NIGHT DEMON Bio (updated August 2, 2020) 

Night Demon are honored to unleash their new single, In Trance, for worldwide release via Century Media Records on August 7, 2020. This single constitutes Night Demon’s fifth standalone 7” vinyl release of 2020. There is a special story behind the music and a deeper significance to how this thrilling live recording came to be. 

March 2, 2019 will be remembered as one of the most important nights in Night Demon history. The location was Hamburg, Germany, long a second home for the band on their frequent European sojourns through the years. The occasion was the sold-out Hell Over Hammaburg Festival, which Night Demon had the honor of headlining. That night, the famous Markthalle venue was teeming with 1,000 die-hard metal maniacs from around the globe, waiting impatiently for the Ventura, California-based trio to put an exclamation point on the weekend’s festivities. But Night Demon had a special surprise up their sleeves for the Hammaburg faithful. You see, on this night they did not come alone. 

Over the previous few months, Night Demon had been working in a spinetingling cover of the Scorpions’ classic “In Trance” into their live set for certain high-profile gigs, to rapturous crowd response. For the Hammaburg gig, revered former Scorpions guitar slinger Uli Jon Roth, who was an integral part of the In Trance album in 1975, agreed to join Night Demon onstage for a two-song vintage Scorpions encore consisting of “In Trance” and “Top of the Bill.” Roth’s appearance was a scrupulously guarded secret, unknown to all outside of the inner circle of band and fest organizers. When the big moment finally arrived at the end of a sweat-soaked, 15-song pummeling, it was nothing short of magical. Roth walked out with his trademark smile to join Night Demon for the encore, to deafening applause and instant goosebumps for fans and band alike. The next two songs were utterly transcendent, as Uli traded licks with Night Demon guitarist Armand John Anthony, Night Demon bassist/vocalist Jarvis Leatherby channeled his inner Klaus Meine, and the audience lost their collective minds. Heavy metal history was made on the Markthalle stage. No one who was there that night will ever forget it. With this single, Night Demon finally release a time capsule of this extraordinary moment in physical form, the live recordings from that night featuring “In Trance” on the A-side and “Top of the Bill” on the B-side. Now heavy metal fans all over the world can experience the magic that was in the air that frigid winter night in Hamburg embedded in the grooves of this special, strictly limited vinyl release. 

Night Demon erupted onto the underground heavy metal scene with a self-titled four-song EP in 2012. Showcasing a sound forged in a deep-seated passion for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal melded to distinctly American muscle and swagger, and embracing a rigorous touring schedule, Night Demon quickly gained momentum in the USA and Europe. In January 2015, the band released their first full-length album, Curse of the Damned, which refined the band’s trademark sound and garnered widespread acclaim by fans and critics alike. To promote the record, Night Demon hit the killing road for the better part of two years, crisscrossing the United States multiple times, touring the European market relentlessly, and even veering off the beaten path with extensive dates in Mexico, South America and Latin America. 

The Night Demon legend continued to grow with the release of their second full-length album, Darkness Remains, in April 2017. Darkness Remains saw the band delivering all of the expected NWOBHM-inspired thrills and chills, but also honing their songwriting chops, developing more of an individual sound, sharpening their attack, and even taking a few chances along the way. The album was lauded by leading journalists, publications and webzines around the world, hauling in top honors in numerous end-of-year polls and lists. True to form, Night Demon again embarked on a grueling touring regimen, including headlining the Darkness over Europe tour and spending five weeks in Europe as direct support for German metal masters Accept. To celebrate their accomplishments thus far and document their ferocious live rituals, Night Demon released a comprehensive, career-spanning live album, Live Darkness, in August 2018. Recorded before a packed house of longtime friends and supporters in their adopted second home of Cleveland, Ohio, Live Darkness captured the band’s energy and intensity on that magical night, yielding definitive versions of the Night Demon catalog. More intensive touring followed, including a headlining appearance at the Hell Over Hammaburg Festival in Hamburg, Germany in early 2019, with special guest Uli Jon Roth joining the band for a spinetingling encore of the Scorpions classics “In Trance” and “Top of the Bill.” 

Night Demon, consisting of Jarvis Leatherby (vocals/bass), Armand John Anthony (guitar) and Dusty Squires (drums), now have their sights set firmly on the future. Although the coronavirus crisis has temporarily grounded their tour plans, the band are plotting their triumphant return to the live arena as soon as global health and safety restrictions permit. When that magnificent time comes, there will come another night in another venue when Night Demon conjure magic, make history, and place us all in a collective trance once again.