Iced Earth is fantastic. It’s a shame that they aren’t better known.
A few months ago, I posted a link to their song “Dystopia”. It’s amazing how prophetic that song is, considering that it was released in 2012. The line “your vaccinated fate” is chilling.
Schaffer is being persecuted for his conservative beliefs. I’ve discovered that Metal artists are more likely to be conservative or libertarian than the “mainstream” artists.
In a just world, Iced Earth would be as famous as Metallica. A DJ in New York played Iced Earth on his metal-themed radio show after the "Horror Show" album came out in 2001, and I was hooked. "Dystopia" is another great song. You're right, the lyrics are so prophetic. "You'll love your servitude. We'll medicate your pain with our technology." I agree that Schaffer is being persecuted for his beliefs. The FBI gave him the "right wing extremist" label, and as soon as you get tagged with that, you're fair game.