LEGION OF THE DAMNED

Cult Of The Dead

Massacre Records/ CD 2008

Today, it's not easy to find a relatively new band playing more traditional, old-school thrash/death metal in quite an interesting way. The founders of this genre either consistently release more or less successful records or have lain buried for years. On the opposite pole, we have a multitude of youngsters recording another emo/death/metalcore albums pretending to be metalheads. In such a situation, the latest album of LEGION OF THE DAMNED seems to me to be quite refreshing despite the fact that the music played by these Netherlanders isn't innovative in any way.

This album, enitiled „Cult Of The Dead”, contains about forty minutes of uncompromising, blasphemous thrash/death metal performed mostly in fast tempo. What more do you want when you're totally pissed-off by your employer/teacher or parents? Just put this cd in your player and begin to spread the blasphemy all around, no matter whether you are in your bedroom, office or car... The album begins with a short, gloomy intro entitled „Sermon Of Sacrilege” which merges into the song “Pray & suffer”which is a real punch to your face and... nothing changes throughout the whole record. From the beginning to the outro ending the last song on the album, namely “The Final Godsend”, the Netherlanders don't allow a listener to take a rest, consistently presenting their own vision of breakneck thrash metal. Although the music contained on this album is cohesive and condensed as fuck, some songs are especially distinctive. I think of the above-mentioned „Pray & Suffer”, „House Of Possession”, „Necrosophic Rapture” and „Lucifer Saviour”. In general, there is something catchy in the whole album. But don't get me wrong! Definitely, you can't find any gay melodies here.

Of course, there are some slight flaws in this record. For instance, it is a little bit monotonous (despite a short symphonic intro and some psuedo-ritualistic whispers) and I have to be in a special frame of mind to digest the whole album at once. But on the other hand, it's probably a distinctive feature of this kind of thrash metal. You know, I can't imagine, for example, a ballad among all these blasphemous anathems. These songs just have to wreak havoc. But maybe some solos would do the job?

To sum up, although there is nothing extraordinary in „Cult Of The Dead”, it's worth checking out. The music on this album is really thrilling. Even if you are not an enthusiastic thrasher, give these guys a chance and check their latest record. It would probably pay off, I suppose.

8/12