DEMON
“Invincible”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Demon are a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 1979 right at the start of the revolutionary NWOBHM evolution. The band have enjoyed a nigh on fifty year career, releasing fourteen studio albums – the latest of which ‘Invincible’, was released in 2024.

Founded by vocalist David Hill, Demon were one of Britain’s leading lights during the eighties with regards to the burgeoning NWOBHM, perfectly melding the sound of hard rock with heavy metal, the band evolving to include a fairly weighty progressive (rock and metal) element within their music! And similar to fellow countrymen Lionheart, Magnum, and Praying Mantis, Demon have moved to a more melodic hard rock sound, yet remain firmly under the NWOBHM banner – ‘Invincible’ a twelve song, sixty minute swagger of progressive hard rock with just a sprinkling of heavy metal! The new album begins with the one and a half minute effects laden and mellow-ish instrumental ‘Intro’…

…’Invincible’ roaring into life with the hard rocking AOR tinged ‘In My Blood’. The band are strutting their stuff with total aplomb, striding across the land with shoulders back and head held high – very high! For the foot tapping, head nodding nature of ‘In My Blood’ is incredible, I defy anyone to not be gently rocking their head back and forth right now! A simply infectious and more-ish opener, the album marches on with the much heavier hitting ‘Face The Master’, Demon bringing a rougher, tougher attitude to the fore! Still a foot tapping, head nodding kinda romp, ‘Face The Master’ keeps the hard rocking momentum rolling – a corker of a brace to open an album, and two powerful songs to hook tightly the attentions of every rocker in the world!

The band have been cruising since the album began, changing down a gear for the more anthemic sounding ‘Ghost From The Past’, Demon punching hard and kicking harder. The near brutal, in your face attitude is startling but not devastating, ‘Ghost From The Past’ just as infectious as everything heard so far – and it’s only been two songs! Imagine how fucking good the rest of the album’s gonna be! Well you don’t have to wait long to find out, ‘Invincible’ storming on with the fastest song heard so far, ‘Beyond The Darkness’ taking the album along the heavy metal border! And introducing the iconic metal gallop too, the band planting one foot firmly on the monitor to adopt the classic heavy metal pose, Demon not forgetting their roots. So come on all you metallers, join every rocker in raising fists high and punch the air to salute one of those cracking songs that perfectly melds metal with rock! There’s just no stopping the bombastic hard rocking aura of ‘Invincible’, the album taking a sinister turn, crawling on with the doom rocker ‘Hole In The Sky’, and a thunderous foot stomp that’s likely to knock Earth off its fucking axis! The band are at their heaviest here, yet still don’t lose any of the sky high infectious level the album began with. Kudos Demon, kudos!

Exhibiting an intro that reminds me hugely of legendary British rock icons Queen, ‘Break The Spell’ is a majestic stroll through atmospheric elegance, the chorus break a wonderful sing a long affair that’s gonna have every listener, fan, follower and concert goer singing along to their hearts content! I tell ya readers, since ‘Invincible’ began the intensity level has been on point, Demon hooking listeners attentions right from the off and never letting go – and I for one wouldn’t wanna go! For there’s no where else I’d rather be right now, ‘Rise Up’ increasing the heaviness and returning the metal feel from earlier! And then a dramatic change of tempo sees ‘Rise Up’ veer suddenly into hard rock territory – the band constantly hopping the border wall from metal to rock and back again! Fucking great stuff from the British legends, the (albums) title song ‘Invincible’ entering the fray from the viewpoint of eighties sounding metal and rock! And for those old enough (like me) to remember the eighties, the sound of ‘Invincible’ (the song) is straight outta the glorious decade that changed the face of rock and metal music forever. It may be 2024 right now, but boy I can smell 1984 as if it was only here yesterday!

The band haven’t lifted their foot off the pedal since the album began, keeping the hard rocking nature relentlessly rolling like a four kilo round of Double Gloucester rolls down Cooper’s Hill during the world-famous annual “Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling And Wake” event in Gloucestershire (UK)! And still with no end in sight to the glorious rock avalanche, Demon stride on with ‘Cradle To The Grave’. Returning the AOR influence to the fore, the band actually display every style of rock within their arsenal to attract every rocker from every walk of rock! It really doesn’t matter which genre of rock you prefer, for there really is something for everyone here, Demon reaching into every corner, nook and cranny of rock country to deliver an amazing array of styles! And chiming in as the most punchy song on offer, ‘Breaking The Silence’ also increases the pace, the band running along the heavy metal border to keep the diehard metallers happy – the rockers too! Demon bring their fourteenth album to a close with ‘Forever Seventeen’, strolling into life with the mellowest feel of any of the songs on offer – for all of about the first thirty seconds or so! And then ‘Forever Seventeen’ places an anthemic, hymn-like swagger front and centre, a little balladry too, Demon once more showcasing their majestic elegant side to the full!

Overall, one hour of heavy rocking hard rock with an immense infectious level, ‘Invincible’ is a glorious slab of rock.

TRACKLIST

Intro
In My Blood
Face The Master
Ghost From The Past
Beyond The Darkside
Hole In The Sky
Break The Spell
Rise Up
Invincible
Cradle To The Grave
Breaking The Silence
Forever Seventeen

https://www.demon-official.com/
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