Friday, November 3, 2017

Video Review: EVIL LUCIFERA Heroes Die While Media Lie by Dave Wolff

Heroes Die While Media Lie
Produced by Marco Falanga
Release Date: October 30, 2017
You’ll remember Evil Lucifera from when two perspectives about her cover of Sepultura’s Arise were given by Skitz J. Fitch and Sarah McKellar in 2016. Having taken a hiatus of sorts, the Italian songstress is back with a new single and video, Heroes Die While Media Lie. Besides having improved songwriting and musicianship, the song covers different ground from what we have grown accustomed to since the brilliant full length Atrium Infernalis was released in 2012. At that time I was exultant to discover her work on Myspace, it being symphonic black metal with potential to put Cradle Of Filth to shame given time to mature. Early in the 2010s Evil Lucifera was involved in the bands Svart Himmel and Seducent Evil. Those bands are no longer active, but samples of their work are posted at her Youtube channel. The Last Path (Svart Himmel) and Ravened Skies (Seducent Evil), both from 2011, displayed her vocal abilities and ability to work with full ensembles. Even more remarkable is that most of her solo material, usually composed between her and one other musician, sounded like the work of seasoned professionals with a firm grasp on their purpose. I suspected she was the next step forward for black metal, and perhaps a little too cutting edge for most independent labels. Her grassroots approach to promoting intensifies the mystery surrounding her songs. This too can work to her advantage, inviting listeners in as opposed to pushing it down the public’s throats. It’s only been a year since her Sepultura cover, and everything I applauded about her has been heightened in its eagerness and strengthened in its appeal many times over. What first hits you in Heroes Die While Media Lie is a blast beat that exceeds her past material speed wise, and the sensation of being flayed alive over hot coals and drenched in battery acid produced by her vocals. There is nothing melodic about this song, but the symphonic aspects of past songs are improved upon and accompany the razor sharp guitars with more clarity. The video has more of a narrative feel as Lucifera is shown in some confined area, surrounded by stone and concrete walls, seemingly cut off from the rest of the world while a computer monitor is close by, Whether the monitor is a means for her to be heard outside her confinement is not confirmed, but you can interpret it that way if you prefer. Paired off with shots of her in demonic makeup against a background of complete darkness, the video visually represents how extreme religious fundamentalism is suppressing any divergent point of view, at least this is what I got from it. The lyrics explore this idea, and how the media withholds the complete truth from the public, according to independent news channels and conspiracy theorists. However you choose to interpret the imagery, this video is an impassioned forward thrust for this artist and one deeply endorsed by this webzine. -Dave Wolff

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