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Review: Lucifugum - Instinct Prevelance
Lucifugum
Instinct Prevelance

Label: Dark Horizon Records
Year released: 2001
Duration: 44:56
Tracks: 10
Genre: Black Metal

Rating:
3.5/5


Review online: April 3, 2002
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers' Rating
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Rated 3.43/5 (68.57%) (7 Votes)
Review

The first time I heard about this band, the text claimed they were "The most primitive, ugly black metal from the Ukraine." Curiosity got the better of me so I ordered what I thought were two albums from the same band. It turns out there's also a band named Lucifugum from Spain, and it's nowhere as good as this one, so don't make the same mistake I did. :) Ok, on with the review.

The music is overall brutal and mid to fast-paced, reminding me at times of French band Hegemon and also of Ukraine's Nokturnal Mortum. I definitely wouldn't say this is the most brutal stuff I've heard, in fact I don't think they can be considered more brutal or "true" than Nokturnal Mortum. The keyboards here are a double-edged sword. Sometimes they succeed in giving a darker, more evil sound to the music, while at other times they sound a bit too "happy" (for lack of a better word) and end up dissipating the raw brutality of the guitars and drums. The best keyboard parts remind me of Nokturnal Mortum, the worst ones can even sound a little bit Cradle of Filth-esque at times (Ok, this is nothing more than a point of reference, so don't worry, they're not that bad :)). Some songs have a catchy beat, which is not something usual with raw BM bands. A couple of songs would definitely benefit from phasing out the wimpy keyboard parts for something darker. The vocals are the usual for this type of music, low-pitch screeches mixed low. The lyrics are not included in the booklet, so good luck deciphering what the vocalist says. ;)

The album ends on a 6:54 outro that consists mainly of a drum and some keyboards in the background. It would make sense as a 1-2 minute intro or outro, but at nearly seven minutes, it sounds overdone and pointless. I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish here.

Overall this is a good album with a few shortcomings, nothing serious enough to take away the enjoyment(...) Recommended, but not "drop what you're doing and go buy it" recommended. ;)

More about Lucifugum...
Review: On Hooks To Pieces! (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: The Supreme Art of Genocide (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
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