Iced Earth founder Jon Schaffer has released a brand-new video clip for the song “Molon Labe”. The track comes from his personal project, Sons Of Liberty, and the visualisation was handled by DazVideos. It’s the second video we’ve seen from his recent work, after “Full Spectrum Dominance”.
This release is titled “Thought Crimes (Volumes 1 & 2)”. In essence it’s a fresh and far more dynamic mix that combines the 2009 album “Brush-fires Of The Mind” with the 2011 EP “Spirit Of The Times”. The big difference now is that the “fake”, programmed drums of the past have been replaced. His old friend Mark Prator (known from classic Iced Earth and Demons & Wizards records) recorded real drums. Jim Morris handled the modern production, making the material sound more massive than ever. The new, improved cover was designed by Roy Young and David Newman Stump.
Speaking about “Molon Labe”, Schaffer explained that he wrote it in 2011, clearly inspired by the Battle of Thermopylae and King Leonidas. It’s a song dedicated to the 300 Spartans, honouring their discipline, courage and self-sacrifice against a vast army. As he says himself, trying to get into Leonidas’ mindset during the recording, he discovered a completely new tone in his voice.
Through Sons Of Liberty, the musician continues to spread his pro-freedom messages. His lyrics are sharply critical of authoritarianism and today’s economic system. He makes clear he doesn’t care about pleasing everyone and stresses that the most important thing in a society is being able to hear and respect the opposing view, as long as there is no violence. Commenting on the war he has faced, he says his music is perhaps the most censored in heavy metal history. At the same time, he promised that in the future he will write new material for the project, focusing on “solutions”.
“Thought Crimes (Volumes 1 & 2)” is already available on all streaming services. But if you’re a collector and want the physical copy, you’ll have to wait until July 4, 2026 (a date that coincides with 250 years since American Independence). It will be released via The Circle Music on double vinyl (in five colours), cassette, CD digipak and a luxurious leather box. Through his official site (icedearthmerch.com) a very limited vinyl edition of just 100 copies will also be available.
The background and the legal troubles: It’s worth recalling the difficult situations the guitarist went through. In October 2024 he was convicted for his involvement in the Capitol riots in January 2021. His sentence was three years’ probation, 120 hours of community service and fines, while he later received a pardon from President Donald Trump. Because of these events, many members of his bands (such as singer Stu Block, bassist Luke Appleton and Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian) left. He also lost his record deal with Century Media. Still, in an interview in April 2025, Schaffer stated that this whole legal ordeal was “the greatest gift” of his life, since through it he found his faith in Jesus Christ.
The Tracklists of the editions:
CD:
- Jekyll Island
- Full Spectrum Dominance
- False Flag
- Our Dying Republic
- Molon Labe
- Indentured Servitude
- Feeling Helpless?
- Don’t Tread On Me
- The Cleansing Wind
- Mind Control
- Alive
- Tree Of Liberty
- Spirit Of The Times
- We The People
- *Jekyll Island (Full Version)
Vinyl: Side 1:
- Jekyll Island
- Don’t Tread On Me
- False Flag
- Our Dying Republic
- Indentured Servitude
Side 2:
- Tree Of Liberty
- Feeling Helpless?
- The Cleansing Wind
- We The People
Side 3:
- Alive
- Full Spectrum Dominance
- Molon Labe
- Mind Control
- Spirit of the Times
Side 4 (Demos):
- Jekyll Island (Demo)
- Don’t Tread On Me (Demo)
- False Flag (Demo)
- Our Dying Republic (Demo)
- Indentured Servitude (Demo)
Watch the related videos here:
