Originally formed as Purgatory by guitarist Jon Schaffer on January 20, 1985,[1] the band spent five years playing live locally and went through several line-up changes.

[3] One year later, the band recorded their self-titled album Iced Earth, followed by 1991's Night of the Stormrider, which peaked at number 60 on the Japanese Oricon charts.

[4] Three years later, Iced Earth released Burnt Offerings, featuring new vocalist Matt Barlow,[2] followed by The Dark Saga (1996).

In 2001, the band released their sixth full-length Horror Show—which reached the top 30 on the Austrian Ö3 Top 40 and German charts—and later that year, the five-disc box set Dark Genesis, which contained remastered versions of their first three studio albums, the demo Enter the Realm, and seventh studio album, titled Tribute to the Gods.

[8] Two years later, Iced Earth signed a deal with SPV, and hired singer Tim "Ripper" Owens to record vocals for The Glorious Burden.