UMUR "Legacy of Ashes" is the 9th full-length studio album by Dutch death metal act Sinister. The album was released through Massacre Records in December 2010. It´s the successor to "The Silent Howling" from 2008. The four-piece lineup who recorded the predecessor is intact.

Stylistially Sinister pretty much continue the brutal and groove laden death metal style the band have played on the last couple of releases. Compared to the material on "The Silent Howling (2008)", the tracks on "Legacy of Ashes" are generally a little shorter and a little more sharp and catchy. Aad Kloosterwaard´s growling vocals are performed with great aggressive attitude and conviction, and the instrumental performances are also strong. Fast- and groove laden mid-paced precision drumming and sharp brutal riffs.

While this is more or less the formula on all 9 tracks on the album, Sinister are conscious about the importance of variation and cathiness, and they successfully implement different sounding sections, little breaks, the odd acoustic moment, and other details to keep the listener interested throughout. "Legacy of Ashes" may not be quite as adventurous as "The Silent Howling (2008)", but it´s still quite an interesting and relatively varied death metal release.

The album features a powerful, detailed, and brutal sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. At this point it´s no surprise that Sinister release another high quality death metal release, as most of their preceding releases have also been of a high quality, but that doesn´t mean they shouldn´t receive the praise they deserve, and a 4 star (80%) rating is therefore deserved.