UMUR
"Ravenous Plague" is the 6th full-length studio album by Dutch thrash metal act Legion of the Damned. The album was released through Napalm Records in January 2014. Legion of the Damned are quite a seasoned act that in the nineties worked under the Occult monicker and released several albums using that name before changing their name to Legion of the Damned.
After a short classical/symphonic intro (which is a new thing in the world of Legion of the Damned), "Ravenous Plague" treats the listener to one relentlessly aggressive thrash metal track after another. The tracks vary pace between mid and higher tempos, but mostly the latter. The vocals are aggressive, snarling and raw. References to acts like eighties Slayer and Kreator are valid.
The material are generally well written and catchy, but not especially varied. In fact I wouldn´t be completely out of line calling this a bit one-dimensional. It´s not really a surprise though as that have also more or less been the case with all preceeding releases by the band. The sound production is professional and powerful and the music is as usual delivered with fierce conviction and passion. These guys have always meant business and continue to do so on "Ravenous Plague".
Innovation is not in the high seat on "Ravenous Plague" but that and the rather one-dimensional nature of the material are the only issues I can think of. Fans of fiercely aggressive and uncompromising thrash metal should find a lot to appreciate here. "Ravenous Plague" features a professional and powerful sound production too and paired with the strong musicianship and the catchy material, "Ravenous Plague" is another great thrash metal release by Legion of the Damned. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.