Will heavy steel ever actually die? Not on Night Demon‘s watch, that is for certain. Stalwart defenders of the religion to a person, the California trio have been protecting the New Wave of Conventional Heavy Steel fires burning for the final decade come hell or excessive water. What we get out of the deal this time round is “Outsider”, the band’s third try at protecting the spirit alive since their final all-original launch in 2017. Anticipating an incredible sense of change would not ordinarily appear counterintuitive, given the size of time. However Night Demon are in no temper to rock the boat.
From the off, the album is filled with little nods and homages to their forebearers; a Maiden-style breakdown in “Escape from Past” right here, a Thin Lizzy-style shout within the fuzzy chug-a-long “Obsidian” there. That is “basic rock” in each sense of the phrase, replete with galloping drum traces and cuttingly clear vocal wailing. Even the sections that run a lot decrease and slower, just like the doom-meets-Deep Purple Past the Grave period Black Sabbath, all finally ends up.
However none of it seems like mere aping for the sake of attempting to “be” the bands they idolize, extra carrying that sound ahead into the fashionable time out of a way of goal, or pleasure. Take Rebirth, a mish-mash of a minimum of 4 distinct 80s steel heroes that aptly coalesce into a brand new, cohesive phoenix that feels notably new. As carefully because it sticks to the traditions that impressed it, it is clear that Outsider is making an attempt to succeed in past these works as effectively. Not within the sense of really re-inventing the wheel – nothing right here actually falls exterior the bounds of what you’ve got already heard for the final 4 or 5 a long time – however extra within the sense that Night Demon additionally need to go away their mark on the style.
In that sense, the title monitor infuses a tough and prepared sensibility to what may need in any other case been a galloping if not pretty sterile affair and elevates it consequently, whereas experimental nearer “The Wrath” nearly feels misplaced because of the a lot heavier affect of Night Demon‘s private preferences splitting up the distinct sections. Once more, that is no unhealthy factor – the expertise of the band may have supported no matter type they wished to place out. It retains issues recent whereas hinting at any variety of instructions they might transfer in, ought to the NWOTHM angle run its course.
Given the fervour on show for the glory days, nevertheless, methinks Night Demon are heading in the right direction to creating the perfect model of it they presumably can; for those who actually want heavy steel to reside, then Outsider could be immortality on faucet. It is a no-fuss, no-mess motorbike journey alongside the freeway of heavy steel historical past, blaring anthemic earworms and fist-pumping choruses all the way in which down. Whereas that freeway could be a straight and pretty unchallenging one, Night Demon have nonetheless captured and recreated that sensation of previous steel glories as shut to actually as doable whereas implementing their private touches.
