Customer Reviews

Night of the Demon

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Demon emerged amid the burgeoning British heavy metal scene of the early 1980s. While Iron Maiden, Saxon and Def Leppard were making fairly large waves both critically and commercially, Demon - mild-mannered musos from the Peak District - slipped this classic debut album under the radar of mainstream metal. It was well received critically, especially by the recently launched Kerrang!, which sported Demon as front-cover stars.

'Night of the Demon', the logical title for their debut album, kicks off with the eerie intro 'Full Moon', which blends into the longtime live favourite 'Night of the Demon'. Mal Spooner's guitar work is flawless, while Dave Hill's voice is as unique, powerful and emotive as you'll ever hear: like a mixture of UFO's Phil Mogg and a rockier, rougher Joe Cocker.

'Liar' is a bouncy, energetic track which could almost be 'Lights Out'-era UFO, and that's no bad thing.

'Ride the Wind' isn't a million miles away from the Rolling Stones' 'Satisfaction' with overdriven guitars and stronger vocals.

'One Helluva Night' is the heaviest track on the album. Its anthemic, singalong chorus contrasts beautifully with the frenetic, driving guitar and tight rhythm section.

The remastered album's first two bonus tracks - 'Wild Woman' and 'On the Road Again' - see Demon treading the familiar stamping ground of AC/DC and Status Quo...and doing it well. The third bonus track on the remaster is the original recording of 'Liar', featuring a gargantuan bass line (reminiscent of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's classic 'Faith Healer') and the raw, heavy guitar riffs of Mal Spooner.

The final bonus track is a remix of 'Night of the Demon', and it's a monster! Fluid guitar licks blend with heavy riffs and the awe-inspiring vocals of Dave Hill.

The album in its original form was a classic. The remaster, with four such excellent bonus tracks, is an essential addition to any rock collection.

This is one of those rare debut albums that - like Van Halen's, AC/DC's, Metallica's and Iron Maiden's - leaves you feeling clean and fresh all over.

Buy it, play it loud...end enjoy!

It's good to see the Demon albums getting the remaster treatment. They certainly deserve it. Demon was always one of the more underrated New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands - come to think of it, aside from Maiden, Saxon and a few others, they were all underrated.

1981's Night of the Demon was the band's debut album. Between the band name, grisly cover artwork, and the spooky intro to the title track, you might think you're getting some seriously evil metal along the lines of Venom (or at least Angel Witch). The album definitely rocks in a Saxon meets Uriah Heep kind of way, but about midway through it picks up a more melodic, bluesy vibe that sounds somewhere between Samson and the Outlaws. It's almost jarring to hear the southern rock-sounding "Ride the Wind" and "Big Love" after metal anthems "Night of the Demon" and "Into the Nightmare". I actually think their second album The Unexpected Guest [CD on Demand] is much more consistently "metal" than this one. Still, Night of the Demon is one of the band's heavier albums, and is an impressive debut for this too often overlooked band.

If you're a metal fan, particularly a fan of classic British metal, and haven't heard Demon, I highly recommend checking them out, and the Night of the Demon is the best place to start. If you're already familiar with the band and are wondering whether to pick up the reissues, I'd absolutely recommend doing so since these remasters sound terrific.

Edition Notes: Dead Ringer's 2003 reissue of Night of the Demon provides a much needed upgrade, not to mention getting this classic debut back in circulation after a long absence. The remastered sound breathes new life into the album, and there are four bonus tracks included for good measure. The early version of "Liar" and the remix of the title track don't add much, but it's definitely cool to see "Wild Woman" and "On the Road Again" (b-sides to the first two Demon singles) included. The liner notes could have been better too. The lyrics are printed inside, along with a very brief note from Dave Hill. Some additional artwork, photos, or commentary (see Castle's excellent NWOBHM reissues) would have been a nice touch.

Edition Notes 2: The item you get when you order Night of the Demon here is a CD-R, not a silver-pressed CD. I bought my copy before Amazon rolled out their "CD on Demand" program, so my rating is for the music, not the new format.

Demon was definately an under-rated 80's band. This cd has some awesome songs. The heavy metal power of Night of the Demon and Father Time to the hard blues style of Big Love, these guys knew how to rock.

Great album from a great band. "This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media" according to Amazon.This does not say on the product details. Is good to be mentioned so customers can make a conscious decision if they really want to spend their money on a (good quality) CD-R!

I liked this when it came out in 1980, but either I got more sophisticated (doubtful), this got worse (hardly), or it was just pure crap to begin with (most likely). The title song is really good, but the rest of this is just awful. Especially Liar, which gets on your nerves as one of those songs that you wish would just end already, as it just repeats the title over and over again. A five minute song that is four minutes too long. This has not aged well, CD is not as good as I remember the tape being. Get the Witchfinder General CD's instead, they held up better.