Review by Lynxie on June 1, 2022.

A small fact about me, I'm a huge Firewind fangirl. And let's just say that they'd managed to pick up some damn good vocalists. I generally made it a point to follow their works in other bands, so when I heard one of their former mike-wielders, Henning Basse, was in a new band, you bet I'm going to check it out. And my, am I impressed.

Seeing as Legions Of The Night is hailing from Germany, it’s not much of a surprise that Sorrow Is the Cure is a pretty heavy album. The overall tempo is slower than your average bright and speedy EUPM, and the riffs are heavier and more chugging - I almost banged my head instinctively to songs like 'Lie' and 'Find The Truth'. The bass is definitely mixed more forward than most records I’ve heard in a while. And I highly suspect they’d took a page out of Savatage’s book when it comes to keyboard arrangements - the thing is everywhere. It’s used in the intros and outros to evoke a more melancholic mood. It’s pushed alongside the riffs to add to the dynamics. It also adds a somewhat progressive tinge to the whole album.They have strong orchestration too. In fact, the second ballad 'Rescue Me' actually went for pure orchestral arrangements and abandoned the guitars and drums.

Since we’re already on the topic of ballads, this album actually has two - 'Someday Somewhere' and 'Rescue Me'. Okay, two ballads is definitely a bit too much for my nerves, and I would’ve been very annoyed had it not been Basse on the vocals. I guess I had always openly expressed my preference for the more classical metal influenced vocalists in the genre and Basse definitely falls under that category, his vocal works being rougher and more raspy than the majority of his Italian and Finnish peers. I mean, his soulful voice just makes ballads work for me. Besides, he can definitely hit those high notes with ease.

The overall mood of the LP is actually darker than one would generally expect of power metal. Being heavy helped in that aspect. The keyboard strewn everywhere and the slightly progressive orchestration contributes to the melancholic atmosphere as well. These guys could definitely give Witherfall a run for their money. The lyrics also mainly concerns sorrow and pain and fear and similar, heavier topics, though the last few songs had took a more optimistic turn. I mean, they did went from "Hope is just failure in disguise" to "Pains, rentless, it's strong and restless. Face it now and fight".

The greatest flaw of this release for me is probably the drag. I'm talking about the intros to 'Train To Nowhere', 'Walls Of Sorrow', 'Sorrow Is the Cure' - they are these slow piano intros which got me thinking straightaway that they were ballads. It’s vaguely annoying since I prefer to be met head on with some beefy riffs and I'm always tempted to skip songs with slow or atmospheric intros. The annoyance just increases when the main riff came out and the said tracks are pretty hard and banging. Also, I’ll say it again, two ballads is a bit too much for a record not even reaching beyond 1 hour. Still, there’s Henning Basse. And there are songs like 'Lie' and 'Pay The Price'. There’s no doubt that this is a very impressive and solid debut.

Highlights: 'Lie', 'Walls Of Sorrow', 'Shoot And Save', 'Pay The Price'

Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Review by Alex on September 24, 2018.

Archgoat had begun to climb the ladder since their 2006 full-length release Whore of Bethlehem with each full length album following it taking on a much cleaner production than its predecessors. What was also noticeable since the bands inception is their ability to maintain the same 3 piece lineup with the addition of a sampler keyboardist. On The Luciferian Crown the drummer is replaced only for the second time in the 17 years of Archgoat’s existence. With this change new ideas are breathed into the ceremony.

The music on this latest offering still has the Archgoat signature stench; however, the band has incorporated some elements not commonly heard on their previous efforts. The approach is a bit more versatile due to these elements being added, such as the synthesized choir and electronic background samples. The choir had been introduced on previous records such as The Apocalyptic Triumphator but only in small portions, on The Luciferian Crown its presence is more noticeable and dominant than ever. As mentioned earlier, Archgoat’s production began to undergo changes that has made their sound far cleaner than on their demos and Ep's, this change is still the case on this latest record in which has a very clean and professional sound comparable to their 2016 album. Lord Angelslayer’s voice still has that evil growl many have come to use as a key identifier of Archgoat’s sound. Ritual Butcherer is still menacing on his guitars in his dispatching of riffing devilry and the new drummer, Goat Aggressor, shows that he is capable of playing the traditional Archgoat way. The keyboard sections played by Diabolus Sylvarum adds a sinister coating to the already fast and heinous attack. The common mid-tempoed elements are still prevalent on The Luciferian Crown as on other blasphemies but is used more frequently on this venture. 

The Luciferian Crown has a special flow, something that I haven’t heard by Archgoat on other records. Fast double bass kicking has made its way into the realm in the form of "Messiah of Pigs" and a very diverse playing style almost rock and punk fused is ushered in by Archgoat on "Darkness Has Returned". It’s good to see the band trying new things in small portions, this gives the ritual a feeling of unpredictability as it spins below the needle. "Star of Darkness and Abyss" is definitely the highlight track for me, it’s versatile in its pacing and has all of the Archgoat goodies you love about the band with the addition of the earlier mentioned fast double kicks. Its positioned at the right spot on the track-listing and feels like a re-introduction or a new chapter in the band’s existence. With so much occurring on The Luciferian Crown, it’s hard to compare this record to previous entries by Archgoat which is a good thing, as it shows constant evolution of the song writing techniques used by the band. However, this is still Archgoat, their identity remains perfectly intact whilst being complimented by newer refining ingredients. The Goat has returned with spiked shiny hooves and even more crooked horns. 

Horned impalements/Jewels within the crown:

• “Messiah of Pigs”
• “Darkness Has Returned”
• “Sorcery and Doom”
• “Star of Darkness and Abyss”
• “The Luciferian Crown (Venom of God)”

Rating: 8.4 out of 10