Album Review: Lucifer - Lucifer III

When we last heard from Lucifer, they were leaving quite a good impression. After the breakup of The Oath, Johanna Sadonis formed a new band, and they put out a record that was still rather doom-and-gloom, and not exactly living up to the potential her talent displayed. The lineup shift leading into their second album made all the difference, as a bit more life was put into the music, and they were writing songs that were still gritty and authentic, but also far more enjoyable to sit down with. They were finding the right balance to their sound, and while I really liked that record, I still had the impression they could grow into something even more impressive.

That brings us to records number three, where that feeling is put to the test. With a solid foundation to build upon, Lucifer is able to focus on letting the songs develop into their best form. The opening "Ghosts" picks up where the previous album left off, with stoner guitar tones that build up to a desert bonfire sing-along of a chorus. Just that alone would be enough for the song, but then it drops into a bridge with a hint of piano anchoring the bass, and the twist shows Lucifer isn't just about giving us the simple ditties. There's meat on those bones.

"Midnight Phantom" is interesting for how it blends doom and almost sunny 60s rock. The riffs and the verses would be pure doom if the guitars had a thicker tone, but then the chorus hits and Johanna brings the sun back over the horizon. There are a lot of bands that play either gritty or occult rock that sounds pulled from the past, but most of them aren't able to infuse their songs with catchy melodies. That's the genius of what this version of Lucifer does. This record is still fuzzy, dirty, and anything but mainstream, but the songs have that kind of appeal.

If there's such a thing as 'laid-back doom', that's what Lucifer has created. Their sound is rather unique in being able to straddle the line between bright and dark, soothing and off-putting. They are sort of like painting a gargoyle with pastels. I know how that sounds, but I mean it as a compliment.

Now comes the hard(er) part; Lucifer hasn't really taken the step forward I was hoping for. "Lucifer III" is a fine continuation of "Lucifer II", and does the same good things as that record did. It just doesn't do anything better than the previous record. I was hoping not for something new, but for a few songs that pumped everything up even further, and were their best work. I don't think we've gotten that, but that doesn't mean the album isn't really good, because it is. I was very fond of "Lucifer II" and this record is every bit as good.

Lucifer fills a niche, and no one else is quite like them. Like someone else who was making numbered albums a long time ago, Lucifer's second and third albums are part of a larger thread of blues, doom, and rock that I'm not sure we'll entirely see for another album or two. In the meantime, "Lucifer III" still rocks.