This is the debut album from Shadow Legion, a progressive extreme metal band from the US.
Shadow Legion contains 68 minutes of music, and is brought to us by current/ex-members of bands such as Diabolic, Gigan, Hate Eternal, and Pyrrhon, among others.
Shadow Legion play an intriguing blend of progressive black, death, and heavy metal. An effective concoction of all three genres is mixed together, resulting in something that incorporates the extremity of black and death metal, with the rousing presence of epic heavy metal. The album is rough and organic, in a charismatic and effective way. It has the raw, underground nature of some of the more modern heavy metal bands that play in the old-school style. This is then combined with lashings of extreme metal in the form of progressive and melodic strands from black and death metal.
The fluid displays of raging extremity and hook-filled classic metal result in songs that mix intensity, atmosphere, stirring choruses, and piercing melodic assaults. As a rough starting point, think of bands such as the following thrown together – Dawn Ray’d, Howling Sycamore, Megaton Sword, and Carnosus.
Aggressive drumming and intricate riffs hammer the listener, while sharp melodies adds layers of colour. The songs are filled with technical wizardry and atypical compositions, as well as enhanced by a range of emotive leads and complex solos. The music benefits from progressive structures and dark atmosphere, alongside the brutality it’s capable of. There’s a majestic streak to parts of the music, and acoustic elements can occasionally be heard adding further texture. The songs are loaded with riffs, and these work in concert with the other musical ingredients to produce something quite tasty. Clean singing, screams, and growls are all used, all well-performed.
Shadow Legion will likely be an acquired taste for many due to the range of genres involved and its relatively unpolished delivery, but the songwriting is strong and the band clearly know what they’re doing. Different songs prioritise different aspects of Shadow Legion’s involved sound, but taken together this collection of songs is moreish and engaging. Overall this is a very enjoyable record that stands out due to its well-formed personality and abundance of both hooks and deeper substance.
Shadow Legion is a treat of rousing heavy metal and scathing blackened aggression.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 