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Lucifer's Friend

From Alfawiki
Lucifer's Friend
Company typeRock band
IndustryMusic
Founded1970 in Hamburg, Germany
FounderPeter Hesslein, John Lawton, Dieter Horns, Peter Hecht, Joachim Reitenbach
Defunct1982; reformed 2014–2020
Headquarters
Hamburg
,
Germany
ProductsMusic albums

Lucifer's Friend was a rock ensemble from Germany, established in Hamburg in 1970 by guitarist Peter Hesslein, vocalist John Lawton, bassist Dieter Horns, keyboardist Peter Hecht, and drummer Joachim Reitenbach. The band stood among the early adopters of heavy metal and progressive rock, integrating jazz fusion influences prominently on their 1974 release Banquet. They hold a reputation as trailblazers in doom metal, shaping the genre with the dense sound and somber lyrics of their 1971 debut album Lucifer's Friend, and revisiting this approach in 1981’s Mean Machine, which also incorporated elements of speed metal.

History

Following the breakup of his previous group Stonewall in West Germany in 1969, singer John Lawton stayed in Germany and collaborated with members of The German Bonds to create Lucifer's Friend. Initially recording under the name Asterix in 1970, they soon transitioned to the Lucifer's Friend moniker.

Their early records were issued by Vertigo Records across Europe but only reached smaller American labels such as Billingsgate and Janus at a later stage. This limited exposure curtailed their commercial breakthrough despite some radio play and a devoted fanbase. After signing with Elektra Records in 1977, the band shifted toward a more mainstream pop-rock style over three albums; however, these efforts attracted less attention than their earlier work.

Renowned for their constant stylistic evolution, their 1971 self-titled debut featured dark thematic content coupled with a guitar-organ blend reminiscent of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, resonating with early heavy metal enthusiasts. The 1972 release Where the Groupies Killed the Blues ventured into progressive and psychedelic rock territories. In 1973, I'm Just a Rock & Roll Singer adopted a more direct rock approach with raw lyrical themes. The 1974 album Banquet merged extended jazz fusion pieces with shorter tracks influenced by bands like Chicago and Traffic. These initial albums remain highly collectible.

The 1976 album Mind Exploding sought to fuse jazz fusion with garage rock but met with less favorable reviews. After Lawton departed to join Uriah Heep, Ian Cussick briefly assumed vocal duties for a single 1977 release before Mike Starrs became lead singer for the more commercially oriented albums Good Time Warrior (1978) and Sneak Me In (1980). Lawton returned for 1981’s Mean Machine, marking a revival of heavy metal sounds akin to Rainbow and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). The group disbanded in 1982.

In 1994, Lawton and Hesslein revived Lucifer's Friend II with new members to produce Sumo Grip, but this lineup dissolved shortly thereafter.

Recent years

Despite initially stating no intentions for reunion, John Lawton announced in August 2014 that the original lineup would reunite for select performances in 2015, including an appearance at Sweden Rock Festival in June—almost four decades after their last concert. They issued a compilation titled Awakening, which included four new compositions. Following the passing of drummer Joachim "Addi" Rietenbach, Stephan Eggert joined on drums. Keyboardist Peter Hecht chose not to rejoin; thus, guitarist Peter Hesslein took on keyboard responsibilities for the new recordings, while Jogi Wichmann served as live keyboardist during concerts from 2015 to 2016.

Lucifer’s Friend released two additional albums: Too Late To Hate (2016) and Black Moon (2019). Bassist Dieter Horns died in December 2020, followed by John Lawton’s death in June 2021, effectively bringing the band’s journey to an end.

Their track "Ride in the Sky" appeared in the Bulgarian movie Love.net, featuring Lawton and credited to an imaginary band.

Legacy

Tim Baker, the frontman of the doom metal group Cirith Ungol, acknowledged Lucifer's Friend as a significant inspiration for their musical style and expressed an ambition to replicate their sound.

Members

  • John Lawton – lead vocals (1970–1976, 1981–1982, 2014–2020; passed away 2021)
  • Mike Starrs – lead vocals (1977–1981)
  • Peter Hesslein – guitarist (1970–1982, 2014–2020)
  • Dieter Horns – bassist (1970–1982, 2014–2020; deceased 2020)
  • Joachim "Addi" Rietenbach – drummer (1970–1974; died 1974)
  • Herbert Bornhold – drummer (1974–1982)
  • Stephan Eggert – drummer (2014–2020)
  • Peter Hecht – keyboardist (1970–1982)
  • Jogi Wichmann – keyboardist (2014–2020)

Studio albums

Compilation & live albums

Side projects and affiliated bands

German Bonds (featuring Peter Hecht on keyboards and Dieter Horns on bass)

  • Sonata Facile b/w So Mystifying (1965)
  • We are Out of Sight b/w Sing Hallelujah (1966)
  • Skinny Eleonore b/w Birthday is Today (1969)

Bokaj Retsiem (with Peter Hecht, Dieter Horns, Joachim Rietenbach)

  • Psychedelic Underground (1969)

Hell Preachers Inc. (including future members Peter Hecht, Dieter Horns, Joachim Rietenbach; guitar by Rainer Degner)

  • Supreme Psychedelic Underground (1969)

Brother T & Family (featuring future members except John Lawton)

  • Drillin' of the Rock (1970)

Electric Food (George Mavros with Lucifer's Friend members excluding John Lawton)

Asterix

  • "Everybody" single with George Mavros on lead vocals, predating John Lawton
  • Asterix album (1970; includes all future band members plus Toni Cavanagh)

Pink Mice (all original members except John Lawton)

  • In Action and In Synthesized Sound both released in 1971

Hepp, Hahn and Huhn (Peter Hecht and Dieter Horns collaboration)

  • Alive and Goodnight (1971)

Okko Becker and Propeller (both projects featuring Peter Hesslein on guitars)

  • Sitar and Electronics and Let Us Live Together, respectively, both from 1971

Frankie Dymon featuring Peter Hecht on keyboards

  • Let it Out (1971)

The Rattles with Herbert Bornhold on drums

  • The Witch single release in 1972

David Frank Selection including Peter Hesslein

  • Blues & Electronics album from 1972

John Lawton solo record featuring all original members

  • Heartbeat released in 1980

General sources

  • Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins.

External links

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