Touched by the Crimson King
SPV Records
Take one dramatic prog-metal vocalist (Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kursch), team him with a modern thrash mastermind (Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer), and you have the nucleus for Demons and Wizards. While their debut tended to lean a bit more towards the latter’s sound, their latest effort is much more a symbiosis of these two forces, with the little things going a long way in making this more than just “Iced Earth with Blind Guardian vocals.” With songs arranged to take full advantage of Kursch’s vocal range and power, they take on a more epic feel, quite fitting since these tracks are based upon the works of Steven King (except for album-closing Led Zeppelin cover, “Immigrant Song.”) This album is as diverse as anything else it’s members have released on their own. From the thrash-focused “Crimson King,” “Terror Train,” and “The Gunslinger,” to the more straight-ahead “Beneath These Waves,” “Love’s Tragedy Asunder,” and the epic “Dorian.” An aurally stunning album that will spend a lot of time in your CD player while satiating your desires for new output from Blind Guardian and Iced Earth.
- Dave Pirtle
