There comes a point in the growth of every music scene, where its artists are not only loved in their homelands, but in other countries as well. The Indian scene has well surpassed this point and this realization hit me when my fellow scribe Magne Karlsen was talking to me about Inner Sanctum’s gig in Oslo. And now the band have released their full length titled ‘Legions Awake’ and this album totally explains why these guys are so loved. This is an album that have been awaited by fans ever since the band came out with their first EP and the wait of six years is well justified.
The band’s thrash / death metal hybrid captures the exuberance that the band exhibits during their live shows, well in the form of music on this record. The riff writing skills of this band is one of the bests this country has to offer. The riffs are memorable, fresh, entertaining and well executed. The rhythms and riffs of tracks like ‘Wake of Destruction’, ‘March of the Wounded’ and ‘Legions Awake’ have an almost earworm quality (in a very good way) to them. A mix of thrash metal riffs and death metal heaviness formulate the guitar work.
The lead guitar work is tantamount to
the riffs and rhythm work. Guitar solos are not exempt from this band’s
skill set and they put it to good and measured use. The vocals which are
weave of the tone death metal growls and the energy of thrash metal
shouts. This concoction manages to raise the energy levels to a high
degree and aiding to this is the drum work; it is quick and not drowned
in monotonous blast beats. Some of the fills and rolls are timed and
executed with technical perfection.
Inner Sanctum have managed to rope not one, but three guitarists worthy of legendary status. How can one expect an album that features Christopher Amott (Ex- Arch Enemy), James Murphy (Ex- Death, Ex- Testament) and Dan Mongrain (Voivod) doing
a solo trade-off, to not sound good? The production is flawless and the
sound on the album promulgates the energy of the band. The crunchy
guitar tone and the crystal clear drum tone are well suited for the
band’s style of music.
‘Legions Awake’ is an album executed to perfection. It’s fresh, energetic and the writing is top notch. Inner Sanctum have nailed the perfect formula for a good metal record.
Rating: 88%