LEGION OF THE DAMNED

Slaves Of The Shadow Realm

NAPALM Dutch thrash metal destroyers come roaring back

Extended hiatuses tend to nudge bands towards a change of direction. LOTD fans have no reason to panic, of course; the Dutch thrashers have returned after a five-year pause with an album that sticks rigidly and proudly to a template that has remained largely untouched over the last 25 years. The truth is, they’re simply very fucking good at this stuff. Slaves Of The Shadow Realm rips and snarls with the wild energy of early Teutonic thrash, bolstered by deathly, stateof-the-art bottom end and a glorious sonic muscularity that makes every riff connect like a crossbow bolt to the ribcage. From the skull-rattling Nocturnal Commando to the menacing hulk of the closing Dark Coronation, it’s brilliantly brutal business as usual.

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FOR FANS OF: Sodom, Kreator, Venom

DOM LAWSON