100 Demons is back with their third album, and it’s one helluva comeback album. Their second album, 100 Demons, was released in 2004, and now, several decades later, they have reformed and released Embrace the Black Light.
The band suffered a loss two years ago when their bassist Erik Barrett passed away (RIP, brother). The band was able to soldier on, and Sean Martin is now on bass. Pete Morcey – vox, Rich Rosa – drums, and Jeremy Braddock/ Rick Brayall guitars round out the band as they’ve done for years. My boy Rick, used to be the guitarist for Tyrant Trooper out of Connecticut, btw. And we played some shows back in the 90’s when I was fronting Internal Bleeding. If you never checked out TT, you must do so pronto!
100 Demons is a downbeat hardcore band from CT and while they have gotten better on each of their albums, I am unsure if the world will be ready for this new monster. Embrace the Black Light is 12 songs in 37 minutes and is so fucking bludgeoning, the band may get locked up for releasing this album. It should be a crime due to how monstrous this actually is and the fact sinkhole pits will be forming from here to the Pacific Rim with this.
“The Nightmare” starts with some church bells in the background until the music hits. And the production is definitely the best the band has ever had on their albums. The mid-paced, ruthless groove hits, then we are hit with a blast beat and some galloping hardcore thrash moments. Super aggressive. The downbeat hardcore hits, and boy, does it ever hit. Hard AF! Pete sounds even better all these decades later. He sounds like he’s jumping through the mic to bodyslam you again and again and again. This is how you open up a comeback album, folks! “Made For Nothing” is next up and has a fast hardcore galloping beat that slows down with the song title being yelled at us, and the groove is just a monster. Total beatdown music.
“Through Seven Eternities” has some great opening drums, and you can tell the ‘Holy Shit’ moment is about to hit. Boom, right into a monster groove. The song gallops, then gets faster, taking us back to a hardcore beatdown groove. You will be swinging all damn day. You will want to create a whirlwind circle pit that creates tornado-like winds. The song gallops some more, and the slam hitting at the 2.20 section is criminal at best. No one will be left standing during this beatdown moment. It is beyond lethal.
“Nail It Shut” takes me back to those NYHC days with the ripping fast moment opening things up. Excellent riffs and heavy. Catchy bendy riffs with perfect tempos. At under two minutes, this song is not here to stay long; it makes a pounding impression.
“Spiritual Obliteration” ends the album with a slow and heavy buildup, almost as if the first song started with the music. Then the vicious hardcore-infused thrash speed takes over, then right into a mid-paced groove, which gets slower, really beatdown slow. The isolated riff at the 3.05 moment signifies the slam. And what a slam it is. Terrifically heavy and violent, this is how the music ends. A little atmospheric outro takes us to the end, and before you know it, you are playing the album again.
Embrace The Black Light puts the hardcore scene on notice. Creating an outstanding heavy AF album. This is the most aggressive and heavy album 100 Demons has released, and their other albums were killer. I am unsure if the band tours. They should. I would love to see a tour with them opening the tour and Emmure and Biohazard on the tour. I think that would be a monstrous tour which would bring some of the deathcore into the house with Emmure and I would call the Tour: The Sinkhole Tour.
I am being dumb, but at the end of the day, Embrace The Black Light has the best grooves of any 2026 release. The full motion cover on Apple Music is super neat with the swirling smoke and suns moving around. The production is insane and musicianship is stellar. This is how violent grooves and slams should be written. Outstanding!
