ALBUM REVIEW: Lucifer IV – Lucifer

Sometimes, the best ideas are the simplest – LUCIFER have found that out to their distinct advantage. The multi-national occult rockers, going since 2014 and featuring members of ENTOMBED, THE HELLACOPTERS and THE OATH, are on the cusp of releasing their fourth album via Century Media Records – a mere eighteen months after the third. In keeping with continuity, they’ve named it Lucifer IV – both an apt timestamp for where the band are/were at any given moment and a blessing for those who like to file their physical albums away in chronological order.

If you’ve not heard LUCIFER before now, they are very much a 21st century image of everything that made rock and metal music so sinister half a century ago, a time when even their own band name would cause traditional and conservative churches across the world to vehemently ban their music and take a hammer to copies of their vinyl. For Lucifer IV, they’ve upped the Satanic feel even before a note is played; the striking artwork of singer Johanna Sadonis, bathed in red and tied to a crucifix whilst staring defiantly out into the eyes of all looking at it, is enough to tell someone that this is a band with a back catalogue of songs about the Dark Lord himself.

To rubberstamp this, the opening three tracks are the very blueprint of both their sound and those that so beautifully upset Christians all those years ago: Archangel Of Death is a rumbling, SABBATH-infused rock song balanced with a blues-led rhythm section, combining riffs with an undeniable 60s swing. Wild Hearses – perhaps the best song title of 2021 – sees the guitars get doomier and fuzzier, Sadonis‘ sultry vocals capping the song off perfectly, especially when she morphs into Ozzy Osbourne with a cry of “Alright now!”

Crucifix (I Burn For You) has more pace than before and is devilishly catchy, the latter a big feature across the album as a whole; the opening hook from guitarist Linus Björklund is also a tasty addition. From here, LUCIFER‘s other influences like FLEETWOOD MAC and BLUE ÖYSTER CULT begin to take prominence, particularly in Bring Me His Head for the former and Orion for the latter. However, it’s the excellent Cold As A Tombstone that stands out across the second half of the album, Björklund and second guitarist Martin Nordin providing depth and texture in a manner that couldn’t be achieved with just one axeman. Cynics may point towards the lack of deviation in sound or style from the band’s previous efforts, but the strength of the tracks is enough to lay that potential issue to rest almost before it’s even been considered a drawback.

Much like their continuity in album titles, LUCIFER are thriving on their straightforward, fresh approach to heavy rock from yesteryear – it’s not particularly technical or layered, but the fact that it has endeared to people for so long indicates just how powerful it can be. Lucifer IV is yet another example of this. As the nights draw in, consider lighting candles in a room for an evening and letting the sounds of the gothic 60s fill the air.

Rating: 7/10

Lucifer IV is set for release on October 29th via Century Media Records. 

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