The original goal of the band was to forge the different musical styles of both Iced Earth's dark melodies and Blind Guardian's powerful vocals into one sound. In fact, according to the musicians, the band name is meant to describe the two styles: the self-proclaimed demon-like themes and sounds of Iced Earth and wizard-like themes and sounds of Blind Guardian (the moniker "Demons & Wizards" was inspired by Schaffer's wife always referring to him and Hansi as "Demons and Angels". Hansi always corrected her, since he claims to "not be at all angelic", and that it is more properly stated "Demons and Wizards", in reference to Uriah Heep's album of the same name). The band met with a fair deal of commercial success, though not as much as either of their individual bands.
The idea for the band arose in the spring of 1997 when Kürsch and Schaffer wanted to make music together, after being friends for several years
Disbandment
On January 6, 2021, guitarist Jon Schaffer was photographed among the protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. After appearing on the Most Wanted section of the FBI's website, Schaffer turned himself in on January 17 and is currently being held on six felony charges. Century Media dropped the band from their roster two days after Jon Schaffer turned himself in. On February 1, 2021, it was announced that vocalist Hansi Kürsch had left the band, stating his collaboration with Jon Schaffer is over.
Winter of Souls
Demons & Wizards Lyrics
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And there's no one by my side
The curse will take its toll
Is it justice or a foolish pride
As the wind is blowing cold
And the winter takes control
How can I survive
In higher lights we seem to drown
We hold the key but not the crown
In higher lights we seem to drown
We hold the key but not the crown
Look into my eyes and see
For all the wisdom I still bleed
And only willow trees will bring
Oblivion
[Chorus]
Haunted by the lust of my father
Revenge is mine and down falls the kingdom
Conceived of his greed and a harsh reality
Haunted by the lust of my father
Revenge is mine and down falls the kingdom
Your ill gotten son
Your flesh and your blood
Faith fools the day
The honest man will fail my don
Facing another wound
Can't hold back the storm
Soon the winter reigns my heart
We're both caught in agony
In higher lights we seem to drown
We hold the key but not the crown
Oh I wish that I could turn back
Reach out for the grail and find it
I would offer soul and life
Feel the emptiness my dark son
[Chorus]
Feel this cold winter night
Frozen spirits in ice
Can't wash away the misery
The dark
War will take place at dawn
There's no choice it's all fate
I'm not strong enough
The path lies clearly ahead
There's no way out
Can't hold back all the greed
And all the good deeds
They are past
There's no choice it's all fate
It's so hopeless
Too long I was blind
Haunted by the lust of my father
Revenge is mine and down falls the kingdom
Conceived of his greed and a harsh reality
Haunted by the lust of my father
Revenge is mine and down falls the kingdom
By spilling our blood we are one bound
Forevermore
Haunted by the lust of my father
Revenge is mine and down falls the kingdom
Conceived of his greed and a harsh reality
The song "Winter of Souls" by Demons & Wizards speaks of a person facing a storm alone, trying to survive the harsh winter. The lyrics suggest that the storm is both literal and metaphorical, referring to the harsh exterior conditions as well as the inner turmoil within the singer. They are haunted by the lust of their father, seeking revenge and bringing down the kingdom. The lyrics suggest that there is no escape from fate and the consequences of actions, even if those actions were not committed by the singer.
The chorus, "Haunted by the lust of my father, revenge is mine and down falls the kingdom," is a potent expression of the singer's resolve to take revenge on their father. The lyrics suggest that the singer's father was driven by greed and that this greed led to the harsh reality facing the kingdom. The singer wishes to find redemption and offers their soul and life in the process.
The line "In higher lights, we seem to drown, we hold the key but not the crown," suggests that the singer feels trapped in their situation and powerless to change the course of events. The line, "Can't hold back all the greed and all the good deeds, they are past," conveys the message that sometimes even the best intentions can be thwarted by fate and the actions of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Facing the storm
Confronting a difficult situation
And there's no one by my side
Feeling unsupported in facing the situation
The curse will take its toll
The negative consequences of the situation will be experienced
Is it justice or a foolish pride
Questioning whether the situation is a result of deserving justice or making a foolish decision
As the wind is blowing cold
The situation is becoming more harsh and unfavorable
And the winter takes control
The unfavorable situation has taken control
How can I survive
Feeling survival is difficult in the situation
In higher lights we seem to drown
Feeling overwhelmed and suffocated by the expectations others have of us
We hold the key but not the crown
Having influence but not ultimate power
Look into my eyes and see
Appealing for understanding
For all the wisdom I still bleed
Even with knowledge and experience, being hurt by the situation
And only willow trees will bring
Finding solace in nature
Oblivion
A sense of forgetting and moving on
Haunted by the lust of my father
Haunted by the actions and desires of the past
Revenge is mine and down falls the kingdom
Seeking revenge and causing the downfall of those who wronged the singer
Conceived of his greed and a harsh reality
Born into a negative reality as a result of a parent's selfishness
Your ill gotten son
Feeling like a product of selfish and undesirable circumstances
Your flesh and your blood
Related by blood to someone who caused harm in the past
Faith fools the day
Placing trust in faith may be misguided
The honest man will fail my don
Integrity does not guarantee success
Facing another wound
Experiencing another difficulty
Can't hold back the storm
Unable to stop or control the negative circumstances
Soon the winter reigns my heart
The negativity of the situation has taken over emotionally
We're both caught in agony
Others are experiencing similar negative circumstances
Oh I wish that I could turn back
Regretting the past and wishing for change
Reach out for the grail and find it
Seeking something to make everything okay, but unsure if it is attainable
I would offer soul and life
The situation is dire enough to prompt extreme measures
Feel the emptiness my dark son
Experiencing negative emotions within oneself
Feel this cold winter night
Feeling the harsh reality of the negative situation
Frozen spirits in ice
Emotions and wellbeing are frozen and hindered
Can't wash away the misery
The negative feelings and circumstances cannot be erased
The dark
Feeling a sense of hopelessness and grief
War will take place at dawn
A fight or difficult situation is imminent
There's no choice it's all fate
Feeling powerless to change the situation
I'm not strong enough
Feeling incapable of handling the situation
The path lies clearly ahead
Knowing the course of action to take, but unsure of how to proceed
Can't hold back all the greed
Feeling overwhelmed by negative motivations and emotions
And all the good deeds
Past positive actions cannot undo the negative circumstances
They are past
The past cannot be changed
It's so hopeless
Feeling a sense of despair and powerlessness
Too long I was blind
Regretting past choices and decision-making
By spilling our blood we are one bound
A shared experience of harm and struggle brings people together
Forevermore
The shared experience will always bind people together in that way
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HANS JUERGEN KUERSCH, JON SCHAFFER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind