Lucifer's Friend

Lucifer's Friend emerged in 1970 as a Hamburg-based ensemble led by British vocalist John Lawton, initially attracting limited attention before developing a devoted following for their pioneering role in both heavy metal and progressive rock. The lineup originated with ex-members of German Bonds—guitarist Peter Hesslein, keyboardist Peter Hecht, bassist Dieter Horns, and drummer Joachim Rietenbach—who first assembled under the name Asterix. After laying down a full album of tracks, they linked up with Lawton, then fronting Stonewall during a residency at the city's Top Ten Club. His voice appeared on the sole Asterix release, issued later that year under the band's own name, prompting the musicians to pool their energies for fresh songs and a rebranding as Lucifer's Friend.

Early the following year the self-titled Lucifer's Friend album arrived, showcasing organ-driven hard rock comparable to Deep Purple, Atomic Rooster, and especially Uriah Heep—the very group Lawton would later join. Persistent reluctance to tour, combined with an urge to explore new compositional directions, shaped the 1972 follow-up Where the Groupies Killed the Blues, which veered toward progressive textures echoing King Crimson and the rising wave of Krautrock bands. Those exploratory impulses grew more pronounced on 1973's I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer, incorporating brass sections reminiscent of Chicago Transit Authority, and on 1974's Banquet, which introduced drummer Herbert Bornhold and leaned into jazz-inflected passages supported by symphonic arrangements from the James Last Orchestra.

By the time of 1976's Mind Exploding, with Bornhold shifted to percussion and Curt Cress installed on drums, the band had scaled back its more ornate tendencies and even contemplated greater live activity—only for Lawton to depart for Uriah Heep. Scotsman Mike Starrs, previously of Colosseum II, stepped in as vocalist, steering the group toward straightforward melodic rock on 1978's Good Time Warrior and 1980's Sneak Me In, the latter augmented by second keyboardist Adrian Askew. Lawton rejoined for one last harder-edged effort, 1981's Mean Machine, before the outfit disbanded, reconvening only for the 1994 reunion album Sumo Grip. Despite the stylistic detours across their catalog, the original 1971 album has seen the most consistent reissues and is widely regarded as a landmark recording of early heavy metal.