While I have to admit I have not heard the band's entire back catalogue, I have heard enough to know what made this band a unique force back in their heyday. First and foremost would have to be the incredible keyboard work. Haunting melodies and eerie passages are common and essential to the Limbonic Art soundscape. Along with the keyboards are the sinister guitar tones and an overall presentation of dark space, the cosmos, and death. These are all themes associated with and defining of Limbonic Art's music.

Legacy of Evil basically takes the old classic Limbonic Art sound and expands on it. This album sounds more modern with a solid, crisper production than past records. The haunting melodies are still there, however, in a way they kind of take a back seat to the crunching guitars. It has been well documented that Limbonic Art use a drum machine on their records rather than an actual drummer. Whether you are a fan of this or not is really up to you but I must point out that the drums on this record are absolutely pummeling with blast beats coming at you from every direction. Also, the vocals are a lot harsher and angrier than their previous comparables. Over all, Legacy Of Evil represents a much more aggressive Limbonic Art.

For the most part the songwriting on the albums proves that the guys still know how to do it right. While in the past Limbonic Art has been known to record songs clocking in at over ten minutes, that is not the case here as all tunes come in at less than eight. So while you might not have any of the long epics, you do have ten crushing songs falling in the 5-7 minute mark. I found it kind of difficult to pick stand out tracks because every song is actually quite good. However "Infernal Phantom Kingdom" and "Unleashed From Hell" were probably my favorites with the incredible riffing and melodies that showcase how awesome the new Limbonic Art sound truly is.

One final note goes out to the astounding art for this album. These guys continue to have some of the best album covers around and the Legacy Of Evil pressing is right up there. The funny thing is that the album artwork may do more to describe the music on Legacy Of Evil than this review or any other for that matter.

In summary, Legacy Of Evil is a solid record that is up to the par with the previous Limbonic Art work. While it is fair to say that some traditionalists may frown upon the new modern sound, fans of the band and symphonic black metal in general are more than likely to enjoy this aural assault and you can count me in that camp.

written by Joe Grammatico

Playing time: 59:06