Lucifuge is a name I have not heard, and you have to read this in the classic Alec Guiness voice, a long time. I remember stumbling on them going down a blackthrash rabbit hole and being very entertained by what they had to offer, but then, as happens quite often, I got distracted by…anything else, and I haven’t really returned to them. Still, it’s always a welcome surprise to see a familiar face in the promo planner, and Hexensabbat looks like it has a lot to offer, so let’s jump right in and melt our faces off.
Hexensabbat marks the sixth full-length release from the German outfit, which is now back to being the one-man operation of Mr. Equinox, after having been expanded into a full band back on 2021’s Infernal Power. It was this album that changed a lot more than the lineup for Lucifuge: their production values got a nice facelift, and the back shifted the blackthrash formula they followed a lot more in the thrash direction, borrowing heavily from 80’s titans like Slayer, Kreator, Sodom and Exodus. Hexensabbat keeps that trajectory steady, distilling their sound down to the essentials and vacating much of the progressive tendencies that have been hallmarking their recent releases. What you get instead is a lean, urgent, all-gas-no-brakes set of classic sounding thrash tunes that cut like razor wire and eschew any frills or complications. Thrash metal might be, rightfully so, called a one-trick-pony, but when that trick is really good, I find it hard to complain all that much. There is something about a crazy sixteenth-note palm-muted riff that will always get me right where I need it to.
“Gates of Eternal Night” opens the album with a riff that sounds like it was lifted directly from 1987 and pasted right into Hexensabbat. There’s even a classic fade in AND fade out on the song, and in between those the chromatic riffing and high energy shrieking perfectly evoke something in between Reign in Blood and Pleasure to Kill. The Slayer energy in particular is immense here, and the velocity only ramps up as Equinox kicks into the title track. The raunchy, bombastic riff countered against the pummeling drums speaks to that primal space in all of us that just wants to headbang until our brainstems are severed. It’s a formula that is tried and true, and maybe that means that there isn’t a lot of originality left in the genre, but it does still get indisputable results. And hey, look at what Hellripper is doing: there’s plenty of innovation left to be had.
And that’s kind of where Hexensabbat stumbles a little. There are moments on this album where Equinox is writing really interesting songs that go beyond Big Four worship (whichever Big Four you subscribe to), and I really wish that Hexensabbat leaned into those moments more than it does. To be sure, his technical prowess on every single instrument on this album cannot be denied, and the riffs and solos are as tasty as it gets, but…I want more. And I get more, just in measured doses. The opening melody to “The Court of the Profane” is so interesting and cool and I wish the whole song was built around it. Instead, we get an all-too-quick transition into what is a good thrash song, but it could have been great if there was more focus on variety. “Into the Eternal Sleep” is another great example of what I mean: sure, it trades Slayer worship for Maiden worship, but that mixup adds so much depth and levity to the album that it’s impossible not to want more. And we don’t really get more. It’s little islands of really great, catchy moments sandwiched between blazing riffs and blistering solos, which are, again, really technically solid and good fun to listen to. It’s just hard not to want something more grand.
Take it for what you will: Hexensabbat might leave me with thoughts about what it’s missing, but it will certainly see the light of my car stereo when the summer kicks in proper and I get to roll the windows down and cruise. On the next one, hopefully Lucifuge won’t distill too much and do more than sprinkle in the bits that help them stand out from the pack. There’s a lot of potential here, and it seems Lucifuge are just on the cusp of hitting their stride, so I’ll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for the next one.
-Ian
Hexensabbat is out now on Dying Victims Productions. For more information on Lucifuge, visit their Facebook page.
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