LUCIFER

Lucifer III

CENTURY MEDIA

Occult-infused rockers bring their twin poles into harmony

UNTIL NOW LUCIFER’S history has been a tale in two parts: the doom-laden debut featuring the graveyard guitar tones of ex-Cathedral man Gaz Jennings and the retro rock sophomore that brought in the talents of multi-instrumentalist Nicke Andersson of Entombed and The Hellacopters fame. Ironically, for a band whose driving force is undeniably the persuasive mystical guile of occult enchantress Johanna Sadonis, Lucifer’s other alumni have inadvertently snatched the headlines and sliced fans of the band into two camps: those who dug the heavy menace of the early stuff and those who perceived Lucifer II as the more accessible, brighter album.

Fast-forward to 2020 and with Nicke Andersson still involved, steers the listener towards familiar ground, bringing plenty of upbeat occult rock. Grooving like the Swedish band with very similar name, the track also reveals a new clarity to Johanna’s rich, vibrato vocals, which resonate with the straight rocking and psychedelic undertones in new and confident ways.