Demon (band)

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Demon
Demon live 2010
Background information
OriginLeek, Staffordshire, England
GenresHeavy metal
Hard rock
Progressive rock
Years active1979-1992, 1997-present
LabelsClay Records, Carrere Records
MembersDave Hill
Paul Hume
David Cotterill
Karl Waye
Ray Walmsley
Neil Ogden
Past membersFormer members
Websitewww.the-demon.com

Demon is an English rock/metal group, formed in 1979 by vocalist Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner, both hailing from Leek, Staffordshire. They are considered an important band in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Early years

The original line-up was completed by Les Hunt (Lead guitar), Chris Ellis (bass guitar) and John Wright (drums). The band were signed by Mike Stone's Clay Records in 1980 and licensed to Carrere Records to join their stable of metal bands. Their debut album, Night of the Demon, was released in 1981.

After their 1982 follow-up album, The Unexpected Guest, the band experimented beyond the NWOBHM sound and moved the band in a more melodic direction whilst still retaining the more traditional heavy metal black magic lyrical style.[1]

In 1983 Demon took a change in direction.[1] The Plague marked a swing towards a more progressive sound, adding the keyboards of session musician Andy Richards to the album's sound. Lyrically the band also changed direction, switching to a more overtly political style that was to characterise their albums for the rest of their career.[1] The following album, the Pink Floyd influenced British Standard Approved (1984), released on the small independent Clay label, was not a huge commercial success, and with the death of Mal Spooner later that year, it appeared that the band would soon fold. At this point, the band had recruited a permanent keyboard player in Steven Watts.[1]

1985-1992

The following release Heart of Our Time (1985) showed that the remaining members of the band were determined to continue, and it was the start of a new songwriting partnership between Hill and Watts. Although the album is regarded as the weakest of the bands releases, it paved the way for the critically acclaimed Breakout (1987) and its follow-up Taking the World by Storm (1988).[1] The band would go onto release two more albums in the 1990s; 1991's Hold onto the Dream and 1992's Blow Out before splitting up in 1992 which, according to singer and founding member Dave Hill, was because of fatigue.[2]

Trivia - Heart of our Time also included a secret recording of a computer program for the sinclair ZX Spectrum. Created by the programmer and computer hacker Steve Parry-Thomas. The reclusive Parry-Thomas was never credited for his work with Demon, but did get a credit on the Breakout LP. The computer program when loaded into a ZX Spectum displayed a screen with the message 'Behind it all there was so much more' it also had a secret message hidden in the code - " CONGRATULATIONS You have found the secret message. Send all enquiries to - YOUNG CHRIS c/o "THE OLD HIPPY SHOW" STOKE"

Reunion 2001-present

Hill reunited the band with new members in 2001, and released a new album called Spaced Out Monkey. The band has since gone onto release a further two albums, Better the Devil You Know (2005) and their latest release Unbroken, which was released on 13 September 2012.[3] Both of the bands post reunion releases have received positive reviews from the press leading the band to go on and play many festivals across Europe Including Bang Your Head festival and Sweden Rock the band also toured with Magnum singer Bob Catley in 2005.[4]

The band released their twelfth studio album, Unbroken, in September 2012 and are planning a number of festival appearances in 2013 in support of it. The band are due to play at Sweden Rock Festival in June and Headbangers Open Air festival in July.[5]

Members

Current

  • Dave Hill - Lead Vocals (1979-1992, 2001-present)
  • Ray Walmsley - Bass (2012-present), Guitars (1997-2011)
  • Karl Waye - Keyboards (2001, 2012-present)
  • Neil Ogden - Drums, Percussion (2002-present)
  • David Cotterill - Guitars (2007-present)
  • Paul Hume - Guitars (2012-present)

Past

  • Paul Riley - Bass (1979-1980)
  • John Wright - Drums, Percussion (1979-1987)
  • Clive Cook - Guitar (1979-1980)
  • Mal Spooner - Guitar (1979-1984) †
  • Les Hunt - Bass (1981) Guitar (1981-1983)
  • Chris Ellis - Bass (1982-1983)
  • Gavin Sutherland - Bass (1984-1985)
  • Steve Watts - Keyboards (1984-1991)
  • John Waterhouse - Guitar (1985-1992)
  • Andy Dale - Bass 1987-1988, 1997-2011)
  • Nick Bushell - Bass (1988-1991)
  • Scott Crawford - Drums (1988-1991)
  • Steve Brookes - Guitar (1988-1992, 1997-2001)
  • Mike Thomas - Bass (1992)
  • Paul Rosscrow - Drums, Percussion (1992)
  • John Cotterill - Drums, Percussion (2001)
  • Duncan Hansell - Keyboards (2001}
  • Karl Finney - Guitar (2003-2005)
  • Tim Read - Guitar (2005-2007)
  • Paul Farrington - Keyboards (2002-2012)
  • Paul Johnson - Bass (2011-2012)

Discography

Studio albums / EPs

°"Taking The World By Storm"(REMIX) 2015

Live albums / compilations

  • One Helluva Night (live) (1990)
  • Anthology (compilation) (1991)
  • The Best of Demon: Volume One (compilation) (1999)
  • Time Has Come - The Best of Demon (compilation) (2006)

DVDs

Hill/Stone Productions

  • The Unexpected Guest Tour - Live at Tiffany's 1982 (2009)
  • Up Close and Personal - Live in Germany at The Keep It True Festival warm up show 2006 (2009)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Potts, Mark L. (10 November 2006). "Official DEMON biography 2001". Demon Official Website. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  2. ^ Ekdahl, Anders. "Demon_2001_Interview". Battlehelm. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Demon_2012_Unbroken". Encyclopedia_Metallium. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  4. ^ Ritchie, Jason. "Demon_2005_Interview". Get_Ready_To_Rock. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  5. ^ "Demon_2013". Site_Of_The_Demon. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 150. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demon (band).
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