More enjoyable than the majority of both Blind Guardian and Iced Earth, respectively. Plenty of riffage and headbanging throughout the album; it's just as much good ol' fashioned, straight-forward Metal as it is Power Metal. Whatever you'd like to call it, it rules.
Albums like this are the reason why I never jump into rating anything hastily. When I first played this through four or five times, I judged it ok but nothing special - yet another workman-like power metal album that is fine for the background, but lacks punch. How wrong could I be? After a good few more listens, this has become a real grower. It has so much to commend it, if you are a power metal aficionado. This is melodic, epic and varied - enough pace changes and song styles to ensure that it keeps breaking in to interrupt whatever else you are doing and command your whole attention. This is great toe-tapping, head-nodding epic metal!
Demons And Wizards? Sounds like a cheesy generic power metal band with cool album covers and stupid lyrics combined with poor musicianship played by guys who try to play faster than Eddie Van Halen high on speed. Actually, they're a pretty good band. The songs are catchy and all-in-all this is a good listen. I suggest picking it up. It's not Children Of Bodom or Iced Earth tough.
