Album Review: Lucifer - Lucifer V
Reviewed by Lana Teramae
For any band, it’s better not to set high expectations for a brand new studio album. ‘Lucifer V’ proves this point clearly. For Lucifer’s fifth studio album overall and first under their new label, Nuclear Blast Records, they aimed to take everything they’ve learned since their formation and put them all together, supposedly making their best album yet.
Before going any further, however, it should be noted that ‘Lucifer V’ is not a bad album, at all. In fact, it kicks butt. Think doom metal resembling early Black Sabbath, but with a vocalist that sounds nowhere near like Ozzy Osbourne. The lineup that plays on ‘Lucifer V’ includes Johanna Platow Andersson on lead vocals, Nicke Andersson Platow on drums, Linus Björklund and Martin Nordin on guitars, and Harald Göthblad on bass guitar.
Album opener, “Fallen Angel,” has a killer guitar riff that doesn’t sound far off from what Tony Iommi would come up with. “At the Mortuary” is heavy, yet melodic, and has a memorable chorus. “Slow Dance in a Crypt” and “Nothing Left to Lose But My Life” are hauntingly beautiful ballads that make death not sound like a bad thing, if that makes sense. Other highlights on the album are headbangers, “Maculate Heart” and “The Dead Don’t Speak.” The former starts off with a pretty, acoustic guitar melody, before kicking into gear with a short, but tasteful drum solo from Platow, and Andersson’s captivating vocals. The latter has a wicked guitar solo and another memorable chorus.
Production-wise, the guitars have an immense and powerful sound that’s not overbearing, with just the right amount of distortion. The drums are raw and ferocious, adding to Lucifer’s old-school vibe. On the downside, though not used often, the backing vocals are soft in the mix, which is disappointing because “A Coffin Has No Silver Lining” could’ve been even better, had they been turned up a notch.
It’s wrong to compare the band’s work to previous albums, but ‘Lucifer V’ lacks the punch and balls that their previous album, ‘Lucifer IV’ (2021), has. While most of the tracks are praiseworthy, few of them aren’t as effective and lack the “wow” factor. Maybe with time and a changed perspective, ‘Lucifer V’ could be considered a perfect album. But, as of now, it’s a fantastic album that falls slightly short of the band’s previous release.
