{"id":19457,"date":"2021-12-01T12:13:44","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T17:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southeastofheaven.com\/?p=19457"},"modified":"2022-01-21T13:42:29","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T18:42:29","slug":"lucifers-the-fire-isnt-burning-as-hot-as-usual-with-lucifer-iv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=19457","title":{"rendered":"Lucifer’s Fire Isn’t Burning as Hot as Usual with LUCIFER IV."},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been a fan of vocalist\/songwriter Johanna Sadonis since her days in the metal band The Oath<\/strong>.\u00a0 When she formed Lucifer<\/strong> I was ecstatic and rocked hard by the release of the debut album, Lucifer I.\u00a0 The 2nd album was a step in a new direction but it was a dynamic change and it was something that proved Lucifer to be an unpredictable band.\u00a0 With the release of their third album titled, you guessed it, Lucifer III, the fire seemed to be settling and not burning quite as hot but I still enjoyed it.\u00a0 The release of Lucifer’s aptly titled Lucifer IV was something I was looking forward to, and as I usually do with bands I love, I had the bar set high for it.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em> missed the mark and even after 4 or 5 listens and letting it sit a bit, Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em> still left me feeling a bit, well, bored.<\/p>\n

Don’t get me wrong; the album isn’t bad at all.\u00a0 I don’t think it sucks, and I believe that this lineup of Lucifer is stellar.\u00a0 As a live band, the energy and passion comes through and cuts through the venues like a hot knife through butter, but on record, Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em> feels more like a butter knife trying to cut through a raw potato.\u00a0 It tries, but it just doesn’t succeed.<\/p>\n

This isn’t to say that Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em> doesn’t have its moments. “Bring Me His Head” may be one of my favorite Lucifer songs to date. It’s got such a great groove to it, and it channels old school KISS but the song “Wild Hearses” was a real disappointment for me.\u00a0 It is pretty much “Electric Funeral” by Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 As for the other songs on the album?\u00a0 Honestly, they just kind of bore me.\u00a0 There is very little dynamic between each song, and after a few songs, they all kind of run together.<\/p>\n

Musically, the band sounds so tight and having a consistent lineup (minus a full-time bassist) benefits the band because it has created a more solidified sound.\u00a0 Sonically the music has more character than the last two albums, and lyrically it is solid and interesting, but vocally, it feels like Sadonis is holding back. I’ve seen Lucifer live a couple of times, and she can let it rip, but she sounds like she’s restrained a bit on this album.\u00a0 I would love to hear her belt it out with power as she did for the first two albums.<\/p>\n

With Lucifer I<\/strong><\/em> and II<\/strong><\/em>, I felt like I was being served a great steak dinner, with Lucifer III<\/strong><\/em> I felt like I was served some great take-out Chinese food, but with Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em>, I feel like I was served a Big Mac combo meal from McDonald’s.\u00a0 I fucking LOVE McDonald’s, but I would prefer the steak meal.\u00a0 In a nutshell, Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em> is not a bad album at all, but for a band that put out two of my favorite modern metal albums, Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em> didn’t hit the mark. Lucifer IV<\/strong><\/em> is a forgettable album, and it’s not the album I would go to when I want to listen to Lucifer.\u00a0\u00a0 I would love nothing more to see Lucifer spread its wings a bit more and challenging themselves creatively and deliver an album that I wouldn’t see coming from a mile away.\u00a0 The fire isn’t out just yet but it is definitely not burning as hot as it once was.\u00a0 Hopefully, next time around Lucifer will bring something new to the table and rekindle the fire.<\/p>\n