In a recent appearance on the Podcast Of The Wicked , guitarist Jon Schaffer spoke about the future of Iced Earth . The band went on hiatus after Jon's involvement in the invasion of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Schaffer revealed that, despite having received "great financial offers" to reunite the group, "the time is not now."
“Look, the short answer is no, not anytime soon,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth.net ). “If it were for money, I’d take it. But it would be a checkers game. It wouldn’t be good for me, for the band, for the crew, or for the fans, because I need to do this because I love it, and whatever happens needs to be truly inspired, not a ‘good’ Iced Earth record or a ‘good’ show; it has to be gold. And that’s going to take some time.”
Schaffer explained that he is in a process of personal recovery and that his priorities have changed. “I have a lot of recovery to do from all of this and I’m working on it. Getting off that hamster wheel of ‘album, tour, album, tour’ has been good for me. My energies are now focused on something that isn’t selfish, that’s part of something that’s really trying to make a meaningful change and push our society towards a freer society.”
He continued, reinforcing the weight of the band's legacy: “It’s a solid legacy. I started this band 40 years ago. I worked hard for it. So I have nothing to prove to anyone. What we deliver in the future will have to be nothing less than incredible, or I won’t do it, because I don’t want to do it if that’s the case. It’s simply not a smart move.”
Relationship with former bandmates
Schaffer also asked fans to stop attacking his former bandmates, vocalist Stu Block and Hansi Kürsch (of Blind Guardian and Demons & Wizards ). Both publicly distanced themselves from Schaffer after the events at the Capitol, with Block announcing his official departure from the band and Kürsch ending the Demons & Wizards project.
“My wish is that they stop hating on Stu and Hansi… The guys were pressured,” he stated. Regarding Stu Block, he commented: “He made a post [on January 6, 2021] celebrating and then changed it, and that seems like a totally poser attitude. You know what? It’s a totally poser attitude, but it’s okay. Forgive him. I had some of the best moments of my life with Stu… Please, just forgive him.”
Regarding Hansi Kürsch, the relationship remains strong. “Hansi and I are still close and always will be. We talked several times before I turned myself in, and I knew what was coming because of the pressure he was under. It was a witch hunt,” he explained. “I cherish the memories I have with Hansi, and we will have more—probably not musically; I doubt that will happen. But as brothers, nothing will change that.”
In past interviews, Stu Block had stated that Jon “messed up badly,” but added: “In the end, I don’t hate him. I feel sad that everything happened the way it did. And maybe one day we’ll talk.” Hansi Kürsch, for his part, recently declared that Schaffer “certainly deserves a second chance.”.
Schaffer's legal situation was one of the most high-profile cases involving an artist in the January 6th riot. After being photographed during the Capitol storming and listed on an FBI 'wanted' poster, the guitarist surrendered to authorities on January 17, 2021. He was charged with six federal crimes , including obstruction of official process and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon (pepper spray). In April 2021, Schaffer became the first riot participant to plead guilty as part of a cooperation agreement with prosecutors. Following his confession, he was released under specific conditions and remained free pending final sentencing, which was handed down in October 2023: 36 months of probation, 120 hours of community service, and the payment of restitution fines.
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