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Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Formed in 1985 under the name Purgatory, the group originally consisted of vocalist Gene Adam, lead guitarist Bill Owen, rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer, bassist Richard Bateman and drummer Greg Seymour. The band has been inactive since February 2021, when vocalist Stu Block, lead guitarist Jake Dreyer, bassist Luke Appleton and drummer Brent Smedley all left in response to band leader Schaffer's involvement in the 2021 United States Capitol attack.

History

1985–1998

Jon Schaffer and Greg Seymour officially formed Iced Earth (originally known as Purgatory) on January 20, 1985. The first full lineup was completed shortly thereafter with the addition of Gene Adam, Bill Owen and Richard Bateman. The original incarnation released two demos in 1985 – Burning Oasis and Psychotic Dreams – before Bateman was replaced by Dave Abell in time for the recording of a third, Horror Show. In 1987, Owen made way for new lead guitarist Randall Shawver. The following year, Purgatory changed its name to Iced Earth. The first demo under the new moniker, Enter the Realm, was released in 1989. Seymour left shortly after its release due to tensions with Schaffer, and was replaced by Mike McGill. The band signed with Century Media Records and issued its self-titled full-length debut the following year.

After touring in promotion of Iced Earth, the band saw further personnel changes in the spring of 1991 when Adam and McGill were replaced by John Greely and Rick Secchiari, respectively, for the production of Night of the Stormrider. After the album was released, Rodney Beasley took over on drums for subsequent live shows. The album was promoted on a short touring cycle running until the fall of 1992, when the group went on a hiatus for two years. In 1995 they returned with Burnt Offerings, which marked the debut of Beasley and new vocalist Matt Barlow. Mark "The Creeper" Prator took over from Beasley on a session basis for the recording of The Dark Saga.

Before The Dark Saga was released, long-term bassist Abell was replaced by Keith Menser. The new bassist featured in photography for the album, but was replaced shortly after its release by James MacDonough, who brought with him bandmate Brent Smedley as Iced Earth's new drummer. The new lineup released Days of Purgatory, a collection of reworked older tracks, in 1997. Just before the recording of Something Wicked This Way Comes in early 1998, Schaffer decided to relocate the band back to his home state of Indiana, which prompted lead guitarist Shawver to leave. The album featured Prator on drums, as Smedley was unavailable due to "personal reasons".

1998–2008

With new lead guitarist Larry Tarnowski in place of Shawver, Iced Earth toured throughout 1998 and early 1999, releasing their first live album Alive in Athens from the cycle. In the summer of 2000, Smedley was replaced by Richard Christy. For the recording of Horror Show, MacDonough was also replaced by Steve Di Giorgio, although by the time it was released in May 2001 the former had already returned after Di Giorgio reportedly pulled out of touring due to "prior commitments". Covers album Tribute to the Gods followed in 2002, before Tarnowski left in March 2003 to focus on his studies. He was replaced in June by Ralph Santolla, shortly after Barlow also announced his departure from the group. Tim "Ripper" Owens took over on vocals, following his departure from Judas Priest in July.

Following the release of Owens' and Santolla's Iced Earth debut The Glorious Burden, Christy left the band in May 2004 to work on The Howard Stern Show, with Bobby Jarzombek taking his place. In July, Santolla also left to join Sebastian Bach's solo band. The guitarist was not immediately replaced, and by September MacDonough had also left to join Megadeth. Iced Earth remained inactive for almost two years after the lineup changes, before it was announced at the end of June 2006 that the group had added Ernie Carletti as its new lead guitarist. By October, Carletti had been replaced by Tim Mills as the former was facing charges of rape, kidnapping and weapons possession, while former drummer Brent Smedley had returned in place of Jarzombek. On the last day of the year, Schaffer announced that James "Bo" Wallace was the band's new bassist.

Iced Earth recorded Overture of the Wicked in February 2007, with Schaffer performing bass after Wallace's departure due to "family health issues". The next month, Mills left the band to focus on his business Bare Knuckle Pickups. He was replaced in May by Troy Seele, who had performed some lead guitars on the recently-completed album Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1. After a European tour to promote the album, it was announced in December 2007 that Owens was to be replaced by the returning Matt Barlow. At the same time, Owens' former Winter's Bane bandmate Hayes was also dismissed. He was replaced in March 2008 by Freddie Vidales.

Since 2008

After the release of 2008's The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2, Iced Earth continued touring intermittently for several years, before Matt Barlow announced his second departure from the band in March 2011. His replacement was announced as Into Eternity's Stu Block, who took over after a final run of shows with Barlow ending in August. The new vocalist debuted on a re-recorded version of "Dante's Inferno" and new album Dystopia, which were the last contributions of Vidales who was replaced by Luke Appleton in April 2012. In May 2013, Brent Smedley left for a second time to return home and take care of his family, with Raphael Saini taking his place.

