It’s always a great thing when you delve into a new band that’s surrounded with as much hype as Legend is and they turn out to be even better than the accolades that came before. And with a name like “Legend” you kind of have to deliver, right?
Already on the tip of the Industrial Music tongue and impatiently awaiting entry onto so many a year end best list, Midnight Champion delivers on all fronts and nothing will assuage any fears of the “sophomore slump” better than opener “Cryptid”. It’s an intro, it’s post-rock, it’s electro, it’s industrial. It’s this chugging behemoth of beats and broad soundscapes that will instantly transport listeners into the world of Legend.
“Frostbite” trudges along as vocalist Krummi Bjorgvinsson announces “I know there’s something going on with myself/Me against the world”. “Adrift” is like Vangelis’ Blade Runner having a rendezvous with a mid-’90’s Fear Factory closing song while “Time To Suffer” is akin to modern Skinny Puppy mixed with…old school Skinny Puppy? Does that make sense? It does if you listen to the track.
AND WE’RE ONLY FOUR TRACKS IN, PEOPLE!
From here, shit gets real (er)!
“Captive” is that true captivator as Bjorgvinsson’s croon really opens up amidst crunching riffs which turn into this hypnotic chorus. Then there’s “Midnight Champion” which is an electro-tribal exercise in minimalism that expands into this immense synthetic symphony followed by the furious “Scars” which is direct with its’ intensity, serving as the perfect flip side to the grand title track.
Midnight Champion is out on October 13th through Artoffact Records. You can pre-order yours by clicking here or here. You can also stream the album in its’ entirety by heading on over to New Noise now.