UMUR "Slaves of the Shadow Realm" is the 7th full-length studio album by Dutch thrash metal act Legion of the Damned. The album was released through Napalm Records in January 2019. It´s the successor to "Ravenous Plague" from 2014 (also released in January of that year, which means there are almost exactly five years between the two releases). Five years is a long time betweeen releases but it´s not a result of lineup changes, as "Slaves of the Shadow Realm" features exactly the same four-piece lineup who recorded "Ravenous Plague (2014)".

Since the band changed their name from Occult to Legion of the Damned and began releasing albums under the new monicker, the style of music they have played have been aggressive and brutal thrash (sometimes entering death/thrash territory). They´ve stuck to their guns throughout their career which has ensured consistency of quality and style (although some albums have been more remarkable than others), but it also means that there isn´t much variation between albums, and you probably won´t miss out on much if you don´t own them all.

"Slaves of the Shadow Realm" is one of their more remarkable albums though, and definitely worth a purchase. Aggressive old school influenced thrash metal with a snarling (almost blackened) raw vocalist in front. I´m often reminded of mid-80s Slayer and Dark Angel, but there are also nods toward the early releases by the teutonic trio (Destruction, Sodom, and Kreator). It´s relentlessly aggressive and hard edged, featuring fast-paced tremolo riffs, screaming chromatic solos, and an energetic rhythm section driving the music forward. The band lower the pace on some tracks, and play more heavy riffs and rhythms, and that´s great for the variation of the album, which otherwise is a slightly one-dimensional affair (some of the fast-paced tracks sound very much alike).

"Slaves of the Shadow Realm" features a raw and effectful sound production, which suits the rawness of the material perfectly. So upon conclusion it´s a high quality release and the songwriting is to my ears a little more memorable than what is usual for the band. Therefore a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.