LEGIONS OF THE NIGHT – Sorrow is the Cure (Album Review)

Whenever you can identify a band’s main influence right from the first seconds you listen to them, it usually means that inevitably they may be subject to direct comparison with said influence. This happens with “Sorrow is the Cure”, the debut album by German Heavy/Power metallers Legions of the Night. These guys play a very melodic and theatrical brand of Heavy metal, much, very much actually, in the vein of Savatage. From the constant piano leads to the Jon Oliva-esque vocals and screams, to the riff compositions, it is pretty obvious who Legions of the Night’s main influence is.

“Train to Nowhere” starts with a piano lead and a narrated intro that will immediately remind you of Savatage’s most famous tracks, and then it turns into a very hard-rocking song, with pumping riffs and dramatic passages. The songs then pause and give way to a very melodic chorus, much in the way of Avantasia and other similar Metal operas. It is a good song, but an unlikely opener/introduction to the band’s sound. “Lie” comes next, with its marching rhythm and amazing hooks in the pre-chorus and chorus. Henning Basse shines in the vocal section in this one, although those laughs again shift my attention from him and take me directly to Jon Oliva in “Hall of the Mountain King”. “Walls of Sorrow” is next. This one starts with a very mellow intro setting the mood for a heavier and slower track. It has very interesting passages and it is a very enjoyable song in general. ”Find the truth” starts strong with a heavy pounding riff and a very doomy verse and a really catchy chorus. If you like Grave Digger you’ll thoroughly enjoy this song. It is also worth noting that the guitar solo is awesome.

I have never been a fan of power ballads, and unfortunately “Someday Somewhere” didn’t do anything to change my opinion. It is an average ballad with cheesy lyrics and most of the elements that you can expect from a song like this. “We all walk alone” comes next with its brooding intro and the mood is totally shifted from the previous track. The tension it creates works well and keeps going in the darker verse and an absolutely killer chorus. The outro is a very cool canon of voices that might again take you back to Legions’ main influence, but it works perfectly well here. “Shoot and Save” comes next, a song with some unconventional ideas and approaches but that somehow works. This song has a bit of a cheeky dark feel to it, and the chorus is quite enjoyable. The title track is next, a mid-tempo song with good sections but that somehow doesn’t keep the same energy from other previous tracks. “Pay the Price” is another doomy heavy track that can feel a bit disjointed at times but is saved by a pretty cool chorus that will have you singing along and long after its final notes. “Rescue Me” is the final original song in the album, and if I am perfectly honest, this one is totally skippable in my opinion. It is cheesy and melodramatic as they come, and it baffles me that it was chosen as the last original song in the album. “Sorrow is the Cure” finishes in a quite expected way, paying homage to the many times mentioned Savatage, by covering their classic song “Sirens”. Legions of the Night deliver a very solid cover of this absolute banger of a song. It is good to hear what it could sound like with a modern-day production.

Production-wise, this is a very solid album, although sometimes I feel the vocals can overtake the rest of the instruments, but maybe that is the way it was intended as most songs are very vocally driven. The musicians are always on point, and the solos are rarely spectacular but always good. It is actually an amazing musical effort considering this band is a power trio, although it makes me think if they will have to rely on heaps of backing tracks for live shows. In general, “Sorrow is the cure” is a good album, with hits and misses sometimes, but a very solid debut for a band that still needs to find its own identity, as they have shown that they are able to produce some high-quality metal. However their love for all things Savatage can be very obvious and even overwhelming at times, distracting the listener from the fact that this is a new band. I am genuinely curious how Legions of the night will evolve in future releases.

Album highlights: Lie, Find the truth, We all walk alone, Shoot and save

For fans of: Savatage, Avantasia, Circle II Circle, Grave Digger

Legions of the Night: Facebook

Release Year: 2021
Label: Pride & Joy Music
Category: Album
Country: Germany

Reviewed by Roman Ibarra