Review Summary: Fans of NWOBHM rejoice because Curse of the Damned is going to be one of the most fun albums you’ve heard in a while.
As mundane as it sounds, revival music is definitely hit or miss. The enthusiasm factor tends to disappear when one knows beforehand what they're going to hear has been done with a high degree of success in the past. Nevertheless, fear not because Night Demon might sound a hell lot like a few pioneers of NWOBHM but their song writing ability is impressive; to the point where if
Curse of the Damned had the distinctive sound of the classic NWOBHM albums, one would think that it was released in 1980.
Night Demon is a power trio hailing from California but it’s certain that they’ve done their due diligence to everything that made NWOBHM huge in the ‘80s. As a matter of fact, their music is largely influenced by the likes of Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Tygers of Pan Tang, Angel Witch and Saxon with a few hints of early Riot, Thin Lizzy and even LA Guns! In addition, their vocalist’s technique sounds like a mix of Paul Di'Anno and Sean Harris even though his tone is much different. This becomes apparent in the album’s opener ”Screams in the Night” which is highly representative of the above influences. Throughout the album, one is bound to feel that the spirit of Brian Tatler all over the place while the overall feeling of the album resembles that of a B horror movie which is evident on “Curse of the Damned” and “Satan”. Actually, the whole album is scheduled to be used as a soundtrack for a graphic horror novel according to the band.
Apart from the NWOBHM influences, one can hear some Motorhead on “Full Speed Ahead” and Thin Lizzy on steroids on “Save Me Now”. Furthermore, “Heavy Metal Heat”, the band’s attempt on a heavy metal anthem and the very melodic “Livin’ Dangerous” are where Night Demon show off their glam elements. One of the standout tracks is “The Howling Man” which is the longest running track of the album; based around a riff that could have been on
Lightning to the Nations, it brings to mind Iron Maiden’s “Children of the Damned” when it slows down. Lastly, “Mastermind” has some appealing vocal melodies and the riff from “Killer” sounds like something that was left out of
Kill ‘Em All.
In a nutshell, if you’re a fan of NWOBHM and constantly on the lookout for great underground heavy metal,
Curse of the Damned is an album you should give a try. At the very least, you’ll find it highly energetic, fun and superbly executed.
