ICED EARTH REVIEWS
After a beautiful concert in I-Rock, Detroit, MI, I had a chance to chat with Matthew Barlow (vocals) and Jon Schaffer (guitar). They were both very nice to me, and signed my "Something Wicked" booklet. Here are bits and pieces of that conversation:
Thank you for a great show!
BOTH: Our pleasure!
How’s the tour going so far?
Actually, quite good. Not as many people, but they all take us very well.
Good. Ever since we moved to Indiana, we have been hoping to establish ourselves in the Midwest: Detroit, Chicago.
What’s your take on the fact that you are bigger in Europe than in your own country? "No prophet in one’s homeland" phenomenon?
Well, in Europe metal never stopped growing, while in America it’s much worse. I hope we will win America back.
Who did like touring with the most?
Blind Guardian was great, and so was Nevermore.
Probably, Nevermore. We did a short tour with Savatage; it was also great.
Who would you like to play with, with whom you haven’t played yet?
Priest. I would love opening for them. Actually, there are a few tours we could have been on, but the problems with the record company don’t always let us. There’s a Mercyful Fate tour going on right now, but we couldn’t do that either.
How is European crowd different from American?
I think they sing along more.
I dunno... I don’t think they are that different.
How does it make you feel when people compare you to Rage?
Uhm, not particularly flattering. We did a short tour with them, and I wasn’t particularly impressed.
Never heard that before. OK, whatever... I don’t quite see it, but, hey, whatever!
What’s with the line-up changes?
I think we finally got it together. We went through lots of rubbish, people with personality problems. Now I think we got to a point when we are satisfied. It feels like, well, a family. Finally.
Is that what happened to Randall?
Well, it got up to a point where he went his separate way, and we went our own.
Matt, was it hard to become a new frontman?
First, I came over for three-hour audition, and then it was like a month of adaptation. I think I fit in alright.
Not to kiss butt, or anything, but you really got a great voice. I love Iced Earth since I bought The Dark Saga, but then I bought Night Of The Stormrider, and didn’t like it very much, mostly because of the vocals.
I actually liked the vocals of Greely. And so did the rest of the band. From what I understood, it was the personality that was a problem, not the actual voice.
What kind of music do you listen to, if any?
Mostly old stuff, like Priest and Sabbath.
What is the songwriting process like in the band?
When I write songs, they are more like poems. That’s because I don’t play guitar. I get together with Jon, we jam with a single rhythm guitar. Then a drum machine is added, so we practice the general sound, and then the rest joins in. But, like I said, my songs are actually poems.
Every song is different. With Dark Saga, for example, I wasn’t even writing any new lyrics; they were already in the "Spawn" comics. "Consequences" I wrote for the project-to-be with Hansi Kursch, but it did not work out at the moment, although I am definite we will actually complete it.
While we are on the subject, I know that’s a dumb question, but do you know if any of the European metal leaders coming to the States? I have heard a rumor about Hammerfall, but...
Hammerfall’s coming, they are opening for Death. I hope to drag the Guardians here. Actually, I’m sure we will some day.
Please, do. You, guys, actually write deep lyrics, and not many bands do it nowdays. They are mostly "dark." Evaluate on that, would you? First of all, there’s nobody in the band who’s into Satanism, isn’t there?
Oh no, of course not. We just try writing thought-provoking lyrics, the ones that can develop somewhat of a different look at the common things. "Melancholy," for example, exploits the human side of The One who’s been told to die for the sins of other people, eventhough most of them do not deserve it. I mean, anyone can write happy songs, about love and stuff, but we come from the Sabbath tradition. Besides, let’s face it, "dark side" is a lot more fun! "Burning Times" I wrote after reading a medieval book, which was actually a guide on how to hunt down witches. That just inspired me, and I wrote a song about that. "The Burning Times" was the term used by the Inquisitors. The essence of the book was: "No matter what you do or what you are..."
"In my words you are a sinner?"
Precisely. I thought it was interesting and wrote a song.
I loved it when you started a show with a phonogram from "Devil’s Advocate." That was awesome!
It just seemed natural.
But it’s one of my favorite movies!
Ours too.
What is the message Iced Earth wants to deliver to its listeners? What mission are you on?
Well, we don’t have any set political agenda, but instead we just try telling stories, and “dark” metal is a good way to do it. We are just trying to have fun as well as to tell about serious stuff. TV inspires me sometimes, and I can write a politically oriented tune, but we are usually just into telling stories. It’s fun.
"Think for yourself." That’s the main thing. Those who can’t do it, don’t belong in our audience. Those who say that we are Satanists are just a bunch of morons, who don’t see beyond the song titles.
I have heard the rumor that "Something Wicked" trilogy is actually an intro to another story. Is that true?
Yes, the next album will be the development of the "Wicked" story. We want to do it live though. But it’s going to be a concept album.
Thank you again for the great time we all had.
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