Netherlands-based thrashing deathsters Legion Of The Damned are nothing if not consistent, this being their fifth (or fourth, depending on how you count, but whatever) full-length since ’06. And despite my love of the typeface they use for their logo, it’s hard to feel anything other than extreme, heated ambivalence to their sound. It’s frustrating, because it’s not like they’re no good: the band’s strength lies in their riffs, as in the excellent ‘War Is In My Blood’ and ‘Holy Blood, Holy War’. But it’s kind of like listening to Lazarus A.D. when you just really, really wanted to listen to Testament: all the ingredients are there except for that special songwriting something. Or, to put it another way, Legion Of The Damned make me think about Hatesphere, which just always makes me think of how, despite me rooting for them and kinda not wanting it to be true, there are, literally, hundreds of bands that are better than Hatesphere. It’s tough: take a listen to thrashers like ‘Killzone’ and you’re thinking, Alright, Legion Of The Damned, they could totally open for Kreator sometime. But then you just think, Screw it, I’ll show up late and catch Kreator. Legion Of The Damned have the riffs and the beefy production, but the songs thrash in one ear and right out the other, kinda like some Exodus albums, but… man, not quite. Hey, still an enjoyable thrash experience if you just zone out and let the album play; we’ll give it a 6 because of the playing chops found all over this thing, and, again, the endless supply of awesome riffs.