Hansi Kürsch, who was one half of Demons & Wizards alongside Jon Schaffer, has quit the outfit following Schaffer’s arrest for his alleged involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6. “I told Jon and Century Media on Monday that I was leaving the Demons & Wizards project with immediate effect. My collaboration with Jon in Demons & Wizards is over,” Kürsch told RockHard in a statement.
Demons & Wizards was formed as a power metal side-project between Kürsch, who is the vocalist for Blind Guardian and Schaffer, who served as Iced Earth’s guitarist. The group was signed to Century Media, however both Schaffer-affiliated groups were removed from the label’s website following his arrest.
Schaffer stands accused of six charges, including: Disrupting the Orderly Conduct of Government Business, Knowingly Engaging in an Act of Physical Violence Against Any Person or Property in any Restricted Building or Grounds, Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building, Engaging in an Act of Physical Violence in a Capitol Building and Parading and Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building.
One of the charges against Schaffer involve his alleged use of “bear spray” against a Capitol police officer. Schaffer was photographed with the alleged mace used in the alleged incident and engaging in verbal confrontations with someone off-camera. One of these photographs also show Schaffer wearing an Oath Keepers hat, however the Indiana chapter of the organization has denied his involvement with the group. A number of groups have called the Oath Keepers an alt-right and anti-government organization.
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