LEGION666 - KISS THE GOAT

Something tells me there's a bit of satiric intent here, with the goat's head on the cover and the dark ambiance, but LEGION666 provide a pummelling that's better than any satanic death metal claptrap to come down the highway to hell, lately. Even with band members taking such names as Nunviolator (any relation to Destruction's Grave Violator?) and The Infernal Blaspherion. The lyrics are somewhat oblique, but there's some criticism of lives lost to tedium and the pitfalls of mindless consumption, to name a few subjects. Muscically, LEGION666 hit with a speed metal meets hardcore attack. No wanky lead work, but coming across more like "Morbid Tales"-era CELTIC FROST crossed with Swedish hardcore or EXTREME NOISE TERROR. Hot and fast thrash with heavier passages. A wall of guitar thunder, scampering drums and mighty pissed-sounding vocals. All the burn you need, without the flames of hell licking at your heels.
-Suburban Voice

Well, check out the band name, album title, and the goat and pentagram graphics and it's obvious where this is coming from. But give it a spin and you'll hear what sounds more like crusty hardcore than black metal. Don't know anything about this band but I assume it's one of the many black metal "side projects" that HC types out there tend to do. As mentioned, it basically sounds like a pumpin' hardcore thrash disc except with all lyrics about hating god instead of all lyrics about hating the government. Sounds like it could have been released on Havoc records. There's even an uncredited MOB 47 cover on here ("Karnvapen Attack") which is incongruous to the black metal image they're going for. Overall, I liked this more than anticipated, probably because it's really a crust album in disguise. A bit misguided, but a good disc nonetheless.
-Chris Dodge, Short, Fast, and Loud

I first read about Toronto's LEGION in MaximumRockandRoll. Their outspoken anti-Christian beliefs combined with a sound described as crust-laden, metallic doom piqued my interest. Their sound has been compared with certain aspects of SLAYER, WOLFPACK, HIS HERO IS GONE and NEUROSIS, which is quite an impressive list of comparisons. "Kiss the Goat," which I believe is actually a pun on a review of their "Hell at Last" 7", is an impressive wall of grinding, methodical evil. LEGION666 more than live up to their billing as they effortlessly shift between effective, slow, riff-heavy passages to faster, more galloping crust runs. Vocalist Asafoetida’s harsh, scab-throated delivery spews blasphemy and hatred over the abhorrent proceedings. The sixth track, "Consume Without Cause," is simply one of the best songs I have ever heard. And just for good measure they include a crushing cover of MOB 47’s "Karnvapen Attack." (8.5 out of 10)
-John Mincemoyer, Terrorizer

I really wish the band name and album title weren't so silly, because this fucking slays! Dirty, metallic crust punk reminiscent of something like MASSKONTROLL with more variety and a bit more metal. Tons of driving chord progressions, a slight hint of melody, full on screaming vocals. this is good stuff. The recording is not clean, but it sounds perfect for this style: Tons of distortion, while everything remains audible. Excellent songwriting that is forceful and to the point, with just enough diversity to keep from stagnating. As the band name and "satanic" artwork would suggest, the lyrics deal with anti-christian topics and are actually quite good, "Shallow existence laid out since birth, Accumulative waste reflects your true worth, Self-righteous destruction and moral conviction, Of pious owned merit and benevolent extinction." The even do a cover of MOB 47's "Karnvapen Attack"! Fuck yes! The package is standard black and white delivery with lyrics and a large poster. cool stuff. I really wish the sarcasm was toned down a bit, because the band name, record title, artwork, and member names like "Nunviolator" are all a bit hokey. It's obvious that these guys have a great sense of humor, but I'm afraid the band might be overlooked or not taken seriously as a result, which would be a shame because this is a great disc.
[Notable tracks: Selfless, Expelled From Paradise, Karnvapen Attack]
7/10 -Aversion Zine

I like this band and this CD so much that it has stayed in the player for an endless amount of time and I never tire of it. I always enjoy coming back to play it again and in fact have continued to replay it again and again. They’ve got a heavy dark style that is metal enough, and thrashes and grinds, while always holding a tempo. In fact that is just what makes it so fucking good. The vocals are guttural and gruff and the music rages heavy and powerful while keeping an energetic upbeat tempo. The juxtaposition of the guttural grindmetal vocals with the more upbeat style doesn’t come off as strange at all, in fact it’s what makes this so good. There are tempo and speed changes throughout - without ever getting manic and crazy - but always high energy adrenaline charged with a metallic tinge of raging hardcore punk which weaves an awesome mix. Comes with a very cool and nice artwork poster of the goat lord.
-Slug & Lettuce