Saini recorded the 2014 album Plagues of Babylon and performed a run of shows, before he was replaced by former Testament and Slayer drummer Jon Dette in November 2013. Dette continued touring with Iced Earth until April 2015, when Smedley was able to return to the band. During writing for a new album, Troy Seele left the group in August 2016 in order to focus on his family responsibilities. He was replaced the next month by Jake Dreyer, current band Witherfall with Joseph Michael (Sanctuary). Dreyer debuted on Incorruptible, which was released the following year. Iced Earth's lineup remained constant until January 2021, when band leader Jon Schaffer was put in federal custody after his involvement in the 2021 United States Capitol attack. The next month, Block, Dreyer and Appleton announced their departures from the band. By 2024, Smedley had also left the band.

Members

Current

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Jon Schaffer	1985–present	rhythm guitar backing and lead vocals studio bass (2007–2008)	all Iced Earth releases

Former

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Gene Adam	1985–1991	lead vocals	all Iced Earth releases from Burning Oasis (1985) to Iced Earth (1990)
	Greg Seymour	1985–1989	drums	Burning Oasis (1985) Psychotic Dreams (1985) Horror Show (1986) Enter the Realm (1989)
	Bill Owen	1985–1987	lead guitar	Burning Oasis (1985) Psychotic Dreams (1985) Horror Show (1986)
	Richard Bateman	1985–1986 (died 2018)	bass	Burning Oasis (1985) Psychotic Dreams (1985)
	Dave Abell	1986–1996		all Iced Earth releases from Horror Show (1986) to The Dark Saga (1996)
	Randall Shawver	1987–1998	lead guitar	all Iced Earth releases from Enter the Realm (1989) to Days of Purgatory (1997)
	Mike McGill	1989–1991	drums	Iced Earth (1990)
	John Greely	1991–1993	lead vocals	Night of the Stormrider (1991)
	Rick Secchiari	1991	drums
	Rodney Beasley	1992–1995		Burnt Offerings (1995)
	Matt Barlow	1993–2003 2007–2011	lead vocals	all Iced Earth releases from Burnt Offerings (1995) to The Glorious Burden (2004) The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 (2008) Festivals of the Wicked (2011) – two shows
	Mark Prator	1996 1998 (both session)	drums backing vocals	The Dark Saga (1996) Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998) The Glorious Burden (2004)
	Keith Menser	1996	bass	none
	Brent Smedley	1996–2000 2006–2013 2015–2021	drums percussion	Days of Purgatory (1997) Alive in Athens (1999) all Iced Earth releases from Overture of the Wicked (2007) to Live in Ancient Kourion (2013) Incorruptible (2017)
	James MacDonough	1996–2000 2001–2004	bass	all Iced Earth releases from Days of Purgatory (1997) to The Glorious Burden (2004), except Horror Show (2001)
	Larry Tarnowski	1998–2003	lead guitar backing and occasional lead vocals	Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998) Alive in Athens (1999) Horror Show (2001) Tribute to the Gods (2002)
	Richard Christy	2000–2004	drums	Horror Show (2001) Tribute to the Gods (2002) The Glorious Burden (2004)
	Steve Di Giorgio	2000–2001	bass	Horror Show (2001)
	Ralph Santolla	2003–2004 (died 2018)	lead guitar	The Glorious Burden (2004) – four tracks only
	Tim "Ripper" Owens	2003–2007	lead vocals	The Glorious Burden (2004) Overture of the Wicked (2007) Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 (2007) Festivals of the Wicked (2011) – one show
	Bobby Jarzombek	2004–2006	drums	none
	Ernie Carletti	2006	lead guitar
	Tim Mills	2006–2007		Overture of the Wicked (2007) Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 (2007) – one track only
	James "Bo" Wallace		bass	none
	Troy Seele	2007–2016	lead guitar backing vocals	all Iced Earth releases from Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 (2007) to Plagues of Babylon (2014)
	Freddie Vidales	2008–2012	bass backing vocals	Festivals of the Wicked (2011) "Dante's Inferno 2011" (2011) Dystopia (2011)
	Stu Block	2011–2021	lead vocals	all Iced Earth releases from "Dante's Inferno 2011" (2011) to Incorruptible (2017)
	Luke Appleton	2012–2021	bass backing vocals	Live in Ancient Kourion (2013) Plagues of Babylon (2014) Incorruptible (2017)
	Raphael Saini	2013	drums	Plagues of Babylon (2014)
	Jon Dette	2013–2015		none
	Jake Dreyer	2016–2021	lead guitar	Incorruptible (2017)

