This is pretty freaking incredible news.

Vocalist MATT BARLOW Rejoins ICED EARTH

I giggled with joy when I read this. Barlow is a metal legend, who left Iced Earth after 9/11, because he felt that at such a crucial time in American history, he should be doing some greater good than singing in a metal band. As if there is a greater good! I remember reading the news of his leaving on the band’s official website. (The website has since been revamped many times, and the original posting is no longer there, but you can read it verbatim here.) Jon Schaffer, guitarist and songwriter, explained the dreadful situation:

Matt called me a few weeks before we started pre-production and said that he wanted to quit the band and pursue a career doing administrative work for the Department of Homeland Security.

[...]

In hindsight I should not have pressured him into staying but there was no way I could have predicted what would happen, Matt had already quit in his heart, yet out of loyalty he was willing to give it a shot. The recording of the vocals did not go smoothly. It was obvious to Jim Morris (producer) and me that something was very wrong. However, we pushed forward and Jim felt that we may have to change the way we mixed the vocals but that we’d basically be ok.

[...]

Here’s the not so glorious burden of being the guy who makes tough decisions: I decided to stop production and shelve the album until I find a new singer. Matt‘s heart was not in it and it showed in his performance. I’m sure that’s hard for some of you to believe but it’s simply a fact. There are a lot of things you can do with today’s technology to make a singer sound better but you can’t add feeling with a computer.

I still hadn’t gotten over this loss when saw Iced Earth this fall. Sure, Jon Schaffer was there, but he was looking old, and Tim “Ripper” Owens added too much flair to the understated, darkly passionate vocal stylings of Barlow.

Here, take a look at what I’m taking about. The first video is from the newest CD, made during the Owens era. Then watch the second clip, a live version of Barlow doing “Melancholy (Holy Martyr).” There’s no comparison. Keep in mind that the Owens one is the studio track, and he still can’t deliver anything like what Barlow does live.

Iced Earth – “10,000 Strong” music video

Iced Earth – “Melancholy (Holy Martyr)” live from the Alive In Athens DVD

No longer must we endure this sacrilege. Schaffer promises a return to the grandeur of what made Iced Earth the ultimate power metal band.

Matt will be singing on Part 2 of the Something Wicked concept CD and we will be looking forward to getting out on tour and delivering a series of Iced Earth shows that will rival any in the history of the band. And there will be a proper DVD filmed from this period, something we’ve all been waiting for.

And he even goes so far as to credit the fans.

While out on the European tour I had several in depth discussions with many loyal Iced Earth fans. A common theme of these discussions was how much Matt is missed. I agreed with the fans that things were not the same and that it was a very special period in Iced Earth’s history.

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I want you all to know that it was you who made this a reality. I have missed Matt’s presence onstage and in my personal life in a big way over the past few years, so I appreciate your honesty in our discussions.

I know that during the show I was at, a chant of “BAR-LOW! BAR-LOW!” broke out, which I can only imagine made Owens feel like a real tool.

Cheers to a new age. And cheers also to Will, for his RSS vigilance.