Ventura, California’s heavy metal institution Night
Demon return with their third full-length album,
Outsider, via Century Media Records on March 17,
2023.
For more than a decade, Night Demon have defiantly
flown the flag of traditional heavy metal, unwavering in
the face of shifting industry trends and unscarred by
global calamities. Even as they spent 2022 touring
heavily worldwide in support of their compilation
album, Year of the Demon, the trio consisting of Jarvis
Leatherby (vocals/bass), Armand John Anthony
(guitar) and Dusty Squires (drums) continued working
tirelessly behind the scenes. The objective? To
perfect their first collection of all-new material since
2017’s acclaimed Darkness Remains album. Make no
mistake: Outsider represents Night Demon’s boldest,
most ambitious effort to date. Never content to rest on their laurels by rehashing past glories, the
band have challenged themselves musically and lyrically, pushing creative boundaries and evolving
their sound far beyond their NWOBHM-worshipping origins into something truly singular.
From a lyrical standpoint, Outsider marks Night Demon’s first full-blown concept album. To be sure,
the band have always experimented with embedding thematic linkages between songs on each
release, dating back to their 2015 debut album, Curse of the Damned. On Outsider, however, lyricist
Jarvis Leatherby has dialed into a fully cohesive tale of alternate realities, mysterious portals, and
the supernatural, intertwined with universal human feelings of alienation, loss, regret and revenge.
Inspired by Leatherby’s lifelong affinity for horror movies as well as his pandemic-induced exile in
the countryside of Northern Ireland, Outsider weaves a compelling yarn from its pastoral beginnings
to its heart-pounding finale.
Of course, this kind of epic storytelling demands an equally expansive musical backdrop that ebbs
and flows to convey the full emotional range of Outsider. To achieve that result, Night Demon have
reimagined the band’s songwriting and arrangements by embracing progressive elements and a
newfound sense of dynamics that lend the music a decidedly cinematic quality. Longtime fans
should not be alarmed. Outsider sounds like Night Demon through and through. The songwriting is
perhaps the catchiest in the band’s discography, boasting massive hooks such as those found on
the earworm title track, which is also the lead single.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of adrenaline-fueled, headbanging moments on display in songs like the
rollicking “Obsidian” and “Escape from Beyond,” with its searing guitar riffs, pounding drums, and
urgent vocals. The difference this time lies in the peaks and valleys, the highs and lows. “Beyond
the Grave” and “A Wake” showcase a somber dimension of Night Demon only hinted at on previous
releases. The masterful closing track, “The Wrath,” encapsulates all of these dynamics in a roller
coaster of wildly swinging emotions, tempos and feels.
Simply put, Night Demon take the listener on a journey with Outsider. It’s a heavy and intense ride,
so buckle up. You may never be the same again. And Night Demon are breathlessly awaiting the
opportunity to bring Outsider to life on stages all over the world. Plans are afoot to perform the album
live in its entirety when time and logistics allow, so keep your eyes peeled for dates at a city near
you. Don’t wander in the dark, because Night Demon will find you.