ALBUM REVIEW: Satanic Age – Lucifer Star Machine
LUCIFER STAR MACHINE have been together since 2002. Formed in London, their first two albums were released on various independent labels before they reached critical acclaim with their third album, Rock ‘n’ Roll Martyrs, which was released in 2016. Within that time lead singer and founder Tor Abyss went back to his home country of Germany in 2012, and now after a line-up change due to logistical difficulties, the band are all based there as they unleash their new album Satanic Age, which follows on from 2020’s The Devil’s Breath.
Inauguration Of Lucifer (Intro) opens the record and takes the form of a speech played over eerie music. The smooth transition into the title track is excellent, and the song itself is a fast-paced, guitar driven track that you can image headbanging to. The excellent thing about the song is that it can’t be placed into a particular type of rock, which actually this goes for all the album. The music sounds a little bit like it’s from the 80s, especially Psychic Vampires (featuring SPARKY); however, it also sounds like it could fit right into the landscape of today’s rock scene. It is great that the band do not pigeonhole themselves into one rock genre, as this allows them to experiment and to be more accessible to a lot of people.
On the other hand, as the majority of the songs, especially near the start of the album, are fast-paced, it can sometimes be a little hard to differentiate between them. It doesn’t help that they sometimes repeat the same tricks. Take fifth track Black Axe, for example, which throws in a guitar solo near the start of the song only for Censorshipped to do something very similar just a couple of tracks later.
It’s not all bad though. The good news is that as the album progresses, the songs come into their own, which allow them to flourish. Purgatory Souls is an outstanding track that is extremely short. It manages to make the most of its minute and 50 second runtime without sounding rushed. Hard Luck Mary (featuring KIT SWING) is a fast-paced gnarly rock song that is reminiscent of the 90s. The voices of Abyss and Swing compliment each other. In fact, both of the features on this album work well, each bringing a new angle to the tracks.
The last few songs on the album range from the hard rocking Live Another Day and the GUNS N’ ROSES-esque Naked City, to the thrash metal of The Life You Dread and the upbeat rock of Till Death. Thanks to the production, these songs do not induce any tonal whiplash, despite switching to different sub-genres of rock. In fact, this is a very well-paced album, despite the lengthy number of songs, as every track gets its own time to shine.
Overall, for their fifth album, LUCIFER STAR MACHINE have created a fun, entertaining and engaging record. Whilst it gets off to a slightly rusty start with the first few songs being somewhat indistinguishable, the rest of the album thankfully manages to leave a lasting impression. The pacing of the record is great overall, and the band do not pigeonhole themselves into one genre. This means that they are broadening their horizons and making themselves accessible to as many people as possible. If you’re into heavy metal or rock, or are just looking for a new band to check out, then Satanic Age by LUCIFIER STAR MACHINE is one for you.
Rating: 7/10
Satanic Age is set for release on April 14th via The Sign Records.
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