(Symphonic Black/ Pagan Metal) Legacy Of Emptiness - Legacy Of Emptiness - 2011, MP3, 320 kbps

Legacy Of Emptiness is the reincarnation of the original line-up of the band Ancestral Legacy. While Ancestral Legacy is a functioning band today, band member Eddie Risdal and ex-members Kjell-Ivar Aarli and Øyvind Rosseland decided Summer 2010 to re-record some of the best songs from AL's earliest demos to give them the production they deserve. The trio took the name Legacy Of Emptiness as it would be wrong to use Ancestral Legacy as AL's line-up and style in 2010 is completely different than it was 8 years ago. Autumn 2010 a full length album, including a brand new song, was recorded by the band, it was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö in Unisound, December 2010. Cover art was done by Jørn Melnes. The self titled album was released by Ketzer Records in July 2011..

Legacy Of Emptiness isn't necessarily a new band to the black metal genre; in fact it is a bit of a rework of many of the members' former demos from Ancestral Legacy. Falling back to the symphonic black metal days, all the tracks on this self titled album are collected and remastered/ re-recorded from multiple unreleased demos to present a mystical offering that is quite enjoyable and almost like a whole new band (since many of these demos were rare and hard to listen to). The original lineup from Ancestral Legacy (Eddie Risdal, Kjell-Ivar Aarli and Oyvind Rosseland) does a good job at reworking the tunes and adding a haunting atmosphere to the music, even if it sounds a lot like Dimmu Borgir from their 'Death Triumphant' era or earlier work by Shade Empire. Some might find the keyboard work a bit too cheesy when it comes to tracks like "Whispering Voices," but the symphonic bits certainly add a lot more life and energy to the music rather than just blatant usual tremolo pickings at hyper speeds.
Some tracks are disturbingly haunting. "Cross The Sea" has a fantastic opening that is dramatic and gothic (much like a sound that would suit a film like 'The Dark Knight' very well before the guitars picks up). The music's slow pace also adds to the atmosphere and the vocals take on a lower tone to help with the demonic vocals to try and give the band something a bit more than just a Dimmu Borgir knock off style. "Ringer Of Death" has a bit of a carnival sound to it, sounding much more uplifting and builds upon itself until it comes crashing down in a big distorted laden wave that is still heavily symphonic even with the rapidly chugging guitars. Finally there is the brief outro "Departure" which serves as just a short symphonic piece- very quiet and simple, much like something Mortiis would have done in his earlier work before moving to the industrial stuff. It doesn't let Legacy Of Emptiness go off with a bang, versus a bit of a whimper, but it keeps up with the whole gothic/ symphonic tone of the music, making this more than just 'another black metal band.'