Aussie Power-Metallers NIGHT LEGION deliver their first album, led by guitarist / producer Stu "The Hammer" Marshall (ex- DUNGEON / BLASTED TO STATIC). Stu is known as the guitarist in Heavy Metal super group DEATH DEALER alongside six string legend and partner Ross the Boss (MANOWAR co-founder). Other duties include being the guitarist in Shred-Metal newcomers BLASTED TO STATIC fronted by iconic vocalist Jeff Martin (the legendary voice of RACER X).

The opening track "Into The Light" really gets the Power Metal juices flowing with an excellent opening riff. Vo Simpson lets out an almighty scream to rival Rob Halford at his peak. Then proceeds to deliver like Bruce Dickinson at his peak but in a higher octave. A great start and the energy and power in the song is high octane. I'm not sure what Australian bands are supposed to sound like. There have been a few great Aussie Thrash bands but I can't recall many Aussie Power Metal bands. The genre is synonymous with Germany and other European countries and this sounds Euro. "Night Legion" sounds like BLIND GUARDIAN or early HELLOWEEN and I'm even convincing myself that Vo is singing in a German accent. "Enter The Storm" has some nice bass lines and is a more mid-tempo start with nice rolling guitars over the chorus and then shifts gear into a fast riffing and shredding section.

The production on this is clean and has a great sound that is easy to listen to. Unlike more extreme forms of Metal that can get a bit sludgy: this is very upbeat, fast and melodic. The second half of the album is strong with my favorite four tracks being the last four. "Hell Below" is a "Painkiller" era JUDAS PRIEST style fast paced Metal attack. There is a wailing guitar solo and the pace never lets up. It has a long outro as the band chant "below".  "The Eye Of Hydra" contains some serious lead guitar histrionics. Stu "The Hammer" Marshall goes on a shred-fest. "As Flames Scorch The Ground" is a more edgy tune. The riff is very jagged like an ANTHRAX riff. There are some stomping riffs and more guitar shredding.

One thing noticeable about the album is there are no keyboards. This gives the selection a heavy feel while remaining in the Melodic, Power Metal style. "Titan" closes the LP with a spoken word intro that sounds like Barrack Obama. The theme being let men live how they should live without conflict or war. This has a more traditional Rock riff. The song progresses slowly along a then, mid-section, there are more spoken words before a killer riff kicks in. Following that, is the best guitar solo on the album. A great finish and Stu "The Hammer" Marshall really does pull off one of my favorite guitar solos in a long time.

"Night Legion" is an enjoyable listen and I was very impressed with Vo Simpson and Stu "The Hammer" Marshall. There was good variation in this set of tracks. Now I know what Aussie Power Metal sounds like, I will be recommending this band.