Stu Block (Into Eternity) joins Iced Earth

"Oh hey look at me, I'm already awesome but I think I'm gonna go join Iced Earth now too". Dick

Well now, I can honestly say I wasn't expecting this. It would appear that Iced Earth's long-time vocalist Matt Barlow is quitting the band for a second time once they finish their European tour this summer, and his replacement is none other than Stu Block from Into Eternity, one of my favorite vocalists of all time. Matt Barlow is a fantastic singer, and we're all sad to see him go (again), but I honestly couldn't think of a better replacement for him. As with Kevin Talley and Six Feet Under, Stu seems to be almost overqualified for this job, because while Iced Earth is known for their powerful singing and falsettos, the guy can also growl and scream just as good as any other death metal vocalist, and Iced Earth doesn't do that, like, ever. But even still, this is obviously very exciting news for fans of either band, and to add more happy news, this doesn't mean that Into Eternity are breaking up anytime soon, so Stu will be pulling double duty for two of the coolest melodic metal bands of all time, or at least of our generation. Plus, Into Eternity just announced that they've hired a new drummer as of last week, so no one was really worried about that in the first place. I'm already giddy with excitement for any new recordings/tours with Stu on vocals, so this is definitely something we're going to keep a close eye on. Before we wrap it up, here's a couple videos from the two bands in question, starting with a live video for one of many of Iced Earth's claims to fame, "The Burning Times":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWoQdYB1smU

See that, I think one of the reasons why Iced Earth are so good is because they're one of those rare bands that are actually better live than they are on CD. Stu's definitely got his work cut out for him on this one, but I believe he's up to the challenge, and you know I'm a cynical bastard, I don't gush out compliments like these to just anyone. If you don't believe me, check out the music video for "Timeless Winter" from their 2006 opus The Scattering of Ashes, where you get to see the full extent of his vocal capacity. And the rest of the band aren't exactly pushovers either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nQ4ZR-NI6A

Let us know if you're as excited as I am about all this in the comments below, and remember to share the article, make a profile to follow us and keep telling your friend(s) about us, spread the word as much as you can. The rebellion started with us, but it's up to you to keep it going strong. Right, there's your Hollywood action movie line for the day, I think we can call this an article. Tune in later for more, we're not done yet.


-BK