"Super group" side projects always bring out my cynical side, since so very few of them are as good as they could/should be. While the first Demons & Wizards had some great songs, over all is was just a mishmash of Iced Earth's music with Blind Guardian's vocals.
The second D&W disc, Touched By The Crimson King is a much more thought-out album. It's a concept album based off of Stephen King's stellar Dark Tower series. The lyrics don't give away the end of the story, or very much of the story, in fact, so it depends on whether you've read the series or not as to what you will think about this approach.
I found that there were too many great details overlooked, lyrically. And I can't imagine someone that hasn't read the series to really have the faintest clue what the songs are about, since there is no clear narrative thread throughout the album.
The music is much more thought out than anything Iced Earth ever put out. While I am not a fan of John Schaffer's playing or his guitar tone, I must say that he really outdid himself on this album -- there is a wide variety of riffs on this album, from hyper speed thrash to subtle acoustic pieces, and some really nice harmony guitars as well.
Hansi Kursh's vocals are stellar, as always. I even enjoy their Savatage-esque cover of The Immigrant Song.
Final verdict: thumbs WAY up on this one. If you're into metal, you will love this album, especially if you find Iced Earth or Blind Guardian too over the top for your taste. This album treads the middle ground very well.
