Associated with speedy guitars, unsettling bellowing vocals, and a distinctive dark and ominous atmosphere, Black Metal is a sub-genre that is not exactly for everyone… but nor should it be. Adopting a similar ideology to traditional Punk Rock, Black Metal was seen as underground and anti-mainstream.
Unfortunately, commercialization has infiltrated the genre over time, but some artists like Lucifer’s Child keep the core principles alive. One of the more well-known and recognized names on the Greek Extreme Metal scene, Lucifer’s Child was formed by Guitarist George Emmanual and Bassist Stathis Ridis in 2013. Both experienced, prior Emmanual had spent seven years touring with the legendary Rotting Christ while Ridis had worked with another well-known band, Nightfall. Together, joining to do something original they could call their own, Lucifer’s Child became a new path toward artistic freedom.
Bringing on Vocalist Marois Dupont (at the time a part of Karma Violens) in 2015, the lineup was fortified with the addition of Nick Veil on drums (who had worked with Emmanual prior with Chaostar). Ready to cast off in a fresh direction, Lucifer’s Child immediately grabbed attention with their impressive 2015 debut album The Wiccan. From here, they continued with the equally powerful 2018 follow-up, The Order. Proving Lucifer’s Child was a force of their own, seven years later, they returned on March 28, 2025, with their third album, The Illuminant.
Although there has been a long gap between records, it was not complete silence because in 2022, they released three songs (including a cover of Bathory’s “Enter the Eternal Fire”) as part of a split EP with Brazil’s Mystifier, Under Satan’s Wrath. However, The Illuminant marks a monumental return for Lucifer’s Child, which shows a clear evolution in their sound.
Still led by Emmanuel, with Dupont and Vell joining, Kostas Gerochristos is on bass instead of Ridis. The first taste of the band’s powerful new sound emerged in January with the track “Antichrist.” An intense, raw Black Metal sound is soon followed by the stunningly dark, enchanting “As Bestas” in February, before the atmospheric, melodic groove of “Ichor” in March.
Three absolutely stellar examples of what The Illuminant is all about, the best way to describe the new Lucifer Child’s album is atmospheric and melodic Black Metal that harks back to the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Emmanuel produced, mixed, and mastered an authentic and powerful sonic journey at his own Pentagram Studios. Capturing a mood, it is clear that he was going for a sound that paid homage to the true essence of Black Metal.
With that in mind, beyond the three pre-releases, songs like “The Serpent and The Rod,” “Rigteous Flama,” and “The Heavens Die” have that effect of hitting you right in the chest, while “Curse” is a flawless melodic masterpiece with plenty of interchanges.
Overall, Lucifer’s Child has taken a bold step forward with The Illuminant. It is an album that fans of true atmospheric melodic Black Metal will devour. That is why Cryptic Rock gives The Illuminant 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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