Demon

Biography

Demon is an English hard rock/heavy metal band with progressive rock elements, formed in 1979 by vocalist Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner, both hailing from Leek, Staffordshire. The band is considered important to the new wave of British heavy metal movement.

Early years

The original lineup was completed by former Hunter members Les Hunt (lead guitar), Chris Ellis (bass), 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×Night of the DemonJune 1981 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Full Moon1:352Night of the Demon3:173Into the Nightmare3:574Father of Time4:205Decisions3:406Liar3:147Big Love4:158Ride the Wind2:489Fool to Play the Hard Way4:0110One Helluva Night4:00, was released in 1981.
After their 1982 follow-up album, The Unexpected Guest×The Unexpected Guest1982 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Intro: An Observation1:24A2Don’t Break the Circle4:44A3The Spell3:42A4Total Possession3:52A5Sign of a Madman4:32A6Victim of Fortune4:42B1Have We Been Here Before?4:42B2Strange Institution4:48B3The Grand Illusion3:44B4Beyond the Gates4:20B5Deliver Us From Evil4:41, 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.
In 1983, Demon took a change in direction. 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.
The following album, Pink Floyd influenced British Standard Approved×British Standard Approved1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1First Class4:45A2Cold in the Air2:59A3Touching the Ice4:49A4Second Stage3:11A5Proxima3:59A6The Link, Part 12:56B7The Link, Part 23:07B8New Ground6:22B9From the Outside5:38B10Wonderland4:39B11Hemipheres (British Standard Approved)5:55 (1985), 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 and co-songwriter in Steven Watts.

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 band's releases, it paved the way for the critically acclaimed Breakout (1987) and its follow-up Taking the World by Storm (1989). Demon released two more albums in the 1990s: 1991's Hold On to the Dream×Hold On to the Dream1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1No More Hell on Earth6:502New Frontiers5:183Hold On to the Dream5:484The Lion’s Share5:005Eastern Sunset8:216Barons of Darkness7:107Ivory Towers6:158Nothing Turned Out Right4:169Out of the Shadows4:4210Shoot for the City4:1411Coming Home6:05 and 1992's Blow Out, before splitting up in 1992 which, according to singer and founding member Dave Hill, was because of fatigue.

Reunion (2001–present)

Hill reunited the band with new members in 2001, and released a new album called Spaced Out Monkey×Spaced Out Monkey27 August 2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Never Saw It Coming5:532Sound of the Underground5:463Cry From the Street6:544Homeless1:275Child of the Dark Sky5:056Dreamtime5:347Spaced Out Monkey4:158Streetwise Cowboy5:239Alone1:4410Where You're Coming From5:5411Let Me Out of Here6:33. The band has since gone onto release a further three albums: Better the Devil You Know×Better the Devil You Know16 May 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Better the Devil You Know5:112Dead of the Night3:343Standing on the Edge5:084Taking on the World4:005Temptation3:376Warriors4:217Live Again4:198Obsession4:429Change5:12 (2005), Unbroken×Unbroken13 September 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Prey (intro)0:582Prey3:403Shine a Light3:384Unbroken4:585Wings of Steel4:376Fill Your Head With Rock4:567Take Me to Your Leader5:068Private Lives4:279We Can Make It4:2310What About the Night4:3611I Still Believe5:1612Get The Hell Out Of Here4:25 (2012) and their latest release Cemetery Junction, which was released on 28 October 2016.
All of the band's post-reunion releases have received positive reviews from the press, leading the band to go on and play many festivals across Europe - including the Bang Your Head!!! festival and Sweden Rock Festival - but infrequently embark upon full tours. The band toured with Magnum singer Bob Catley in 2005, and in 2018 celebrated the 35th anniversary of The Unexpected Guest by touring the UK, playing all of the songs from the album, plus some other classics.
On 26 March 2024, the band announced a new album: Invincible×Invincible17 May 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Intro1:272In My Blood4:403Face the Master4:264Ghost From the Past5:085Beyond the Darkside4:226Hole in the Sky6:257Break the Spell5:118Rise Up4:369Invincible5:2210Cradle to the Grave5:4911Breaking the Silence5:3312Forever Seventeen5:50, which was released on 17 May, again receiving favourable reviews.
Former guitarist John Waterhouse died on 12 October 2025, at the age of 75.

Current

Dave Hill – lead vocals (1979–1992, 1997–present)
Karl Waye – keyboards (2001, 2012–present)
Neil Ogden – drums, percussion (2002–present)
David Cotterill – guitars (2007–present)
Paul 'Fasker' Johnson – bass (2011–2012, 2022–present)
Paul Hume – guitars (2012–present)

Studio albums

Night of the Demon (1981)
The Unexpected Guest (1982) – UK No. 47
The Plague (1983) – UK No. 73
British Standard Approved (1985)
Heart of Our Time (1985)
Breakout (1987)
Taking the World By Storm (1989)
Hold On to the Dream (1991)
Blow-out (1992)
Spaced out Monkey (2001)
Better the Devil You Know (2005)
Unbroken (2012)
Cemetery Junction (2016)
Invincible (2024)

Live albums / compilations

One Helluva Night - Live in Germany (1990)
Anthology (1991)
The Best of Demon: Volume One (1999)
The Time Has Come – Best of Demon (2006)

Videos

Live In Hamburg (VHS only) (1993)
The Unexpected Guest Tour – Live at Tiffany's 1982 (2008)
Up Close and Personal! Live in Germany 2006 (2009)