Lucifer – Lucifer I
Label: Rise Above Records
Release Date: June 16, 2015
When occult rockers The Oath emerged on the scene, I was blown away but the sheer power, collective talent, and songwriting of that band. Just shortly after their debut album, the creative nucleus of that band parted way leaving fans wondering happened. Like all great, mystical entities, when they die in the material world, something always rises to take form and in this case, from the ashes comes Johnna Sadonis’ latest creation Lucifer.
Right off the bat I can say this. If you are expecting The Oath Mach II you best keep moving because Lucifer is an entity all its own. “Abracadabra” absolutely astounded me and it’s such a great fucking song that I had to listen to it twice before even continuing. Sadonis’ vocals are just so organic; soothing yet heavy and dark all at the same time. This particular song has one of the most bad ass changes and the first thing I thought was, “Man, this reminds me of Cathedral.” Well, rightfully so as joining Sadonis in Lucifer on guitar and co-writing is former Cathedral guitarist Gary “Gaz” Jennings.
“Purple Pyramid” takes things into a doomier spectrum while still managing to hook in a good, solid groove that really drew me in but for me, the absolute highlight of the album was “A Grave for Each One of Us.” You want to talk about an epic, mind numbing listening experience? This song, in my opinion, is where Sadonis’ really shines showing some depth and range while the band shows the same amount of depth and range as they weave in and out of dynamic structure changes. This song had me feeling like I was floating on air as I completely zoned out and connected. A sign of a truly great song is that you can totally forget all things around you and just feel completely in engaged with the music and this song did just that.
As a whole, Lucifer I is an amazing record that has solidified itself in the top tier along with some of my all-time favorite albums. With Lucifer, Johanna Sadonis has assembled a band of legends consisting of former Angel Witch drummer Andy Prestidge, former Cathedral guitarist Gaz Jennings, and former Ladyton bassist Dino Gollnick) and created a captivating, spectacular modern occult rock masterpiece. If Lucifer I is any indication of what this band is capable of bringing to the game, I can only imagine the greatness that lies ahead for this band and the fans of this kind of music.
About The Author
