ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer posted the following enthusiastic message regarding the band’s upcoming album:
“We will begin recording around the first week of April. I am very happy with the way things are going. I’ve never felt so good and excited about a record before, this will really be a special one.
“A while back I was working on a song called ‘Gettysburg’ and it was a nice piece of music but it really wasn’t giving me what I felt I needed to tell the story of what went on there 140 years ago. It’s nearly impossible in five-six minutes of music. So around Super Bowl weekend I scrapped the original idea and started writing what I hope will be the biggest and best epic I’ve ever written. It has, without a doubt, been the most challenging subject matter and emotionally taxing undertaking that I’ve ever tackled. It will be just about 30 minutes long and told in 3 parts; one for each day of the battle. It will be called ‘Gettysburg (1863)’ but will consist of three songs entitled ‘The Devil to Pay’, ‘Hold at all Costs’, and ‘High Water Mark.’ I will be hiring the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra to perform on it, as well as a few parts on a couple of other songs. I am working on string sections and the other symphony parts now and finishing up lyrics on it and on some of the other tunes.
“Here are some more titles, these are pretty much final. ‘Declaration Day’, ‘When the Eagle Cries’, ‘The Reckoning (Don’t Tread On Me)’, ‘Greenface’, ‘Red Baron/Blue Max’, ‘Attila’, ‘Waterloo’, ‘Valley Forge’, ‘A Gift or A Curse?’ and ‘Hollow Man.’ This release will take up nearly every available minute on the CD format, because you deserve it!
“Anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick update and fill you in on what’s happening. I think SPV is looking at a late August early September release.”
In some non-music related news, Schaffer also revealed that he’s in the process of opening shop of historic collectibles in Columbus, Indiana called Spirit of 76 Collectibles, which plans to sell world shitory related products such as artwork, miniatures, sculptures, die casts, etc. His new venture has a projected grand opening in two weeks.