Night Demon's 'Outsider' - Album Review

I find it fascinating that, more than 40 years after it first hit, the NWOBHM movement is still having a significant influence on metal today. I am not talking about its indirect influence, tracing the threads back from modern bands until they reach the NWOBHM - but the very direct influence that the genre has been having on a rather large scene of newer bands playing metal in a manner very similar to that of the great and small of the original NWOBHM movement in the early 1980s. This recent movement of traditional metal has been on-going for sometime really, emerging with bands like White Wizzard in the late 2000s, but the scene seems to be flourishing currently - particularly in America. In truth, and to my shame, I am not all that clued up on it. It is likely that there are many excellent bands that I am not aware of, but one that I am familiar with is California's Night Demon. The three-piece have been active since 2011, and released and EP and two studio albums between 2013 and 2017 - establishing themselves as one of the leading lights in this new metal scene along the way. For whatever reason, though, Night Demon became fairly quiet on the studio front after the release of 2017's Darkness Remains. I am not sure what put the brakes on the band releasing new material, but it may have had something to do with the reactivation of Cirith Ungol in 2016. Jarvis Leatherby, Night Demon's frontman and bass player, has been a member of the reactivated Cirith Ungol since 2016 - so it could be that Cirith Ungol's activity somewhat led to Night Demon taking a back seat. The COVID-19 pandemic likely did not help either, but 2020 actually saw some activity from Night Demon - who released a few stand-alone singles throughout the year, and this mix of originals, covers, and live recordings were compiled as part of the Year of the Demon collection released last year. With a new record label behind them, it seemed that the time was right for Night Demon's third album - and this was finally released last month, six years after the release of Darkness Remains. Whilst I like Night Demon, I would not call myself an expert on them. I like both of their previous albums, but their latest release Outsider does seem to have attempted something different. For one thing, Outsider is a concept album - telling the story of a gravedigger named Johnny. The album's booklet contains the whole story, told track-by-track, whilst it also unfolds throughout the album's eight songs and 30-odd minute run time. Outsider is a short album, then, but this is not a bad thing in my opinion. So many albums in recent years could have been improved by losing a song or two, so Outsider definitely leaves the listener wanting more. Despite the short length, though, the sound throughout the album is generally more progressive than what Night Demon have done before. There are songs here which are very much NWOBHM in style, as is to be expected, but there is also a stronger doom influence, a lot more atmosphere, and even passages which recall the vibe of bands like Mercyful Fate. As such, there is a lot to digest here - and the album's short length makes this easier. Whilst Leatherby remains the only original band member, he is once again joined here by long-time guitarist Armand John Anthony and drummer Dusty Squires - both of whom played on Darkness Remains.

The album gets underway with the largely instrumental Prelude, although Leatherby's vocals do kick in towards the end before it transitions into the album's title track. Prelude opens with a pulsing synth, before a melodic bassline joins in - creating quite a foreboding atmosphere. Simple piano chords are soon added to the mix, and the piece slowly builds up around these sounds. Synths and guitar swells add to the atmosphere, and Squires' drums are finally brought in to create a mournful beat. The piece works well to set the tone for what is to come, but when the album transitions to its title track the Night Demon fans know and love come to life. Outsider is a fast-paced track, opening with its heralding chorus, before a simpler verse kicks in - built around a pulsing bassline and some juddering power chords. Leatherby's voice is perfect for this kind of music. He is not a perfect singer, but his voice is full of character - and the chorus comes alive thanks to his anthemic delivery, with the rest of the band harmonising. The chorus sounds nice and big, then, with Squires often throwing in a busy roll to add further character. Despite the general anthemic approach taken throughout, the song takes a few twists and turns. The second verse ups the pace, with some thrashier riffing from Anthony, whilst a doomy bridge slows the pace significantly - before Anthony takes over with a melodic guitar solo. Prelude and Outsider feel like one longer song, with the atmospheric build-up and the punch of the song itself opening the album in fine fashion. Obsidian follows, opening with a snappy Anthony guitar line - which soon gives way to a riff that could have come from an early Diamond Head album. There are shades of the song Lightning to the Nations in the riff's structure and melodies, and Obsidian itself is generally a pretty speedy piece, with busy Squires drumming and plenty of guitar interest from Anthony. Leatherby's vocal approach is a bit rougher here, allowing a throatier sound to permeate the punky verses - whilst the chorus is more melodic overall thanks to Anthony's guitar hooks and some subtle vocal harmonies. It is the sort of song that is easy to latch onto, with the heroic chorus melodies swimming around the brain - and Anthony's guitar solo later provides plenty of strong hooks, too. Beyond the Grave, following the previous two more traditional pieces, opens slowly. Leatherby's bass rings out, before he launches into a busy, yet relatively slow, bassline - which is soon joined by a doomy riff. The energy of the previous two songs is absent here, with the opening verse largely leaving Leatherby's mournful voice alone against some simple synths and the occasional note from the bass. Chiming guitars join in towards the end, building towards a heavier chorus - which reprises some of the doomy riffing from earlier. Leatherby's opening bass riff resurfaces here, and Anthony's guitar playing is warm, yet relatively heavy. The later verses are never as sparse as the song's opening, but they remain relatively low key - allowing the overall atmosphere to dominate. Even the heavier moments tend to be more atmospheric - and Anthony's first solo is more bluesy in nature, before a later solo ups the pace and introduces something more typical of the band's NWOBHM roots.

