LUCIFER'S FRIEND

I am generally not a fan of keyboard-driven rock. I don't care for organ or synthesizer music, and I never listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer.. However, Lucifer's Friend are an exception. That's especially true of this self- titled album and Banquet. My fellow reviewers on PA seem to agree, based on the overall ratings for those albums. I haven't listened to the band's second album, although it has a slightly higher overall score. If reviewers had the option of giving albums quarter stars, I would give LUCIFER'S FRIEND 3.75 stars. I don't believe it's quite as progressive as LF's second or fourth albums.

This is top shelf heavy prog; it's fully recommendable to fans of the subgenre. Every track on LUCIFER'S FRIEND is good. However, one could say there's some justification for the fact that the last five tracks were just bonus tracks for many years. My favorite tracks are "Keep Goin" and "Lucifer's Friend:. I think it's because of the menacing atmosphere of these songs. It injects some variety into the overall intensity of the band's sound.

I stated that I'm not a big fan of keyboard-driven music, but all the band members are brilliant. Peter Hesslein's a terrific guitarist, and the other players sound just right for this type of heavy metal. John Lawton is just amazing, one of the best singers in hard rock. I haven't listened to much Uriah Heep, but I have a feeling that I'm really missing out. In conclusion, this is an excellent album for prog fans with any love for hard rock. Only BANQUET would earn the extra quarter star for being more progressive on a track-by-track basis. 3.75 stars rounded up.