Vehemency Not much has changed when compared to the previous demo ”Devoted to Satan”. Torgeist, a band hailing from the 90s Black Legions, continues with the same pattern on 1995’s demo ”Time of Sabbath”: after a melancholic synth intro lies five tracks of uncompromising black metal. Rereleased for the second time in 2008.

Although being a newer demo than ”Devoted to Satan”, ”Time of Sabbath” has more blurred sound. This applies mostly to the guitar which is, at points, incomprehensible. The bass guitar is there to back up, hence nothing turns into a total mess, fortunately. Drumming is, again, better than in LLN bands usually, which is one of Torgeist’s greatest features.

Unfortunately, the song material is not as strong as on ”Devoted to Satan”. This might have something to do with the production, but anyhow, this time there are not such compositional highlights as were on the previous demo. Nonetheless, ”Time of Sabbath” is a worthy 16-minute piece of Les Légions Noires, in case you're interested in them.

Vehemency Year 1994. Les Légions Noires. Artwork by Chris Moyen. You basically know the deal. ”Devoted to Satan” is the first demo by Torgeist, a 13-minute short piece rereleased a couple of times - latest version dates to 2008. The infamous Black Legions are known for muddy and almost totally indistinct black metal and ambient back in the early 90s. Torgeist, however, has relatively clean production. You can hear the guitar, the drums, the vocals and even the bass guitar, and all in all ”Devoted to Satan” is an enjoyable, yet very short, piece of black metal history.

Although being a 2008 rerelease on CD, ”Devoted to Satan” still captures the utterly evil, tape-hissing spirit of the Black Legions. Between a creepy intro and an outro lies four tracks of simple yet effective black metal with no compromises. ”Devoted to Satan” is not, however, a total blast beat manifest: it includes many mid-tempo sections, the title track being a good example, also being the CD’s highlight. The playing is somewhat sloppy but it is only a welcome feature as it makes the music sound alive and not computer-made, sterile, nor soulless.

”Devoted to Satan” is dusty and dirty just the way it is supposed to be. It doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking but is still a nice addition to anyone’s catalogue who’s interested in the Black Legions. Torgeist surely belongs to the more interesting acts of this whole French cult.