The devil and the occult are a core part of the essence of Lucifer, the band headed by the German singer Johanna Sadonis -although based in Sweden- and over the course of a decade , has taken his message around the world.
Less than a month after the release of his new studio album, 'Lucifer V', we had the opportunity to talk with Sadonis about this new material, his love for occult themes and vinyl as a form of market music.
You will release your new album, 'Lucifer V' in just over a month, what are the main differences between this and your last album?
Honestly, not too much. We continue making songs about death and trying to continue making good music. We put the same passion as always into this new album and I honestly think we did pretty well.
You're not supposed to have a preference for any of your children [laughs] I'm very proud of all of our albums, but this one in particular feels closest to my heart. I don't know why, but there is something about this album that makes me feel very happy.
They have been releasing albums -almost- every two years, you are quite steadfast in that. Even though we had lockdown, did you manage to get inspiration and were able to continue composing music?
I think most of our inspiration comes from within. About the things that are happening to yourself in life, when people close to you die or other things in existence. There was a lot of hopelessness in the world and my songs are the tool I use to try to deal with all of that.
In a way, I build my own world for myself, a bubble around Lucifer where I find comfort and a place where I can disappear because the real world is a pretty horrible place.
The lyrics of yout songs make a lot of reference to Satanism and the occult, topics that are currently closer to the masses and in a certain way are fashionable. Has that helped you broaden the horizon of your audience?
For me, that kind of thing is not fashion, it is my lifestyle, it is something I have been involved in since I was a teenager 30 years ago. But of course, I know what you mean and of course many people have entered into these topics, occultism and rock.
At the end of the day, if people have a penchant for the devil or whatever, that's great [laughs]. It makes me happy that people have the opportunity to discover Lucifer, because more people like the band, then I will have the opportunity to release more and more albums. It gives us the possibility of having better deals with a record label, going on tour and continuing to work on music. To me, that's great.
Speaking of your adolescence, how did you get started in music? I want to believe that in your house they listened to a lot of rock from the 60s and 70s.
It's funny, because my parents were fans of Deep Purple, ZZ Top, all that 70s rock, but at the same time they also listened to music by The Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground and all that.
Personally, I started listening only to Heavy Metal. When I turned 13, I went to see Guns N' Roses and Metallica, then when I was 14 I went to see Danzig in '93. I was very impressed when I saw Danzig, because he played that kind of devilish rock, completely dressed in leather, black hair and inverted crosses. I thought he was great.
At the same time, I became interested in magic and began working in an occult bookstore. So, Danzig was my entry into the world of rock with a devilish twist. But then I got really into Death Metal and Black Metal. When I turned 15 or 16 I discovered the Doom scene and I dyed my hair black, as well as my room and everything I bought. By then, the music my parents listened to was too cute, they weren't heavy enough for my taste.
The taste for 70s music came later, when I was already in my 20s and I started playing my parents' records and I really liked them. When I was a teenager I thought that music was boring, but then I opened my mind and discovered my love for foundational rock.
In fact, Lucifer takes many references from this foundational rock both in its music and in its aesthetics, something that has not changed throughout its career. How long do you think the formula can continue to work?
I don't think we have a formula. This is simply who we are and what we like. Plus I think we've added quite a few elements to our image. The visual aspect has changed quite a bit around Lucifer in the last 10 years.
Of course, everything is a continuation, but at the same time. You can see clear references to 70s rock but also to heavy metal, NWBHM, Doom and that is something you can hear in the music but also in the visual aspect.
I think we still have a lot of room to explore who we are and I don't think we will ever change into something totally different than what Lucifer is, because this is who we are.
So you have no plans to experiment too much inside Lucifer?
No. Well, of course I like other things. I love listening to old Soul, some Country music, there's a lot of music that I love, but at the same time I feel like Lucifer will always be my main band and my main passion.
Maybe I'll do some collaborations here and there or maybe at some point I'll want to have a side project, but the good thing with Lucifer is that it's so open to the different styles that we handle, that I think that everything I want to do I can do within of Lucifer. I have no desire to do, for example, techno [laughs]. So we're not going to change much.
Lucifer will be 10 years old, are you where you dreamed you would be when you created Lucifer?
I never had any specific goals when I created Lucifer, you know? I just want to keep making good music, playing with my band and so far, that's worked for me. Lucifer is not a band that lives on hype, it is more like a growing beast and that's how I like it. And besides, he is here to stay, or at least I hope so.
"Real world is an awful place right now."
You were in Mexico last year, do you plan to return with this new album?
I'd love to. In fact, we have already been discussing it and we may be back there next year. I don't know, but we are definitely going back and I hope it will be next year.
We definitely know that you are an expert on 70s rock. What are the albums you would recommend to a person you just met?
In general? Well, I would say that first would be ‘Black Sabbath’ by Black Sabbath. It's a great classic. Then, without a doubt, 'Tres Hombres' by ZZ Top. Magnificent album. And to finish, I would recommend listening to 'Beggars Banquet' by The Rolling Stones. And of course, 'Lucifer V' [laughs].
Speaking of 'Lucifer V', they are going to release it through Nuclear Blast, but I noticed that they keep their Bandcamp and will also release it through that platform...
We want to give people that option, since not everyone uses Spotify or iTunes. Some simply want to buy the mp3s. So we talked to Nuclear Blast and it's something they had already done with some of their other bands. When we were with Century Media, they made us delete our Bandcamp account - which is understandable, of course - but I think Nuclear Blast realized that it's a good thing. Of course, we share part of the revenue with them, but it's a good thing for both of us.
'Lucifer V' will be available on CD, vinyl and also on cassette, but we don't lose anything by giving people another option.
I assume you are also a vinyl fan…
Clear. I have a lot of vinyl. I don't consider myself a collector, but vinyl is my favorite medium to listen to music. If I really like a band or an album, I definitely buy it on vinyl.
