Meet Johnny
Johnny is unhappy with his life, and leaves his town into the mysterious green mist to see what’s out there. This is how the beginning of the story goes for Night Demon’s 3rd album Outsider. A concept album, and a fascinating, original story. If the story reminds me of anything, it’s of Twin Peaks. There’s portals that take Johnny to another world where he is faced with confusion, terror, and murder. The story is beautifully described in the lyrics, and liner notes.
Beyond Traditional Metal
I have to confess, I may be a little biased. I have been a fan of Night Demon for years, and even booked them to play at Metal Swap Meet in 2019. That aside, their music has been great on a consistent basis.
Their debut album Curse of the Damned, is a classic, but it felt a bit like a tribute to NWOBHM gods like Diamond Head and Iron Maiden. In fact, the singer/bass player Jarvis Leatherby often sounds like Diamond Head singer Sean Harris on this album. Make no mistake, I love this album, but I don’t feel like they had found their sound. Night Demon followed that up with Darkness Remains in 2017. I find this album an improvement on crafting their own sound. They are a power-trio, so the bass is loud, and up front of the recording mix, great vocals with occasional harmonies, hard hitting drums, and guitar riffs that thrash, chug, and squeal.
Enter: Outsider
Outsider refers to Johnny, and his journey into an alternate reality. He feels like an outsider, after crossing the green fog into a town just like his, but where the people he knows act different. The production on Outsider is Night Demon’s best. Everything is clear, and sharp, without sounding overproduced. It feels organic, clear, unforced, but it blends together where other modern metal albums fail.
The album starts with a nice intro called “Prelude.” It starts with a synth pulse, and goes into a clean bass riff, then comes some tense piano, and kicks right into the title track with the tense voice yelling “Outsider – Solitary is the path you’re on.” I am not usually a fan of intros, but I can’t imagine this song without the intro. It really sets it up.
With Outsider being a concept album, it adds an extra dimension of interest. I enjoy concept albums like King Diamond’s ‘Abigail’ or Queensryche’s ‘Operation Mindcrime.’ If the story is good, it adds an extra level of enjoyment. Today is my first time reading the story and lyrics of Outsider, but I find it pretty interesting. I always a big a fan of Twilight Zone, Stephen King, and Star Trek. This has that kind of feel to me.
The tempo of the album varies a lot. It can vary even within a song. The third track ‘Obsidian’ starts out ripping fast, and then slows down to a slower, more emotional pace, that reflects the sorrow felt by the protagonist Johnny. The next song, ‘Beyond The Grave’ starts very slow, with eerie bass guitars leading to a drum march and howling, sorrowful vocals.
The Good
Outsider has great production, songwriting, catchy riffs, tremendous musicianship, and vocal performance. Beyond the sound, I really like the story. Yeah, I am a dork who prefers lore over a dungeon crawl in Dungeons & Dragons. I would guess that creating a concept album has a lot of challenges. For one, making an album that takes you through different emotions both with the music, and with the story. This album does both.
The Bad
I don’t really have any. I could say it’s too short, as it clocks in at only 37:11, but I am one of those that complain that albums are too long. Remember, Slayer’s Reign in Blood was only 29 minutes. That album is a masterpiece. I think Outsider is just long enough. No complaints here.
Conclusion
Night Demon have been able to repeatedly top themselves, and Outsider is no exception. The maturity has become ever increasing, the creativity is never ending, and the work ethic has always been there. For those familiar with Night Demon know, they are one of the hardest working metal bands out there. I will be seeing them in a week at Hell’s Heroes in Houston, and I am looking forward to hearing and seeing some of these songs live. It wouldn’t bother me if it were played live straight through. I hope you enjoy this album as much is I do. I give Outsider 5/5 stars,
| Band: Night Demon |
| Album: Outsider |
| Worldwide Release Date: March 17, 2023 |
| Record Label: Century Media |
| Favorite Track: Track 08. The Wake |
Be sure to check out Jeff Gutrot’s Décryptal review, and my review of the new Unpure album.
[…] are happy to announce the return of Night Demon! Night Demon are coming off their brand new album Outsider, and always bring a high energy show. If you have never seen Night Demon, you are in for a real […]