Demons & Wizards' 'III' - Album Review

Side projects are often interesting concepts as they allow musicians to collaborate with other musicians who they may not often work with, as well as try out some different musical paths and ideas. Often side projects end up being very different from a musician's main band, as they can offer some additional creative freedom that might not be available within the confines of the day job. Sometimes however, side projects end up being something of a 'meeting of minds' and become almost the perfect meshing of two or more band's distinct styles. Demons & Wizards is one of those projects, with the music on the band's three studio albums being a perfect mix of the galloping, hard-hitting melodic thrash of Iced Earth and the grand, progressive symphonies of Blind Guardian. Demons & Wizards was formed in the late 1990s by guitarist Jon Schaffer and singer Hansi Kürsch, who had struck up a friendship after Iced Earth and Blind Guardian toured together a handful of times throughout the decade. The result of this friendship was the pair's self-titled debut Demons & Wizards in 1999 that perfectly melded Iced Earth and Blind Guardian's distinct styles together - creating a sound that was fast-paced and heavy, as well as full of epic scope and soaring melodies. Perhaps on paper that collaboration should not have been as successful as it was, but Demons & Wizards certainly caught lightning in a bottle. Schaffer and Kürsch have remained friends throughout the years but, due to the demands of their main bands, Demons & Wizards has often been dormant. 2005 saw the release of the pair's second album Touched by the Crimson King, as well as a handful of live shows to support it, but since that album's release the band has essentially been on ice. Both Schaffer and Kürsch have said numerous times over the years that they would like to return to Demons & Wizards, but the demanding touring schedules of Iced Earth and Blind Guardian have been keeping both extremely busy. Last year however, the pair decided to finally place Demons & Wizards back in the spotlight and put together a fairly lengthy tour that took in many festivals as well as European and American headline shows. This was the first proper tour of the band's history, and as a result it was a big draw in the metal world. With excitement once again surrounding the band, it seemed wise to capitalise on this with a new album - and this is just what Schaffer and Kürsch did by releasing the appropriately-titled III last month. III is the pair's first album together in fifteen years, but it picks up where Touched by the Crimson King left off. While I am not sure that the pair will ever top their masterful debut album, III is another strong entry into both of their respective canons and is an album that needs a good number of listens to fully appreciate. As with the band's previous albums, Schaffer has handled most of the album's guitar and bass parts, as well as the keyboards, with Kürsch providing the lyrics and melodies. A few guests appear throughout the album, most notably Brent Smedley (Iced Earth) behind the drum kit, who all help to expand on and bring Schaffer and Kürsch's creations to life.

The album opens up with the lengthy lead single Diabolic, a brooding, gothic track that takes the theatrical element of Blind Guardian and melds it with Schaffer's patented razor blade riffing. The song is very atmospheric, with keyboards and gothic choirs creating a dense backdrop, and the opening sombre guitar line is extremely effective at setting the scene. This is a song that is somewhat of a slow burner, opening in a deliberate manner with Smedley's drums slowly joining the fray - before Schaffer launches into a heavy, lumbering Black Sabbath-esque riff. The song really gets going when it speeds up however, with another strong riff heralding this change, as a fast-paced verse introduces Kürsch. Kürsch's voice sounds as good as ever throughout this album, and he attacks the verses here with an aggressive bent to his voice - before introducing his more traditional melodic approach to the song's chorus, which incidentally pays tribute to Heaven Denies from the first album. There are quite a few progressive flourishes throughout the track, with Schaffer never too far away from launching into a new off-kilter riff and the overall oppressive atmosphere. The song's slow-paced outro really doubles down on this atmosphere too. Kürsch delivers some haunting vocal lines, while Schaffer's regular collaborater Ruben Drake adds some doomy fretless bass melodies to bring the epic track to a close. Invincible is more of a typical length track, although it does rein in the heaviness somewhat - instead relying on a floaty groove and a majestic vocal performance. The song sounds more like a deep Blind Guardian album cut than a true Demons & Wizards track. Schaffer's distinctive riffing style is largely absent here, with the guitarist instead laying down big chords to create something of a wall of sound for Kürsch to sing over. This is definitely a song that is intended to showcase Kürsch's vocal talents, with his grand vocal melodies and the choir that backs him up all sounding huge cutting through the relatively simple musical backing. Those missing Schaffer's chug during the previous number will love Wolves in Winter, a heavier track with some of Iced Earth's thrashier tendencies present. While the riffs here are not particularly interesting, the ever-present chug is infectious. The song never really moves beyond a mid-paced speed, but the perfectly interlocked guitars and drums - something which Schaffer and Smedley have perfected over many years of working together - create a heavy, syncopated feeling. It is one of the more instant tracks on the album, so it is unsurprising that it was also released as a single. There are plenty of hooks to latch onto here, with Kürsch delivering another big, memorable chorus, and there is a speedy guitar solo courtesy of Jake Dreyer (White Wizzard; Witherfall; Iced Earth). With many of the tracks here being quite lengthy, Final Warning is quite a snappy little number at under four minutes in length. It is quite similar to Invincible in that it seems to be much more of a vocally-focused song. One thing that is apparent when listening to this album is that it seems as if Schaffer wanted to try something a bit different in regards to his approach to the album's riffs. There are not as many big guitar riffs as you might expect, with many of the songs being based around relatively simple guitar patterns - with the epic atmospherics and layers of vocal harmonies providing many of the main musical hooks. Final Warning seems to come and go without ever really making an impact - although the chorus melodies, as one would expect from Kürsch, are still pretty memorable.

