Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth, has posted the following message concerning the band's new albums on the message boards of the bands official site:

"I just wanted to give you an update of what's happening in Iced Earth world."

"We just finished mixing and mastering the single which will be titled "Overture of the Wicked" and should be released in late May or early June. The 4 songs that will be featured on this are as follows:

1.) Ten Thousand Strong
2.) Prophecy
3.) Birth of the Wicked
4.) The Coming Curse

"Ten Thousand Strong will be the song that we will be filming a video for in the following months, most likely in June right around the Sweden Rock festival."

"I'm very happy with the results of our efforts, we've been really working hard on delivering something special to you guys and this single is just a hint of things to come, and it's freakin' awesome."

"We will be finishing the rest of production for Part 1 over the course of the next few weeks, with plans to mix in the early part of May.
The title of the full release is "Framing Armageddon" (Something Wicked Part 1) and should be out in the late August/September time frame."

The "Framing Armageddon" tracklist will appear as follows:

1.) Overture
2.) Something Wicked (Part 1)
3.) Invasion
4.) Man's Motivation
5.) The Setian Massacre
6.) A Charge to Keep
7.) Reflections
8.) Ten Thousand Strong
9.) Execution
10.) Order of the Rose
11.) The Clouding
12.) Infiltrate and Assimilate
13.) Retribution Through the Ages
14.) Something Wicked (Part 2)
15.) The Domino Decree
16.) Framing Armageddon
17.) When Stars Collide (Born is He)
18.) The Awakening

The working title of Part 2 is "Revelation Abomination" Something Wicked (Part 2) and the tracklist is as follows:

1.) The Sacred Flames
2.) Behold the Wicked Child
3.) Minions of the Watch
4.) A Gift or a Curse
5.) I Walk Among You
5.) Harbinger of Fate
6.) Ancient Rage of the High Priest
7.) A Gathering Threat / Time Marches On
8.) Sacrificial Kingdoms
9.) Something Wicked (Part 3)
10.) Divide Devour
11.) Conspiracy / Pilgrimage In Guile
12.) Come What May

"The final tracking and mixing for Part 2 will take place between the festivals and world tour and will have a targeted release in February/March of 2008."

"Due to family health issues Bo Wallace will not be able to be involved with Iced Earth. I played the bass guitar parts on the single and we will be bringing Dennis Hayes, who worked with Tim on his "Beyond Fear" side project, in to play on parts of the remainder of the recording. He will be doing the live shows as well."

Read more ››

Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

Dates of Cursed Earth Tour 2007 were added on The Haunted's official web site.

Cursed Earth Tour 2007 - PART 1: The Haunted, Municipal Waste + Wolf

April 25, 2007 - Tilburg (NL) 013
April 26, 2007 - Deventer (NL) Burgerweeshuis
April 27, 2007 - Groningen (NL) Vera
April 28, 2007 - Leeds (UK) Cockpit
April 29, 2007 - Norwich (UK) Waterfront
April 30, 2007 - Newcastle (UK) Academy
May 01, 2007 - Glasgow (UK) Cathouse
May 02, 2007 - Dublin (IRE) Voodoo Lounge
May 03, 2007 - Liverpool (UK) Academy 2
May 04, 2007 - Birmingham (UK) Academy 2
May 05, 2007 - London (UK) Mean Fiddler
May 06, 2007 - Bristol (UK) Academy 2
May 07, 2007 - Oxford (UK) Zodiac

Cursed Earth Tour 2007 - PART 2: The Haunted, Municipal Waste + Lyzanxia

May 08, 2007 - Vosselaar (B) Biebob
May 09, 2007 - Rennes (F) UBU
May 10, 2007 - Poitiers (F) Comforte Moderne
May 11, 2007 - Barcelona (E) Apolo
May 12, 2007 - Madrid (E) Caracol
May 13, 2007 - Bilbao (E) Bilborock
May 15, 2007 - Lyon (F) CCO
May 16, 2007 - Milan (I) Rainbow
May 17, 2007 - Geneva (CH) PTR-Usine
May 18, 2007 - Will (CH) Remise
May 19, 2007 - Vienna (A) Planet Music
May 20, 2007 - Budapest (HUN) Kultiplex
May 22, 2007 - Prague (CZ) Rock Café
May 23, 2007 - Wroclaw (PL) WZ Club
May 24, 2007 - Warschau (PL) Proxima Club
May 25, 2007 - Berlin (D) Kato
May 26, 2007 - Frankfurt (D) O25
May 27, 2007 - Munich (D) Backstage
May 29, 2007 - Stuttgart (D) Die Röhre
May 30, 2007 - Bochum (D) Matrix
May 31, 2007 - Hamburg (D) Molotow

