Review by JD on March 29, 2011.

With all of the sub genres of metal there are out there it is always good to get to a basis point in the metal field. Thrash is a sub of it all, true, but the fact of it is that it is one of the major genres in metal. Hearing some good thrash is al most as good as beer, so I am going to serve up some very good and strong trash for your enjoyment.

Netherlands thrashers Legions Of The Damned are a throwback to the time of good Thrash Metal and total talent was the norm. With the feel of old school coupled with a little hinting of Death, Speed and some Punk sort of Crossover also mixed in, this band comes at you like a speeding train and smashes you squarely in the face..

I love all of the album from start to finish (an overview of their history), yet for me, one track stands out over all others. 'Reaper’s Call' is a mighty slab of metal, and is my favourite song on the CD. The others are amazing as well, but just how this song is put together and the talent that went into it - puts it on the top of the heap.

This is a good, powerful old school Thrash album and I believe that Legions Of The Damned will continue to bring us all some great quality metal in the foreseeable future. I, for one, look forward to that. If this is an indication of everything the metal world will be impressed indeed.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 8
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by Fernando on April 13, 2022.

Back in 2016 a Cascadian entity by the name Eosphoros was formed by members from other Oregon acts like Shroud Of The Heretic and Triumvir Foul, and while those are excellent death metal bands, Eosphoros was pure black metal. That fact was made abundantly clear by the band’s debut self-titled record, which displayed a style of black metal that was a perfect blend of vicious darkness and forlorn atmosphere. In 2022, Eosphoros returns with their sophomore record, simply titled II, and released through Altare Productions.

People familiar with Eosphoros will probably be very surprised by this new opus, mainly because of the sound. The production is still very raw, however, while the debut also had a raw production, the way that album sounded and the overall feel was more haunting and deep, almost as if the band wanted to evoke the feeling of being lost in the woods. For this new record, the production and feel is much more aggressive and piercing, and that also applies to the music, the record is faster and much more thrashing, while at the same time, the music is much more melodic and dynamic. The latter aspect is most noted in the drumming department courtesy of session musician, the unparalleled Andrew Lee. Unsurprisingly the drumming is one of the major highlights, as it gives the music an extra sense of groove and rhythm, but that’s not to say the drumming is the only standout of the album, core member JG and AD are not only as good as they were in their debut, its their skills as both songwriters and performers that give the music that new and refreshing edge that is completed by Andrew Lee’s outstanding drumming. All in all, while a sharp change of pace from the more atmospheric debut, it is a flawlessly executed and refreshing new direction for this band to take.

From the start of the appropriately titled opening track ‘Tempest’ you get pure, unrelenting and triumphant black metal, that live up to the band’s description of “feral Oregon black metal”, which can also be heard in tracks like ‘To Return’ and ‘Gallows Harvest’, and that intense momentum is carried through the entirety of the record. However, while this album is indeed a change of direction from their debut, the band haven’t discarded or downplayed their atmospheric tendencies, as tracks like ‘Mycelium’, ‘Destroyer Of The Storm Sun’ and the grandiose closing track ‘The Hunter’ is where the band display their atmospheric side, albeit in the form of more dirge like passages as the bridge or a more mid pace track in its entirety, while the aforementioned closing track, at over 13 minutes closes the album with an extended atmospheric and folky section that’s carried entirely by guitar melodies, subtle bass lines and a closing subdued yet lush synth. That atmosphere is still in line with the band’s previous work, but again, refined, tempered and filtered through the more ferocious melodicism with tinges of folk and thrash inspired riffs and hooks.

The final aspect to highlight are of course the performances of JG and AD since I already highlighted AL. JG’s vocals are consistent with the previous record, but it is impressive how his signature howling shrieks perfectly fit within this new style. Where he truly shines however is once again through his guitar playing. JG’s riffs carry each song and the guitar tone is not only distinct, but balances harshness and thickness in a way that only the gritty production makes this tone and playing pop, and of course, when he slows down and focuses on melody and atmosphere. AD is also still very good and the sonic foil JG’s wailing guitars, that being said, my one only complaint is that in some areas the bass isn’t very audible in some sections of the songs, this is really a personal nitpick, since the areas where the bass is audible are excellent, but still, it is worth noting.

Overall, this is another triumph for Eosphoros. It maintains all the bands unique elements from their debut, but with an excellent change of direction that’s also consistent with the ethos of black metal, simultaneously old school yet refreshing and forward thinking. Eosphoros have truly proven themselves to be not just a worthy USBM band, but a truly outstanding band in their own right.

Best tracks: ‘To Return’, ‘Mycelium’, ‘Gallows Harvest’, ‘The Hunter’

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 29, 2019.

Morgal from Finland, another name I have never heard of before, describe their spiritual foundation in this way: 0% moral, 0% law, 100% f**k you. Well, f**k you were my first thought as well when I saw the idiotic, blatantly provocative band pictures. I have nothing against a strong image, but these dudes look like a parody of a black metal horde.

Nevertheless, it is nothing new that sometimes idiots are able to write good songs, just think of one or the other track on Rock'n Rolf's early Running Wild albums. Morgal's EP consists of four compact black metal outbursts. Some really great melody lines are integrated, the drummer does not shy away from blast beats and the nagging and screaming vocalist has understood that it makes sense to combine hysteria and dedication. The tracks do not lack energy and in spite of their furious approach, they never fall into complete chaos. Quite the opposite, the final piece surprises with a few calm sequences that increase the combative and slightly depressive mood of the music. 

The guitar work reflects the spirit of black metal in a very natural way. It's not easy to describe, but it seems as if the music comes from the heart of the strange looking musicians, especially the cold riffs portray the essence of evil in musical form. On the one hand, this is typical Scandinavian black metal as we know it, on the other hand it is still exciting to listen to this kind of brutal eruptions. The climax is reached with "Mistress of Blood", a number which has everything that it needs to become a classic of the genre due to its flickering guitar, the ruthless hammering of the drums and the insanity of the lead singer. However, I prefer mistresses of flesh and blood, but that's probably irrelevant in this context.

A solid productions rounds the picture off. Well done, idiotic dudes. Honestly speaking, these 15 minutes whet the appetite for more music of Morgal. The promo speaks of "one of the best-kept secrets of the forever-fertile Finnish underground". If this is true, it might be that nobody listens voluntarily to a band with such shitty pictures. So, do yourself (and me) a favour and produce some new promo material. It would be sad if the band would fail to take the next step.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10