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DEMON SPELL
Blessed Be The Dark

Dying Victims Productions (2026)
Rating: 8/10

I like the smoky, enchanting aura of Demon Spell. Tastefully designed like some mesmeric slab of obscure 80s metal, the wonderfully titled Blessed Be The Dark is a fine example of retro heavy metal from the shadowy realms of Catania in Italy. My introduction to the band came via their 2024 EP Evil Nights, and I’ve been eagerly waiting for this debut full-length. The line-up for this album is Federico Fano (vocals), Francesco Bauso (guitar), Riccardo Liberti (bass) and Dario Casabona (drums).

Demon Spell deliver nothing new to the altar, but the horror and satanic themes will appeal greatly, reminding me of my teenage years in the 80s when I was first introduced to Mercyful Fate etc. And it’s Mercyful Fate and King Diamond which shine through most as influences, the vocals very much channelling Mr. Diamond; spectral, spooky and wafting in on evil winds and mists. There’s an authenticity to the dark atmosphere which prompted me immediately to dim the lights and draw a pentagram, in chalk, on the floor, although the wife wasn’t best pleased, especially as she was just serving up a roast dinner.

The nostalgic flickers warm the soul as those rustic, steely riffs lead you down candle lit passages. Opener ‘As Lucifer Smiles’ is plucked straight from the King Diamond meets early Sanctuary text book of high vocalisations and borderline power metal aesthetics; the guitars rush like the attack of Judas Priest yet daubed in Gothic light and with extra layers of attic dust.

Demon Spell is a simple entity, one with an aim of getting heads to bang and cauldrons to bubble. The track titles say it all: ‘Hexes And Horrors’, ‘Curse Of The Undead’, ‘High On Sacrifice’ etc. In fact, there’s enough hocus-pocus here to keep you entertained up until Halloween (I’m writing this review in early May). The real strength of the band is the simple yet effective chemistry of the musicians. Complexity is thrown to the curb, the ghoulish clan instead embarking on delivering fiery gallops and dollops of genuinely dark metal.

‘High On Sacrifice’ starts like Motörhead but unravels into a Judas Priest-esque pit of saucy speed metal dipped in the esoteric juices of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene. Fano still maintains those high wails like a tormented vicar screaming at the heavens in order to banish the flapping demons circling the church spire. ‘Dive The Hellfire’ strikes hard and fast, the drums pounding with such a force that the stereo speakers just shuddered in fear, but first and foremost this is a straight up rocker of a record that is rarely keen on guitar solos and instead sizzles with catchy hooks and evil earworms aplenty.

The King Diamond influence comes thick and fast throughout, another scorcher being ‘The Tolling’ which drifts into Mercyful Fate territory too with added streaks of thrash. ‘Hexes And Horrors’ is a deadly dose of pure metal, a standout cut distinctly reminiscent of Black Sabbath’s classic ‘Symptom Of The Universe’ but with a power metal ethic circa 1986.

Demon Spell, as a recipe, consist of the perfect ingredients and the result is a devilish slice of throwback metal that boasts the ghoulish charm of a 1970s late night made-for-TV horror film.

Neil Arnold

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