Attick Demons - 'Daytime Stories, Nightmare Tales'

(Rock Of Angels Records)

Considering Attick Demons have been knocking around since 1996 I’m surprised I’ve not stumbled across this Portuguese NWOBHM band before. To be honest though I was fully expecting to dislike ‘Daytime Stories, Nightmare Tales’ and my expectations were extremely low so I was flabbergasted at just how much I enjoyed this album, it blew my initial negative feelings out the water before album opener ‘The Contract’ had even hit the one minute thirty mark! I’m always the first to use the old saying “Never Judge A Book By It’s Cover” and never prejudge anything – but I was guilty of it with Attick Demons and I’m glad they proved me wrong!

They sound like Iron Maiden, not inspired by, not influenced by, they truly sound like Iron Maiden! If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were a tribute band or even think it is Maiden! The vocalist is a spot-on Bruce Dickinson sound alike and emulates his style and quirks almost perfectly. There are little moments where you can pick up it’s not Dickinson, but to the untrained listener you’d swear it was Dickinson singing! The similarity is genuinely uncanny!

The entire album sounds like ‘Brave New World’ era Iron Maiden, which is one of my favourite Maiden albums so I’m not shocked I dug this album as hard as I did.

Just like Maiden they have huge melodies and strong choruses amongst their thunderous, fast paced heavy metal complete with galloping guitar riffage. They also throw in plenty of melodic guitar licks, perhaps not to the extant or quality of their obvious inspirers but still enough to make the Maiden faithful’s mullets tingly!

After listening to the album in its entirety it’s clear they aren’t writing anything original but they do a great job of creating enjoyable and memorable songs regardless and Maiden fans will get turned on by this album even so.

Do you love Iron Maiden? Do you love NWOBHM? Do you love the Eighties? Well strap yourself in for a goodie because Attick Demons tick all those boxes and make music like the Eighties never ended!

7/10

Essential Track - 'The Revenge Of The Sailor King'

Review by Woody