Demons and Wizards cover

Demons and Wizards

Released

Randy Rhoads was purportedly a big fan of this tome, and you can hear the similarities in Mick Box’s strumming on the magical leadoff tune. A little subtler than their proto-metal contemporaries in Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, these Dickensian villains brought more nuanced progressive rock interplay between their instruments. Of course, “Easy Livin’,” the big single, would slot in nicely between “Highway Star” and “Supernaut” on a moonshine-running playlist, but elsewhere the poets and demons and time travelers require a wizard’s hat more than a crash helmet. The final cantrip, “The Spell,” rivals Blue Oyster Cult’s “Astronomy” for enigmatic album closers.

Jeff Treppel

Recommended by

Suggestions
Unrest cover

Unrest

Henry Cow
Paranoid cover

Paranoid

Black Sabbath
At Budokan cover

At Budokan

Cheap Trick
Hit and Run cover

Hit and Run

Girlschool
Some Girls cover

Some Girls

The Rolling Stones
Tarkus cover

Tarkus

Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Sometimes the World Ain't Enough cover

Sometimes the World Ain't Enough

The Night Flight Orchestra