To celebrate their upcoming new album, Slaves Of The Shadow Realm, Legion Of The Damned were challenged to a round of "Thrash Or Death".

In the video below, the band debate between Slayer's Reign In Blood and Death's The Sound Of Perseverance, Anthrax's Among The Living and Obituary's Cause Of Death, Megadeth's Rust In Peace and Carcass's Heartwork, Testament's The New Order and Arch Enemy's Doomsday Machine, Destruction's Infernal Overkill and Deicide's Deicide, Overkill's The Years Of Decay and Entombed's Left Hand Path, Sodom's Agent Orange and At The Gates' Slaughter Of The Soul, Kreator's Pleasure To Kill and In Flames' The Jester Race:

If there is a band that'll break your neck from the sheer force of their music, it must be Legion Of The Damned. Now the Dutch thrash/death/black outfit returns after a hiatus of five years - even more furious than ever! Watch the lyric video for the new song “The Widow's Breed” below.

Twan van Geel (guitar) states: “Well here it is folks, my personal fave of the new album! ‘The Widows Breed’ just has that audial darkness to it that makes you envision the horror inside your head making you thirsty for blood and wants you to scare the living sh*t out of everyone else! Horrifying speed metal straight from the boiling cauldron of a Palo Mayombe Nganga spell. Some horror is real, indulge and enjoy the thrill…”

On January 4th, the quartet will release Slaves Of The Shadow Realm via Napalm Records. This monster resembles a colossal, smooth and blackened monolith. Five years after the much-praised Ravenous Plague, the shredding legion returns with producer Andy Classen and presents an album that merges the unadulterated fury of the early LOTD years with the sophistication of a veteran band.

Vocalist Maurice Swinkels on the new record: "With our seventh opus, entitled Slaves Of The Shadow Realm, we tried to take it a little further as where Ravenous Plague ended in terms of melody, but we definitely maintain the heavy songwriting and rawness that Legion Of The Damned is known for. Simplicity is the key with Legion Of The Damned and less is more. With Slaves Of The Shadow Realm we go full speed ahead with heaviness, but we took it a bit farther by bringing in melody and atmosphere. I think this is Legion's best album to date: It crushes, it is fast, it has atmosphere and it is raw! In terms of lyrics, this is our darkest album, written by Tony "Skullcrusher" Manero, who was also responsible for the lyrics and concepts of the albums Malevolent Rapture, Cult of the Dead, Feel the Blade, Ravenous Plague, Sons of the Jackal and Descent into Chaos. We are really excited to be back after four years and hope that the true Legion fan digs this album - I am 100% certain that they will love it! THIS IS Legion Of The Damned - without the bells and whistles - the wait is over and we are back!"

Pre-order the new album here.

Slaves Of The Shadow Realm tracklisting:

"The Widows Breed"
"Nocturnal Commando"
"Charnel Confession"
"Slaves of The Southern Cross"
"Warhounds Of Hades"
"Black Banners In Flames"
"Shadow Realm Of The Demonic Mind"
"Palace Of Sin"
"Priest Hunt"
"Azazels Crown"
"Dark Coronation"

Legion Of The Damned are:

Maurice Swinkels: Vocals
Twan van Geel: Guitar
Harold Gielen: Bass
Erik Fleuren: Drums

(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)