Night Demon Brings the 'Outsider' Tour Through Cleveland
It only took me eight years to finally catch a live Night Demon show, but I finally did last Wednesday, when they headlined a night at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. The rest of the tour is rounded out with Satan (who headlines most evenings) and Haunt. As a huge fan of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) sound, I couldn't have picked a better show to spend my night at! So clear was this choice that I opted to drive from Buffalo to Cleveland for this show over seeing Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth) open for Queensryche in Pittsburgh that same evening (an equally incredible show, from all accounts).
The Hell's Decibel's Tour is such a cool package of that early 80's sounding metal that there simply isn't enough of today! I've always had a few bands that I always assumed everyone with a working pair of ears would love. In the last several years, Night Demon as at the top of that list. How this band isn't packing arenas if not large theaters night after night is a complete mystery to me. Their sound is infectious, groovy and just overall fun! The current Night Demon album consists of founding member Jarvis Leatherby (vocals/bass), Armand John Anthony (guitar) and Dusty Squires (drums) and was released on March 17th.
The show opened at 8pm with Haunt, who's seventh full-length album 'Golden Arm' is set for release on May 5th. Haunt is primarily driven by Trevor William Church, who is cranking out album after album, dating back to 2018. Their forty-five-minute set included several of their most streamed songs such as "Light the Beacon," "Mind Freeze," "Burst Into Flame" and "In Our Dreams," along with the lead single from their new album, "Fight the Good Fight."
Haunt's Trevor William Church in Cleveland, Ohio
Next up was Satan, who are the headliner on this tour on all but a few select dates. Admittedly, I'm much less familiar with this band, who have been a pioneer in the NWOBHM scene since the early 80's. While the band has gone through multiple lineup changes over the years, the band has consisted of the same lineup as their 1983 debut album release since they re-formed back in 2011.
Currently, Satan is touring in support of their 2022 release 'Earth Infernal.' It's worth noting that this tour was originally scheduled to take place back in the spring of 2020, before COVID shut everything down. In fact, this very tour was the first cancelation that I personally experienced, as it was set to come through my hometown here in Buffalo, NY.
While it would have been great to catch this whole thing three years earlier, the wait was well worth it!
Satan performing in Cleveland, Ohio
Night Demon took to the stage just after 10pm and rolled out a rare complete performance of their latest album, 'Outsider.' Catching this album in its entirety was worth the three-hour drive alone, but the remainder of the set was every bit as good!
If you haven't caught the new album yet, it's probably best to come back here after you give it a quick spin (it's just a bit over half an hour). Some of the highlights are the title track "Outsider," "Rebirth," "Escape From Beyond" and the awesome album closer "The Wrath." The entire album is littered with catchy hooks and some wild guitar solos by Armand John Anthony.
Night Demon covering "Blitzkrieg" with Brian Ross from Satan in Cleveland, Ohio
The remainder of the set consisted of some of the best tunes from Night Demon's first two albums including "Welcome to teh Night," "The Howling Man" and "Dawn Rider," before closing out with a pair of tracks from their self-titled debut EP "The Chalice" and "Night Demon."
For everyone new to this group, the band's mascot, Rocky, comes out when they perform "The Chalice" at every show (similar to how Eddie appears on stage when Iron Maiden performs their namesake track). Taking in this full show made me really wish I was able to have made the trip back in September, when they performed two sold-out shows in Cleveland, with completely different sets each night. It would have been great to see some of the singles from "Year of the Demon" performed, along with some classic Night Demon tracks like "Black Widow" or "Hallowed Ground." Still, leaving the fans wanting more is what will keep them coming back, and I'm certainly coming back!
Night Demon's mascot "Rocky" on stage with Armand John Anthony and Jarvis Leatherby during "The Chalice"
While this current tour is wrapping up, I would expect to see all of these bands quite active here again later this year! Keep your eyes on their social media for future dates and go check out their stores for tons of awesome music and merch at the following locations: Night Demon, Satan and Haunt.
Setlist:
Prelude
Outsider
Obsidian
Beyond the Grave
Rebirth
Escape From Beyond
A Wake
The Wrath
Welcome to the Night
Dawn Rider
The Howling Man
Blitzkrieg (Blitzkrieg cover, featuring Brian Ross from Satan)
The Chalice
Night Demon
