Legendarium is a fairly busy band already with two releases, the At the Gate of the Black Kingdom single and the project’s third full-length album Under the Spell of Destruction this year alone. Their latest, Death’s Hand In Yours (Self-Released), is their strongest release of the year. 

Songs are stronger, harmonies hit harder and there is plenty more experimentation while staying true to their swords and sorcery theme. The element that the band is still having trouble with is Laurence Kerbov’s vocals. They are just so flat and monotone it takes you out of the moment. He often sounds like Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers on many of the tracks. Kerbov also provides all of the guitars, bass and keys on the album. 

Legendarium’s sound has a nice mixture of traditional metal, a little punk and some old fashioned power metal that goes through the majority of the album. The band also ads in little of hardcore sound on a few tracks such as the title-track and ‘Killing Fields’. Kerbov’s harsh vocals are much better than his clean style with much needed emotion added to his voice. 

‘Black Magic/Touch of Evil’ stands out with fuzzy guitar tones and mellow leads topped off with a little saxophone. As for the rest of the album, it sounds like your standard mid eighties bargain-bin metal. Not to say that in a bad way at all. Perhaps “comfort food metal” may be more appropriate here. It’s everything that you enjoy and expect out of metal, hard guitars and rhythms and plenty of songs about swords and serpents.

While this album isn’t anything that really stands out, Legendarium’s musical growth from just earlier this year is impressive. Legendarium feels like they are still trying to figure their sound and style out and I want to be there when that time comes.

Buy the album here:

https://legendarium.bandcamp.com/album/deaths-hand-in-yours

6 / 10

ANDREW RISCH