Back again as Nimrod after releasing their previous album from 2017 God of War and Chaos under the Nimrod B.C. namesake, Legacy of the Dead contains a mixture of musicians from the past as well as new friends to execute eleven original songs plus two special covers originally released via YouTube during the COVID-19 lockdown. The sound continues to penetrate a classic thrash template, injecting a bit of power metal to keep things a bit more melodic – pulling from a host of Bay Area / North American influences, while the vocals possess that sharp raspy edge that pushes the larynx to the bring of destruction.
The guitar work from Chris Ira contains solid rhythm mechanics as well as fluid, thrilling lead break spots – molding cuts like “Die Alone” and “March of the Damned” into that circular prism that took acts such as Forbidden, Death Angel, and Metal Church into the hearts of legions globally. The main vocals of Gary Wayne sit in that second tier of capable in terms of getting the job done, yet not exactly standout compared to the greats of the style like Bobby Blitz, Chuck Billy, or Russ Anderson. Not everything is blitzkrieg domination sonically – the band choosing careful spots to be more controlled, reflective, or deeper as you’ll hear in the clean to crunchy shifts for “Legacy of the Dead”. The dynamic, more progressive angles seem to come through during the back half of the record, as specific interplay aspects musically for “Conspiracy” and the follow-up “The Message” possess this shifting urgency between the riffs and tempo changes that keeps listeners on edge of anticipation for what may take place next – the latter featuring tapping aspects on the first lead break familiar to those who love “One” from Metallica. The final two covers of “Merciless Death” (originally done by Dark Angel) and “Neon Knights” (Black Sabbath) contain numerous special guests – Don Doty and Ronnie Romero the two best known, yet former/older members associated with Nimrod in their career also appear in spots for support to the record.
A slight step forward as hoped for by this scribe to the last record, Nimrod proves that South American thrash should not be taken lightly in terms of force, quality, and development. Legacy of the Dead can assuredly get the blood boiling for consumers to appreciate long-term.