# Demoniac

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{{Short description|New Zealand power metal band}}
{{for|people possessed by demons|demonic possession}}
{{redirect|Prepare for War|the latin term|Parabellum (disambiguation){{!}}parabellum|DragonForce song|Sonic Firestorm}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Demoniac
| image           = Demoniac (band).jpg
| image_upright = 1.2
| caption         =
| alias           =
| origin          = [Wellington](/source/Wellington), New Zealand
| genre           = [Black metal](/source/Black_metal), [power metal](/source/power_metal)
| years_active    = 1993–1999
| label           = [Osmose Productions](/source/Osmose_Productions)
| past_members    = Mark "Adramolech" Hamill<br />The Magus<br />MC Magnus<br />Lindsay Dawson<br />[Herman Li](/source/Herman_Li)<br />[Sam Totman](/source/Sam_Totman)<br />Diccon Harper<br />Matej Satanc<br />Steve Francis
}}

'''Demoniac''' were a New Zealand [heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music) band,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.omelete.com.br/musica/novidades-musicais-10-08-2009/|title=Novidades Musicais|last=Sanches|first=Luciana Maria|author2=Rodrigo Monteiro|date=11 August 2009|work=Omelete|language=pt|access-date=25 February 2011}}</ref> formed in [Wellington](/source/Wellington%2C_New_Zealand) in 1993 by singer and bass player Lindsay Dawson, guitarist [Sam Totman](/source/Sam_Totman) and drummer Steve Francis.  They later moved to London, UK.<ref>{{cite web|title=Demoniac: biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/demoniac-mn0000526373|work=AllMusic|access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref> Their unusual musical style has been labelled "[blackened](/source/Black_metal) [power metal](/source/power_metal)". Three of the members went on to form [DragonForce](/source/DragonForce).

== History ==
The group began playing [black metal](/source/black_metal) in 1993, adhering to common genre aesthetics such as corpse paint and anti-Christian symbolism. Dawson and Totman adopted the stage names "Behemoth" and "Heimdall" respectively, and were later joined by unknown keyboardist The Magus and [Head Like a Hole](/source/Head_Like_a_Hole_(band)) drummer Mark Hamill as "Adramolech". This line-up recorded Demoniac's first full-length album ''Prepare for War'' the following year.

The Magus was replaced by MC Magnus on keyboards before the recording of Demoniac's second album. ''Stormblade'' released in 1996 with a slightly more melodic black metal style. Some songs featured [white nationalist](/source/White_nationalism) and [anti-gay](/source/Homophobia) themes; during a 2014 interview, Totman said that those songs were written ironically and the members were just "having a laugh".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kelly|first1=Kim|title=Confronting Dragonforce About Their Racist, Homophobic Past|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/dragonforce-demoniac-interview/|website=[Noisey](/source/Vice_(magazine))|publisher=Vice Media|access-date=12 March 2015|date=August 2014}}</ref>

Following the release of ''Stormblade'', Demoniac signed to French label [Osmose Productions](/source/Osmose_Productions) and toured throughout western Europe on the World Domination Tour, with bands including [Dark Tranquillity](/source/Dark_Tranquillity) and [Enslaved](/source/Enslaved_(band)). At this point, Dawson and Totman decided to stay in England and Hamill left the band. Demoniac recruited Hong Kong-born guitarist Herman "Shred" Li in July 1998, and drummer Matej Setinc in October of the same year. The band distanced itself from black metal stylings and developed a high-speed melodic [power metal](/source/power_metal) style, with only Dawson's shrieked vocals remaining from their black metal roots.

In January 1999, Demoniac released their third LP ''The Fire and the Wind'' with former [Cradle of Filth](/source/Cradle_of_Filth) producer Robert "Mags" Magoolagan. While Dawson had played bass in all of the band's recordings, South African bassist Diccon Harper (ex-Voice of Destruction) was hired to allow him extra freedom during live performances. The band split up at the end of the same year, after releasing the ''Demons of the Night'' EP.

Heimdall and Shred went on to form DragonHeart, later renamed to [DragonForce](/source/DragonForce). Other Demoniac members have been involved in DragonForce's releases: Harper played bass on their album ''[Valley of the Damned](/source/Valley_of_the_Damned)'', and Dawson and original drummer Steve Francis performed backing vocals on ''[Inhuman Rampage](/source/Inhuman_Rampage)'' and ''[Extreme Power Metal](/source/Extreme_Power_Metal)'' respectively.

In 2012, ''Prepare for War'' was re-released with new artwork and the previously unreleased track "Throne of Fire", performed by Dawson and Steve Francis with Bulletbelt guitarist Ross Mallon.

== Members ==
*Lindsay "Behemoth" Dawson – vocals, bass (1993–1999)
*[Sam "Heimdall" Totman](/source/Sam_Totman) – guitars (1993–1999), keyboards (1996–1999)
*[Herman "Shred" Li](/source/Herman_Li) – guitars (1998–1999)
*Matej Satanc – drums (1998–1999)
*Diccon Harper – bass (1999)

=== Past members ===
*"The Magnus" – keyboards (1994)
*Mark "Adramolech" Hamill – drums (1994–1996)
*Steve Francis – drums (1993–1994)
*James "FreekN" Jude – drums (1996–1998)

== Discography ==

=== Demos ===
*''Rehearsal '93'', 1993
*''The Birth of Diabolic Blood'', 1994

=== Studio albums ===
*''Prepare for War'', 1994
*''Stormblade'', 1996<ref>{{cite web|title=Demoniac – Stormblade|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Demoniac/Stormblade/5925/|work=Metal Archives|access-date=17 January 2013|date=20 August 2008}}</ref>
*''[The Fire and the Wind](/source/The_Fire_and_the_Wind)'', 1999<ref>{{cite web|title=The Fire and the Wind (review)|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8499/Demoniac-The-Fire-And-The-Wind/|work=Sputnik Music|access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref>

=== EPs and singles ===
*''Moonblood'', 1994
*''[Demons of the Night EP](/source/Demons_of_the_Night_EP)'', 1999

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.demoniac.com/ Official website] (offline)

{{DragonForce}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Musical groups established in 1993
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999
Category:New Zealand black metal musical groups
Category:Power metal musical groups
Category:1993 establishments in New Zealand

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Demoniac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demoniac) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demoniac?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.