Lucifer's Child - The Illuminant

Lucifer’s Child is a black metal band from Greece, who formed in 2013. Their latest album, “The Illuminant,” is their third full-length album; they have also released a split.

Even though I love Greek black metal (who doesn’t?),this ablum is my first experience with the band. I’ll definitely be checking out their previous efforts because if they are even half as good as “The Illuminant,” then they are still better than a lot of other bands. 

The album isn’t reinventing any wheels or going to turn a non-black metal fan into one but for what it is, it’s visceral and engrossing but isnt afraid to add melodic tinges to these searing edges.

It’s super aggressive yet retains just enough atmosphere and melody to keep it interesting without sacrificing any of the blasphemous intensity the genre is known for. 

It’s a surprisingly moody album, not afraid to venture into dissonant passages or melancholic ways across a vast solemn sea. I like that it isn't always running at a blistering pace—many moments across the songs are mid paced or even slow. Taking a step back from themselves and getting out the genre’s own way has paid off for the band as the songs really let themselves breathe.

Production/mix wise, this is probably a lot more clean and accessible than what many black metal fans are used to. I’m a production whore and rarely complain about bright, shiny, production. But every kind of production has its place; fortunately  this polished sound works in their favor. 

The album begins with the fury of “Antichrist,” and a whipping guitar solo. The speed pulls back a bit for a mid paced attack that let's the primal vocals take center stage. The speed returns as the band rips through to the 2:41 mark. This slightly melodic groove is infectious as hell and leads into an atmospheric passage that ends the song. Fantastic opener that sets the tone for the rest of the album.

“The Serpent and the Rod,” is another banger with slick riffs, accented by sharp and intense drumming. This song is a sterling example of how unrelenting their sound truly is when the band is firing on all cylinders. The later half of the song dissonant and quite pulverizing—the band is obviously black metal but are as intense as death metal.

The opening for “Rigteous Flama,” is crazy—the riffs constantly wind up like a tornado building up speed as it destroys everything. This is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album---I'm impressed by its violence that manages to retain an atmosphere of melancholy.

The final song, “And All Is Prelude,” is another favorite. It's somewhat creepy, what with the spacious music and spoken word passages. Musically, alternates between open spaces and encompassing passes of groovy blackened notes. The final half of the song is just melodic enough and the screams are chilling. This is how you end an album!

With “The Illuminant,” Lucifer's Child has released a banger of an album with loads of atmosphere that brings with it a raging storm of black metal attitude.