In a new interview with Riffs From The Couch, ICED EARTH’s founding guitarist Jon Schaffer spoke about his newfound faith after being sentenced for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Asked what role his relationship with Jesus Christ played in helping him to get through his ordeal and what impact those circumstances had on his relationship with Christ, Jon said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, I would say that as brutal as it’s been in the big picture, it’s been the biggest gift of my life to go through this, not only for the cause, but for the fact that it is what led me to Christ.”My life’s journey has been incredible — I mean, you can’t make this stuff up — and so it’s, like, it took that to break my stubborn… I was very stubborn, very, very hardheaded and very driven,” Jon explained. “But I realized that all the things that I’d been writing about [in my songs] and the sort of the warnings and stuff through the catalog and various projects, and that I feel like God was working through me and I didn’t even know it. And so when I was locked up in solitary, the only book that I could get was a Bible. And even that request took about three weeks to get it. And I started reading and… ‘Cause I was a Christian when I was a kid. Then I went to a religious school and things changed for me after that experience. And I’ll get into more of that in my testimony. But if it wasn’t for this, I am certain that I was on a path to destruction and that it took this and this time, these years of solitude, to understand and learn, and I’m still learning. I have a lot to learn. I think there’s a lot to the Bible. But I look at the Bible as a… We’re in a fallen state, and the Bible is like the operator’s manual to help you not just live, but thrive in the fallen state. And Jesus is the only way — that is absolutely clear to me now. And this has come in various steps of my…”Schaffer added: “I’ve always been awake to corruption and held very strong views against government corruption and what’s happening and this level, but when you start to understand it from a biblical standpoint, then it gets real and that’s when the dots start connecting. And I just feel like — without getting too deep in the weeds about everything that happened — if it wasn’t for what happened, I would not have been saved and called by Christ. And I feel like this is the beginning of a new chapter. I don’t know what that looks like, and that’s okay, ’cause he’s in the driver’s seat.”Asked if he had any other message for people who might be watching the interview, Jon said: “I think we’re in an unprecedented period of time for humanity, and I just strongly encourage you to look at Jesus’s teachings, what he stood for, what he died for, what he rose for, and realize that regardless of how horrible things may appear, there is a way out and it will bring you a sense of peace that you cannot possibly imagine. When you’re in a fallen state, you have no clue, but when you see that pathway and when it’s in you, it brings a level of calm and strength that it’s just hard to put into words until it happens.”Last October, Jon was sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment. Schaffer later became one of about 1,500 people accused of crimes related to the riot who were pardoned by President Donald Trump.Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon.As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases. In return for Schaffer’s assistance, the Justice Department later urged the judge to show leniency during his sentencing. Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer’s relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.Last week, Schaffer teased a possible return to music, telling the It Is Later Than You Think podcast of Cornerstone Church, a non-denominational Church in Trafalgar, Indiana: ”There’s a few releases that I’ve got up my sleeve that we’re gonna be working on. In terms of new material, I’m gonna give that a little bit of time. I need to know that there’s clear artistic direction and not something that’s manufactured by me. Because I’ve done enough records in my career to know some of ’em were wedged into schedules because tours on either side and you’re kind of forced into a writing mode because of schedule pressures and other commitments. And sometimes working under pressure is really great, and other times you’re going through the motions. And so whatever I would do going forward, I only wanna do something that’s gonna be great. I don’t want anything to be forced. And I want it to glorify God. And I think there’s just so much, from a creative standpoint… There’s actually been some biblical stuff throughout my catalog anyway, but from the eyes of a Christian now, like, man, there’s so much inspiration there that hopefully would have a good effect on people. So I hope that comes back to me. I hope that it’s, like, ‘Okay, it’s time. Activate.’ But I don’t know.”It was just Friday this past week where I got a call that the civil case is dismissed, and really, when you consider the level of stress and pressure and fight or flight and the PTSD and all the things, the financial wrecking, all of the, the things, I think it’s gonna take a little bit of time to come completely out of this,” Jon explained. “Although I’m cool and calm with what’s happening, and I do view it as a gift and a blessing, it’s still, like, I’m a human living in the world. And I think it’s just gonna take a little bit of time to feel free again. Even if it was all an illusion anyway. With my lifestyle, man, I felt like I was. But when I started waking up, I knew it was all B.S. I could [force creativity], but it’s not gonna be great. I want it to be great… I know the rough spots in the catalog. I know how it works, and if that’s my calling, to be creative again, then I’ll do it. But I don’t know. It’s gotta be something. It’ll move me. I’ll know it, put it that way. It’ll be unstoppable. That’s the way it was before. So it’s, like, ‘Oh, here it comes. I can’t stop it. It’s going.’. But we’ll see. Yeah, it’s not my timeline. I’ve surrendered that.”[embedded content]
