I'm glad they're back, but...
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 04/20/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Released in 2001, Spaced Out Monkey was the first release from the classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) band Demon in nearly a decade. I think Demon has always been one of the most unfortunately overlooked bands to emerge from that influential scene, and during the course of their evolution from occult-inspired heavy metal band to Uriah Heep meets Magnum prog/pomp rockers, the band has released some very memorable albums.
Unfortunately, Spaced Out Monkey does not quite live up to the standard set by those earlier albums. Some of the key elements of Demon's sound are present; most of the songs are melodic, and Dave Hill's voice is as powerful and dramatic as ever. There's just something "off" about these songs. I wish I could explain it better than that. There is an abrasive quality present that keeps me from fully enjoying the album. Spaced Out Monkey reminds me a lot of one of Y&T's Musically Incorrect, in that by trying to go for a somewhat modern sound, the band sacrificed a bit of what made them great in the first place.
This isn't a bad album per se, but it's not what I've come to expect from Demon. Some of the songs are quite good ("Dreamtime", "Cry From the Street" and "Let Me Out of Here" for example), some less so, and one song, the title track, is just plain awful. Who told Hill that older white rockers should try and rap anyway? If they had dropped that stinker and made a few tweaks to the rest of the album, this could have been a triumphant return. As is, it's a decent but ultimately forgettable album by a band capable of so much more.
I'm definitely glad Demon is back and releasing new material, but I also hope they shake off the dust and get back to releasing better albums."
