in Athens became a touchstone for fans, largely thanks to vocalist Matt Barlow, whose voice could shift from fierce aggression to genuine melancholy. Barlow quit after Horror Show to join the police force, and his replacement Tim Ripper Owens brought Judas Priest credibility to the fold. Barlow eventually returned, then left again, before Stu Block stepped in and delivered Dystopia in 2011, which many critics ranked among the band's best. The band's story took a darker turn when Schaffer was arrested by the FBI for his role in the January 2021 Capitol attack, leading the rest of the lineup to depart and Century Media to drop them.