The Plague

Artist: Demon
Label: Dead Ringer
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 803341125728
EAN: 0803341125728
ASIN: B00008GQC7

Release Date: 2003-02-25

Related Categories:

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

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| Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock

| Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Plague
Nowhere to Run
Fever in the City
Blackheath, Pt. 1
Blackheath, Pt. 2
Writing's on the Wall
Only Sane Man
Step Too Far
Outro
Nowhere to Run [Original Mix][*]
Fever in the City [Original Mix][*]
Blackheath [Original Mix][*]
Writing's on the Wall [Original Mix][*]
Only Sane Man [Original Mix][*]
Step Too Far [Original Mix][*]

Customer Reviews:

Demon's best.......2005-04-13

I Completely agree with Klaus, the other reviewer.
Don't be misled by the name "Demon", because this is not another death metal band. They are somewhere in between old school metal and progessive rock and they play far too nice to be scary metalheads. No skull crashing distortion and grunts here ! They have a very conservative, school-like approach on their music and they never freak out. So don't expect flashy solo stuff from any of the musicians. It's just nice, clean, well-played and well-conceived hard rock. There is, however, one song on the album that really grabs you by the throat and that's "Fever in the city". If you close your eyes listening to that tune you will find yourself in some stinking medieval city infested by what was called "black death" or "the plague". This song is really impressive and the instruments are well-chosen to evoke that mood of complete desperation. Dave Hill's voice is also very powerful and dramatic (as always). This record sounds fuller and completer than its predecessors because of the extended use of keyboards that nicely fill up the gaps created by rather thin-sounding guitars, bass and drums.

While Manson throws away the key........2003-11-08

I knew it! I bloody knew it. Not only is this album (and this band for that matter) wrongly categorized as "New wave of British Heavy Metal". It is also totally ignored - noone having reviewed.
Basic facts on Demon. British? Yes! Eighties? Yes? Heavy? Suppose so .. at times that is. NWOBHM? Not in a million years! Demon started out sounding like a merger between Sabbath and AC/DC, releasing two decent albums: "Night of the Demon" and "The Unexpected Guest" that for reasons beyond me are the ones remembered today.
At that time (early eighties) their third release (The Plague) by far exceded the aforementioned ... and that goes for reviews, sales and yes ... to my mind at least ... certainly quality.
After that Demon went on to record af number of records at a steeply declining quality. Their fourth "Heart of our Time" beeing more than okay but thats about it. Guitarist Mal Spooner died somewhere in the mid-eighties and that more than anything else meant the (creative) end to Demon. If you buy this one and like what you hear - try out "Heart of our Time" as well. If you want to hear Demon on a totally different stylesheet: buy "the unexpected guest". Those releases are three and a half starred. Also the much later liverelease: "One Helluva Night", is worth the money and time.
The Plague however is unique. It is what might be called minimalistic progressive rock (if there is such a thing). It is also a very strongly set up concept (in the original LP) release with lyrics and music weaved splendidly together with Mike Hannans awesome pencildrawings.
The concept of "The Plague" is control to some extend comparable to 1984 and Big Brother. The music with its moodchanges built brilliantly around the concept as Demon avoid one of the progressive scenes major mishaps concerning concept-albums of pushing pointles (but technically flawless) solos into the music.
This is not a record to leave you in high spirit. It's a sad political statement that you might consider socialist or liberal but certainly anti-totalitarian. Surely the story of society labeling people who don't fit in as insane is relevant even at this day and age ... if not in the first world ?? certainly elsewhere on the blue planet. And the music - if not excactly timeless has a unique quality making it absolutely listenable in the third millenium.
And the music interacts excellently with the lyrics - both words and chords written by aforementioned Mal Spooner and singer Dave Hill. There are beautiful moodchanges, sharpedged passages and melodic interplays and bridges all put together in exceptionel and tight arrangements and performed by strong and matured musicians. I simply cannot think of a conceptalbum of a more consistant and impressive quality. And that goes for Genesis and Yes aswell as Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree. Listen to the built up that leads to "The only Sane Man". I guarantee you, that you will be drawn into the music and into the concept. And you will want to hear more from this spectacular band. Sadly though ... there is litlle more to find.
I suppose this re-release comes with a plain cover and no booklet (even af full booklet in CD-format wouldn't be optimal though). The original LP had a fulsize booklet with lyrics and drawings as an integrated part of the release. On the other hand the music in itself stands strongly and very recommended. This is heavy stuff and it demands attention ... but it is certainly worth it. "while Manson throws away the key ... beware of the ... plague".

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