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)
Reflections
Iced Earth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A heavy heart for the task at hand
I witnessed savagery
Hands tied to destiny
The exodus of the chosen
As foreseen in the prophecy
Hiding until it's time
When they spoke of the invasion
We were chosen from ties that bind
Bloodlines through centuries
Destined to be the ones to lead
The twelve and I, a new high council
Absorb the power of the Watcher's eye
The high priest resides in me
The Elder lives on in all thirteen
The lyrics of Iced Earth's song "Reflections" paint a somber picture of a leader who is reflecting on a task that weighs heavy on his heart. He has witnessed savagery and feels his hands are tied to destiny. The situation at hand has been foreseen in prophecy as the exodus of the chosen, who have been hiding until the time comes to cloud human minds. The chosen, who have bloodlines through centuries, are destined to lead during the invasion they knew was going to happen.
The chorus of the song reveals that the chosen twelve along with the leader have formed a new high council to absorb the power of the Watcher's eye. The high priest resides in him and the elder lives on in all thirteen. The leader realizes that he has been chosen for a great purpose, and that he must lead and protect his people at all costs, even though the task is daunting and heavy on his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
As I reflect on the situation
Thinking over the current situation and realizing its gravity
A heavy heart for the task at hand
Feeling weighed down by the burden of what needs to be done
I witnessed savagery
Having seen brutality and inhumanity
Hands tied to destiny
Unable to control one's fate or future
The exodus of the chosen
The departure of the privileged or the special ones
As foreseen in the prophecy
As predicted by a prophetic vision
Hiding until it's time
Waiting in seclusion until the opportune moment
To cloud all the human minds
To obscure or muddy the thoughts of all humans
When they spoke of the invasion
When the topic of the invasion was brought up
We were chosen from ties that bind
We were selected from the commonalities that bring us together
Bloodlines through centuries
Families with shared ancestry or heritage over many generations
Destined to be the ones to lead
Fated or preordained to be the leaders
The twelve and I, a new high council
A grouping of thirteen people, including the singer, now comprising an authoritative body
Absorb the power of the Watcher's eye
Taking in the immense strength of the Watcher's monitoring or observing energy
The high priest resides in me
The chief religious official dwells or embodies within the singer
The Elder lives on in all thirteen
The eldest or wisest person continues to exist in all thirteen of them
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JON SCHAFFER, TIMOTHY MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind