Formed in 2011, Night Demon has become a heavy metal phenomenon in just two albums. With authenticity, the Californian trio formed by Jarvis Leatherby (vocals, bass) and Brent Woodward (guitar) is part of a NWOBHM revival movement by writing their own compositions largely inspired by this movement and by covering standards of this era.
In 2020, the band released no less than 5 singles whose physical copies were literally snapped up. "Year Of The Demon" is a compilation of these singles, with B-sides to discover here before listening to them at home. The four original tracks open the album in a very recognizable 80's heavy metal vein. The influences are obvious with Iron Maiden for 'Kill The Pain' and 'Empires Fall', The Angels for 'Are You Out There' and Anvil for 'Vysteria'.
On the B-sides, there are several covers. The most famous are Iron Maiden's 'Wasted Years' live and Thin Lizzy's excellent 'The Sun Goes Down' that Leatherby's band wakes up with an overdriven tempo and for a convincing result. The other two are less known, notably 'Fast Bikes', a cover of an obscure NWOBHM band Le Griffe, and '100 MPH', a cover of Cirith Ungol that sounds like it came from a Motörhead album. The fifth single included two Scorpions covers recorded live with Uli Jon Roth, namely the excellent 'In Trance' and 'Top Of The Bill' which, unfortunately, ends the album on an abrupt and ungainly fade out.
This album made of bits and pieces could seem incongruous, and yet it works and gives an immediate pleasure from the first listen. The Night Demon magic still works thanks to an authenticity in the covers and in the writing. Night Demon's music may be vintage, but it is not backward-looking thanks to a real desire and a dynamism that warms the heart. You'll have to be a bit nostalgic of this era, or at least appreciate it a lot to find an interest in this album on the long term. But the pleasure is there.