Shadow Demon

Shadow Demon came into being in 2001 after guitarist Jeff Helm had been jamming with a few musicians that didn't secure a lasting stay in the band. Blaine Hammond was added as lead vocalist in November of 2001 and Tim Diedrich as lead guitarist in early 2002. They recorded a one-song demo which was never officially released and the drummer was fired immediately afterward. James Rinker was added on bass in April of 2002. Diedrich soon left the band as he moved back home to finish schooling. The band spent the next few years searching for and auditioning drummers to no avail.



In 2003 they decided to record a three song demo/EP with the help of Clint Clark (ex-Heir Apparent, Byaxis) on drums and both Tim Diedrich and Kirk Merideth (Byaxis) sharing lead guitar duties. The instruments were recorded by a friend at Microsoft Studios and the vocals at Rinker's home. The demo was mixed and mastered by Terry Gorle (Heir Apparent). After securing artwork by Travis Smith, their self-titled demo was released in December 2003. Shadow Demon made their live debut January 24, 2004 at the Seattle Power Prog Fest with guest appearances by Will Anderson on drums and Mike Lewin on guitar (both of Lyranthe) playing under headlining act, Heir Apparent. They continued to play a handful of shows with this line-up until mid-2004.



In the summer of 2005 Shadow Demon finally found a permanent drummer in Jay Davidson. It was decided at this point that they would finish writing and pre-producing enough songs to record an album while they were still looking for a lead guitarist. A permanent solution was soon found, however, when Ryan Gallagher was brought into the fold in January 2006. He made his live debut with the band a month later opening for Sonata Arctica. The band continued playing live shows throughout the area that year also opening for Kamelot and Epica. During the summer, however, they went into the studio to record their first album. On October 27, 2006 the band released Grimoire of Ruin on Darkhaven Records (their own label) which featured the amazing artwork of Mattias Norén. Though distribution was limited the album received great reviews in most of the publications it was featured in.



The band continued to play shows on and off in 2007. In July, Gallagher decided to leave the band to pursue other musical interests. The band continued playing live as a four-piece until November when they parted with Hammond. Restructuring was in order and the band decided to shift lead vocal duties to James Rinker and continue playing as a three-piece. Locally, the band received positive feedback for the new live format so the band decided to start working on some new material. As the new writing process began, it became apparent that not everyone was on the same page as far as musical direction. On May 28, 2008 the band announced it was parting ways due to musical differences.



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