German band Luzifer are a side project of thrashers Vulture, I’ve had the pleasure of purchasing their ‘Rise’ EP and ‘Black Knight’ 7 inch single, ‘Iron Shackles’ is their debut album. As time has progressed, Luzifer has. The band has no set formula, no previous style to match; it has been a natural progression in between their other project. For one, there’s a lot of heavy organ included, a nice touch and being up front, it actually works. There are also a couple of tracks in their native language, which adds a lot of character. One such, namely ‘Der Goldene Reiter’ was an 80’s GDR hit. Luzifer do not follow trends. Musically, you have a mix of Swedish metal (Heavy Load, Witch, etc.) and obscure NWoBHM sounds. The PR material states Quartz, as ‘Satan’s Serenade’ is a massive influence, so you may get the idea.
‘Barrow Downs’ begins with a little Hammond, very much like Big Elf did, then the galloping guitars proceed into a more metallic approach with heavy accented vocals. Simple, effective with no nonsense. ‘Wrath of the Sorcerers’ is a touch groovy heavy organ led, lower in register than previous tunes. The sound flows and continues to remind any listener of classic sounds, but there is certainly a touch of uniqueness about this one in particular. Its works, just accept it and stop trying to find other influences. ‘Attila (Blazing Hooves)’ begins as going into battle, the suspense prior to the charge. The character of the nasal vocals and heavy organ augments the basic guitar chord structure. I like the harmonised lead break also. Then the galloping starts, we are into battle. With the riffing, its sounds very 70’s, you know those sci-fi movies.
I find ‘Iron Shackles’ very enjoyable and fitting. I love the organ touches and the general feel of the tunes. It is not a remarkable stand out release; I do not think it is intended to be. It has redeeming quality and powerful memorability. That is a solid release in my book.
(8/10 Paul Maddison)
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