Heavy Metal
Century Media
Release Date – March 17th 2023
Line Up:
Jarvis Leatherby – Bass/Vocals
Armand John Anthony – Guitar
Dusty Squires – Drums
Track List
1 – Prelude
2 – Outsider
3 – Obsidian
4 – Beyond The Grave
5 – Rebirth
6 – Escape From Beyond
7 – A Wake
8 – The Wrath
9 – The Last Day (Bonus)
Night Demon – with a name like that you gotta expect old school NWOBHM influenced metal and that’s exactly what you get, but, with some other flavors in there as well. Written as a concept piece singer/bassman Jarvis Leatherby wrote most of the lyrics and themes whilst in enforced exile in Northern Ireland due to COVID.
‘Prelude’ opens with a pulsing rhythm before they rip open on an epic metal banger for the title track. It rattles along getting the fist pumping and headbanging before they change down the gears and they turn the corner into a slower doomy passage before kicking up the dust again. The pace is carried forth into the galloping ‘Obsidian’ which rattles along and again comes down on some chunky riffage then power chords. ‘Beyond The Grave’ has a bass noodle intro then more power chords crash over you before Leatherby wails a sad lament whilst plucking a bass string, things develop and build with more huge doomy guitar before they stamp on the gain pedals and Squires smashes out a change and they’re off on a proper metal belter. ‘Rebirth’ brings a bit of Maiden-esque twin lines on another galloping riff monster before ‘’Escape From Beyond’ gives us some Priest-like power metal. Things come down on ‘A Wake’ with some shimmering guitar and Leatherby’s pained wail – talk about a power ballad. ‘The Wrath’ is the epic starting with a Blackmore-esque renaissance lines before the power comes in – this is a huge, simple, and effective metal that will go down a storm live. My copy has a bonus track ‘The Last Day’ which is an absolute banger – fast aggressive classic metal that hits the sweet spot.
This is Night Demon’s third studio album and I can see this becoming a modern-day classic. It has everything from the old school that we love classic riffs and galloping rhythms that sound as fresh as a daisy due to the crystal-clear production. Great songs and melodies sit alongside some seriously crunchy guitar. I’ve always said that you can’t hide in a power trio, well these boys don’t hide. They all step up loud and proud!
Score: 8/10
Reviewed by: Smudge
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