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Source:	the-haunted.com
Band profile:	The Haunted
Event:	The Haunted: Cursed Earth Tour

Posted by Jon Schaffer on 2006-12-30 14:08:33:

Hello All,

Again I have to apologize for the delay in updates. I've been extremely busy with writing and preproduction for the new IE CD's.

I also lost the one person that was my true mentor and inspiration throughout my life, which was very difficult. My Father, Tom Schaffer, died unexpectedly of a massive stroke in October. He was 67, and died two weeks before his 68th birthday. It's hard to imagine what my life would have been like without my Dad's influence. I would not be who I am today, that's for sure. Fortunately, he was able to travel with the band a few times, and he really enjoyed meeting and talking with the fans. He was there for the Alive in Athens recording and was dubbed Papa Earth by some of the fans in Greece. I will miss him very much.

Obviously, this had a huge impact on me and brought the writing to a halt for about a month.

I'm back on track and we are going to start recording on February 1st. We will be releasing a single/EP in June '07 that will feature the Something Wicked trilogy re-recorded and a track that will be an alternate edit of a song that will be on Something Wicked Part 2 that now has a working title of "Come What May." The label was wanting me to do something with the original trilogy to reintroduce the story. So, what we have in store for you is very cool. You will hear "Prophecy," "Birth of the Wicked," and "The Coming Curse" in a new way that will be a very killer way to kick off this massive epic.

I don't want to give you any details to spoil the surprise, but trust me, it's going to be awesome.

"Something Wicked (Part 1)" will be released in the September/October '07 time frame and Part 2 will follow in January/February '08.

This is by far the most epic task I've ever taken on as a songwriter and I really feel like it will be worth all the sacrifice when it's finished. I've been working nonstop for over a year now and it's coming together in a very special way. I've just about finished all the musical arrangements and am now focusing on writing the lyrics/vocal melodies. I'm in the final stretch now........

Tim Mills has contributed a few really cool pieces of music and has shown a real interest in the whole "Something Wicked" story, and a real passion for being involved with the band. All this while owning and operating his own company (Bare Knuckle Pickups). I'm impressed, it's a rare quality, believe me.

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Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

The just released DVD by Power/Heavy Metallers Iced Earth now has a trailer available. The DVD 'Alive In Athens - The DVD' is a video recording of the band's 1999 Greek concert and live album 'Alive In Athens'. You can view the trailer in .rm or .wma formats here.

Read more ››

Source:	centurymedia.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

Iced Earth founder/guitarist Jon Schaffer has issued the following update on his search for a new guitarist:

"Greetings,

The new Iced Earth guitar player is an absolutely fantastic player from the UK named Tim Mills. Tim is the owner/founder/visionary of Bare Knuckle Pickups, which is an incredible company providing state of the art handwound pickups from England, which is how I met him. I highly recommend any and all serious players to check out his website and try a few of his p/ups, they absolutely rule.

As for his playing, it's awesome, very melodic, very tasty and he has great original ideas and songwriting abilities as well. He's here now and we're really inspiring each other and coming up with some great parts together. It's been a very long time since I've felt this kind of chemistry and I'm very psyched about it. It's an ingredient that's been missing for a very long time, so it should bring some very cool results.

It's a good thing I always call Tim Owens 'T'; that will help with the two guys in the band named Tim factor........ ;-)

There's more good news coming soon!

Jon Schaffer"

The search for a new guitarist began last month when Iced Earth axe Ernie Carletti was arrested on charges of rape.

As reported a few days ago (here), old drummer Brent Smedley, (drummer for Iced Earth in the later 90's) has rejoined the band.

