Sweden's Lucifer burst on the metal scene back in 2015 with their self titled debut, the band formed out of the ashes of The Oath and led by the striking lead singer Johanna Sadonis and featuring ex-Cathedral guitar master Gaz Jennings. Here we are a few years later, and Jennings, along with drummer Andrew Prestige, have left the band, but Lucifer have regrouped with drummer Nicke Andersson (Entombed, The Hellacopters), joining guitarist Robin Tidebrink to record their sophomore album Lucifer II. For the album, Andersson has also contributed bass and guitar parts alongside Tidebrink.
While much of the doomy vibe is still present from their debut, Lucifer II sees the band diving deeper into their '60s psychedelia & blues rock bag of tricks, tracks like "Phoenix" and "California Son" awash with plenty of trippy arrangements and catchy hooks. Fear not though, as darker, muscular songs such as "Dreamer", "Dancing With Mr. D" (yes, the Rolling Stones classic!), the Black Sabbath influenced "Eyes in the Sky", the savage, fuzz toned "Before the Sun", and the heavy blues stomp of "Aton" packing quite a punch, with Sadonis as always delivering stunning vocals over the top of some beefy arrangements. "Faux Pharoah" is pure, delightful doom, and there's even room for another cover, in the form of the early Scorpion's classic "Evening Wind", Johanna perfectly delivering her devilish tones on top of some stinging lead guitar work and plenty of atmosphere.
I won't lie to you, the immense riffing of the legendary Jennings is missed here, but Tidebrink & Andersson do a more than capable job of delivering the goods, and the spirit of what made Lucifer's debut so strong is still seeping through all the musical pores on this follow-up. This is a band that has great potential for mass appeal, and hopefully this album will take them to that next level.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
- California Son 3:26
- Dreamer 5:47
- Phoenix 4:46
- Dancing With Mr. D 4:12
- Reaper On Your Heels 5:07
- Eyes In The Sky 4:30
- Before The Sun 3:39
- Aton 5:06
- Faux Pharaoh 5:26
- Evening Wind 5:18