Lucifer – Lucifer IV
Release Date: 29th October 2021
Label: Century Media Records
Pre-Order
Genre: Doom Rock, Heavy Metal.
FFO: Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Blue Öyster Cult, 70’s Heart, Shite era Fleetwood Mac.
Review By: Paul Cairney
With the band name ‘Lucifer’, you would expect to be in the presence of a genuine band spouting their desire for Satan to claim dominion of earth and its erstwhile inhabitants. However, the German/Swedish band that boast this name do not invoke the Devil’s Horns and their fury, but have, historically, had a more occultist doom leanings in their previous 3 albums. The lack of satanic influence is noticeably absent from Lucifer IV, their….erm…..4th album…. #imaginative
Opening track, ‘Archangel of Death’ starts promisingly enough, a heavy rock riff is present as vocalist, Johanna Platow Andersson, introduces her impressive melodic tone to you. The decent introduction is, alas, let down throughout the rest of the album. Yes, it is catchy enough, has a lovely 70’s vibe throughout (yes I have used ‘lovely’ in a metal review), with a very consistent vocal performance throughout.
The fact is, the album is unexciting, not quite boring, but lacking a little bit of OOMPH! that could raise it above the many other 70’s inspired doom albums released this year. That said, songs like ‘Mausoleum’ are fucking superb, but there are not enough. But the album is so meh, that you wonder if it is the uninspiring previous track, ‘Bring me his Head’ that makes you think ‘Mausoleum’ is better than it actually is…..that is a wrong impression as the song is, by far, the best on the album.
I am going to be controversial here. Lucifer’s debut album featured a certain Gaz Jennings of Cathedral fame who was involved in the debut Lucifer album, an album with better riffs, better lyrics and a more satisfying feel about it. Unfortunately, Jennings has not been involved since and the subsequent albums have not reached the standard of the debut. Since then, only vocalist and main band member, Johanna Platow Andersson, has been the constant. In the same timeframe, she has married Nicke Andersson, of Entombed and The Hellacopters fame. Nicke has, since album 2, been involved with Lucifer, being involved with the lyrics as well as the impressive drumming. Whilst it may be a coincidence, the albums following the debut have not been impressive.
There are a number of issues with IV. Firstly, the vocals grate. They get dull. Despite having a lovely voice, Andersson has no support in each and every song. No harmonies, no substantial backing vocals (they are there, but do not compliment the songs) and at the end of the day, they get as boring as Stevie Nicks (everyone knows that Peter Green was Fleetwood Mac – Cos I’m the Green Manalishi With the Two Pronged Crown).
Another issue is that her husband is involved, as the band has gradually become more of a hard rock band than the original ‘doom’ band they were in the beginning. A Death Metal Legend, Nicke left Entombed to form The Hellacopters, where he surprised us all with his vocals. The frustrating thing with IV is that he could easily have provided supporting vocals for his wife, because if they are there, my, albeit uneducated, ears cannot make them out in the mix.
I would love to sit here and say an album by the drummer of one of my favourite bands and his band-leader wife have released a top drawer, highly listenable album.
But they haven’t.
IV is an album that will be neglected when you decide to listen to the debut album instead. It is decidedly average.
(2.5 / 5)
