The resurrected LIMBONIC ART originally made its name in the late 90’s back when black metal was starting to gain traction. Legacy of Evil, harkens back to that glorious time of dark, evil, musical mystique; a time where all black metal output was largely influenced by EMPEROR’s In the Nightside Eclipse. Blast-beats, tremolo picking, high-pitched demonic screams, and symphonic embellishments are in order. Black metal today often favors a more in-your-face death metal approach (DIMMU BORGIR, latter-day EMPEROR) than the atmospherics of early, raw black metal. That has certainly crept into the production of Legacy of Evil where the guitars are more upfront in the mix. Subsequently, the symphonics aren’t quite as prominent, which is a bit of a downer. Fortunately, where there are synths, they still are as tasty as ever. The long orchestral synth intro of “Twilight Omen” is what the album is more in need of. Separating LIMBONIC ART from the pack, however, are their use of a drum machine in lieu of a live drummer. Use of a drum machine is a move often met with disdain in the realms of metal, though LIMBONIC ART have always executed with as much of an organic feel as is possible with programmed percussion. Despite the high-tempo “drumming,” the album does not suffer from annoying “clicky-ness.” Not all is high-speed insanity, though. LIMBONIC ART offer varying tempos within songs and even manage to slow things down entirely with “Grace by Torments.” Legacy of Evil is a welcome return; it’s a solid album that possesses all the elements of LIMBONIC ART and late 90’s black metal. Their signature synth-domination, however, is sorely missed. (Nocturnal Art Productions)