Before becoming Legion Of The Damned this act operated under the name of Occult, releasing five albums between 1994 and 2003. While their brand of thrashy/death/black metal was energetic enough it failed to elevate the band beyond their underground status. As LOTD however, the band certainly seems to enjoy a higher profile (I base this on how often I have observed adverts for their albums and gigs over the years). Now on their own album number five, this more conventionally thrash obsessed act offers ‘Ravenous Plague’ which, belatedly, is my first proper contact with them…
Following a curiously dramatic intro is ‘Howling for Armageddon’ which alternates between fast pummeling outbursts and dark brooding riffs, with a few subtle contortions thrown in. The primary aspect for this listener to observe about LOTD’s sound is the Teutonic feel to the thrash on offer. Maurice Swinkels’ harsh vocals also lend themselves to this comparison; sounding a bit like Destruction ravaged by Kreator. ‘Black Baron’, meanwhile, has the familiar sound of Occult stamped all over it – a quality, straight-for-the-jugular piece of death/thrash. The same also applies to ‘Ravenous Abominations’, as it furiously accelerates by. Perhaps the only track on the first half of the album to take its foot off the pedal is track four, which aside from a gloriously 80s opening, trundles along for much of its duration.
In contrast, another of the slower numbers, ‘Doom Priest’, tells its tale of sermon and misery in effective fashion, with some decidedly black metal tones pervading those sinister flashes of guitar. For the remainder of the album, we inevitably get a mix of such mid-pace compositions and raging furies. In the former category fit songs like the methodical ‘Summon all Hate’ and ‘Armalite Assassin’ (or as I like to call it, ‘Marmalade Assassin’). Naturally these are some solid, chunky thrash workouts but it’s certainly the more savage likes of ‘Morbid Death’ which do the business. The one mystery of the entire record though is the presence of solos which almost completely fail to stand out – or at least that’s how it feels for me.
By ‘Strike of the Apocalypse’, the album has definitely achieved its mission statement: to get heads banging. However – and quite probably you can already see where this is going – the song writing and playing is orthodox to the point that it’s hard to imagine anyone but thrash addicts cracking ‘Ravenous Plague’ out for multiple listens. Naturally it depends on what you want from life but for this heathen LOTD represents a decent if unspectacular choice.
(7/10 Jamie)
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