Lucifer - Lucifer V (2024)

Keeping the Psychedelic/Occult Rock/Metal revival going, today we have Lucifer and their fifth full-length release. Featuring a very accomplished line-up of members like Nicke Andersson (Entombed, The Hellacopters) and Johanna Claudia Sadonis (ex-The Oath), this release delivers nine tracks and nearly 40 minutes of catchy retro doomy heavy music.

Opening with the high-octane “Fallen Angel”, we get a nice dose of traditional Heavy Metal riffs with engaging vocals and a catchy chorus section. The band’s music is designed to be crafty, and guitar driven, making for some very interesting and memorable pieces like “At The Mortuary”, “Slow Dance in a Crypt”, and “Riding Reaper”. The mixture of Doom, Heavy Metal with Psychedelic/Occult rock elements is quite well crafted and makes for some very entertaining songs.

While one can imagine that things might get a bit linear, tracks like “Maculate Heart” shake things up a bit with different tempos and a very nice retro vibe. Johanna’s vocals are fitting for such music, and the lyrics are quite entertaining when paying attention to them. With a core sound, the band still manages to surprise the listener with playful pieces like “Strange Sister” or the somber closer “Nothing Left to Lose But My Life”.

As a whole, “Lucifer V” is a pretty solid release for a genre that has recently re-flourished and that we deeply enjoy, with newer bands like Jess and the Ancient Ones, Graveyard, etc. If you like heavy riffs, old-school vibes, and crafty vocal arrangements alongside catchiness and playfulness, you can’t sleep on this release.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: January 26th, 2024

Genre: Psychedelic/Occult Rock/Metal

Country: International