Iced Earth current line up goes as follows:
Jon Schaffer - Guitars
Tim 'Ripper' Owens - Vocals
Tim Mills - Guitars
Brent Smedley - Drums

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Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

Brent Smedley, drummer for Iced Earth in the later 90's has rejoined the band. He will be the drummer for Iced Earth's upcoming tours, and on the band's recording of their upcoming concept album the "Something Wicked" saga Parts 1 & 2. He will then remain as their drummer in the future. Smedley originally left the band due to 'personal issues'.

Here is a posting by Iced Earth mainman Jon Schaffer on Iced Earth's official website:

"For those of you not familiar you can hear Brent's amazing drumming on the 'Alive in Athens' CD, which in my opinion is the best thing about the recording. I can tell you that on a personal level this makes me very happy. Brent left the band about 7 years ago due to personal issues and I've missed him ever since. WELCOME BACK BROTHER!! The machine gun tight rhythm section is back!!!!

I wish Bobby Jarzombek the best of luck in his future endeavors, it was a pleasure jamming with him in the short time that we did.

Due to a personal situation Ernie Carletti will not be able to participate in band activities.

I will be making a significant announcement concerning the guitar and bass player positions very soon.

Also, the writing is going well and things are on track. I will post some details soon on www.icedearth.com. As challenging as this gigantic story is to tell in music, I have no doubt that it will be the pinnacle of Iced Earth's work thus far".

Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

Century Media Records has revealed more information about the upcoming Iced Earth "Alive In Athens" DVD. The set is believed to contain video footage recorded during the band's 1999 two-night appearance at the Rodon Club in Athens, Greece which previously resulted in a two-disc live CD of the same name.
The DVD will be released at the end of October.

"Alive In Athens" DVD , and track listing :

01. Intro
02. Burning Times
03. Vengeance Is Mine
04. Dark Saga
05. Last Laugh
06. Cast In Stone
07. Last December
08. Pure Evil
09. Desert Rain
10. Dante's Inferno
11. The Hunter
12. Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
13. Angels Holocaust
14. Stormrider
15. The Path I Choose
16. Watching Over Me
17. Diary
18. Blessed Are You
19. When The Night Falls
20. My Own Savior
21. Travel In Stygian
22. Violate
23. Stand Alone
24. Brainwashed
25. Disciples Of The Lie
26. I Died For You
27. Prophecy
28. Birth Of The Wicked
29. The Coming Curse
30. Epilog

Bonus:
31. Iced Earth Backstage
32. Jon Schaffer In Athens

For Iced Earth mainman Jon Schaffer's assessment of the upcoming "Alive In Athens" DVD, read his statement at this location.

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Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Iced Earth

According to Amazon.com and Century Media Records' official release schedule, a new Iced Earth DVD, entitled "Alive in Athens", is slated for release on October 31. The set is believed to contain video footage recorded during the band's 1999 two-night appearance at at the Rodon Club in Athens, Greece which previously resulted in a two-disc live CD of the same name. More information will be made available soon.

As previously reported, Iced Earth recently officially launched the search for a new bassist. All interested parties are encouraged to send their bio packs to Iced Earth mainman Jon Schaffer's store at the following address:

Jon Schaffer
Spirit of 76 Collectibles, Inc.
1728 17th St
Columbus, IN 47448

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Source:	blabbermouth.net
Band profile:	Iced Earth

HOT TOPIC PRESENTS UNEARTH'S "SANCTITY OF BROTHERS" FALL HEADLINE TOUR!!!

UNEARTH raised the bar all summer long performing as non rotating main support on Ozzfest's infamous Second Stage. UNEARTH just released their highly anticipated follow up to 2004's The Oncoming Storm titled "III In The Eyes Of Fire" (Metal Blade 8/8/06)

"A stunning accomplishment,one that repeatedly pushes the boundaries of heaviness; yet contains enough sonic and lyrical layers to give the songs depth and staying power. If this is Unearth at their angriest and darkest lets hope they don't cheer up anytime soon."

- Revolver Magazine September 2006

Now, UNEARTH add as main support, Bleeding Through; one of the hottest performing bands who shared the same stage with them on Ozzfest are now on UNEARTH's upcoming "Sanctity of Brothers" tour for the continuation of the back to back one two punch.

Also on the bill are this years "Sounds Of The Underground Tour" heavy hitters Terror and Through the Eyes of the Dead. Also throwing down on the "S O B" tour are the undergrounds newest metal on the rise Animosity as opener.

