Night Demon “Year Of The Demon” Review

Night Demon
Year Of The Demon
Century Media
Released: 25 March 2022

Traditional heavy metal masters, Night Demon, are about to release a new collection, named Year Of The Demon, through Century Media.

This pandemic has be hard on us, as a species – and for certain trades, like artists, it have become difficult to make ends meat. If there are any upsides to such a situation, it would be to see the resilience of people and the ingenuity and will to survive. To forge on, despite whatever obstacle befalls them. For musicians, it has been about finding new ways to stay active while unable to tour, and it many cases, even get together to practice or write new material. Night Demon tackled these difficulties by releasing a series of 7″ singles that were snapped up almost instantly by their famished fanbase, whom have been equally starved of a lifestyle that revolves around live events.

Rather than  leave these highly sought-after items face into obscurity, Night Demon have collected them into a compilation album dubbed Year Of The Demon – a title that obviously alludes to the struggles they faced while unable to tour, and to the collection of singles mentioned above. This collection is comprised of ten tracks. Of which, four are original pieces and six are covers. Of note, are two Scorpions songs, Top Of The Bill and In Trance, that goes as far as to include a guest spot by Scorpions guitarist, Uli Jon Roth himself. These, as well Iron Maiden’s Wasted Years, are live cuts, and show the energy the band brings to the stage, when possible.

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The three remaining covers include the raucous Fast Bikes, originally recorded by LeGriffe, a cover of Cirith Ungol’s 100 MPH, which fits well with the speed theme and features Cirith Ungol frontman Tim Baker as well, and Thin Lizzy’s classic The Sun Goes Down. Together, these six cover versions help show the inspirations and influences of Night Demon, and allow them to shred some of their favorite tunes, together with members of those bands. Something I imagine was a pretty special set of moments for them.

Of the four original compositions, Empires Fall and Vysteria  mark two of the fastest, most intense Night Demon songs ever written. Kill The Pain packs a wallop, distilling the band’s signature sound to its most powerful essence, coupled with a deeply personal message. And Are You Out There is Night Demon’s heartfelt homage to the late, great Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy.

Despite being more of a collection of singles released during the pandemic, mixing new material and cover songs, it may already be aged to the diehard Night Demon horde. Not to worry, however, as Night Demon have also announced plans to drop a brand new record later this year, aiming for an early November release. Until then, Year Of The Demon will serve as a great stop-gap record, with much to enjoy while the recording of the new album gears up and heads to the pressing plant.

In short, Year Of The Demon collects all five of the rare, out-of-print 2020 singles into a unified compendium, which is sure to save your wallet a bundle. Copies of Year Of The Demon are available to pre-order through the Century Media records website right now. Available on vinyl, compact disc and digital versions.

For Fans Of: Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Haunt
Track Listing:

01. Empires Fall
02. Kill The Pain
03. Are You Out There
04. Vysteria
05. In Trance (Live) (Scorpions cover, feat. Uli Jon Roth)
06. Fast Bikes (LeGriffe cover)
07. 100 MPH (Cirith Ungol cover)
08. The Sun Goes Down (Thin Lizzy cover)
09. Wasted Years (Live) (Iron Maiden cover)
10. Top Of The Bill (Live) (Scorpions cover feat. Uli Jon Roth)

Author Rating

  • overall
    8.4
  • composition
    8.4
  • enjoyment
    8.9
  • production
    8
  • variety
    8.2
  • memorability
    8.5
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