If you attended Iced Earth’s The Glorious Burden 2004 tour and took pictures, check to see if any show the two custom-painted Les Pauls the band brought out during the epic “Gettysburg” portion of the show. One has the Union flag, the other shows the Confederate, and both are going up for auction to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization that helps severely injured veterans. Iced Earth doesn’t own any suitable photos to help promote the upcoming auction, and right now, they don’t have a bass player either. If you have a “commanding stage presence that bleeds intensity, aggression, and emotion,” you can audition for “metal’s most bulletproof rhythm section” by sending them a DVD or CD. Other 2008 activity includes the band headlining the two-day ProgPower USA festival this September in Atlanta, plus there’s the temporary return of vocalist Matt Barlow, who will be keeping his job as police officer while moonlighting in Iced Earth. Check the band’s official website for details on all the above.

In related news, former Iced Earth drummer and current Howard Stern Show crew member Richard Christy has just announced that his “Heavy Metal Comedy Viking Rock Opera” Majestic Loincloth is finally finished and ready for release. Featuring music written by Christy and frequent Trivium producer Jason Suecof, the mighty Loincloth will soon be available on Christy’s official website, along with YouTube and iTunes. “If you like Metal and laughing at grown men wearing loincloths in public, then this movie is for you!,” says the auteur himself, so grab your viking helmet and check out the trailer.