Lucifuge - Hexensabbat CD

Since 2016,  LUCIFUGE have been steadily perfect an addicting style of blackened speed metalpunk, all guided by the iron fist of mainman Equinox. Come 2021’s fourth full-length Infernal Power, Equinox expanded LUCIFUGE to a full lineup, and it paid off in spades: the band’s first album under the banner of DYING VICTIMS capped this signature sound with power and aplomb, exuding a new professionalism that somehow sounded dirtier than ever.

However, it was 2023’s Monoliths of Wrath where LUCIFUGE further spit-shined their sound and took it in a newer but no-less-parallel direction: classic, ripping-FAST thrash of ‘80s gods Sodom, Kreator, Exodus, and of course Slayer. Thankfully, LUCIFUGE keep that sonic shift going with their sixth full-length, Hexensabbat. Ditching more its predecessor’s complex song structures, Hexensabbat heaves toward the gates of Hell with a greasy gallop that brings back a bit of the black while honoring the nether-realms of still-stuck-in-the-‘80s thrash and speed metal. True, those aforementioned gods still hold a place in LUCIFUGE’s current sound, but more so can one detect the likes of Exciter, Razor, Iron Angel, and even later ‘80s Gang Green, the Exploited, and Crumbsuckers. Put another way, if Monoliths of Wrath was spiritually akin to a Combat Records release, then Hexensabbat would definitely come out on Combat Core, so straightforward and rancorous is its all-pistons-pumping surge. Plus, more than a bit of LUCIFUGE’s old-school grit is back in full force, which makes the album’s slightly melodic-yet-malevolent riffing sound majestic – and, most importantly, not render Hexensabbat a total retro retread.

Leaner, meaner, and keeping the 1987 faith alive, LUCIFUGE command you to honor the Hexansabbat!