Having established themselves quite comfortably in the heavy metal scene, Portugal’s Attick Demons return with their third full length release. Having famously had their music bounded around on the internet prior to Maiden’s ‘Book of Souls’ release (claiming to be new Maiden tracks!), the band have their own legacy and their own special talent.

Starting similar to EU Power metal, the first couple of tracks take a different approach to their former material. ‘Contract’ and ‘Make Your Choice’ remind me of Nightmare (Fra) and some aspects of Gamma Ray. Its happy, its metal, its catchy as hell. Part way through the next track ‘Renegade’, the British influence really starts to shine. Yes you have heard them all before with their Maiden similarities and references, but I still say their last 3 albums should have replaced the albums that were released in the last 20 years by said metal masters. The vocal range of Artur Almeida is amazing, the power and strength Is great even affording octave changes through some of the tracks. ‘Headbanger’ is a track that every metal band would wish they’d wrote themselves. It’s got everything for this field of music. Riffs, vocal range, excellent arrangements and a perfect recording mix. A touch more story telling comes with ‘The Revenge of the Sailor King’ that is thankfully matched with quality in terms of music, thus, I find this a truly magical album as it flows so well and is captivating for the listener.

So, I like it, it’s great, so what’s different? Attick Demons have expanded their song writing prowess and have developed themselves even further. They have cemented themselves as songwriters who make songs that you won’t forget, songs that you are going to enjoy and release albums that give the old guard a well need wake up call. The music contained within IS their greatest album to date in my book, real metal to the bone.

(8.5/10 Paul Maddison)

https://www.facebook.com/attickdemonsofficial

https://rockworld24.bandcamp.com/album/daytime-stories-nightmare-tales