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)
Prophecy
Iced Earth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An attack on hallowed ground, from high above
Alien to us, the species known as man
A serious threat, in the eyes of the Elder
So heed my warning, before our own existence falls near extinct
Our culture is lost in ancient mystery, covered in the sands of time
In secret they will meet a new society
Ten thousand years from now, a child will be born
I've seen the vision, the writing on the wall
He'll walk the Earth, two thousand years or more
Paving the way, for mankind's fall
So there is hope you see, but we must act with great speed
Assemble the chosen, the ones to lead, and morph them in the likeness of man
Oppressed for centuries, await the prophecy
The child will set us free, reclaim it rightfully
We'll take their identity and live among them free
All the while, plotting events that mold their history
We'll build the perfect beast with the knowledge that they seek
If it takes ten thousand years, we never will retreat
Assassins we will be, through human history
Jesus Christ to Kennedy, the Domino Decree
Disciples of the Watch, prepare the coming curse
If it takes ten thousand years, we never will retreat
And so, our world is doomed, we'll lay claim again some day
There is hope, in the birth of one, so many centuries away
The song Prophecy by Iced Earth seems to be describing a dark and ominous vision of the future of mankind. The lyrics depict an attack on a sacred ground by an alien race, which is considered a serious threat by the Elders. This threat is so great that the singer warns that it may lead to the extinction of human existence. However, there is hope in the form of a child who will be born ten thousand years from now. The child is prophesied to pave the way for mankind's fall, and the oppressed can finally reclaim their freedom.
The song's themes revolve around the struggle of people against their oppressors, the inner conflict that arises when people want to claim their freedom, and how the future of humanity is shaped by those who are willing to put in the effort to ensure a better future. The lyrics also touch on the idea of how knowledge can be both a curse and a blessing, depending on how it is used.
The use of historical events in the song, such as the assassination of Jesus Christ, JFK, and the Domino Decree, adds a unique layer of depth to the lyrics. It suggests that in the future, there will be a group of people who will be behind major events in human history, subtly manipulating events to their advantage.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see clearly now, a painful vision indeed
The singer has a painful vision of an attack on hallowed ground from an alien species.
An attack on hallowed ground, from high above
The alien species known as man is attacking sacred places from above.
Alien to us, the species known as man
The species known as man is different and unknown to us.
A serious threat, in the eyes of the Elder
The Elder sees man as a significant threat.
So heed my warning, before our own existence falls near extinct
The artist warns us to act before our existence is threatened with extinction.
Our culture is lost in ancient mystery, covered in the sands of time
Our culture is shrouded in mystery and lost to the ravages of time.
A sacred few survive the massacre this night
Only a few sacred people have survived the attack this night.
In secret they will meet a new society
They will meet and form a new secret society.
Ten thousand years from now, a child will be born
A child will be born in ten thousand years.
I've seen the vision, the writing on the wall
The artist has had a vision and can see what is inevitably coming.
He'll walk the Earth, two thousand years or more
The child will live for two thousand years or more and walk the earth.
Paving the way, for mankind's fall
The child will pave the way for mankind's fall.
So there is hope you see, but we must act with great speed
There is hope, but we must act quickly.
Assemble the chosen, the ones to lead, and morph them in the likeness of man
Chosen ones should be gathered and transformed to look like humans so that they can lead effectively.
Oppressed for centuries, await the prophecy
The oppressed have been waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled for centuries.
The child will set us free, reclaim it rightfully
The child will liberate us and claim what is rightfully ours.
We'll take their identity and live among them free
We will assume their identities and live among them freely.
All the while, plotting events that mold their history
While living among them, we will manipulate and shape their history.
We'll build the perfect beast with the knowledge that they seek
We will use their desires and construct the perfect being.
If it takes ten thousand years, we never will retreat
We will never abandon our plan, even if it takes ten thousand years.
Assassins we will be, through human history
We will act as assassins throughout human history.
Jesus Christ to Kennedy, the Domino Decree
We will assassinate key figures such as Jesus Christ and Kennedy and carry out the Domino Decree.
Disciples of the Watch, prepare the coming curse
The Disciples of the Watch will prepare for the upcoming curse.
And so, our world is doomed, we'll lay claim again some day
Our world is doomed, but we will eventually reclaim it.
There is hope, in the birth of one, so many centuries away
The only hope lies in the birth of a child many centuries away.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheMetalmicah57
Truly one of the greatest metal bands of the 90s, and only 52k views?
@Thanos23
Super, ultra, highly underrated, probably the most underrated heavy metal band in history.
@srboris80
2:42 Best Riff in heavy metal. No discussion
@megadavetaylor2949
Best riff in heavy metal :D? What kind of ignorance is this..?
@thecybervirus5663
Dime Bag Darrell - cowboys from hell.
@Magnus0311
Hands down the best metal band on the planet. Iced Earth defines metal.
@shawnc666
3:44 second....probably the best riff I have ever heard in my life...this shit makes the hair on my arms stand up!!!!
@82Greekfire
DUDE ... FUCKING A ... I COULDNT HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER ...
@hazyshade9648
I love this band so much.
@dapperdan9034
Well I'm addicted.