The eight-piece Norwegian heavy prog act known as Lucifer Was have been around now for over 40 years, but it's only in the last two decades that they've been releasing studio recordings. DiesGrows is their latest platter of Black Sabbath-meets-Jethro Tull-meets-Rainbow-meets-Deep Purple styled proto-metal/progressive rock mayhem, and if you've followed this band at all over the years, they've churned out one winner after another and this one is no exception. I mean, how can you miss with crushing guitar riffs, soaring flute, powerful vocals, driving rhythms, rampaging Hammond organ, and creepy Mellotron? Simply put, if it's all combined perfectly, you can't.
For this latest Transubstans Records release, the band consists of Jon Ruder (Vocals and acoustic guitar), Thore Engen (Lead guitar and acoustic guitar), Andreas Sjo Engen (guitar), Arne Martinussen (Organ, mellotron, piano, background vocals), Einar Bruu (Bass), Rune Engen (Drums, Ududrum, percussion), Lise-Marit "The Witch" Haugen (Flute), and Anders Sevaldson (Flute). There are so many excellent songs here on DiesGrows, including the pummeling "I'm Cornered", complete with Sabbath styled riffs & Tull inspired flute blasts, the Hammond organ fueled "Crazy World Turns to Me", the doom laden "Glass Shoe" (which reminds a bit of Candlemass), the slow simmering menace of "Silver Spoon", and the mix of Deep Purple and Jethro Tull on the kick ass ripper "From Behind Everybody's Blind", a real workout for the band as the churning guitar riffs battle the organ & flute with Ruder's spectacular vocals soaring over the top. It's not all non-stop rocking, as "I Am Outside" and the title track take a more pastoral, proggy route, and the closing "Yellow House" is near 5-minutes of slow, atmospheric doom, as the funeral styled riffs, searching flute, and ominous keyboards lead this somber death march out towards a long, harrowing journey.
What more can you say, other than a job well done for any fan of vintage, '70s styled heavy rock & progressive rock. Yes, Lucifer Was wear their influences on their sleeve, but any band that takes the best elements of Sabbath, Purple, Tull, and Rainbow, mixes it up and delivers it all within memorable and hard rocking tunes, is A-OK in my book. Highly recommended!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1. After Life
2. The Devil Is The Boss Universal
3. Crazy World Turns To me
4. I'm Cornered
5. I Am Outside
6. Glass Shoe
7. Silver Spoon
8. From Behind Everybody's Blind
9. DiesGrows
10. Yellow House
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