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LUCIFER
www.lucifer.church
With a more than blatant titular clue to both band name and album chronology, ‘Lucifer II’ is, you guessed it, the sophomore offering from Lucifer. Take one look at the cover and it's immediately evident this multinational crew's whole aesthetic adheres to a 70s worshipping vibe. Take one listen to 'Lucifer II', and their twenty first century anachronistic take on a bygone decade is even more emphatic. We're talking a full-on regression here, where the entire scope of their sonic palette is a pastiche of early 70s rock/metal motifs: the riffs, the pacing, the vocals, and in the general compositional structures. But it's a very likeable pastiche through a finely crafted set of tunes, where the trio's adoration of the 70s shines through every bar of music.

The fuzzily distorted guitar sounds of Sweden’s Robin Tidebrink provide groove-infused riffage, licks, solos and other fretboard shenanigans, while his Swedish comrade and Entombed sticksman, Nicke Andersson, beats his skins and cymbals with all the finesse and energy you’d expected from a man of his calibre. Then there’s ex-The Oath German vocalist Johanna Sadonis, the lady behind the mic, whose voice feels timeless and of another era… powerfully soulful at times and alluringly soothing at others… rather apt for Lucifer’s regressive propensity.

‘Lucifer II’ is also something of a rebirth for the band since their debut, as the lineup has seen some significant revision between albums. With ex-Cathedral guitarist Gaz Jennings now gone, Sadonis first hooked up with Andersson to keep Lucifer alive and breathing, and the two musicians wrote and commenced recording the songs before Tidebrink came on board. Press blurb reveals that Andersson was not only responsible for tracking the drums, but also performed bass and half of the guitar parts.

With a fully-fledged live lineup now complete, which also includes bassist Alexander Mayr and another guitarist in Martin Nordin, it seems Lucifer are finally back to full strength and ready to tread the boards once again. For now, though, we have this rather tasty slab of early 70s rock/metal pastiche, complete with touches of psychedelic-tinged authenticity. With summer upon us, this will undoubtedly provide a fine soundtrack to those hot days and sticky evenings for the 70s’ loving brethren across the globe.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Century Media
Album
LUCIFER II
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Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
41:58
RELEASE DATE:
6th July 2018
TRACK LISTING
1) California Son
2) Dreamer
3) Phoenix
4) Dancing with Mr D
5) Reaper on Your Heels
6) Eyes in the Sky
7) Before the Sun
8) Aton
9) Faux Pharaoh
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Multi
"With summer upon us, this will undoubtedly provide a fine soundtrack to those hot days and sticky evenings for the 70s’ loving brethren across the globe."
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