Band Drummer Mike Justian claims, "the upcoming 'Sanctity Of Brothers' tour is like a seven layer burrito its got all the right ingredients and when you put them together it makes for a very delectable treat."

In addition to Hot Topic, Unearth would also like to thank the following sponsors for their support on this tour: Music Choice, Pure Volume, Ibanez Guitars, Tama Drums, Hails and Horns Magazine and Pitchfork Clothing.

Tour dates are as follows:

9/07 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
9/09 - Chicago, IL - Congress Theatre
9/10 - Minneapolis, MN - The Quest
9/11 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
9/12 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
9/13 - Magna, UT - The Avalon
9/15 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
9/16 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre
9/17 - San Diego, CA - Soma
9/18 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre
9/19 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
9/21 - San Antonio, TX - Graham Central Station
9/22 - Houston, TX - Club V
9/23 - Dallas, TX - Gypsy Ballroom
9/25 - Atlanta, GA - Dekalb Atlanta Center
9/26 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
9/27 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
9/28 - New York, NY - Nokia
9/29 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
9/30 - Worcester, MA - Palladium

+ AUDIO STREAMS:

"This Glorious Nightmare" MP3:

http://www.metalblade.com/mp3/unearth-this_glorious_nightmare.mp3

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Source:

specialopsmedia.com

Iced Earth has officially launched the search for a new bassist. All interested parties are encouraged to send their bio packs to Iced Earth mainman Jon Schaffer's store at the following address:

Jon Schaffer
Spirit of 76 Collectibles, Inc.
1728 17th St
Columbus, IN 47448

Iced Earth recently announced the addition of Elkton, MD guitarist Ernie Carletti to the group's ranks.

Mastering his craft beyond 19 years and teaching guitar lessons to 100 students weekly in excess of 16 years, Carletti is equally versed in styles such as classical and jazz but his first love is heavy metal "shredding."

The central figure of Iced Earth is guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer, who originally formed the band as Purgatory in 1984. Though the band has undergone numerous lineup changes since its inception, Schaffer has remained steadfast in his passion to thrash. Schaffer officially announced the addition of Carletti on the band's message board on Friday, June 30.

Schaffer is currently working on a concept album based on the "Something Wicked This Way Comes" story that first appeared on Iced Earth's 1998 album of the same name. A 2007 release is expected.

Iced Earth's last release was the "Gettysburg (1863)" DVD, which came out in June 2005. The main program, a CGI-rendered video presentation of the epic "Gettysburg" trilogy from 2004's acclaimed album "The Glorious Burden", drew praise from fans and media alike. The DVD was also reportedly being used as a teaching tool in several high schools across the country.

Source:	roadrunnerrecords.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

As posted on the official site by Jon Schaffer on 2006-06-30:

"Greetings!!!

I just wanted to make a quick but significant announcement. After auditioning some very good guitar players I've made a decision. The man who will be handling the majority of the guitar solos on the next record as well as touring with us on "The Wicked World Tour" is an awesome player named Ernie Carletti. As has been the case in the past we may have a few guests do a solo or two on the epic that this way comes, but the majority will be handled by Ernie. He is a world class player and truly one of the best guitarists I've had the pleasure of meeting and hanging with. We're going to make a good team, I'm sure. We were introduced through Bernie at Bernie Rico, Jr. Guitars who is the son of the BC Rich founder/legend Bernie Rico. If you want to see some amazing top quality hand built guitars go to www.ricojrguitars.com and see what this master builder has been up to the last few years.

I'll be auditioning bass players as well very soon so there will be announcements made in the not too distant future for that position.

The writing is moving along well and I'll have a few details for you on the next post, but for now I've gotta run.......so much to do, so little time.

Take care all!"

Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

Blind Guardian will be guests at this year's Earthshaker Fest. Due to release their new album "A Twist In The Myth" in the fall (on September 1, 2006), some of the band's new songs will be premiered over the PA for everyone in attendance to hear. The band will also be holding an autograph session on Friday night; more details will be announced soon.

In any case, it is confirmed that there will be a massive giveaway for the fans in attendance:

1st Prize - a Meet & Greet session for 10 people with Blind Guardian at the Earthshaker Fest 2006. The winner will receive a big fan package containing a CD, DVD, shirt and a commemorative photo with the band.