Timeline

Lineups

References

1. Matthijssens, Vera. "Jon Schaffer's Purgatory". Lords of Metal. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
2. Stojanovic, Alex (December 21, 2018). "Jon Schaffer's Purgatory – Purgatory (EP Review)". Metal Master Kingdom. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
3. Tàrrega, Jordi (April 18, 2020). "Entrevista a Randall Shawver, ex guitarrista de Iced Earth: 'El guitarra solista de Iced Earth nunca podrá ganarse la vida con ellos por lo que no durará en la banda más de cinco años'". Science of Noise (in Spanish). Retrieved December 27, 2021.
4. "Jon Schaffer's Purgatory: Pre-Iced Earth Band Issue Lyric Video For 'In Your Dreams' Track". Metal Forces. December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
5. Chadwick, Robert (February 4, 2019). "Iced Earth Releases EP Album 'Enter the Realm' for the First Time on Vinyl". Go Venue Magazine. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
6. "Artist biography Greg Seymour". Drummerszone. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
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16. Alache, Gino (February 16, 2021). "Iced Earth conquered the World with Alive in Athens in the '90s". Rockum. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
17. Hogg, Ben (2008). "Richard Christy – From Rags to Richard". Metal Maniacs. Archived from the original on September 5, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
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21. "Former Judas Priest Singer Joins Iced Earth!". Blabbermouth.net. August 1, 2003. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
22. "Iced Earth Announce New Drummer, Speak Out Against 'Bad Journalism'". Blabbermouth.net. May 17, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
23. "Guitarist Ralph Santolla Leaves Iced Earth, Joins Sebastian Bach". Blabbermouth.net. July 2, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
24. "Iced Earth Bassist Quits To Join Megadeth". Blabbermouth.net. September 11, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
25. "Iced Earth Mainman Schaffer Comments On New Guitarist". Blabbermouth.net. June 30, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
26. "Iced Earth Mainman Announces New Guitarist". Blabbermouth.net. October 12, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
27. "Iced Earth: Drummer Brent Smedley Rejoins The Fold". Blabbermouth.net. October 9, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
28. "Iced Earth To Enter Studio In February". Blabbermouth.net. December 31, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
29. "Iced Earth Completes Work On New Single; More Album Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. March 16, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
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31. "Iced Earth Announces New Guitarist". Blabbermouth.net. May 20, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
32. "Vocalist Matt Barlow Rejoins Iced Earth". Blabbermouth.net. December 11, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
33. "Tim 'Ripper' Owens: Split With Iced Earth Is 'What I Needed'". Blabbermouth.net. December 19, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
34. "Iced Earth Introduces New Bass Player". Blabbermouth.net. March 12, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
35. "Iced Earth Frontman Announces 'Retirement' From Band". Blabbermouth.net. March 2, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
36. "Iced Earth: Pro-Shot Footage Of Entire Final Show With Singer Matt Barlow". Blabbermouth.net. August 8, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
37. "Iced Earth Parts Ways With Bassist, Announces Replacement". Blabbermouth.net. April 10, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
38. "Iced Earth Drummer Quits; Replacement Announced". Blabbermouth.net. May 6, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
39. "Iced Earth Taps Former Slayer/Testament Drummer Jon Dette". Blabbermouth.net. November 5, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
40. "Iced Earth Rejoined By Drummer Brent Smedley; New Album Title Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. April 23, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
41. "Iced Earth Guitarist Troy Seele Quits". Blabbermouth.net. August 22, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
42. DiVita, Joe (April 7, 2017). "Iced Earth Announce 'Incorruptible' Album Details". Loudwire. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
43. "Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer Photographed Among Trump Supporters At Capitol Hill". Blabbermouth.net. January 6, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
44. Huang, Binghui; Martin, Ryan; Evans, Tim (January 17, 2021). "Indiana guitarist Jon Schaffer in federal custody after Capitol insurrection, faces 6 charges". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
45. "Iced Earth Singer Stu Block And Bassist Luke Appleton Have Officially Quit Band". Blabbermouth.net. February 15, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
46. "Iced Earth Guitarist Jake Dreyer Distances Himself From Band, Says He Is Focusing Solely On Witherfall". Blabbermouth.net. February 15, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
47. "OUT OF DARKNESS Feat. Former ICED EARTH Drummer Release New Single "Terraform"". BraveWords. February 16, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.

External links

• Iced Earth official website

• Lists of members by band
• Iced Earth members