Demon Eyes

Close your eyes, take a deep, slow breath, try to empty your mind completely and now - think of a band, any band! ...See? Demon Eyes, right? How cool is that!?

It's a scientific fact* that 59% of all metalheads choose Demon Eyes when asked to pick an 80's Heavy Metal band totally at random. It's kinda like that phenomenon when you're asked to pick any number between 1 and 10, and most people pick number 7. Apparently the band Demon Eyes share the same feel of 'randomness' as the number 7, making our subconscious pick them out from the crowd. There are some theories in the scientific community as to why this is the case: The band name has just the right amount of HM-cool (only about 0,5% of all people pick 'Metallica' or 'Run After To'), they made all of 3 full albums - the first on a well known cult label, their logo - or rather logos - are eye-catching and having produced albums both in English as well as their own native tounge grants them an aura of both the Exotic as well as the Familiar. It all sums up to the pefect recipe for tricking our mind into thinking they're the Most Random Band Of 80's Metal.

The final step on the road towards perfect, feigned normality was to "go in a more melodic direction on their third and final album" ...BUT, here they deviate some from the classic mould however, because their supposed SCS (Sucky Commercial Swansong) is neither sucky - it features some of their best songs of their career - nor commercial - Metal of this brand didn't get more airplay than Iron Maiden or Slayer back then. "Lady White Bride" start things off as the usual snappy opener-type tune and right from the start it strikes me how hauntingly similar their new vocalist Gil "Gun" Morvan is to Alex Savage of Witch Cross, both in sound and technique. Actually both "Lady White Bride" and "Songs Of Death" are very similar in style to W.C. as well as other Scandinavian acts like Mindless Sinner or Tarot, though the latter doesn't reach Awesome-levels until the last 30 seconds or so, when the more aggressive Power-riffs emerge ...and then suddenly stops, all coitus interruptus-like. "Shy" is one of the more melodic tracks, but lacks none of the power of its predecessors and is also my fave with it's incredibly catchy chorus. 3 strong composition in there doesn't seem to be any stopping this album. What could possibly go wrong? you ask. Well, DE goes full Murphy's Law on us with the title track I'm afraid. "Out Of Control" is funky fusion-HR of the most dire Aerosmith-sort. At the very, absolutely miniscule least I'd say it at least sort of keeps the pace of the album and is no more the death-trap of a good HM record than your average love-schmallad.

Thankfully we're back on track right off the start of side B, where "Let Me Go To The Party" turns out to be one of those very rare 'Party Metal' tunes which sounds both Metal and upbeat in the best of ways - think a mellow WASP or the better moments of Lizzy Borden. "Gotta Wait" though... gotta pass I'm afraid. If there's one moment of straight-up, classic selloutification on the album it's this piece of dull US-style radio-rock. So much more enjoyable is then the return to that good side of Melodic Metal with both "Just For A Night" and "Dreams Never Lie". "Dreams.." especially impresses with some mightly fine vocal harmonies and almost Rising Force-like vibes.

So, yes, a very good album on the whole. Not AMAZING though - that would crack the 'Most Random Band'-illusion discussed above entirely, leaving the top spot up for grabs to runner-ups like Wrath, Highway Chile, Torch or the likes...

* = It's not. It's bullshit.