Toronto quintet LEGION666 might have arrived a decade too late and a continent too far west to make the sort of impact they deserve. Taking inspiration from post-DISCHARGE punk/metal bands from the UK like EXTREME NOISE TERROR, DOOM and NAPALM DEATH in its infancy, Kiss the Goat sees the band rip it up on ten tracks that should appeal to fans of the early UK releases of Earache Records. Twin guitars that do not wank at all, a competent rhythm section that drives the songs forward, and a lead throat in Asafoetida makes a winning combination for those who like their metal on the punk-ish side.
-Exclaim

This falls somewhere between Skuld-style European crusty hardcore and blazing 80’s speedmetal. Certainly not original and the “satanic” imagery is more than a little contrived, but I’m on track 8 and I still think this shit rips. Heavy as a bag of Baphomets and faster than a really fast satanic dude, if you’ve got a VENOM back patch, then you need this.
-Maximumrocknroll

From the artwork and music influences, one could guess this band is heavily influenced by old school death metal, but that’s about where the similarities end. Their lyrics are quite political and take on subjects of consumerism, drug abuse and are against religion and imaginary deities of any kind. The music rages hard, with some serious CELTIC FROST influences but is otherwise punk as fuck. Inside the CD you get a copy of the banned LP cover – as if anyone would find it offensive to shove a crucifix up the ass of Jesus Christ? Bravo!
-Blackened Distribution

Perfect blend of heavy as hell crustcore and pounding old school death metal!!! Sounds a lot like WOLFPACK, DRILLER KILLER, early CELTIC FROST.
-Hostile Regression

Crushing metallic hardcore (or is it hardcore-ish metal?!?). They get better with every release. Not to be confused with straight-edge metal. These guys are more in tune with AMEBIX, or GEHENNA. Comes with a poster.
-Some Strange Music

Swedish crust style Satanic battering!!! Music to bulldoze your local church to!!
-Necropolis Distro

LEGION 666, welches die ehemaligen LEGION, die mit der ’99er „Hell at last“ 7“ eine wirklich beachtliche 7“ unter den geifernden Mob geschmissen haben, sind, haben ihren Namen wohl aufgrund der Tatsache geändert, dass man ab sofort nur noch auf Black Metal steht, hehe. Hey, das könnte sogar hinkommen, denn LEGION 666 machen wirklich volle Granate thrashigen Black Metal mit völlig heiserem Gesang. Meiner Meinung nach klingen die Typen aus Keiner-Da mittlerweile wie die langsamere Ausgabe von GEHENNA und da ich die letzte LP von GEHENNA („Negotium perambulans in tenebris“) komplett anbete, ist das ein Kompliment allererster Kajüte. LEGION 666 haben ihre Hardcore- bzw. Thrashroots aber auf gar keinen Fall vergessen, denn immerhin befindet sich unter den zehn Titeln auch eine unglaublich schwarze Version des alten MOB 47 Klassikers „Kärnvapen attack“ (von deren unvergleichlicher ’84er 7“ selbigen Namens). Tja, was soll ich sagen? Ich denke, dass diese 30:17 Minuten über alle irdischen Maße erhaben sind!!
-Eye Witness # 44

Damn, does our editor know me well or what?!? Legion 666 is a great name. And they have great artwork – the cover has their logo in a Cancer styled font and a slightly goofy looking goat head with a pentagram on it’s forehead, while the enclosed poster (Yeah!) shows the entire evil goat and some things that are too evil to be mentioned, but still done in a slightly goofy style that adds humor to it all. Song titles and lyrics are also pretty cool and right on the money for me, especially “True Atheist Faith”, which gives the evils of organized religion a nice kick in the ass. Finally, the recording is pretty bad, with the vocals buried in the mix (there’s a mix) and horrible Slayer solos. So this is Canadian black metal, right? Kinda. They actually sound more like a slower Hatebreed than like anything from Scandinavia. Call it Black Metalcore maybe. Interesting. THE IMPALER
-Mass Movement 16