''Demons & Wizards'' is the self-titled debut album of the

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

supergroup Demons & Wizards (a side-project of Hansi Kürsch of

Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.Iced Earth Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...

),Colin Larkin ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' vol.4 - 2006 p446 "The triple live album Alive In Athens followed shortly afterwards, and in the same year Schaffer worked on his Demons & Wizards project with Hansi Kürsch of German power metallers Blind Guardian. By the end of 2000, Iced Earth was ..." released in February 2000. The album was recorded with the help of

Jim Morris James Samuel Morris Jr. (born January 19, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although brief, Morris' career is noted for making hi ...

, who plays lead guitar on almost all tracks, and by Mark Prator on drums.

Track listing

Standard issue

Distributed in Europe and North America by SPV and in Japan by Victor Entertainment.

Argentinian release

Distributed in Argentina by NEMS Enterprises.

Lyrical content

* "Heaven Denies" is based on Milton's '' Paradise Lost'', about the downfall of

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...

. * "Poor Man's Crusade" is about the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

in a mocking tone, in particular the

popular crusades The popular crusades were several movements "animated by crusading enthusiasm" but unsanctioned by the Church. They contrast with the "official crusades" authorised by the Papacy. While the latter consisted of professional armies led by apostoli ...

and the

Crusade of the Poor The Crusade of the Poor was an unauthorised military expedition—one of the so-called "popular crusades"—undertaken in the spring and summer of 1309 by members of the lower classes from England, Flanders, Brabant, northern France and the Ger ...

. * "Fiddler on the Green" is about two car accidents which Kürsch witnessed.Chronicles of Chaos talks to Jon Schaffer and Hansi Kursch of Demons & Wizards, by Adrian Bromley, Aaron McKay and Aaron McKay. August 12, 2000. Link

* "Winter of Souls" is about King Arthur and Mordred. * "Blood on My Hands" is based on Wagner's version of Siegfried's story, as told in the

Ring cycle (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the ''Nibelun ...

. * "The Whistler" is based on the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Personnel

;Demons & Wizards *

Hansi Kürsch Hans Jürgen "Hansi" Kürsch (born 10 August 1966) is a German singer, songwriter and former bass guitarist, best known as a member of the power metal band Blind Guardian. One of the founders of the band, he has been its lead vocalist since its ...

- vocals and lyrics *

Jon Schaffer Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968) is an American heavy metal musician. He is the rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter of the Indiana-based heavy metal band Iced Earth, which he formed in 1985 under the name Purgatory. He is also the ...

- lead and rhythm guitar, bass, music composition ;Guest musicians * Jim Morris - additional lead guitars * Mark Prator - drums

References

External links

Demons & Wizards' official websiteNEMS EnterprisesSPVVictor Entertainment
2000 debut albums Demons and Wizards (band) albums SPV/Steamhammer albums Albums recorded at Morrisound Recording Albums with cover art by Travis Smith (artist) {{DEFAULTSORT:Demons and Wizards (Demons and Wizards album)