ICED EARTH mainman on Schaffer has issued the following update:

"Well, recently a dream of mine came true. I’m now officially a Gibson Guitars endorsed artist.

This is the only guitar that I’ve used on every Iced Earth studio album and I’ve been an absolute Gibson addict for years. As many of you know, I’ve played 99% of every guitar part ever played on an Iced Earth recording. With the exception of a few guitar solos, I’ve recorded every rhythm, lead, clean and acoustic guitar part that you’ve ever heard from the band. All of those parts, with a very few exceptions, have been with a varying axe from the arsenal of my prized Gibson Guitars. It's because for my style there isn't a guitar out there that comes close in terms of tone, tightness and shear power. If you're a serious player, I highly recommend that you experience the power and focus of a Gibson Les Paul, Explorer, SG, etc. They all rule and they all can handle the speed and precision of brutal metal riffing, where most others fail to handle it. I've been saying it for years, even when I wasn't endorsed, there is no better, not even close.

So, for me to be an artist with the company that endorses JIMMY PAGE, ACE FREHLEY, ZAKK WYLDE, BB KING, JOHNNY A, PETE TOWNSEND, WARREN HAINES, etc., is truly a highlight of my career.

I have one of my very best friends to thank for this. A lot of you are familiar with my friendship with Blind Guardian for nearly 20 years now. I received an email from Marcus Siepen, guitarist for Blind Guardian, a few weeks before we did the Wacken Open Air festival. In that mail he stated that the guys at Gibson wanted to get in touch with me to talk about a deal. Marcus is a Gibson addict as well and we’ve often dreamt of being with them through the years. He told me that he had recently hooked up with them and that they were interested in me as well and wanted to meet at the festival. I was completely blown away and really excited about meeting them.

I met with Alex Becker from Gibson and we hit it off instantly, as he shares the same passion I do for these amazing instruments. From that point on I’ve entered into a deal that I expect will last a lifetime. I’ve been playing their guitars for over 20 years and Gibson is the only company that I would ever consider being exclusive with, I love their guitars that much.

We have some pretty exciting things planned for the future and we will keep you posted at www.icedearth.com for info on upcoming news. I want to thank Alex and Ulf from Gibson and I look forward to years of working together. This is truly a dream come true for me.

Take care all, and remember, Armageddon is coming......... real soon!"

Framing Armageddon is due for release in Germany on September 7th, all of Europe on September 10th, and on September 11th in North America via SPV.