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bq. I think we have become a nation of spoiled-rotten fuckin' brats, and that worries me for the future. There's nothing worse than being an ignorant kid that is spoiled and has no concept of what's going on around the world. Let alone not even knowing what has gone on in their own world to make them who they are. If you don't know the sacrifices and suffering that went into the founding of this country, then how can you possibly appreciate what it is you have?"

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bq. But the whole idea of this country is not to have a government tit. We don't stand for that. There are people who would probably like that, and they should probably move to Canada.

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JS: But the way you asked your questions, you were asking biased questions. Calling our president the Bush regime? That's a tainted thing, dude. That's not like saying, 'How do you feel about President Bush?' Saying 'Bush Regime' is a bullshit way of saying it. That's spin, alright?

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Read the whole thing, then go to Amazon and listen to some clips from Glorious Burden. It opens with a blazing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. I've been a casual fan of Iced Earth for a while, but haven't bought anything they put out since Dark Saga. I'm pretty sure I'll be purchasing Glorious Burden, as it sounds like a great history lesson wrapped in some pretty powerful music.

Out of the ashes came a tempted vengeance,
but we are focused, we seek redemption
we are free, we'll stay free
All they've done, is make us stronger
The sleeping giant, is asleep no longer
If need be, we'll die free

Yea, a little cheesy, but taken as a whole, the lyrics are good reading.

[Glorious Burden was reviewed here by Blogcritic Jim Schwab]