After releasing the demo EP Enter the Realm (1989) and signing to Century Media Records, the band released two full-length studio albums – Iced Earth (1990) and Night of the Stormrider (1991) – before taking a two-year hiatus from 1992 to 1994, after which the band returned with new lead vocalist Matt Barlow. Iced Earth went on to release four studio albums with him in over half a decade: Burnt Offerings (1995), The Dark Saga (1996), Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998) and Horror Show (2001).
After Horror Show, Barlow quit the band and joined the police force, while Iced Earth continued on with Tim "Ripper" Owens, formerly of Judas Priest, on vocals. With Owens, the band released two studio albums (2004's The Glorious Burden and 2007's Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1). In late 2007, Barlow rejoined the band, and they recorded one more album with him: The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 (2008). In 2011, Barlow once again left Iced Earth, and was replaced by Into Eternity frontman Stu Block. Dystopia, Block's first album with the group, was released that October; the album received a positive response, while some critics called it one of Iced Earth's best albums. The group recorded two more albums with Block: Plagues of Babylon (2014) and Incorruptible (2017).
Before arriving at their current lineup, Iced Earth has had numerous line-up changes, with founder Jon Schaffer as the only founding member remaining. As of 2021, there have been over thirty musicians in and out of Iced Earth since its formation in 1984.
The band is composed solely of Schaffer and drummer Brent Smedley, with all other band members having departed following Schaffer's January 2021 arrest by the FBI for his involvement in the Capitol riots. Schaffer is in FBI custody on felony charges, which has generated new publicity for Iced Earth and has resulted in the band being dropped from their longtime label Century Media.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iced_Earth
Studio albums
Iced Earth (1990)
Night of the Stormrider (1991)
Burnt Offerings (1995)
The Dark Saga (1996)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998)
Horror Show (2001)
The Glorious Burden (2004)
Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 (2007)
The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 (2008)
Dystopia (2011)
Plagues of Babylon (2014)
Incorruptible (2017)
A Narrative Soundscape (2022)
Diary
Iced Earth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is as blackness is
Damn the light which comes from
You as a moth to flame I burn
In the twilight of morning I rest my weary eyes
For the benefits of the nights bounty were many
My soul has been redeemed (with those of others)
I missed my love tonight
Hiding behind the figure I cannot bare to face
That of a dead profit
And his beast of burden
Thorns ripping through his brow
Skin soft and white, eyes fire and ice
Just as I recall
Not longer than nine score
Certainly food for the gods
And fit for a prince
Her throat I'll have it now
I will have her, she is mine
Rise of the sun, my test of time
And when shadows fall on unholy ground
It's time to sleep again
As consciousness slips into blackness
I rise to nights warm embrace
And though my blood runs cold
I know my love will be alone
And my mortal heart shall beat again
Like it did ten thousand years ago
Forbidden love can only taste this sweet
Not like the others so incomplete
The symbolic arrow that pierces my heart
Takes the shape of a wooden stare
Now I am the one crucified
For her immortal heart I'd give my own
And die for mankind's sins
But that is not the nature of this beast
I am denied
I will have her, she is mine
Rise of the sun, my test of time
When shadows fall on unholy ground
I will make her mine
The song "Diary" by Iced Earth explores the theme of forbidden love and the desire to possess someone. The lyrics are dark and intense, with the singer expressing their longing for a woman whom they describe in vivid detail. The singer's love is forbidden, as the woman is likely already taken or belongs to a class of society that is deemed unacceptable. The singer expresses their willingness to do anything to have her, even if it means sacrificing their own mortality or taking her throat.
In the second half of the song, the singer transitions from their intense desires to a more reflective and somber mood. They realize that their love is impossible and that they must accept their fate of being alone. The singer expresses their hope that their mortal heart will beat again, indicating that they have been consumed by their desires for so long that they have lost touch with their humanity.
