TOM SLATTER

Lucifer rises on the weird-fiction master’s latest release.

“The world’s gone horrible at the moment, so I thought it time for another album,” declares sometime Prog award nominee Tom Slatter dryly. Slatter is certainly prolific – co-existing alongside his assorted other musical and social media exploits, Demon is the multiinstrumentalist’s sixth full-length album since 2010. Slatter describes Demon as having developed from an idea he had about his life but without any personal lyrics. While that may sound oxymoronic, it makes sense when hearing the lyrics to the likes of Modern World. Slatter’s take on prog is generally

a pretty caustic one but there’s a velvet glove of sweet melodies within his musical armoury. Demon is apparently heavily influenced by indie rock albums from the mid-1990s, which may cause some readers to run a proverbial mile. The album also has its fair share of offbeat moments such as the 40-second a capella Interlude. Titles such as Cutting up All Of Our Dreams and Drop Dead’s Punching Above His Weight Again may intrigue some but deter others. But for those falling into the former category whose interest is piqued, this is a rewarding if not exactly life-affirming listen.