Can you be too into music?

Music’s always been an extremely important thing to me, but I’ve been pondering that question quite a bit today. The reason? I’ve been sitting here all day stupidly staring at the new single from Iced Earth with anticipation and a very real sense of dread, unwilling to push play.

I’ve been a fan of the band for a lot of years, and I love every incarnation. This is the first time that I’ve ever had mixed feelings about an Iced Earth release. I’m usually combing the web, checking the site regularly, trying to get any taste I can of the new music. Two recent events have soured my feelings on the band a little, though. First was the promo fiasco that I’ve talked about ad nauseum on another thread  and won’t rehash here. Second, and most important, was the departure of Tim Owens. I really loved Iced Earth with Owens. His vocals were far more aggressive, and I thought they brought an edge to the band’s sound that it really needed. I’m still bummed out by the split five months later. Sad, but true.

It’s pretty silly, I know. After all, I loved Iced Earth with Matt Barlow. They became one of my favorite bands with Barlow on the mic. It’s not like there’s a singer coming in that I’ve never heard and I’m not sure what the band’s going to sound like. I’ve heard this band before. I liked this band before. Yet, there it sits on the band’s MySpace page, and for some reason I don’t want to listen to it.

I understand that I’m in the minority here. I know things, even good things, don’t always work out. I know there are a lot of fans who prefer Barlow. I know that the majority of European fans – Europe being where Jon Schaffer makes most of his money – prefer Barlow. I understand that music is a business, and I understand that the return of Matt Barlow is the right thing for Schaffer’s bank account, and perhaps the right thing to keep Iced Earth going. But I wonder if it’s the right thing for the music. It’s been stated that Barlow will continue his law enforcement career and Iced Earth’s live performances will be limited. So we’re looking at basically a studio band that does a few festival performances from the sound of things. Is that the right thing for fans? I don’t know. I’m hopeful, but at the same time I also have a lot of misgivings.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to like it. A good Iced Earth record is better than a bad Iced Earth record no matter who’s voice is on it. Then again, there’s this petty little part of me that wants to be able to say “I told you so.”

So how much does it matter, in real life, who the singer of Iced Earth is? Does it have any real impact on my personal life? Will my life change if I don’t like the new record? No. I hear records I don’t like every day, many from bands that I do like. Still, I’ve wasted a ridiculous amount of time thinking about this. That’s what’s so stupid. When I’m paying $3.50-plus a gallon for gas and the family grocery bill is skyrocketing, why am I worried about who’s singing for some rock band?

Who knows? Maybe it’s my way of trying to shift my admittedly obsessive-compulsive brain away from the stress of issues that are causing real problems in my life and those of the people around me. Or maybe I should just go pop a Xanax and push play.