Lucifer – ‘V’ Album Review

Occult Rock

Nuclear Blast

Release Date – January 26^th 2024

Review By Smudge

There are very few bands, especially nowadays, that have their own signature sound. One band from recent years that definitely does have their own recognisable sound is Lucifer and here they are with their fifth album of dark melodic occult rock.

Although their sound is immediate there’s a definite change in the guitar tone which is heavier and grittier plus Nicke Andersson’s drums seem to be more pronounced. What hasn’t changed is the beautiful clean voice of Johanna Sadonis.

The opener ‘Fallen Angel’ brings a Thin Lizzy/early Maiden feel with some superb twin guitar harmonies. I don’t know about you, but morgues aren’t the most pleasant of places, having been in a few I know what I’m talking about, but Lucifer make it sound like a happening place on ‘At The Mortuary’, where Johanna’s voice entices and invites you in then halfway through they get spooky and sinister with a creepy organ before they get back to the original groove.

More twin guitar happenings on the steady rocker ‘Riding Reaper’ before things get slower and bluesier on the aching torch song ‘Slow Dance In A Crypt’. ‘A Coffin Has No Silver Lining’ has a real NWOBHM feel with another catchy melody and some wonderful backing harmonies before the acoustic comes out on the intro for ‘Maculate Heart’ until Nicke rattles out a tempo change and off they go on a dark melodic boogie. ‘The Dead Don’t Speak’ gets its groove on straight away and harks back to the 70’s – imagine Sabbath backing the singers from ABBA! Yeah! It works! ‘Strange Sister’ is some serious gothic, glam that bounces along on Harald Gotthblad’s solid bassline which leads to the final dark lament of ‘Nothing Left To Lose But My Life’.

Lucifer has done it again, another fine release, full of wonderful catchy melodies all set to a dark and heavy backing. So, in essence, it has everything. Big expensive riffs, pounding rhythms, blinding axe work and those bright clean vocals that just lure you in. This is not released until late January, so it looks like a good start to 2024 – Happy New Year!

Track List –

1 – Fallen Angel

2 – At The Mortuary

3 – Riding Reaper

4 – Slow Dance In A Crypt

5 – A Coffin Has No Silver Lining

6 – Maculate Heart

7 – The Dead Don’t Speak

8 – Strange Sisters

9 – Nothing Left To Lose But My Life