Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band that combines genres such as power metal, speed metal and thrash metal in their music. The band was formed by Jon Schaffer, the lead songwriter and rhythm guitarist, in Tampa, Florida in 1984. The original name of the band was Purgatory but was then changed to Iced Earth. Iced Earth’s music is often described as the style of Iron Maiden combined with 80’s thrash metal. The most distinctive element of the band’s sound is the stuttering right-hand gallop of rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer