June 17, 2026

100 Demons - Embrace The Black Light - Review

100 Demons have unleashed Embrace the Black Light, a ferocious, anger-fueled record that’s been 22 years in the making. Derek and John get into how this long-awaited album challenges modern rock’s safety and the artistry behind its relentless riffs, raw (yet polished) production and provocative artwork. If you're craving pure heavy, this is their statement—an onslaught of hardcore and metal that refuses to fit into any box.

In this review: An exploration into what makes Embrace the Black Light a masterclass in staying heavy—without compromise. How the band's raw authenticity pushes the boundaries of genre and convention. Standout tracks like “Meat for the Beast" and “Spiritual Obliteration,” an unrelenting album closer that embodies pure aggression. Plus some chat about the album’s production, mixing, and the high-octane artwork that complements their sound.

This new material isn’t just heavy for heaviness’s sake; it’s a cathartic, anti-establishment roar that cuts through the noise of modern life and reminds us what real intensity sounds like. Perfect for hardcore fans, genre explorers, or anyone craving an adrenaline shot delivered with integrity—this album will leave you craving more.

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Season 4 Review Album Insights

Hailing from Waterbury, Connecticut, 100 Demons stands as one of the most ferocious and influential forces in heavy hardcore and beatdown metalcore. Deriving their name from a book of traditional Japanese tattoo artwork by Horiyoshi III, the band has spent decades cementing a reputation for terrifying live shows, devastating breakdowns, and a signature sound that perfectly bridges the gap between raw metallic hardcore and thrash-heavy metalcore.

1998–2002: Formation & In the Eyes of the Lord

Formed in 1998 out of the ashes of the foundational Connecticut hardcore (CTHC) scene, 100 Demons immediately set themselves apart with their sheer weight and aggression. Driven by the rhythmic backbone of drummer Rich Rosa and the twin-guitar attack of Jeremy Braddock and Rick Brayall, the band combined heavy, groove-laden riffs with a dark, street-ready intensity.

In 2000, fronted by original vocalist Bruce LePage, they released their seminal debut full-length, In the Eyes of the Lord, via Good Life Recordings. It quickly became a foundational text for early-2000s metalcore. Lyrically, the album stood out by weaving themes of agnosticism, personal resilience, and inner struggle through punishingly heavy tracks, instantly turning the band into a mandatory headliner in underground circles.

2003–2006: The Deathwish Era & Self-Titled Masterpiece

Following structural lineup shifts—including the departure of LePage and the arrival of powerhouse frontman Pete Morcey—the band caught the attention of Jamey Jasta and Jacob Bannon's premier tastemaker label, Deathwish Inc. Signing in 2003, Deathwish famously declared that 100 Demons "encapsulate a viciousness and ravenous intensity that few could achieve."

The band entered Planet Z Studios with legendary producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) to craft their definitive work: the 2004 self-titled album, 100 Demons. Featuring instant classics like "Repeat Process" (which landed on MTV's Headbangers Ball) and "Time Bomb," the record refined their crushing formula. It introduced cleaner, haunting vocal undercurrents alongside some of the absolute hardest beatdown breakdowns ever put to tape.

2007–2025: Legacy, Loss, and Cult Status

While the band went on an extended studio hiatus following the self-titled record, their footprint only grew. 100 Demons became legendary "fest killers," delivering some of the most famously chaotic and destructive sets at heavy music institutions like This Is Hardcore and New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.

The band's tight-knit family faced a devastating loss in August 2024 with the passing of longtime bassist Erik Barrett, who had anchored the band's low-end since 2000. In a massive moment of solidarity and homecoming, former Hatebreed and original 100 Demons guitarist Sean Martin stepped back into the fold to take over on bass duties, solidifying a lineup built on decades of mutual CTHC history.

2026: The Return — Embrace The Black Light

After a 22-year studio silence, 100 Demons shocked the hardcore world by announcing their highly anticipated third studio album, Embrace The Black Light. Released on June 5, 2026, via Closed Casket Activities, and spearheaded by the blistering single "Meat for the Beast," the album proved that the band hadn't lost a step of their trademark malice. Marrying their classic, mid-tempo metallic crunch with modern production clarity, 100 Demons reclaimed their throne at the vanguard of heavy music.

Current Lineup

  • Pete Morcey – Vocals

  • Jeremy Braddock – Guitar

  • Rick Brayall – Guitar

  • Sean Martin – Bass

  • Rich Rosa – Drums

Key Discography

  • In the Eyes of the Lord (2000, Good Life)

  • 100 Demons (2004, Deathwish Inc.)

  • Embrace The Black Light (2026, Closed Casket Activities)

WATCH

LISTEN

It has been 22 years since 100 Demons graced the metal arena with a new album,
7 seconds
but it's out and embraced the black light is a monstrous, angry chunk of music and I'm looking forward to chat about it.
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[music]
20 seconds
Yeah. So, Embrace the Black, uh, it's I would call this a dangerous record. Mhm.
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I think that I think that that is a fair assessment. A lot of times rock in modern times has not been so dangerous.
35 seconds
It's not been so cutting edge, you know, and this is just hardcore and metal uh you know, kind of combining into one. Uh
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very very very riff driven. It's a master class in how to stay heavy.
49 seconds
It is it's just angry, man. This whole record is angry from the very first
57 seconds
sound to the very last sound. It's just angry. Like a lot of the bands we talk about, I was not overly familiar with
1 minute, 5 seconds
the band. I knew the name, but that was pretty much it. Which does kind of stand a reason. They dropped an album in 2000, an album in 2004, and then nothing until
1 minute, 13 seconds
this year, which is a long time to go without releasing material. But I understand they've been touring, they've been busy, they've been doing stuff. So,
1 minute, 21 seconds
in reading a little bit about the band, I saw a Reddit thread and my favorite comment was 20 plus years later and they still sound like the reason venues started having security.
1 minute, 32 seconds
Absolutely. I thought well said.
1 minute, 34 seconds
Yeah. I mean, formed in uh Waterberry, Connecticut, they are named after Japanese tattoo artist Horoshi III. They
1 minute, 43 seconds
are known for being a collision of hardcore and metal. I was living in Boston during their heyday. And I want
1 minute, 51 seconds
to share this story. I used to book some Bill's Bar uh shows which is right behind Fenway Park. And then I also
1 minute, 58 seconds
booked um the Salem Elks Club in Salem, Mass, Witchtown. And there was a show I was doing. I don't remember what the
2 minutes, 5 seconds
cause was, but I on a whim reached out to a 100 Demons and said, "Do you want to headline this thing?" Because there
2 minutes, 12 seconds
was a a couple cool bands that were in the area. And Pete Morsey was like, "Yeah." And I was surprised they came.
2 minutes, 22 seconds
Yeah. What year was this round about? 2000, 2001.
2 minutes, 27 seconds
Okay. Around that time frame. Uh, you know, and I was young in in Boston and had graduated college and, you know, and
2 minutes, 34 seconds
got into it, got into the scene and they came and they tore the place up. They are the nicest group of guys. And then
2 minutes, 43 seconds
they left. You know, there's not they weren't sitting around pounding beers and, you know, they don't match the sound as human beings. Put it that way.
2 minutes, 52 seconds
Pretty affable fellows, huh?
2 minutes, 54 seconds
They love what they do. And, you know, I suspect they're like you and I. Life gets in the way of doing what they want
3 minutes, 1 second
to do. You know, the the I'm sure they have real careers, but they are hardcore through and through. But they're also
3 minutes, 8 seconds
that perfect collision of I don't know if you want to call it metal core, thrash, whatever. They just don't have a
3 minutes, 16 seconds
box that they fit into, which I appreciate.
3 minutes, 19 seconds
Yeah, I saw them described as metal core, Connecticut metal core specifically. And I don't pick up the
3 minutes, 27 seconds
metal coreish vibe. Uh, again, you know me, I'm terrible with genres and I just don't follow the labels all that much.
3 minutes, 36 seconds
But hardcore, yeah, you know, some stomp in there, just straight up metal, angry, angry metal. But typically, you know,
3 minutes, 44 seconds
metal core, I think of some singalong broad soaring choruses, you know, and and big sections with clean vocals. And
3 minutes, 52 seconds
while I understand that, you know, there's a bit of clean in here, there's really not that much, you know, it's that much. Maybe it's tiny.
4 minutes, 1 second
Not that clean either. Um, yeah, you know, the nightmare. I mean, you listen to that, the the riffs, watch the video.
4 minutes, 9 seconds
Yeah.
4 minutes, 9 seconds
Holy crap. And again, I I think Pete looks like he wants to eat you as a viewer and then spit you out and
4 minutes, 18 seconds
then eat you again and then spit you out just to make sure you're dead. I will say that that track has some blast
4 minutes, 25 seconds
beats. It has some serious rips riffs in it. It is an absolute Warhammer across your skull.
4 minutes, 32 seconds
Yeah. And I don't feel like, you know, and I guess I guess you could call Kill Switch Engage metal core, whatever.
4 minutes, 39 seconds
There's no melody. This is just brutality. Yeah. In the best way possible.
4 minutes, 44 seconds
Yeah. Uh band members Pete Morsey on vocals, Rich Rosa on drums, Rick Braille, guitar, Jeremy Bradock guitar,
4 minutes, 52 seconds
and Shawn Martin on bass. Shawn Martin also spent a bunch of time with Hatere.
4 minutes, 57 seconds
Uh, so these guys clearly they've been doing this for a long time. Digging into, you know, the the technical stuff behind the record. It was recorded at
5 minutes, 5 seconds
Silver Bullet Studios in Burlington, Connecticut. I checked out the studios web page. Man, what a cool place to to
5 minutes, 13 seconds
spend a couple of weeks or in this case, I think they spent maybe a year in and out of the studio recording this, if I read that correctly. Produced and
5 minutes, 21 seconds
recorded by Greg Thomas, mastered by the unbelievably talented Will Putney, who has worked with a ton of huge, heavy
5 minutes, 30 seconds
bands, and it's a sonically super highquality record. The tracking is is
5 minutes, 38 seconds
on point. You know, I I and it's hard to know with digital, you know, recording in the digital domain versus analog just
5 minutes, 45 seconds
how much people slice stuff up anymore, but from a a listener standpoint, everything's very clean. The it doesn't
5 minutes, 52 seconds
feel like it's pieced together and comped too much, which is is cool. It has an authentic vibe to it. Um, it's a
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great sounding record that is just flatout angry, loaded with uh big big
6 minutes, 8 seconds
slamming riffs and breakdowns that can move mountains. I mean, just so heavy.
6 minutes, 14 seconds
Yeah. And the artwork, too. I mean, if you look at the artwork, uh, they put some TLC into that. Again, I don't want them to get on me and say, "Oh, don't
6 minutes, 23 seconds
don't tell everybody we're nice." But they put some some tender loving care into the artwork. I mean, you know, I had a good laugh actually. You know,
6 minutes, 30 seconds
Aussie was known as the prince of darkness. Well, their cover kind of has an image of the prince of darkness on it. That's one dark figure
6 minutes, 38 seconds
that is on on that album cover. And I love it. I I I love everything about it.
6 minutes, 44 seconds
Um, this will definitely make my top 10 for the year just because it's 100 demons.
6 minutes, 50 seconds
And again, I've always wished, my buddy Matt was just talking. He goes, "Holy crap, did you hear 100 Demons put out a new record?" We've all been wishing if
6 minutes, 58 seconds
we're if we're if you're in New England, you've been wishing that these guys would put out something new. They've been out playing. They've just been
7 minutes, 5 seconds
playing their old material. And so, it's really cool that they've got something that is really great. Um, there are standout tracks that I'm sure we'll get
7 minutes, 14 seconds
to, but there isn't any fillers in here.
7 minutes, 17 seconds
This is just an onslaught from the first song to the last.
7 minutes, 20 seconds
Yeah. Yeah. It it is pedal to the floor, front to back. God, I mean, I don't even know where to start with standouts. I I
7 minutes, 27 seconds
have a bunch of them, but uh I know Meat for the Beast, first off, great name. Great name.
7 minutes, 35 seconds
Yeah. And and I think, how do I say this? For those who are paying attention to the world that we're living in, I
7 minutes, 42 seconds
think Neat for the Beast is actually dead on to what we all are. I think we're I think us as as Americans are all
7 minutes, 50 seconds
commerce cows. Every day we get up, you leave the house. It's hard to not spend $100 every time you leave the house. Yeah.
7 minutes, 57 seconds
And the reason for that is billionaires are buying up everything, jacking the prices. I swear to God that they used co as a reason to do it. And you know what?
8 minutes, 7 seconds
Leave it to music and leave it to bands like a 100 demons to call Seriously.
8 minutes, 12 seconds
Yeah. I think that's not an inaccurate uh assessment of things. and a track like Meat for the Beast. You're the you're the lyrical guy and we can go
8 minutes, 20 seconds
down the lyrical road or not. But yeah, at any rate, Meat for the Beast was was one of the earlier standouts on the record for me. What about you? You got
8 minutes, 28 seconds
anything in the first half that really spoke to you?
8 minutes, 30 seconds
Uh, The Nightmare was amazing. And again, I I like every track. I thought Made for Nothing was just ruthless. I I But Meat for the Beat a Beast was a
8 minutes, 39 seconds
masterclass in ' 80s thrash meeting heavy pounding hardcore. It really it really is just a a really strong track.
8 minutes, 47 seconds
Uh I'm curious what the rest of your standouts are because I have one track that is my absolute favorite uh and might be my favorite Hundred Demons
8 minutes, 55 seconds
track ever. Uh Werewolves at the Wall uh stood out to me. Had so much really cool stuff happening in in it. There were
9 minutes, 2 seconds
these fantastic pinch squeals, these little quick, you know, oneshot pinch squeals that kept popping up that just make me smile. A good pinch squeal can can change the tone of my entire day.
9 minutes, 13 seconds
and and that song has a bunch of them.
9 minutes, 14 seconds
So, I really like that. But my absolute uh favorite standout is the closing track, Spiritual Obliteration. Amazing
9 minutes, 22 seconds
intro. I love the speed riffs. I love the tempo changes, this cool ascending chord progression, the halftime drums in
9 minutes, 29 seconds
the middle break that lead right back into that intro part. It's just heavy, heavy, heavy, angry, and badass.
9 minutes, 36 seconds
Yeah, and I agree. spiritual obliteration was it's it's a they're making sure you're obliterated on your way out the door. Yeah.
9 minutes, 43 seconds
And I appreciate that. Uh for me, I Haxin Hammer. Um I just love how it leans into a cult themes.
9 minutes, 53 seconds
Um and it is just a grim picture of the world that we live in. You know, I it really is. I wanted to read to you
10 minutes, 1 second
actually there was the the line running through streets climbing over the dead heading straight into the light knowing
10 minutes, 9 seconds
we will not return. I can't believe it's real. It all came too fast. There's not a chance to overcome this if we don't unite.
10 minutes, 18 seconds
Not light duty lyrics.
10 minutes, 20 seconds
Not light duty. And again paying attention what's going on in the world.
10 minutes, 26 seconds
There is an us versus them. And that is and if you've spent any time in the Boston area, the New England area, the
10 minutes, 33 seconds
hardcore scene there, it is an us versus them feeling. And they call out and always have the atrocities of the world
10 minutes, 42 seconds
and and at at the time. And I think that 100 demons really thought about this quite a bit and maybe deep down felt
10 minutes, 50 seconds
like it was time for them to spit their own venom and call on the world that we live in today. [music] Well, I'm glad they did because I have enjoyed the
10 minutes, 59 seconds
record and it will be popping up again on my uh repeat playlist. [music] So, appreciate you throwing it my way. I
11 minutes, 7 seconds
think it's uh I think it's a solid record and [music] if you need some heavy, you're not going to be disappointed with it.
11 minutes, 12 seconds
If you're sadistic and you like punishment, 100 Demons is for you.
11 minutes, 17 seconds
All right. Well, excellent stuff and uh look forward to getting into the next one with you, man. See you.
11 minutes, 25 seconds
[music]
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Derek Showerhead

Founder of ShitTalkReviews

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John Staley

Founder of ShitTalkReviews