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Doom Metal Outfit Plays Rare San Francisco Show At Great American

By Dave Pehling

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- German vocalist Johanna Sadonis could have given up on music when her group The Oath broke up in 2014 only weeks after the release of its acclaimed self-titled debut. Instead, the singer poured her energy into putting together her new project, Lucifer.

The celebrated hard-rock quartet Sadonis founded with Cathedral guitarist Garry "Gaz" Jennings would quickly put the blonde singer/keyboard player back in the spotlight. Collaborating with Jennings via online file trading, the pair quickly put together an album worth of doom-laden metal that nodded heavily to Black Sabbath, Pentagram, and other classic '70s sounds while spotlighting the singer's soaring melodic delivery. Issued in 2015 on Cathedral vocalist Lee Dorian's imprint Rise Above Records, Lucifer I was met with glowing reviews.

Lucifer - Izrael (OFFICIAL PROMO) 2015 by Rise Above Records on YouTube

The group — initially rounded out by Angel Witch drummer Andrew Prestidge and bassist Dino Gollnick — had only played a handful of shows including an appearance at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands, but the strength of the album got Lucifer a spot supporting Oakland's metal juggernaut High on Fire on the band's 2015 summer tour that included a San Francisco date at the Regency Ballroom.

But despite the well-received album and live performances, the group would take an extended break. It was shortly after Jennings informed Sadonis that he was leaving the band that the singer would meet with established Swedish rocker and multi-instrumentalist Nicke Andersson (The Hellacopters, Entombed, Imperial State Electric) and begin a songwriting partnership.

The pair hit it off both creatively and personally (they later became engaged and then married), writing and recording a new set of tunes that would become the bulk of the band's second album. Lucifer II was released last year via Century Media Records. While sticking to the band's established retro doom template, the songs spotlit Andersson's knack for crafty hooks that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Top 40 radio during the '70s.

LUCIFER - California Son (OFFICIAL VIDEO) by Century Media Records on YouTube

With Andersson taking over the drums and filled out by live band members Alexander Mayr on bass and guitarists Martin Nordin and Linus Björklund, Lucifer has become a festival favorite on both sides of the Atlantic. The band played a series of East Coast and Midwest U.S. dates last spring, but will finally return to San Francisco on Saturday to headline the Great American Music Hall fresh from playing the kickoff pool party for this year's edition of the four-day Psycho Las Vegas festival.

At the Great American, the group will be joined by will be joined by like-minded Fresno outfit and West Coast tour partner Haunt. Guitarist Trevor William Church, the son of Bay Area rock icon and Montrose/Sammy Hagar Band bassist Bill Church who first came to fame with now defunct doom metal band Beastmaker leads the band.

Haunt - In Show of Flames by Metal Nemesis on YouTube

Haunt has pursued a more classic, melodic metal sound on two EPs and two albums issued since just last year. While echoing similar New Wave of British Heavy Metal influences of Iron Maiden and Angel Witch shared by Hell Fire, Church's songs are as hook-heavy as some of the best Maiden and Priest singles issued back when metal actually got radio airplay.

Lucifer with Haunt
Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m. $15-$20
Great American Music Hall

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