Emerging US black metal horde Lucifixion are here to unleash their debut full-length “Trisect Joys Of Pierced Hearts”.
Formed in 2021, Lucifixion is raw black metal. Focusing on the traditions of true black metal, with unbridled & gut-wrenching production the band on their first album have manifested something truly barbaric.
Seven tracks of nearly fifty minutes of chaos, torture & pure agony in the best possible way.
Not much is known about the band itself & its members. It might be very cloak & dagger but the two-piece are a force to be reckoned with.
“Hammer of Fevered Lights” opens with feedback before a piercing tremolo riff starts the driving force of the track. Quickly followed by the lighting fast & in sound drums kick in. Right by this first track the band’s mission statement is clear. Here everything is raw, organic & abrasive. The drums have a hard-hitting tone, unlike most black metal drums currently this sound is high, front-facing & very attacking.
Mixed with the high octane classic style of riffing from the likes of Darkthrone & Craft but with the malonic & mesmerising sounds of US black metal peers Leviathan & Judas Iscariot.
From their demo “Feral Mass” is recorded again and is even more pungent & attacking. Even with a nearly nine-minute run time, it’s a true journey into the abyss. Opening again with their tight & sharp attacking presence the band gives you no room to breathe as they build the track, brick by brick. Giving you only moments of respite that perfectly let the track flow & evolve. Using a sample from Bram Stoker’s Dracula really adds to the primal & ethereal sounds the band conjures on this track.
“Iron Outer Midnyghte” & its opening section brings a real grandiose element to the album. Building ringing outs repeat & give you a sense of epic distress to the track. The overall track isn’t as chaotic, sure its still raw & abrasive but it has a great stripped-down feel. Using harrowing added vocal cries & ascending dive bomb lead moments give the track a more “trad” black metal sound which breaks up the whole album nicely.
In its whole “Trisect Joys Of Pierced Hearts” is a fantastic debut album. Full to the brim with harsh & raw black metal, but also has glimpses of dark & powerful melodic moments even when the band are blasting full speed. Using a more stripped & primal sound on the album helps it stand tall in the modern era of new wave black metal bands. Taking its place high on the altar of true US black metal.
Joseph Mitchell
Trisect Joys of Pierced Hearts is out via Sentient Ruin on June 30 2023.