2nd Prize - 20 people will have the chance to participate in soccer goal target practice against Blind Guardian. Each person who wins against Blind Guardian will receive a special Earthshaker package that includes a t-shirt, poster and CD sampler.

To win, visit the Earthshaker Festival website (http://www.earthshaker-fest.de/) and go to the 'Giveaways' section.

NOTE: Blind Guardian will not actually be performing at the Earthshaker Festival, this is simply a promotion. To see Blind Guardian's tour dates, visit their official website (http://www.blind-guardian.com/).

Source:	blind-guardian.com
Band profile:	Blind Guardian

Veteran Power Metallers Blind Guardian have been invited, and have accepted to be this year's special guest appearance at Earthshaker Fest 2006. Earthershaker will be on 21st and 22nd of July this year. It will be held at Kreuth, Rieden in Germany. They will be playing some new songs from their upcoming album 'A Twist In The Myth' and will be holding a one hour autograph session on the first day of the festival. For more information about the actual festival, visit the Earthshaker link below.

Source:	earthshaker-fest.com
Band profile:	Blind Guardian

Iced Earth's guitarist and leader posted the following message on the band's website:

"Hello Everyone!

I know I've been really lame with the updates and I'm sorry about that. We've let things get pretty lax here at Iced Earth.com and we're going to be making some changes in this in the not too distant future. As some of you are aware, I'm not really the internet type of guy and only use it for my email, and even that I avoid often (which does annoy my business associates at times; but hey, that's what phones are for!), so I spend as little time as possible on a computer; unless it's my studio computer and I'm spending a LOT of time on that one. Tim enjoys surfing and all of that stuff so he's going to be involved in the IE site a lot more in the future. You'll be seeing some big changes in the site with the release of the next IE CD.

Which actually brings me to the next bit of news... I'm completely consumed in the writing process of what will be by far the most ambitious album(s) IE has ever done. Some of you probably know that the next 2 releases will comprise the full concept album of the Something Wicked story line, Part 1 & Part 2. I know it's taken quite some time to get this beast on its way to fruition, but it IS finally happening, and I really feel the time is right. The goal is to make this our most epic, dynamic, most melodic and heaviest CD ever. Because of the depth and detail of the story it would be impossible to do it on one CD, there simply is not enough time, so I'm writing both parts at one time so that the continuity is there. If I were to wait a year or two to start writing part 2 I would be in a completely different frame of mind and it wouldn't work nearly as well, so the best thing is to do all the writing at once. We'll get Part 1 recorded, mixed and released and then finish part 2 which will come out about 6 months later. That's at least the preliminary plan. We are still pretty early in the process but things are starting to move along nicely.

I know it's been some time since the release of "The Glorious Burden" and I ask you to please be patient because what's coming next is going to blow you away. This is the album that IE fans have been waiting for.

I want to apologize to the European fans for not making it over there for a headline tour on the last album. My back problems got too intense to be on the road and that really screwed things up for everyone, myself, the rest of the guys in the band, our crew, the promoters etc.. We would have toured a lot more than we did had I not had these problems. The great thing is that the last surgical procedure I had in October of 2004 seems to have worked to make the pain much more tolerable. I did very extensive therapy for many months and am committed to being in the best shape of my life by the time we tour again. It's good to be enjoying life for the first time in a very long time.

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Source:	icedearth.com
Band profile:	Iced Earth

Relapse Records announced on their latest newsletter that the band Unearthly Trance started the recording of their third album and the debut with Relapse. The band entered at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago with engineer Sanford Parker.

The title of the album will be "The Trident", and there are already some song titles: "Decrepitude", "You Get What You Want", "The Air Exits, The Sea Accepts", "Permanent Ice", "Firebrand", "Scarlet" and "Where The Unbelievable Is Ordinary". The album is expected to be released during the spring of 2006.

Ryan Lipynsky commented: "The production is over the top as far as heaviness. The tone is still as oppressive but the songs develop at a more quickly and Darrens drumming takes a lead role more than ever. Some songs have more vocal melody than before and other songs sound like His Hero Is Gone doing Darkthrone covers!! We also drew upon our catalog of unrecorded songs and have revamped some excellent old tunes."

Source:

- Relapse Records Newsletter -