The Demons are back with their highly anticipated, brand new album ‘Outsider.’ They have kept us ticking over the past few years with some great single releases but the wait for their new album has been worth it! Get ready for Night Demon as they are back and on form!

Ventura, California’s heavy metal institution Night Demon return with their third full-length album, Outsider, via Century Media Records on March 17, 2023.
 
For more than a decade, Night Demon have defiantly flown the flag of traditional heavy metal, unwavering in the face of shifting industry trends and unscarred by global calamities.  Even as they spent 2022 touring heavily worldwide in support of their compilation album, Year of the Demon, the trio consisting of Jarvis Leatherby (vocals/bass), Armand John Anthony (guitar) and Dusty Squires (drums) continued working tirelessly behind the scenes.  The objective?  To perfect their first collection of all-new material since 2017’s acclaimed Darkness Remains album.  Make no mistake: Outsider represents Night Demon’s boldest, most ambitious effort to date.  Never content to rest on their laurels by rehashing past glories, the band have challenged themselves musically and lyrically, pushing creative boundaries and evolving their sound far beyond their NWOBHM-worshipping origins into something truly singular.
 
From a lyrical standpoint, Outsider marks Night Demon’s first full-blown concept album.  To be sure, the band have always experimented with embedding thematic linkages between songs on each release, dating back to their 2015 debut album, Curse of the Damned.  On Outsider, however, lyricist Jarvis Leatherby has dialed into a fully cohesive tale of alternate realities, mysterious portals, and the supernatural, intertwined with universal human feelings of alienation, loss, regret and revenge.  Inspired by Leatherby’s lifelong affinity for horror movies as well as his pandemic-induced exile in the countryside of Northern Ireland, Outsider weaves a compelling yarn from its pastoral beginnings to its heart-pounding finale.
 
Of course, this kind of epic storytelling demands an equally expansive musical backdrop that ebbs and flows to convey the full emotional range of Outsider. To achieve that result, Night Demon have reimagined the band’s songwriting and arrangements by embracing progressive elements and a newfound sense of dynamics that lend the music a decidedly cinematic quality.  Longtime fans should not be alarmed.  Outsider sounds like Night Demon through and through.  The songwriting is perhaps the catchiest in the band’s discography, boasting massive hooks such as those found on the earworm title track, which is also the lead single.  Elsewhere, there are plenty of adrenaline-fueled, headbanging moments on display in songs like the rollicking “Obsidian” and “Escape from Beyond,” with its searing guitar riffs, pounding drums, and urgent vocals.  The difference this time lies in the peaks and valleys, the highs and lows.  “Beyond the Grave” and “A Wake” showcase a somber dimension of Night Demon only hinted at on previous releases.  The masterful closing track, “The Wrath,” encapsulates all of these dynamics in a roller coaster of wildly swinging emotions, tempos and feels.
 
Simply put, Night Demon take the listener on a journey with Outsider.  It’s a heavy and intense ride, so buckle up.   You may never be the same again.  And Night Demon are breathlessly awaiting the opportunity to bring Outsider to life on stages all over the world.  Plans are afoot to perform the album live in its entirety when time and logistics allow, so keep your eyes peeled for dates at a city near you.  Don’t wander in the dark, because Night Demon will find you.

Review:

We are welcomed with the opening track Prelude. This short track was released initially as a teaser to the album and sets up the album magnificently. You are introduced to a pulsing that acts as a background to the twangs of a simple yet memorable bass line. Slow moving keys slide in gracefully yet give the notion of a slight intensity. And this intensity only builds even more. With a droning electric synth notes in the background, gritty guitars awaken gradually getting bigger and bigger. The thumping of toms only add this bold buildup. Finally a single line of vocals calls from Jarvis Leatherby out creating a great transition into the albums title track.

Outsider is easily a clear statement that the band is back in business.It’s been a while since the band have been around but their sound has only matured. This is a track injected with a heavy dose of adrenaline taking full charge. This song boasts massive hooks, plenty of speed and some very brief moments of dirty slow tempo marvel. It feels massive in scale and production and especially on the songs powerful unrelenting choruses. Outsider is saturated in deep emotion and feelings that will spike that serotonin. Get ready to be uplifted!

Obsidian is one of those tracks that feels classic with its moments of skipping musical sections, grainy riffs and the exuberant vocals of Jarvis that cut through the mix. Theres plenty going on here across all the instruments but most notably the drums! Throw some moments of mid paced wah-guitar and solos tumbling drums and you have another cracking track.

A lonely searching bass pattern opens the track Beyond The Grave. You are hit by a segment of moody guitars before it cuts back to the bass with Jarvis singing in a manner which gives of a sense of sadness. A soft snare entwined with acoustic guitar builds up pace gradually before the music comes in hard mid tempo. This track transitions between tempos and moods also giving the song breathing space at the right moments. I love how it has a great balance between soft, mellow and more crushing heavier moments.

Rebirth keeps the pace going as we progress through the album. One of the more melodic tracks so far, expect to find bright, tasty guitar licks, big pumping guitar chords and a passionate vocal delivery. I love the how the song cuts down to a slower pace and you get some sweet dancing guitar ideas.

Escape From Beyond is a song strapped to a heavy metal rocket. Dripping with fuel and spitting fire, prepare for an explosion as you are sent soaring into the skies. Big head banging moments are plentiful with also many great opportunities to throw the horns around. Turn this track up to eleven and feel the buzz of electricity! The choruses are of a slower pace and this adds a loving touch to a mostly fierce track.

A Wake starts with a slower laid back approach that is present in some of the previous songs. Jarvis once gains starts centre stage with the light grainy semi acoustic guitars as accompaniment. You can tell how the band really delivers on presenting emotion and feeling in their music and something I feel has improved since their previous releases.

The Wrath coming in at over seven minutes is another huge track. The first few minutes feel like a haze as you drift and sway gracefully to the slower tempos of the instrumentation. The music picks up and Jarvis really drives forward with his big and searing vocal delivery. The is another great example that shows off the deep soul searching and the passion that the band has. The music soon overloads and the thunder can be heard. Expect to have your ribcage shaken. The screeching guitar notes sing out loud then soon enough the music returns to acoustic guitars that scale and echo calmly.

The Last Day (Bonus Track) is a beast of a track to finish of the album. The punky/ thrash drumming of Dusty infused with some spicy guitar work from Armand brings back even more headbanging opportunities. The brief solo frenzies that slide in and out make me think of classic Megadeth which was pleasantly surprising! A short but killer song!

Conclusion

Outsider is definitely a full bodied, well rounded album that shows of the talents of Night Demon. The band certainly did not waste time in the years post Darkness Remains (2017). They have matured as musicians and have been unafraid of exploring new territory. They have created an album which is filled exceptional songwriting and great sense of balance. Fans of older Night Demon material will not be disappointed as they certainly retain elements of their past sound while introducing new ideas. The band have been flying the flag for heavy metal now for a long time and there is no sign of the band slowing down.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3T9fulq

Buy on Bancamp: https://nightdemon.bandcamp.com/

THENWOTHM SCORE: 9/10