Band – Lucifer
Album – Lucifer III
Country of Origin – Sweden
Genre – Hard Rock
Release Date – March 20, 2020
Label – Century Media Records
Author – Schultzie
Dressed in vintage leather and surrounded by blazing hellfire comes Lucifer, a band wielding the sound of the ’70s with their hard rock riffage and occult imagery similar to the almighty doom of Black Sabbath, the catchy tunes of Blue Öyster Cult, and the swaying freedom of Fleetwood Mac. Stepping onto the hard rock scene in 2014, Lucifer is up to album number three. Lucifer III, released on March 20th, is outfitted with retro-sounding songs, head-banging anthems, and foot-tapping (Pacific) blues. Lucifer’s current lineup consists of vocalist Johanna Sadonis, drummer Nicke Andersson, bassist Harald Göthblad, and Martin Nordin and Linus Björklund on guitars. Together they have produced an album for those who want to rock and look good doing so. Songs about giving your soul away; made for those who want to be given to the wind. The opening track, Ghosts, greets you with a far-off wailing siren, the guitars abruptly enter and ring out with an echo, then the drums roll on in with might and purpose. Sadonis sings,
I called upon the heavens
To bring him back to me
He was my religion
Oh Lord, won’t you cut me a deal?
The lyrics are seemingly about a love long dead, but one with a presence that is still felt and desired; something in the past that is not completely laid to rest. Grab your box of tissues and your bundle of sage!
How long before you come back
To lay my tears to rest?
How long before you’re rising from the dead?
This track goes from a fast-paced racer to a twirling, heart wrenching ballad full of pleas to not be left alone. From Ghosts, we are immediately introduced to Midnight Phantom, a song with a creeping bass line, striking drums, and guitars that chug along like a shadowy figure through a misty darkness. The pre-chorus and the chorus are both so undeniably catchy and will get stuck in your head like a dull knife.
This is the last goodbye
Before you follow
This is the last goodbye
Goodbye
It’s hard not to tap your feet to this one. Next up is Leather Demon, my personal favorite from the album. The intro guitars feel solemn and sit well beneath Sadonis’s sad coos. A graveyard scene is painted for the listener. The moon casts tall shadows against granite stones and a puff of orange lights up the darkness; the demon child awaits a summoning. The soft cry before the chorus sets the skin alight with chills.
They call you Leather Demon
Oh, Lord knows that it’s true
You’ll never go to Heaven
I stand by you
This is a song for those that are out there mean-mugging in the crowd, preferring to sway to the darker sounds of the night. Sadonis is singing directly to those that refuse to be exorcised. The guitars on this track are superb and the pacing is on fire. The next song, Lucifer, has a fun, high energy riff. If you thought the first three tracks were incredibly catchy, then get ready for this one. The song begins with a greeting from what I can only imagine is a goat dark as moonless night. The beat trots along and the verses sway like the tassels of a leather jacket, easy-going and glamorous. Track five, Pacific Blues, starts out sounding like metallic waves crashing against rocky shores, then gets interrupted by some stunningly dramatic guitar wails. Sadonis refuses to allow forces of nature to keep her from what she wants, and rightfully so! This album is boiling over with songs as hot as hellfire. Each of the nine tracks found on Lucifer III are drenched in that decadent ’70s-style sound. The instrumentals are striking and oh, so satisfying, and the vocals are extraordinary and underworldly. Raise your devil horns high for Lucifer!
Recommendation: Lucifer III is an album for those that have been cast out of Heaven. Made for those that prefer to ride out into the moonlight on their metal steeds, wind in their mile long hair. The riffs are sharp, heavy, and catchy. From front to bottom, each song melds perfectly into the next, thus creating a beautifully cohesive album.
Rating: 4.5/5
