“Path of Tyranny” marks the first EP for New York’s
death/thrash band Legionary. At just 12 minutes, it is an aggressive, forceful
assault on the ears. Don’t confuse the death/thrash tag as being a clone of
Demolition Hammer; Legionary is more of a death metal band first, with thrashy
riffs that break through the brutality. While most of this EP provides exactly
what you might expect, there is a surprising amount of melody throughout the
release. Just when you let down your guard, the band springs a harmony that would
not be out of place on any early Iron Maiden record. As quickly as these
moments arise, they are gone, and Legionary’s more intense side returns. At
times, there is plentiful use of blastbeats; however, the band never overdoes
it. Likewise, tremolo picking is used as a part of many riffs, rather than
being the entire riff.
Vocally, Legionary takes influence from their death metal
roots. Don’t expect any shouting, as these lyrics are grunted quite heavily. The
vocals never get guttural; however, which still makes this release fairly
appealing for thrash fans that can’t get into harsher vocals. The rhythm
section is similar to the vocals: death-metal based. The double bass drumming
is frenetic, and only lets up when the guitars allow. From a songwriting
perspective, none of these tracks are overly impressive. It is mainly the
quality of riffs that will make you want to return to “Path of Tyranny”, as
there isn’t much to remember (aside from the short melodic leads) once the EP
ends. Still, the unique blend of the commonly combined death/thrash makes “Path
of Tyranny” a must listen for fans of extreme metal!
Be sure to check out and like Legionary on Facebook!
Highlight
"Disgrace of the Union"
Final Rating
3.8/5 or 76%.