Nightfly
It came as a shock to many when Johanna Sadonis whose previous band The Oath having just released their debut album with positive reviews promptly split. She wasted no time forming Lucifer bringing the bands drummer Andrew Prestidge with her. Bass player Dino Gollnick was about to join The Oath at the time of the split and was also recruited. At the suggestion of former Cathedral frontman and Rise Above Records boss Lee Dorrian she approached ex- Cathedral guitarist Gaz Jennings who was only too happy to jump on board.
Hot on the heels of a single “Anubis” their debut album titled simply 1 was quickly written. Not surprisingly parallels can be drawn between Lucifer and The Oath, most obviously Sadonis’s soaring and haunting vocals. The Oath were more of a hard rock band and Lucifer have that too but this has more of a retro metal edge, no doubt down to the inclusion of doom riff meister Jennings whose instantly recognisable playing is a highlight of this excellent album. 1 lives up to the hype it’s been receiving with eight well written songs of doom metal/heavy rock. “Total Eclipse” is a highlight starting with a typical crushing slow doom riff before picking up the tempo and lightening up somewhat in the process. In truth though like all great albums it’s the sheer consistency of material that makes 1 such a compelling listen. There’s plenty of light and shade to compliment the brutal riffing with Jennings slipping in some tasteful clean guitar parts too like on” Purple Pyramid” with chiming arpeggios contrasting well with the driving riffing.
Whether the partnership between Sadonis and Jennings lasts remains to be seen – Jennings also has his own project Death Penalty on the go. I hope it does because if they can put out albums of this quality in such a short space of time then it bodes well for Lucifer 2.