Legions Of War-Forced to the Ground

Infernö Records
2013

Infernö Records, home to bands like Demona, Lady Beast, Death Rides a Horse and Axecuter (all of whom I've covered in the past), offers up the second full-length release from Sweden's own Legions Of War. As it's been nearly four years since this four-piece band released their debut recording (2009's "Towards Death") what can fans (reasonably) expect to find on an album like this? Good question. For the uninitiated, which actually included yours truly prior to hearing this 9-track affair, the best way to describe this bunch would be "battle-damaged blackened thrash". Or would that be "war-obsessed blackened thrash"? Either or would work if you really think about it. The band, which (per the booklet of this CD) features two lead vocalists in Hellwind (also bass duties) and Zyklon (also guitar duties), is fairly on the aggressive side of things in regards to the thrash metal they choose to play. Words like "gritty", "raw", "violent" and "brutal" would seem to be more than fitting and, if not for the scorched dual vocals present on this album (which translate into raspy black metal vocals of course) this is one release that would lead you to celebrate the glory of thrash metal done up "Swedish-Style"! By the end of "Forced to the Ground" these Swedish metalheads (the band also includes lead guitarist Widowreaper and drummer C. Stalinorgel) prove themselves capable of unleashing all kinds of (Un)Holy Hell upon the listener and if there's every a time to embrace the twisted power of blackened thrash in all of it's filthy nastiness then "Forced to the Ground" would be it!