Photo Courtesy of Freeman Promotions

[UPDATE] 01/06/21 - With reports of Jon Schaffer taking part in the storming the U.S. Capitol building, Metal Injection has linked to this article. At this time Zombitrol Productions would like to explicitly express our disgust with Schaffer's actions, and the publication of this interview is in no way an endorsement of his views. I was in the process of taking it down, but upon realizing that it's now being used as a source in another article, I felt it improper to unpublish it.

In my first interview with Jon Schaffer, guitarist/founder of the long-running and beloved American heavy metal act Iced Earth, we talked about why the band seems impervious to lineup changes, how their sound evolves from album to album, and why he’s not keen on his band being associated with power metal (which he characterizes as “cheesy”).

Schaffer has also gained a reputation for right-wing beliefs after appearing on divisive conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ InfoWars program, wearing a confederate flag bandana on stage, as well as the intense rhetoric found in the lyrics of his side project Sons of Liberty. I feel that it is without question that due to the timeless nature of the classic heavy metal style that Iced Earth plays, it can be said that Schaffer has fans from all walks of life. Based on that presumption, I wanted to know if he has any concern about alienating parts of his fan base who don’t share his views. Have a listen via SoundCloud below.

Iced Earth’s latest album, Incorruptible, is available on Century Media Records, and you can watch the video for “Black Flag” below.