Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow, (born 10. April 1970 in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA) was the vocalist of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. Barlow joined Iced Earth after the "Night of the Stormrider" tour with Blind Guardian in Europe, as a replacement for John Greely. The first album, Barlow can be heard on is "Burnt Offerings" (1995).
Barlow left the band in 2003, much to the chagrin of many fans. His reason for leaving was due to personal beliefs related to the September 11 terrorist attacks. He took a look at his life and realized that he wanted to contribute to the "real world" instead of living the illusion of a "rock star". He approached Jon Schaffer with this in late 2002, but Schaffer, known for his persuasive personality, convinced Barlow to stay with the band. When the band recorded "The Glorious Burden" Schaffer decided that Barlow's vocals were not what he desired them to be; he believed they lacked the passion and quality that Barlow was so famous for. He decided to let Barlow go after all and hire Tim Owens, the former lead singer of Judas Priest.
Barlow is currently employed as a police officer in the Georgetown Police Dept. in Georgetown, Delaware. He is also a vocalist for the "First State Force Band", which is comprised of law enforcement members from different departments throughout the State of Delaware. The band performs for schools, stressing such ideals as "Say no to drugs"; "Stay away from violence"; "Respect your parents, teachers, yourselves, others and life" through music.