Overall, the song "Diary" is a powerful exploration of the dangers of obsession and the lengths some will go to attain their desires. It serves as a warning against allowing oneself to be consumed by love or lust, as the consequences can be severe and ultimately lead to one's downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
Mine is pure darkness
My soul is consumed by darkness
It is as blackness is
The blackness within mirrors the darkness in the world
Damn the light which comes from
I curse the light that reveals the darkness in me
You as a moth to flame I burn
You are drawn to my darkness, which will eventually destroy you
In the twilight of morning I rest my weary eyes
After a night of sin, I rest in the morning light
For the benefits of the nights bounty were many
The night brought pleasure, but also darkness and evil
My soul has been redeemed (with those of others)
I seek redemption, but know that others also seek it
I missed my love tonight
I long for a forbidden love
Hiding behind the figure I cannot bare to face
I am hiding from the truth of my own darkness
That of a dead profit
I am haunted by the memory of a dead religious leader
And his beast of burden
And the weight of the sins of the world
Thorns ripping through his brow
The image of the crucifixion is seared into my mind
Skin soft and white, eyes fire and ice
The object of my forbidden love is beautiful, with contrasting qualities
Just as I recall
I remember her vividly
Not longer than nine score
She lived no more than 180 years ago
Certainly food for the gods
She is so beautiful she could be a gift to the gods
And fit for a prince
She is as deserving of a royal partner
Her throat I'll have it now
I am obsessed with possessing her fully
I will have her, she is mine
I will stop at nothing to have her
Rise of the sun, my test of time
Whether I am successful in my quest will be revealed with the coming of the sunrise
And when shadows fall on unholy ground
I will take advantage of the darkness to seek out my love
It's time to sleep again
I must rest before I continue my pursuit
As consciousness slips into blackness
As I fall asleep, my mind becomes consumed by darkness
I rise to nights warm embrace
As I awaken, I am comforted by the darkness of the night
And though my blood runs cold
Despite the coldness within me, I continue to pursue my love
I know my love will be alone
I know that my love is doomed to be isolated and lonely
And my mortal heart shall beat again
My heart, despite my dark nature, yearns for love
Like it did ten thousand years ago
My love is so pure and ancient, it feels like it has existed for eons
Forbidden love can only taste this sweet
My love is all the more intense because it is forbidden
Not like the others so incomplete
Other, more conventional romances feel empty and meaningless compared to this
The symbolic arrow that pierces my heart
My love strikes me to the core of my being
Takes the shape of a wooden stare
My love feels like a punishment, like being nailed to a cross
Now I am the one crucified
Despite my sins, I am the one being punished
For her immortal heart I'd give my own
I am willing to sacrifice everything for her, even my own heart
And die for mankind's sins
I see myself as some kind of savior, willing to die for the sins of humanity
But that is not the nature of this beast
Even though I am consumed by darkness and desire, I know that my actions are not noble
I am denied
Despite my efforts, I am ultimately unable to possess my love fully
When shadows fall on unholy ground
Once again, I seek out my love under the cover of darkness
I will make her mine
Despite any obstacles, I will have her
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chem1kill
Iced earths best singer by far, Tim is good but nothing compares to the operatic diversity Matt Barlow brings, amazing! Greatest vampiric song i have heard!
1877 Wanderer
I think you can't really compare, because Matt had this dark, Gothic vibe which really contributed to this specific atmosphere. Tim is rather in the classic vein of Halford, Dio, Dickinson, etc., and his highs are more controlled, diverse and sustained, but this album specifically was designed for Barlow's style, it was really a good match. I can't say who was "better", but each had a style which contributed to the impact of the music.
Dude's t.v.g.
My opinion is Matt Barlow is the best iced earth singer and excellent one of the best singers there is, maybe from my liking of operatic voices though.
Sam King
0:34 Damn it I love this part of this song
Kit Brown
1:20 is one of the riffiest riffs in all of riffdom
Hornet
I love this song and usually listen to the the remixed version, which is also good. This version has its own charm though. Thanks for the upload.
Drone da Amazônia
03:24 Riff : absolute beatiful
puremetal86 puremetal86
So heavy, so fucking good!!! \m/
Renato Rabelo
Brutal! ♡
ΚΔ ΖΑΚΥΝΘΟΥ
This could have easily made it in the Horror Show Album