Lucifer's Friend

Leaving behind the overtly progressive approach of Banquet, Lucifer's Friend returned once more to a more straightforward Rock sound with Mind Exploding. The album most similar to this one is I'm Just A Rock 'N' Roll Singer from a couple of years earlier and, like that album, Mind Exploding features shorter and more Rock-based songs. The band still utilizes assorted keyboards, brass and female backing vocals, but all this is more discrete here than on Banquet. Mind Exploding is hardly Lucifer's Friend's best album, but neither is it their worst.

Lucifer's Friend is a German hard rock band, formed in Hamburg in 1970, fronted by British vocalist John Lawton (of Uriah Heep), guitarist Peter Hesslein, bassist Dieter Horns, keyboardist Peter Hecht, and drummer Joachim Reitenbach. The group was an early practitioner of heavy metal and progressive rock; they also incorporated elements of jazz and fusion into their music, especially in their fourth album Banquet of 1974. Evolved from Asterix and comprised of 3/4 of The German Bonds, the group officially disbanded in 1982. They briefly reunited (1993-1997) as Lucifer's Friend II, releasing one album before disbanding once again. In 2015 they have reformed again. The band features core original members John Lawton, Peter Hesslein and Dieter Horns.

Lucifer's Friend is a German hard rock band, formed in Hamburg in 1970, fronted by British vocalist John Lawton (of Uriah Heep), guitarist Peter Hesslein, bassist Dieter Horns, keyboardist Peter Hecht, and drummer Joachim Reitenbach. The group was an early practitioner of heavy metal and progressive rock; they also incorporated elements of jazz and fusion into their music, especially in their fourth album Banquet of 1974. Evolved from Asterix and comprised of 3/4 of The German Bonds, the group officially disbanded in 1982. They briefly reunited (1993-1997) as Lucifer's Friend II, releasing one album before disbanding once again. Original members John Lawton (ex-Uriah Heep), Peter Hesslein and Dieter Horns thrilled fans when they put Lucifer's Friend back together in 2015.

The release of Good Time Warrior by Lucifer's Friend saw the departure of legendary rock vocalist John Lawton (who exited for a stint as Uriah Heep vocalist) and the entrance of another English talent Mike Starrs. The album also marked a change of direction for the group. Earlier albums like Mind Exploding and Where the Groupies Killed the Blues demonstrated the German groups flair for progressive and experimental rock,while Good Time Warrior contained a more straight ahead rock sound. Such tracks as "Old Man Roller" and "Sweet Little Lady" demonstrate this the best and pave the way for future band releases such as Sneak Me In and Sumo Grip. The albums last cut "Warriors" is a lengthy and moody piece which harkens to the groups earlier sound while providing a solid platfrom for Starrs' vocals.

On their third album, Lucifer's Friend took a new tack: instead of being a progressive band or a hard rock band, they decided to incorporate both styles into a more ambitious sound that also worked in elements of soul and jazz. The resulting album, I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer, lacks the coherent flow that defines a good album but offers an array of tuneful, well-crafted tracks nonetheless. By this time, the band had learned to make their songwriting the focus of each track and tamed the instrumental soloing that overwhelmed Where the Groupies Killed the Blues.

Mean Machine is the eighth album by Lucifer's Friend. On this album the band returns to its heavy metal roots, albeit with less of the Hammond organ found on the first album. However, by this time the band had lost its core following years ago and it was too late to recover. Lucifer's Friend lasted a year after the album's release and then finally broke up. John Lawton would join the hard rock bands Rebel and ZAR. Lucifer's Friend would reunite in 1993 and would release Sumo Grip in 1994 and would break up for the final time in 1996.

Sneak Me In is the seventh album by Lucifer's Friend, an album in which Mike Starrs, formerly of Colosseum II, replaced John Lawton on vocals for a second time. This album and the previous Good Time Warrior (1978) were an attempt at a more commercial, accessible style which met with limited success. Starrs was replaced by the returning Lawton, for 1981's Mean Machine.

Based in Hamburg, Asterix is considered by many as a pre-Lucifer's Friend incarnation. It involves several Lucifer's Friend members (Dieter Horns on bass and Joachim Rietenbach on drums). Their music features classy proggy arrengements, a heavy-frantic rockin approach with occasional mainstream melodic-enthusiastic accents.