Band:	Luciferion
Album:	The Apostate
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	2003
A review by:	Dream Taster

01. Intro
02. The Apostate
03. Become Or Be Gone
04. Destroying By Will
05. New World To See
06. Circle Of The Tyrants [Celtic Frost cover]
07. Rebel Souls
08. The Voyager [demo] [Previously released on The Demon Of '94]
09. Satan's Gift (The Crown Of Thorns) [demo] [Previously released on The Demon Of '94]
10. Graced By Fire [demo] [Previously released on The Demon Of '94]
11. Hymns Of Immortals [demo] [Previously released on The Demon Of '94]

Luciferion, nice name for a band, but who's hiding behind this? Well, if you know the band called Lost Horizon, you already know Wojtek Lisicki [guitars, vocals] and Martin Furängen [bass] and if you are familiar with Dark Tranquillity, the name of Michael Nicklasson [guitars] should be recognizable. Add Hans Nilsson [drums] and you have a complete line-up.
Their sound is somewhat of a genial mix of Black metal atmospheres and Death metal elements, for away from the so-called "Gothenburg sound". Awkwardly, Gothenburg was the place of birth of the band.

Even though Luciferion was founded in early 1993, "The Apostate" is only their second release. Yes, before that, highly praised 1996's "Demonication [The Manifest]" was their only album and they decided to take a break, which lasted 7 years, during which Michael joined Dark Tranquillity while Wojtek and Martin revived their old true metal act Highlander, these days know as Lost Horizon.

If you can imagine Black metal atmospheres generated by frantic keyboards and frenetic drumming blended with destructive Death metal guitars and voices? You got it. That's what these guys play and it's overwhelmingly delicious. It's hard to recognize the guys from Lost Horizon in this brutal sound! The Death metal bases are widely covered from Melodic Death to Technical Brutal Death.

After a short introduction, the title track is unleashed, over 9 minutes of massive destruction! It's the most interesting composition of the album when even an emphasis on some guitar solos. Keyboards are an important part of the music, like in no other Death metal band I know at least. This is terrific! That's a song I would love to hear on stage. That's far way more powerful than lots of Swedish Death metal bands, Luciferion would do a great ticket with bands such as Meshuggah or The Crown [rip].

After such an epic track, comes 'Become Or Be Gone', a faster, more brutal, more Technical Death-oriented composition. Impressive display of abilities from the drummer makes this track particularly memorable.

With 'Destroying By Will', you better take the kids out of the room. Intense headbanging is mandatory to respect this powerful track. If you are a fan of Six Feet Under, you're going to love that one. At the end of the song, it sounds like the gates of hell are opening. Grandiose!

'New World To See' is as destructive as the previous track, if not more. There is a terrific rhythm part in the middle that has to make you go insane. Great solos and splendid keyboards lines enhance this amazing piece of music.

The rest of the album includes a nice Celtic Frost cover and their 94' demo, which was out of print for a long long time. The Luciferion sound was already there and it's definitely worth a listen!

In a few words, this album is a large doze of adrenaline boosted by superb technical music and out of this world performances. Fast, dark, melodic, brutal and technical, "The Apostate" is one of the best Death metal albums I've heard in a long time. Luciferion is huge, if only the members would concentrate more on this band?It could blow everything else out.