Ex-ICED EARTH Singer STU BLOCK Fires Back At JON SCHAFFER Over 'Poser' Comment: 'True Confidence Doesn't Require Questioning Someone Else's Authenticity To Validate Your Own'

Former ICED EARTH frontman Stu Block has fired back at the band's leader Jon Schaffer after the guitarist called Block reaction's to Schaffer's involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot a "total poser move".

When Schaffer was famously photographed as one of the people who breached the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Stu initially posted a message online seemingly cheering on or reacting favorably to the events. After receiving negative feedback, Block deleted the post and shared a public condemnation of the incident — implicitly distancing himself from Schaffer, who was later arrested.

Last year, Schaffer labeled Block's reversal a "poser move" for backtracking under pressure. While Schaffer stated that he respects Block's talent, forgives him and holds no personal hate or malice, he ruled out any future reunion or working relationship with him.

During an appearance on a September 2025 episode of the "Podcast Of The Wicked", Jon talked about his current relationship with Stu and another of his former bandmates, BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch, both of whom distanced themselves from Jon's actions following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot. Block, the Canadian-born vocalist who had fronted ICED EARTH since 2011, officially quit the band in February 2021, stating at the time it was "the best decision in many ways" for his "personal and professional growth going forward." Around the same time, the German-born Kürsch quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer.

Jon said: " "Let me just take this opportunity to say, I hope that the fans out there will stop — I mean, my wish is that they would stop hating on Stu and on Hansi… The guys were pressured. Some guys handled it better, some guys handled it very weak and kind of pathetic. And I think the biggest issue when it comes to Stu is that he made a post [on January 6, 2021] cheering it on and then flipped and that looks like a total poser move. You know what? It is a total poser move, but it's okay. Forgive him. We did some great work together. I had some of the best times in my life with Stu… I have very precious memories with Stu, so please just forgive him. I forgive him… I really don't have any ill will. I know [Stu's] true colors, so that's a good thing. I'm not interested in hanging out like we did — I have no interest in that — but he's a part of the band's history and we did some great stuff together. And I wish him well."

Shortly after the interview was posted on YouTube, Block responded via Facebook with just five words: "I'm absolutely gutted right now."

Now, nearly 14 months after Schaffer made his "poser" comment in reference to Block, Stu took to his Facebook page to write a lengthy response to what he called Jon's "weak argument" and attempt to "dismiss someone without having to engage with what they actually think".

Stu wrote: "I've been reflecting on a comment made about me many months ago by someone I once considered a friend, and I think there's a bigger conversation worth having here.

"Calling someone a 'poser' is often a sign of immaturity and insecurity because it replaces meaningful conversation with shallow judgment. It suggests that someone believes they have the authority to decide who is authentic, who belongs, and who is worthy of respect.

"True confidence doesn't require questioning someone else's authenticity to validate your own. When you're secure in who you are, you don't need to diminish others for having different beliefs, experiences, or perspectives. Especially in the metal community, where individuality, rebellion, and freedom of expression have always been celebrated, calling someone a poser is incredibly ironic. You're essentially demanding conformity within a culture that prides itself on rejecting it. It's a weak argument because it isn't really an argument at all. It's a label used to dismiss someone without having to engage with what they actually think, have to say, believe, or stand for.

"There's nothing impressive about appointing yourself the gatekeeper of someone else's identity or integrity. Maturity is understanding that people can walk different paths, change their opinions based off fact , disagree passionately, stand by their own convictions, and still deserve respect.

"I don't need anyone's approval to validate my authenticity, my contributions, or the years I've dedicated to my craft. My work, my character, and my actions speak for themselves.

"Authenticity isn't something you prove by tearing others down. It's something you demonstrate through your own actions. And perhaps the greatest irony is that those who spend the most time accusing others of being posers or tearing you down are almost always the very people most concerned with proving how authentic they are. It just seems so desperate and weak.

"Real strength is having the courage to stand by your own convictions, even when doing so costs you the approval of others. Weakness is believing that anyone who doesn't stand beside you must somehow be beneath you.

"I have nothing to prove by insulting someone else. I'd rather let my actions, my music, and the way I treat people define who I am.

"At the end of the day, respect isn't about agreeing with everything someone says or does. It's about having enough maturity to recognize that disagreement doesn't erase someone's worth, accomplishments, or integrity.

"YOU do not get to define someone else's authenticity simply because they chose a different path than yours."

Schaffer's involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot also apparently affected his relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.

Back in August 2021, Stu said that Jon "fucked up real bad" when he got involved in the violent protest at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 that left several dead, including a Capitol police officer.

Stu addressed Jon's involvement in the Capitol riot as well as his departure from ICED EARTH in an interview with The Metal Voice. Speaking about his former bandmate, he said: "We all make bad decisions, man, and [Jon] fucked up real bad. And I'm sure he knows it, and I think everybody with half a brain knows it… The line that was crossed with going in and all that kind of stuff… He had so much going on. It was a shame. It hurts, 'cause you've got plans, and all of a sudden, you can't tell someone what to do — you can't tell a very strong-willed individual what to do; you can't. And so it would be lost words."

He added: "At the end of the day, I don't hate him. I'm not writhing in hate for him. I feel sad. I feel bad that everything went down the way it did. And maybe one day we'll talk. I don't know. I'm not too sure. But I think he knows that I still have a place in my heart for him, because I've seen that man do a lot of amazing, wonderful things for people. But I just wanna move on. And that's what it is."

When Hansi announced his exit from DEMONS & WIZARDS in February 2021, he said in a statement: "I notified Jon and Century Media [DEMONS & WIZARDS' then-record label] on Monday that I was leaving the DEMONS & WIZARDS project with immediate effect. My collaboration with Jon in DEMONS & WIZARDS is over."

Back in December 2022, Hansi declined to discuss DEMONS & WIZARDS while speaking to Metal Hammer magazine, saying: "It's an open case. I believe [Jon] deserves the right to express himself, to explain his side, and we wouldn't want to interfere with that."

In May 2024, Hansi was asked during an appearance on "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, if he had heard from Jon in the preceding months, with Jasta opining that "everybody deserves a second chance." Hansi said: "Well, I agree. He certainly deserves a second chance. That is the main message which should be spread out in general. And other than that, he's facing his trials. So, it's a very open situation he's in. And, yeah, let him express himself first before anyone else is saying anything about it. That's my opinion, and this is how I treat it."

Asked if he thought there was a road back for Schaffer in terms of ICED EARTH's ability to secure tours in the future and whether European promoters would be willing to book him, Hansi said: "Um, I have no idea. I really have no idea. I haven't spoken to anyone, and that basically is not my business."

In October 2024, Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. At the sentencing hearing, Jon was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment. Schaffer later became one of about 1,500 people accused of crimes related to the riot who were pardoned by U.S. president Donald Trump.

In April 2025, Schaffer said in an interview that the legal issues and professional setback he faced as a result of his involvement in the Capitol riot have been "the biggest gift" of his life, in part because "it is what led" him "to [Jesus] Christ."