Timeless Spirit, another lengthy track, opens with gentle acoustic guitar chords that Kürsch sings over in his usual dramatic fashion. There are few singers who can create such drama with their voice, and the layers of vocal harmonies, even over the song's acoustic portions, help to create a massive sound - which makes the song sound so much more grand than your average acoustic number. The song is not acoustic-based for its entire nine-plus minute run time however, with heavier moments occasionally breaking through the mix to help shake things up. Bluesy guitar leads often add some additional melody, especially during the latter portions of the song. Both Dreyer and producer Jim Morris add some additional lead guitar parts throughout the song, but in truth this is a song that relies on contrast and drama to make its impact. The fact that the much of the song is largely acoustic-based helps the heavier sections, which act as the song's choruses, to hit much harder. These heavier sections are quite slow, with Smedley's very deliberate beats leading the way, but they allow Kürsch to try out a number of different vocal styles - including some rasping screams that border on harsh vocals at times. Dark Side of Her Majesty reminds me of an old-school Demons & Wizards track, and recalls the more mid-paced, majestic (pun intended) tracks found on the band's debut album. Schaffer's distinctive galloping rhythms drive the song throughout, while gothic choirs add plenty of depth and contrast well with Kürsch's slightly more aggressive vocal approach. The verses here are packed with a lot of crunch, with Schaffer and Smedley locking together perfectly again, while the choruses are full of Blind Guardian-esque folky melodies that are turned up to eleven to fit in with the song's overall grandness. This is another track that hits pretty instantly. Many of the songs on the album need a few listens to properly appreciate, but there are a handful - including Dark Side of Her Majesty - which reveal all early on and impress with their simpler arrangements and hooks. Arguably the simplest arrangement here however is Midas Disease. Schaffer has dedicated the song to the late Malcolm Young, but in truth the song sounds more like W.A.S.P. than AC/DC with Kürsch sounding a little like Blackie Lawless at times throughout. Either way, the song certainly has a strong old-school hard rock vibe and, as a result, many of the power metal elements of the band's sound are pushed into the background somewhat. The big vocal harmonies and hooks remain however, but instead sit atop some guitar parts which sound very uncharacteristically organic for Schaffer. Even Morris' guitar solo is much more blues-based than usual, which further reinforces the strong old-school vibe that the track has going for it. New Dawn returns to the album's more typical sound, although with a slight twist. The gothic atmospherics are back, but there are quite a few little twists and turns here that make the song stand out. The guitar patterns, especially during the quieter sections, are quite jazzy which encourages Kürsch to take a different approach vocally. It means that some of the melodies here are quite different to the norm - but they are still delivered in a way that fits in with the album's overall tone. Kürsch has always been a theatrical singer, and this is a song that is perfectly suited for that approach - with his inner Freddie Mercury coming out every so often as he flexes his vocal chords in a number of impressive ways.

While III does not really have a true ballad, Universal Truth probably the closest thing to one here. There are still plenty of  energetic, mid-paced moments to be found, but there are also much more melancholic portions that feature Schaffer's classic clean arpeggios ringing out of the speakers. His clean playing is always so instantly recognisable, with his style having been so well defined over the years. In my eyes, he is easily one of the best rhythm guitarists in all of metal - and part of what makes him so good is his ability to create atmospheric and emotionally-charged clean melodies. This song opens out with a lengthy clean section; but even the heavier sections never stray into full-on metal territory. The atmospherics are ever present here, while Kürsch adopts a much fresher-sounding vocal approach that fits in nicely with the relatively light tone. Split features a great Schaffer riff that drives everything, and instantly ramps the heaviness back up again after the somewhat lighter touch of Universal Truth. It is a bit of shame that there are not as many big riffs on the album as you might expect, but when one does kick it in ensures the song is instantly memorable. This song is packed full of riffs, with a new one never too far away - which gives the song a dynamic feel and it is one that really takes the listener on a journey. The song also acts as a bit of a showcase for Smedley, who puts in a real shift behind the drum kit. He has perhaps been the unsung hero of Iced Earth for a good number of years now, and some of his playing on this album is an exemplary display of modern metal drumming. His understanding with Schaffer makes the two such a great pairing, and there are plenty of riffs here that sound all that much better because of Smedley's precise double bass drumming matching up perfectly with the note changes. Given the faster pace of the song, Dreyer's skills are once again employed and he lays down a couple of shredded solos throughout the track that only add to the frantic nature of the piece. The album's closing number, the ten-minute plus Children of Cain, is a song that seemingly brings together many of the ideas and vibes showcased throughout the previous ten songs. Given the song's length, it is unsurprising that it builds up gradually over time - with the opening sections being fairly low key with acoustic guitars and some more of Schaffer's patented clean guitar melodies. These opening moments are still quite theatrical however, with Kürsch putting on a great vocal display, but it is my opinion that the song improves as it moves along and the heavier sections kick in. It is never a really heavy song however, and in fact at times it reminds me quite a lot of Iced Earth's A Question of Heaven - with a similar approach in terms of atmosphere and structure. Even the heavier sections have something of an emotion pull, and are a bit more low key - especially in comparison to a track like Split. This helps the song to sound much more 'epic' however, which is fitting considering that it closes out the album. It ensures that the album ends on a melodic high, and is a song that showcases both the progressive tendencies of Schaffer and Kürsch. Overall, III is a strong release from Demons & Wizards that continues the good work established on their first two releases. While the album is perhaps not as heavy as some may have hoped for, I like that it shows Schaffer and Kürsch trying out a few new ideas and taking their collaboration in new directions - while still staying true to their respective core styles and what has made Demons & Wizards a successful band in the past.

The album was released on 21st February 2020 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Wolves in Winter.