ICED EARTH: More European Dates With JUDAS PRIEST Announced

While hard at work on their new album, veteran American metallers ICED EARTH have announced more dates for what is shaping up to be a very busy summer. On top of performing at festivals across Europe, the band has just accepted to be special guest to JUDAS PRIEST in Holland, Germany and Switzerland.

The band's schedule is shaping up as follows:

May 02 - Chicago Powerfest - Mokena, Illinois
May 09 - Centre de Foires - Quebec City, Quebec
May 11 - Rockhard - Gelsenkirchen
Jun. 21 - Hellfest Open Air - Clisson, France
Jun. 22 - Ijsselhal - Zwolle, Netherlands *
Jun. 23 - Philipshalle, Duesseldorf, Germany *
Jun. 24 - Zenith - Muenchen, Germany *
Jun. 25 - National Sportzentrum - Huttwil, Switzerland *
Jun. 27 - Bang Your Head - Balingen, Germany
Jun. 28 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
Jun. 29 - Gods of Metal - Bologna, Italy
Jul. 05 - Metalcamp - Tolmin, Slovenia
Jul. 11 - Via De La Planta - Merida, Spain
Aug. 14 - Sziget Festival - Hu-Obudai Island, Hungary
Aug. 16 - Bloodstock Open Air - Derbyshire, UK
Sep. 27 - ProgPower USA IX - Atlanta, Georgia

* Opening for JUDAS PRIEST

ICED EARTH's official web site, IcedEarth.com, has been updated with a brand new audio interview with the band's mainman, Jon Schaffer. The wide-ranging 37-minute chat is available as a free MP3 download at this location (35 MB).

Interview topics include:

* Where the track from the new single, "I Walk Alone", fits into the "Something Wicked" saga
* The decision for choosing the three songs from "Framing Armageddon" that were re-recorded with returning singer Matt Barlow on the new single
* Ongoing booking plans beyond those already announced for 2008
* A possible USO tour in Afganastan and Iraq
* Setlist plans for Chicago Powerfest on May 2
* Jon's new signature pickup, The Ice Bucker, created by Jim Wagner of WCR Guitar Pickups
* Technical talk and advice about acheiving guitar tone
* Jon's guitar picks of choice and how they affect guitar tone
* Jon's new private studio, Soaring Eagle Sound
* Impressions on the new Century Media Records box set, "Slave to the Dark"

Audio samples from ICED EARTH's forthcoming single, "I Walk Among You", have been posted on the group's MySpace page.

With the framework for the Armageddon of Man firmly laid with the bands
2007 full-length release, "Framing Armageddon - Something Wicked Part I", ICED EARTH is set to launch the next installment of Jon Schaffer's "Something Wicked" saga with the release of "I Walk Among You" on the following dates:

Germany - June 6
Rest of Europe - June 9
USA/Canada - June 10

The full-length studio follow-up to "Something Wicked Part I" is due for release in fall of 2008.

The new single and proceeding full-length studio album mark the return to the band of longtime frontman Matt Barlow, whose dark and sinister tones are the perfect fit to narrate the intense and viscous annihilation of mankind set in motion with the birth of the storys main character, "Set Abominae", in "Something Wicked Part II". The single will allow fans to get a glimpse of the bright future for the band, and the perhaps not-so-bright future for humanity as we now know it.

The single will feature three songs, an exclusive version of the song "I Walk Alone" and a few tracks from "Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)" with new vocal performances by Matt Barlow. Due to the re-tracking of the lead vocals these tracks have been remixed and remastered. There will be an iTunes-exclusive version of the single "I Walk Among You" that features "A Charge To Keep" which has also been re-sung by Matt, remixed and re-mastered.

The video for "I Walk Alone" is being filmed in early April.

All tracks were recorded at Jon Schaffer's studio, Soaring Eagle Sound, and mixed and mastered at Morrisound. The single, and following full-length platter will be released by Steamhammer/SPV.

"I Walk Among You" (cover artwork) track listing:

01. I Walk Alone
02. Setian Massacre
03. The Clouding
04. A Charge to Keep (exclusive iTunes track)