CD review, Feb 09. Legion of the Damned – Cult of the Dead (Massacre Records)

Ah good, some proper Metal! LotD are one band that really do update the original thrash template with a nice layering of death and black Metal stylings. Evidence of early Kreator, Destruction, Possessed and Slayer runs strong through these eleven tracks of blackened thrash. Satanic themes abound! Where some newer bands fail and LotD succeed is in the simple yet ferocious attack. Riffing is tight and to the point, fast and slow passages accentuate each other equally giving a nice balance and so attention is retained. While some bands lose power during longer straight thrashing sections, LotD mix pace and build tempos confidently such as on House of Possession or closer Final Godsend. If it was a bad thing I might criticize some of the overt Slayer’isms or the Schmier/Petrozza blackened vocals, but let’s face it, these are the things we want and need, and LotD deliver them with dynamism and passion which those forerunners sometimes now struggle to achieve. Recommended!