Any good?

for some reason, amazon reccomends this band for me.....

anyone know anything about them?

Drew wrote: to buy? or not to buy? that, my friends, is the question.

Dude! I have that album and it kicks arse! Definitely to buy! Speed + Power = Amazing!

4/5 metal album!

The Wizard wrote: Thought you were talking about Uriah Heep for a second...

 Me too.

Demons and Wizards are a fantastic band....I recommend it with Enthusiasm!!

dagrush wrote: I haven't heard any IE, but I find the first D&W album to be better than any of the BG ones.

I don't agree. Nightfall in Middle-Earth is much more a masterpiece than the two D&W albums could ever be. However, it is quite controversial - some people don't like the voice, some don't like the interludes and narrative bits ... it's clearly not for everyone.

Rashikal wrote: people tell me they arent as good as their original bands, havent heard for myself though so i cant judge just yet

It's certainly as good (or maybe even better) as Blind Guardian. I only know the first album though and it's a great CD, definitely buy it!

Drew wrote: to buy? or not to buy? that, my friends, is the question.

No.

The first release is good but non-essential. Spend your money on more worthy albums.

The secnod is a bit of a let down with regard to the 1st.

I can't understand how Hansi Kirsch (spell?) manages to bear Jon Schaffer which is notoriously known to be as a "not very nice guy" which has been constantly throwing people out of Iced Earth. Previous band members have told some interesting stories about him, none of them flattering.

avestin wrote: I can't understand how Hansi Kirsch (spell?) manages to bear Jon Schaffer which is notoriously known to be as a "not very nice guy" which has been constantly throwing people out of Iced Earth. Previous band members have told some interesting stories about him, none of them flattering.

Dave Mustaine also doesn't seem to be the nicest guy on the planet, but as long as the music sounds good, personal issues aren't an issue. Stratovarius has also continued to produce very good albums during the periods (the Elements "era") where there were a lot of fights within the band. You don't have to like your colleagues to produce something good together.

disastercasper wrote: avestin wrote: I can't understand how Hansi Kirsch (spell?) manages to bear Jon Schaffer which is notoriously known to be as a "not very nice guy" which has been constantly throwing people out of Iced Earth. Previous band members have told some interesting stories about him, none of them flattering. Dave Mustaine also doesn't seem to be the nicest guy on the planet, but as long as the music sounds good, personal issues aren't an issue. Stratovarius has also continued to produce very good albums during the periods (the Elements "era") where there were a lot of fights within the band. You don't have to like your colleagues to produce something good together.

Tell that to Mathew Barlow and Richard Chritsy.

EDIT - See below the list

Here is the full list:

avestin wrote: Oh, and personal Issues are an Issue - Look at Robert Fripp

They CAN be an issue, but they don't necessarily HAVE to be. But of course they can be, but nowadays a lot of bands have band member that live half the world away from eachother.

to NaturalScience

This is a risky thing to do now, because this means this thread will move to another forum. But, let's do it anyway.

I am in a minority (of one) who thinks Night of the stormrider (2nd release) is the best IE release. The first s/t isn't bad as well. They are both 80's metal sound, speedy guitar riffs with high pitched vocals. Night... is a concept album (a feature that keeps coming up in IE albums) and the music is very energetic and you can't help but move along with the songs. The first track (Angel's holocaust begins with an edited version of a sample of Carmina Burana and slides excellently into a spped metal song. The last song (Travel in Stygian) is a short epic song, revealing the more emotional and melodic sides of the band (Jon Schaffer).

Another excellent album is The Dark Saga, another concept. The trilogy of songs ending this album are the best songs by IE till now - The ending song has beautiful music and an excellent performance by Matt Barlow (vocals).

Burnt Offerings is a usual metal release, nothign special about it. THe Horror Show is very mediocre. As is the first CD of The Glorious Burden. The second CD containing the 3 part epic Gettysburg is quite good, particularly the first track - The devil to pay.

IE is essentially a one-man band (much like Death of Chuck Schuldiner R.I.P).

IE and Blind Guardian have been friends for many years (you can see the reciprocal gratitudes in the booklets of both bands cd's. THere have been many comparisons between them, and they were often called Blind Earth and Iced Guardian. This comparison is not valid IMHO. While they are maybe in the same metal camp (power, heavy, speed etc) there is not much resemblance.

As they are friends Hansi and Jon decided to collaborate on an album that will combine their sounds. And suprisingly they did it - The first album sounds like Blind Earth or Iced Guardian. Sounds from both bands are there. The recognizable speedy riffs of IE and the voice and musical tone of BG.

Again, good but non-essential.

Not prog either.

disastercasper wrote: avestin wrote: Oh, and personal Issues are an Issue - Look at Robert Fripp They CAN be an issue, but they don't necessarily HAVE to be. But of course they can be, but nowadays a lot of bands have band member that live half the world away from eachother.

Well that is my point - they CAN be, which happens frequently with Jon

Demons is not a band - it is more of a project that is not the main focus of both Hansi and Jon who are both working on their new albums.

^^^

What did you think of D&W?

^^^

Well the second is a fine album, it just is not enough to really make you love it. THere are good songs on it, but I guess I was ind of disapointed a bit after the first. 3-3.5 stars, somehting like that (though not on a prog scale).

Thanks a lot guys!

Didn't see how old this thread was... but basically if you like both Iced Earth and Blind Guardian you SHOULD have the Demons And Wizards albums.

Also, if you haven't gotten any Iced Earth, there's always "The Blessed and the Damned". Basically one of those cheap record company "best ofs", but actually has a GREAT tracklist!