ALBUM REVIEW: The Trip – Lucifer’s Hammer
If you want music to transport you to another world, heavy metal would usually be the genre for you. On June 11th, Chilean metal band LUCIFER’S HAMMER serve as the bard with their third album The Trip. LUCIFER’S HAMMER aim for a compositional difference while upholding heavy metal traditions. The Trip advises you to buckle up for 30 minutes of pure escapism.
Thematic escape opens the record with The Oppression. Titan’s rolling drums blend into Hypnos’ licks to flow through JUDAS PRIEST‘s veins. Melodic riffs mask Tyr‘s juicy bass licks, completing the tableau of fleeing oppression. Rob Halford inspired vocals soar from Hades as he proclaims “there’s nowhere to run”. A much slower interlude stops the JUDAS PRIEST comparisons in their tracks. The solo it’s home to may not impress with speed, but it displays great technical prowess in its rock n’ roll swing.
Emulating those who came before comes with the danger of becoming lesser versions. The Winds Of Destiny is full of IRON MAIDEN’s influence. Fast drums melding with typical metal licks make for caricatures of tormented souls. Throughout the record, Hades‘ vocals pay homage to heavy metal bands of old. Soaring where eagles dare above each soundscape, Hades is a talented vocalist. Yet, on more than one occasion, the vocals are lost within the greatness of it all.
That said, The Trip is ambitious at best. Land Of Fire proves songs don’t need to be quick and aggressive to earn metal classification. With cascading drums and licks that bubble like molten lava, this land of the flame is hellacious. The vocal harmonies nestling in the riffs sound like a chorus of Lucifer’s fellow fallen angels. Yet, Hades‘ vocals prove to be a touch underpowered for the “spirits of the flame”.
The Trip isn’t all hellfire and damnation. Fantastical lands and creatures don’t feature often but fit the band’s intention when they do. Elements of Pan’s Labyrinth send sprites dancing throughout All Stories Come To An End. Snippets of melodic solos from Hades and Hypnos make for such sweet metal. Album closer I Believe In You‘s softer approach doesn’t fit The Trip‘s itinerary but the detour is nice all the same. The track again has a touch of the mystical. Hades‘ vocals again sit light in the mix but in this instance adds some intrigue. Tyr’s bass is heavy throughout the finale giving it some much needed bottom end. In the closing moments, LUCIFER’S HAMMER opens the portal to another world. We bid farewell to our bard to the tune of power chords vibrating both our eardrums and our brainwaves.
The escapism LUCIFER’S HAMMER offers has good moments but this trip feels average. The Trip doesn’t take us anywhere new. While their postcards sell dazzle at first, the flaws come with closer inspection. If you want to take another vacation across already tired realms, LUCIFER’S HAMMER have a destination for you.
Rating: 6/10
The Trip is out now via High Roller Records.
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