Demons & Wizards was a power metal band conceived as a side-project by Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch and Jon Schaffer, the guitarist for Iced Earth. Schaffer wrote the music and Kürsch wrote the lyrics. The band's line-up during the recording of their first album in 1999 featured Mark Prator, who was the drummer on a few Iced Earth albums, and Jim Morris, who has engineered for Iced Earth before, on lead guitar. The personnel for the second album, released in 2005, included Morris on lead guitar and Bobby Jarzombek on drums. The band released a third studio album, III, in 2020, and disbanded in early 2021 following Schaffer's involvement in the 2021 United States Capitol riot.
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida, and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer Greg Seymour. Iced Earth released their debut album in 1990 and have since released twelve studio albums, four EPs, three compilations, three box sets, three live albums and eleven music videos.
Metal Church is an American heavy metal band formed in 1980. Originally based in San Francisco, California, they relocated to Aberdeen, Washington the following year and briefly called themselves Shrapnel. Led by guitarist and songwriter Kurdt Vanderhoof, the band has released twelve studio albums and is considered to be an integral part of the Seattle heavy metal music scene of the 1980s. They achieved considerable popularity that decade, with two of their first three albums entering the Top 100 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The band's early lyrical topics such as conflict and paranoia later expanded into philosophical, political and social commentary.
Jon Ryan Schaffer is an American heavy metal musician. He is the rhythm guitarist, bandleader and principal songwriter of the Indiana-based heavy metal band Iced Earth, which he formed in 1985 under the name Purgatory. He is also the lead singer in his political side project Sons of Liberty and, until 2021, played guitar for Demons & Wizards, his collaboration with Blind Guardian frontman Hansi Kürsch. In a 2019 poll by Guitar World, Schaffer was ranked as the 25th-best rhythm guitar player of all time.
"The Trooper" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released as the second single on 20 June 1983 from the band's fourth studio album, Piece of Mind (1983). It was one of only a few songs to achieve frequent radio airplay in the United States, thus peaking at No. 28 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock. It also achieved success in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 12 in the UK Singles Charts, as well as gaining a better reception than the band's previous single, "Flight of Icarus". The song is one of their most popular and remains an essential track of heavy metal music.
Roy Z is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Bruce Dickinson, Halford, and Judas Priest. He also is the founder of Tribe of Gypsies, a Latin-influenced hard rock band. Roy also helped write and produce the band Life After Death in 1996.
Into Eternity is a Canadian progressive death metal band from Regina, Saskatchewan, formed in 1997 by Tim Roth, Scott Krall and Jim Austin.
The discography of Iced Earth, an American heavy metal band, consists of thirteen studio releases, two live albums, three compilations, five singles, three videos, and eleven music videos. Originally formed as Purgatory by guitarist Jon Schaffer on January 20, 1985, the band spent five years playing live locally and went through several line-up changes. After changing their name to Iced Earth, the band recorded the demo Enter the Realm (1989), which landed them a deal with the German label, Century Media Records. One year later, the band recorded their self-titled album Iced Earth, followed by 1991's Night of the Stormrider, which peaked at number 60 on the Japanese Oricon charts. Three years later, Iced Earth released Burnt Offerings, featuring new vocalist Matt Barlow, followed by The Dark Saga (1996).
Metal is the twelfth album by Canadian heavy metal band Annihilator, released on April 16, 2007, by SPV/Steamhammer. However, it wasn't released in the United States until January 15, 2008. The album includes several special guests who each contribute to separate tracks. This includes Danko Jones, Angela Gossow, Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Alexi Laiho, Anders Björler, Michael Amott, Jesper Strömblad, Corey Beaulieu, Jacob Lynam and William Adler.
The Incurable Tragedy is the fifth full-length studio album by Canadian progressive death metal band Into Eternity. The album was released on August 25, 2008, in Europe through Century Media Records. This is the first album which does not feature longtime drummer Jim Austin, and the first to feature new drummer Steve Bolognese, and guitarist Justin Bender.
Michael Schøn Poulsen is a Danish musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter of the rock band Volbeat. Prior to Volbeat, he was the vocalist for the death metal band Dominus.
Savage Messiah are an English thrash metal/heavy metal band formed in May 2007 in London. The band was formed by guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Silver and also consists of guitarist Joff Bailey, bassist Míra Sláma, keyboardist Carlos Alcalde De Lema and drummer Charly Carretón.
Dystopia is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released on October 17, 2011, it was the band's first album to feature vocalist Stu Block, who joined after previous vocalist Matt Barlow left the band. Dystopia was also the only Iced Earth studio album to feature bassist Freddie Vidales and drummer Brent Smedley until his return in 2015.
"Dante's Inferno" is a song by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth. The song was originally released on the group's 1995 album Burnt Offerings, and was re-recorded in 2011, with the current line-up of the band. "Dante's Inferno" is also one of the longest songs the band has ever recorded, with the original clocking in at sixteen minutes and twenty-six seconds and the re-recorded version clocking in at seventeen minutes and twenty-eight seconds.
Jake Dreyer is an American musician who is the lead guitarist and songwriter for the progressive metal band Witherfall and former lead guitarist for Iced Earth. He was also a touring and session guitarist for the bands Demons and Wizards, White Wizzard, and Kobra and the Lotus.
5 Songs is a promotional EP by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Originally released on September 19, 2011, as a part of the October 2011 issue of Rock Hard magazine, the EP contained three live recordings from 2007, an interview, as well as two new songs from the band's then yet-to-be-released tenth studio album Dystopia.
Plagues of Babylon is the eleventh studio album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. Released in January 2014, the album is the group's first studio release with bassist Luke Appleton and the only with drummer Raphael Saini, who was a guest on the album. According to rhythm guitarist and band leader Jon Schaffer, half of the album is focused on his "Something Wicked" concept, while the other half are stand-alone songs.
Live in Ancient Kourion is a live album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. The album was recorded August 19, 2012, at the 2300 year-old Kourion Theater in Kourion, Cyprus during the band's Dystopia World Tour.
Incorruptible is the twelfth studio album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth, released on June 16, 2017, by Century Media. It is their only album with lead guitarist Jake Dreyer, and also features a returning Brent Smedley on drums, whose last prior recorded performance with Iced Earth was their 2013 live album "Live in Ancient Kourion". It is their first studio album in over 20 years to entirely not be a concept album, with each song instead featuring its own unique stand-alone lyrics. It is also the final Iced Earth album on Century Media and their final album to feature Stu Block and Luke Appleton on vocals and bass, respectively, before both members and Dreyer departed and the band being dropped by the label following Jon Schaffer's 2021 arrest.
