LEGIONARY from New York City were formed in 2007. The melodic Metal/Death Metal band released only two full-length albums, but six EPs. Not surprisingly, “Prison Realm” is EP number seven. It was mixed and mastered by Valcek (MINDRAZER; TOMBSTONER). The EP has a length of about 21 minutes. No official video was released yet. “Prison Realm” is an independent release. The first track on the EP is “Question Everything” and it starts with a guitar intro providing the main melody of the track. Eventually the track turns into a melodic Death Metal track with fast and crushing verse parts driven by tight guitar riffing and growling vocals that range around the medium end of the guttural range. The chorus parts offer a contrast to the verse parts as they are melodic and Groove Metal parts with dark melodies and clean vocals. Highlight of the track is the extended lead guitar solo. “Prison Realm” continues with the melodic approach, but also with the fast pace during the verse parts. The fast parts are often supported by short blast-beat thunderstorms. The vocals are a mixture of both growling and clean vocals. While those parts of the song connected to the growls are dynamic and devastating, those parts connected with the clean vocals are almost the opposite: they over-emphasize the melodic component of the track.

“Neuroweaponry” starts with powerful verse parts at a mixture of mid-tempo and past pace. It is arguably the heaviest album track, even though the chorus parts are again based upon an overly melodic approach led by the clean vocals. However, the chorus parts fit in very well into the overall track in contrary to the previous tracks. The extended lead guitar solo is once again a highlight of the track. The EP finishes with a remake of “Arcane Divisions”, which is the title track of the debut album of LEGIONARY. It is an interesting version of the original track as it shows the heavier side of the band. LEGIONARY offer an EP that has ups and downs. “Prison Realm” is like a medal with two sides: the Death Metal side, which is crushing and relentless at times, and the melodic Metal side, which often does not fit well into the track, in particular the clean vocals and the overly melodic guitar parts. The EP is well produced. Melodic Death Metal fans might dig “Prison Realm, however, it might not be a release which is going to be remembered for a long time.