Album Type: Full-Length
Date Released: 05/05/2015
Label: Hammerheart Records
‘Lucifer's Fall’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). The Suffering Wizard
2). Lucifer’s Fall
3). The Summoning
4). Unknown Unamed
5). A Sinner’s Fate
6). Deceiver
7). Death March (Instrumental)
Lucifer’s Fall is
Deceiver | Axe Of Satan, Basshammer, Doomed Bellows & Banshee Howls
Unknown Unnamed | Drums & Destruction
Review:
Australia may not seem a likely place for traditional doom to arise from, but then again California probably wasn't thought of that way until Saint Vitus either...
What you get is rough and ready traditional doom: no frills, no tricks, no messing about. The sound is very old school- boxy drums, bass clear in the mix and vocals up front. The guitars solo and riff well and the band plays expansively- tight and loose at the same time (to use a cliché).
Opener “The Suffering Wizard” is lengthy, doom laden and full of soloing with the bass all over the fret board. The piercing scream that opens the title track does not lead to an energetic Priest-esque belter, but instead to slow riffs and vocals in the breaks. The lyrics are literal- again, straight to the point. “The Summoning” is more aggressive and straight ahead- the pace at...mid-pace! Things drop down again for “Unknown Unnamed” but they pick up, with the band making use of head nodding tempos and a keen ear for dynamics.
The album is an interesting snap shot of a band who I suspect are still very much in development. In a way, it is a little like the first Witchcraft LP, but for me does not quite achieve that level of greatness. Regardless, tracks like “A Sinner's Fate” and “Deceiver” establish the band as a force in traditional doom- think The Gates of Slumber crossed with Witchcraft and Candlemass but recorded in a garage and you get the idea. The album closes with “Death March” so you get seven tracks (ranging from just under four minutes to nearly ten minutes in length) of the purest doom. Lucifer's Fall are not to be confused with retro 70's occult style rock acts: this is doom metal of the old school and it is NOT rock (occult or otherwise). Again, there are no frills here and certainly no polish: just a band playing and laying it down on tape.
Words by: Richard Maw
For more information:
