If the world of Eternia were a real place and He-Man was there fighting evil with the power of Gray Skull on his Battle-Cat, this would be Skeletor and Beastman's metal project. Skeletor takes rhythm, lead and acoustic duties while Beastman, despite his grizzly appearance, has a very angelic and sometimes rocking voice. While the band's first album garnered critical acclaim the touring and recording schedules with their primary metal projects conflicted with Demons and Wizards evolution.

Beastman (sometimes going by the alias Hans Kursch) is heavily buried in his band Blind Guardian, while Skeletor uses the moniker John Schaffer when he's playing with Iced Earth. What with the time constraints brought about by holding down their main gigs, it took five years to complete their side project's second release. The title track opener is a compelling melodrama with a sing-along chorus featuring Shera princess of power.
Skeletor manhandles the guitar like he's hog-tying Imperial Serpentis on the plains of Infinita in his adolescent days. They even manage to throw in a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant song" ah ah ah how precious.

Guest starring on this album on the drums is Bobby Jarzombek and Rubin Drake a bass player with special powers he acquired amid the wild swamps in the land of Florida The barbarian behind the operatic solos is the Morrisound studio owner Jim Morris whose supernatural finger magic was conjured by Miss Sorceress to be "faster than a Battle-Cat on berry crack." It seems that Demons and Wizards are very popular in Isles of Europa and other far away lands beyond Eternia. Touched by the Crimson King is well suited for those who enjoy an evening of Dungeons and Dragons and have an uncanny appetite for not-so-dark fantasy metal. Give it a spin and tell me what you think.

I aplologize if I've offended any of you metal dudes with this wiseass review. What can I say - this shit is for kooks with boots and goof balls who wear "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" t-shirts and have a flaming eight ball tattoo. Besides they ripped off the title from King Crimson whose seminal album is entitlled "In The Court of the Crimson King." Still I better watch my back at the bar next time.