Ah, Lucifer. I remember listening to their self-titled debut album back in 2015 and being immediately hooked by the killer pipes of frontwoman Johanna Platow Andersson and their take on fuzzy, doomy occult rock. But as I sit here to craft a review of Lucifer’s fifth album (aptly titled Lucifer V), I must admit that after that very first dance with the devil in the pale moonlight, I haven’t listened to them much in the intervening years. Their 2018 sophomore effort, reviewed by the mighty Ferrous Beuller, didn’t do a lot for me. Gone was much of the doom-laden heaviness that had grabbed my attention, replaced instead with 70s-style hard rock worship. And while I always took each new release for a spin or two, I never fell for any of their subsequent albums the way I did for that very first record. So where does that leave Lucifer V? Am I too biased to be trusted to deliver a trustworthy opinion? Is my mind so warped by rose-tinted memories that I’m unable to supply readers with an honest, objective critique? Absolutely. So let’s get to it!
Lucifer loves the 70s. From the very first riff to the closing chord, it’s clear that the shift from melodic, thick-riffed doom to more traditional, slightly-psychedelic hard rock that started on Lucifer II has continued, unabated. Ferrous made a similar point in his review, but the difference here is that while the band’s original artistic vision was more in line with the retro-rock sound they’ve now fully embraced, their latest outing finds them leaning just the slightest bit into that original, rumbling heft that first grabbed the attention of so many listeners. Occult rock, meanwhile, still makes up a large part of Lucifer’s infernal DNA, with plenty of Blue Öyster Cult on display, along with a dollop or two of Coven. But more often than not, you’re hearing echoes of Kiss and Heart, the latter thanks primarily to Anderson’s tour de force performance. The result?
A solid, enjoyable album, that’s what; an occult rock excursion that features the kind of well-trod licks, howls, and solos you’d expect to hear on your local classic rock radio station, but with just enough big riffs and witchy atmosphere to get your fist pumping and your bell bottoms a’waftin’. Opener “Fallen Angel” wastes no time in revealing its sordid set of influences, kicking off with a “Tush” era ZZ Top riff that’s both catchy and fun. Follow-up “At the Mortuary” is probably my favorite of the bunch, given its ominous opening, all-too-brief doomy trudge, and catchy, Ghost-esque chorus. The Lynyrd Skynyrd-inflected riffing caught me off guard, but it pairs well with Andersson’s impressive vocal delivery. While her Dinah Lance-level of vocal power is well-known, it’s in her more restrained moments that Andersson has the most impact. Her sultry croons, for instance, are the perfect compliment to the plaintive keys and emotive solo on “Slow Dance in a Crypt,” which evokes the immortal “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.”
Unfortunately, Lucifer’s infatuation with the 70s is often taken too far, resulting in songs like “Ride the Reaper,” “A Coffin Has No Silver Lining” and “Strange Sister” that are catchy and fun, but don’t quite distinguish themselves beyond Andersson’s enviable vocal prowess. These tunes aren’t bad, they’re just borderline bland. And coming from a group with the proven ability to write songs that both harken back while pressing forward, I was hoping for more than nostalgia bait when I cranked Lucifer V. This is compounded by instances in otherwise good songs like “The Dead Don’t Speak” and “Slow Dance in a Crypt,” which repeatedly threaten to veer into doomy territory without ever fully committing. Just as these tracks are about to take a slightly heavier (perhaps even logical) turn, they’re suddenly yanked back and sternly reminded that guitars didn’t sound like that in the 1970s.
If I sound unnecessarily harsh, it’s because while I enjoyed and recommend Lucifer V, I can envision the stronger album Lucifer could have produced had they been more willing to embrace just a bit more of their original sound; a sound they flirt with time and time again. There’s no doubt the band is plenty satisfied with the musical direction they’ve taken, yearning as they do for a bygone era. But me? I wouldn’t mind a simple return to 2015.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Websites: luciferofficial.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/lucifertheband
Releases Worldwide: January 26th, 2024
