Acclaimed American heavy metal band Iced Earth celebrated the release of the band’s new album, Incorruptible on Wednesday night in Seal Beach, at the Affliction headquarters, where a record release party was hosted by Jose Mangin DJ of Sirius XM Liquid Metal.
With a crowd of roughly 100 people, fans were given a sneak peak of the latest offering from Iced Earth, as founding original member, guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer, additional guitarist Jake Dreyer, and singer Stu Block joined the fans to blast Incorruptible, the band’s 12th studio album due on Century Media today (June 16), marking a career that began 27 years ago.
Fans could be seen headbanging and air guitar soloing throughout the entire record, a new school sound with a modern approach to heavy metal. Iced Earth’s music was always metal but it never limited itself to one particular sound; always parts power metal, prog, speed metal, thrash, death and other extreme metal, the band’s approach gives metal fans songs and albums offer the grandeur of Iron Maiden with the weight and profound subject matter as mythology, history, warfare and spirituality. Every Iced Earth record has the potential to be a cathartic collection of metal songs that speak to the listeners’ ears and intellectual curiosity, and thirst for heavy music.
After the album was premiered in its entirety, the band was on hand with fans and metal nerds to chat, eat tacos, drink beer and participate in a FB Live Q&A chat session all MC’d by Mangin.
Schaffer took a few moments to speak with the Weekly to give us the latest on Iced Earth’s tour schedule to promote the album, and what the process of inspiration has been for him all these years at the helm of one of the most underrated heavy metal bands on the planet.
“This summer we are doing festivals in Europe. We just got back from Sweden last week,” Schaffer said. “Next week we’re going out to Germany and Spain we have a ton of shows lined up In Europe several trips back and forth.Our North American tour will begin in October.”
As for what influences him to create music for Iced Earth, and the way it works, Schaffer said that not much is different than when he began the band nearly three decades ago. “The process is not different it’s always about channeling energy,” he said. “When I write music, it’s always about finding where my headspace is. Of course, with the band being around now going on 30 years, as a young man you try to impress people with how you play going over board but as you get older you get to focus more on songwriting and lyrics and melodies, and every Iced Earth record reflects that it’s all I know and all I want to know how to do.”
Schaffer told the Weekly that his music with Iced Earth connects with people on many different levels. “It’s always been about channeling the energy that helps people through tough times a lot of times, because like everyone I have been through some deep stuff as well; it’s therapy to me and if it helps people along the way that is always a cool thing,” he said. “I am just so thankful for all the fans we’ve had over the past three decades of making music.”
Alex Distefano is an established freelance writer and music blogger from the Los Angeles area. With over a dozen years under his belt as a published Journalist, he covers the worlds of heavy metal music, punk rock, current events, cannabis culture, comedy, radio, food, tattoos, the paranormal, and ‘conspiracy theories.’ He graduated from California State University Long Beach in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in both Journalism and Ancient History. Aside from his professional writing endeavors, Distefano works as an Educator, and delivery/rideshare driver.