I get acquainted with LEGION OF THE DAMNED with the Feel The Blade release that made a good impression convincing me to give them eight out of ten METAL TEMPLE points. The Dutch band returns with a brand new album and an impressive Dario Argento meets Black Metal artwork.
Musically the band continues in the same SLAYER-esque path that was introduced in their first releases. This means solid as hell rhythm section with die hard double drum pedaling fast guitar riffs and changes that promise to separate your head from the neck. The album has the 'old school' time duration of forty one minutes -that is perfect for vinyl- and leaves you absolutely no space to breathe or even think. Apart from the SLAYER atmosphere the band introduces a strong DESTRUCTION backbone in the Thrashers Pray And Suffer and Cult Of The Dead with the ultimate headbanging groove. Maurice Swinkels tortures his vocal chords following Schiemer's footsteps boosting even more the band's sound energy. Most of the songs are guitar based with high bpm riff rate that will take back in the Show No Mercy and the Hell Awaits days. The staccato breaks and tempo changes in Necrosophic Rapture and House Of Possession promise some quality headbanging time getting Thrash Metal back to the basics. LEGION OF THE DAMNED pay the proper respect to the 'Metal' writer H P Lovecraft and talk about the Black Wings Of Yog Sothoth introducing some additional blackness in the music.
The production is the perfect wrap up in this Thrash mayhem keeping things powerful and heavy without overloading the tracks with a noisy sound outcome. Don't be fooled by the many SLAYER references here since LEGION OF THE DAMNED don't want to claim the scepters from the Thrash kings but to remind us how good this sound is and give us the chance to bang our heads with their fast and heavy songs.
I have nothing to complain or add here; LEGION OF THE DAMNED with this album approved my initial and most positive impressions with Feel The Blade. If you are in the mood for a Thrash Metal blast then join the Cult Of The Dead along with the Dutch band.
Cult Of The Dead