Lucifer return with their fourth proper album, only a year after the amazing Lucifer III. Their constant embrace for ‘70s hard rock with a dark edge has been fun to watch and best experienced with the top down in a car or with the wind in your face while taking in the scenery on a motorcycle.
Johanna Sadonis’ soulful vocals lead the charge followed closely by the same band that supported her on the last album, most noteworthy being her real-life partner Nicke Andersson (The Hellacopters, ex-Entombed). Will Lucifer IV be primed to be just as fun as their previous albums?
Lucifer play it safe for a couple of songs before they establish their signature sound with “Crucifix (I Burn For You),” featuring Sadonis’ vocals between stop and go guitar pyrotechnics courtesy of Linus Bjorklund’s fretwork plus his sizeable leads to boot. The hooks on this track as well as those on the subsequent track “Bring Me His Head” should be enough to make a fan out of you if you weren’t already.
“Mausoleum” slows things down to allow for Sadonis to continue to embrace her best Stevie Nicks with ample organ-like sections that has her performing her very own Satanic ritual. One of the best songs comes early on the second half of the album, simply titled “Louise.” This cut opens with an excellent driving riff primed for the big time, Andersson’s drums sound gigantic backing this entire beast; one of the catchiest choruses on the whole album happens to be one of the simplest too. The solo work in the middle of the track is pure hard rock fury with plenty of riffs to latch on to as well as an excellent use of layered vocals to bring the entire track home.
Lucifer continue to be one of the most solid hard rock bands in the scene. With four albums to their credit, you know as a fan what to expect each and every time out: a consistent and well fleshed out vocal centric attack with excellent musicians to round out the entire package. This was the kind of album your father left in the tape deck for months on end; one that you dared never to touch. Lucifer IV flat out rocks!
(released October, 29 2021 on Century Media Records)
Heavy Music HQ Rating:
Watch Lucifer – “Bring Me His Head” Video