Rebirth then returns to something more typical of the band's usual sound. Squires' opening hi-hats give a raw edge, whilst Anthony's opening guitar hook balances melody and sharp riffing nicely. Whilst the previous song focused more on atmosphere, Rebirth is classic NWOBHM. The verses steam along at a decent pace, creating a strong groove - whilst Leatherby's expressive vocals provide plenty of hooks. The chorus reprises Anthony's opening hooks, whilst expanding further on the vocal arrangement. The chorus feels a bit more anthemic here, with Leatherby really giving it everything he has - with his howled melodies sitting nicely atop Anthony's melodic guitar. The pace is slowed during an instrumental section, which sees a growling bassline backing a shredded guitar solo, but in general Rebirth is keeps the pace up. This can also be said about Escape from Beyond, which is likely the heaviest track here. Anthony's opening guitar riff grabs from the off, whilst Squires' drumming ups the ante somewhat - going for the throat with a punchy beat. This is maintained throughout the verses, although the riffing is paired back to allow the vocals to shine. Anthony's guitar accents are sharp, though, with the occasional drum barrage from Squires adding depth. The chorus sees the pace slow slightly, with a somewhat more epic and atmospheric approach taken. This works well, and the pace is not slowed enough to lose the overall heaviness. It just serves to make the song more interesting - with some of that Mercyful Fate influence on show here. The penultimate number A Wake slower, acting as a bit of a ballad before the closing track. Anthony's arpeggiated guitar melodies provide a melodic backing for Leatherby's voice - with his vocal delivery being pretty mournful and exposed, especially early on. The song does build somewhat as it moves on, but it always feels on the slow side - despite Squires adding some punch during the chorus. Some neo-classical guitar leads towards the end add some spice as the song transitions into The Wrath - the album's closer and the longest piece here at over seven minutes in length. It opens relatively slowly with some clean guitar melodies. Leatherby continues his mournful vocal approach from the previous song initially, but this does not last long - as a big riff soon kicks in, and the song moves up a gear. Bigger riffing tends to dominate from this point on, but the song is generally quite dynamic. It is the most progressive-sounding piece here, and it does a good job of mixing strong atmospheric sections with heavier riffing. It is the sort of song which pulls something from everything that has come before it on the album. There are speedy NWOBHM moments which are up there with some of the album's most aggressive moments, with the chorus falling into this category, whilst other sections are drenched in horror aesthetics - with plenty of keyboards adding depth. The transitions are snappy and the song feels natural whilst moving through these sections - with Anthony's fast-paced guitar solo being one of the album's best. The song ends the album on a high, and the short rollercoaster ride is one that will certainly please fans of retro metal. Whilst the album is rooted in Night Demon's influences, it does feel different from the band's previous work - and the progressive leanings are certainly welcome. There is a lot to like here, and its digestible nature makes it easy to return to.

The album was released on 17th March 2023 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Outsider.