Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Metal Shock Finland‘s Mohsen Fayyazi has recently published an interview with legendary guitarist and composer Jon Schaffer from American power metal band ICED EARTH. Some of this conversation can be read below:

When asked about recording a new album, Jon said: ” We’re gonna start writing in the fall, the album will probably be in the middle or fall of 2013. We still have more touring to do for Dystopia. Then we will be recording a live DVD on August 19th in Cyprus, which will be in an ancient theatre. It’s a very busy period, but we will be working on new material.”

Discussing whether there would be new material to come from Demons and Wizards, Jon had the following to say:  “Hans and I are definitely going to do more Demons and Wizards, but I don’t know when. The problem is our schedules. I’m so focused on Iced Earth right now, it’s taking up all my time.

Then this fall we’re going back into the songwriting for Iced Earth. So it’ll be difficult to squeeze in Demons and Wizards. Usually when Hans and I do an album and some shows it takes about a year, and I can’t take that time away from Iced Earth right now.”

When asked if Jon had ever met Ronnie James Dio or wanted to work with him, he said: “Ronnie and I were good friends and I miss him very much. We did have plans to work together. We were on tour with Heaven And Hell in the UK back in 2007, and even before that we talked about doing a project together. But it was difficult to get our schedules lined up. When we were on that tour we got more serious about it, and unfortunately it wasn’t very long after that we found out Ronnie had cancer and obviously that changed everything.

I loved Ronnie as a human being, certainly as a heavy metal legend, but to me he was much more than that, because he was such a genuine person.

It didn’t matter who he was talking to, he always listened to them and looked them in the eye. He was a very genuine special guy and this world is going to miss Ronnie Dio.”

You can listen to the whole of the interview on the Soundcloud player below:

“It was awesome, I made the impossible possible and I feel so good about it. As the first metal music journalist in Iran, it was like making a dream real. I grew up with ICED EARTH’S metal music, they were/are always one my favorite metal bands. Ten years ago I couldn’t ever imagine to be in this position. Jon Schaffer was awesome and he answered my questions in a very detailed way, I’m so happy for that and I hope you enjoy this interview as well. I want to thanks my MSF teammates especially Ali Blackdiamond and Taija from Century Media Records who helped me with this interview” Mohsen Fayyazi commented about this interview.