It's probably not the most obvious rock'n'roll fantasy out there, but what if Stevie Nicks sang for Black Sabbath? That question is answered on this and every other Lucifer album. Why they are not the biggest sensation since Ghost is a mystery to me.
With Lucifer V the satanic Stockholmers have returned with another powerhouse of an occult rock album. Frontwoman Johanna Platow is a leather-bound death goddess with the voice of a fallen angel, and she wails over some masterful Swedish doom'n'roll here with thick, meaty hooks born and bred for arenas.
Whereas previous instalments have mined the hazy world of underground 70s rock for inspiration, V adds a decidedly 80s approach, from the Crüe-esque pop-metal riffs of A Coffin Has No Silver Lining to the hard radio rock of Riding Reaper and the over-the-top power balladry of Nothing Left To Lose But My Life.
Lucifer V is a deliciously subversive collection of dark should-be-hits.