Time Immortal Wept

Fourth album from Legendry, a band who do all the things I should like, but so far they have not managed to really grab me. This is a band dedicated to epic, fantasy-themed Trad Metal, influenced by early works of bands like Manilla Road and Manowar. They have improved a lot from their first album, and even if they still have flaws, they are learning to accentuate what they are good at. This time the riffs are better, showing a definite Bathory sound to them, and the band is leaning harder on the long, eccentric song structures that really hark back to Crystal Logic-era Manilla Road. I mean, the opening of "The Prophecy" is pure Mark of the Beast. Even singer Vidarr has gotten better. He still doesn't have a lot of power or range, but at least he has learned to hold a note. I still want the guitars turned the fuck up, so the sound has some real heaviness instead of the smooth sound this one has.

I feel like I am damning this with faint praise, but this is a band who have the right idea and the obvious talent to do this better than they do. I keep wanting to like Legendry more, and their work keeps falling short of what I feel like they could do. This is fun, but I wish it was better than that.