Page 85 - Metal Hammer Issue 334 - UK (May 2020)

DEMONS & WIZARDS

Jon Schaffer and Hansi
Kürsch: brothers from
another mother

We asked Jon and Hansi to pick their favourite song by each other’s band

MY FAVOURITE BLIND GUARDIAN SONG MY FAVOURITE ICED EARTH SONG
Welcome To Dying A Question Of Heaven
(Tales From The Twilight World, 1990) (The Dark Saga, 1996)

Jon Schaffer: “I have magical memories of us first meeting each Hansi Kürsch: “I really love A Question Of Heaven the most.
other and all the fun we had, so if I put on Tales From The Twilight It’s a very dramatic song. It goes through all the emotions.
World or [follow-up album] Somewhere Far Beyond, it immediately It has that whole Jesus Christ Superstar approach; it’s so epic
transports me back to those days and I remember the smells of and almost theatrical. Matt Barlow [Iced Earth’s singer at the
the backstage in 1992 and wherever the fuck we were at and time of The Dark Saga] delivers a really crazy vocal performance
god knows what was going on! Ha ha! So even though there are on this song, it’s truly amazing. Blind Guardian is more of
better Blind Guardian songs, I’d have to go for Welcome To Dying, a fantasy storytelling kind of band, whereas Iced Earth has
because it reminds me of that first tour in Europe. Whenever that demonic storytelling style and a more evil sound. But
Hansi and I do stuff together on tour, I always want to play that A Question Of Heaven has many different moods, and for me
one. It’s just ripping, fast rhythm guitar stuff and I love that.” personally, that’s when Iced Earth are always at their best.”

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