The Bloodstock team are delighted to announce that US metal titans ICED EARTH have been added to the bill for Bloodstock Open Air 2008.
Formed in the early ‘80s as Purgatory by rhythm guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer, the band eventually became Iced Earth following Schaffer’s relocation from Indiana to Florida. Combining traditional heavy metal with elements of thrash and power metal, their first demo ‘Enter The Realm’ secured a deal with Century Media Records who issued the band’s self-titled debut album in 1991. Vocalist Gene Adam was replaced by John Greely for the follow-up ‘Night Of The Stormrider’ which emerged the following year, although Greely himself would soon make way for long-time frontman Matt Barlow who began his tenure with 1995’s ‘Burnt Offerings’, an album which saw Iced Earth take a huge leap forward and solidified their characteristic sound. The subsequent albums ‘The Dark Saga’ and breakthrough effort ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ established the band at the forefront of the scene just as metal began to assert its presence once more in the wake of the grunge boom. A live album ‘Alive In Athens’ heralded Barlow’s departure to be replaced by former Judas Priest vocalist Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens who had himself left Priest to make way for the return of Rob Halford. Owens debuted on 2004’s ‘The Glorious Burden’, laying down some of the best work of his career and also appeared on last year’s ‘Framing Armageddon’, a continuation of themes first explored on ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’.
Never one to fight shy of controversy, in December 2007 Schaffer announced the return of Matt Barlow, a move which proved popular with many fans who had never fully embraced the undeniably talented Owens. The band are currently working on a new album tentatively titled ‘Revelation Abomination’ and preparing for their first live shows of 2008.
Click Here to View the ICED EARTH Bloodstock bands profile page .
ICED EARTH – Burning Times - BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2008.
Regards
Bloodstock Team
