Luciferian Light Orchestra - Black
Svart Records
70s inspired Doom Rock
4 songs (20'39")
Release year: 2016
Svart Records
Reviewed by Alex

Luciferian Light Orchestra is a creation of none other than Christofer Johnsson, the mastermind behind Therion. Some of you may have known this since the eponymous release a few years ago, but I did not. By his own admission, the whole moniker was created to give outlet to songs, which were 70s inspired and otherwise didn't fit Therion. Black EP is an example of these cuts.

Christofer will know better why Black typifies the sound of the 70s, since he is obviously a lot more knowledgeable about the history of rock music, its eras and their main traits, but, indeed, it was proper not to lump these songs under another Therion release. Rhythmic, dense, with definitive bass lines, Evil Masquerade and Where the Lilies Grow are definitely a lot less flamboyant than what I would normally expect from Therion, as if the compositions are afraid of their own flourishes. Yet the songs are hooky nonetheless, Evil Masquerade is a Damien soundtrack with its mid-Eastern melody and dark piano insert. Where the Lilies Grow proceeds along the lines of the strictly defined song structure – verse, chorus, verse, chorus, repeat chorus many times – with guitar chords being simple steady progressions. Only a faint psychedelic melody laid over the top betrays the composition rigidity and extends Where the Lilies Grow beyond staring only as far as your 70s non-descript bell bottom pants.

Serpent Messiah and Thunder Perfect Mind start taking more chances, but aren't orchestral symphonic exercises either. The EP mostly uses female vocals (Mina Karadzic), and not of operatic variety either, but Serpent Messiah is more psychedelic than Evil Masquerade and Where the Lilies Grow before it and uses some vocal role playing. Thunder Perfect Mind starts all flowery and dreamy, with a good helping of a Hammond organ, but at the end of the song dissonant chords creep in, and there is a vocal dialogue between naïveté and evil.

Naive and reserved then would be the terms for me to characterize Black. Whether the band will have a continuation probably depends on what era Christofer Johnsson intends to explore next. If he elects to stick with the 70s Luciferian Light Orchestra will continue seeing more life to it.

Killing Songs :
Evil Masquerade
Alex quoted 68 / 100
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