Few heavy metal bands define the genre like America’s ICED EARTH. Fewer still elicit the rabid, off-the-charts fan loyalty that ICED EARTH does.

Formed in 1984 by Jon Schaffer, a street-tough kid with the drive (and talent!) to create a band to make his heroes Judas Priest, KISS, and Iron Maiden proud, ICED EARTH released its riff-heavy self-titled debut album in 1990 – and never looked back.

Nine studio albums – considered masterpieces of metal – cemented the band’s reputation for crafting exceptionally well-made music, the centerpiece of which being Schaffer’s trademark rhythm guitar style and powerful, in-your-face lyrics that often combine themes of self reliance, a healthy distrust of authority, history, and science fiction.

On record, ICED EARTH is a force to be reckoned with. Live, the band lays waste. In fact, ICED EARTH’s first live album (Alive In Athens, 1999) is lauded as sitting very near the top of the list of the best live albums ever recorded. The sheer power and intensity of that recording – which captured two crazy, magical nights in Greece – is unparalleled in the annals of music history.

Over the years, Schaffer has surrounded himself with some of the finest musicians in the world – including famed vocalists Matt Barlow, Tim Owens, and now Stu Block – to help bring his musical visions to life.

Dystopia, the band’s 10th studio album, was released on October 17th in Europe and October 18th in the United States. It will be supported by the most extensive and far-reaching world tour in ICED EARTH history.