We Are Legion - Drugoth & Shograath
We Are Legion is a split EP in the traditional sense only. The main writing credits go to Drugoth on the 1st, 3rd and 5th tracks, and Shograath on the 2nd, and 4th. Track 6 is Drugoth and Shograath. Credits aside, calling it a split EP is a stretch from there. Both musicians do back up vocals on each others tracks, Drugoth is the drummer on each track, and Shograath records the guitars on each track. Then Shograath wrote the guitar parts in “Tempestuous Hate,” and the two of them perform it as a duet. Drugoth and Shograath do things their way, and they do not care if they break the mould.
We Are Legion is a 26 minute call to action. It is a violent unfurling of hatred that pleads for strength in numbers. Drugoth and Shograath aim to pulverise and eradicate the filth, and they succeed. However, they use hatred to drive positivity, and the essence that comes forth is always empowering and motivating. We Are Legion is uplifting (in a vile and pummelling way). It certainly makes you clench your fists and jaw, and it is one of those pieces of music that makes you walk down the street, and through a crowd a little taller and stronger, especially if you are listening to it while you are doing so.
We Are Legion opens with counterpunching and overlapping vocal lines, declaring just that: "we are legion" before the punky attitude of “Unyielding Severity” sets the scene. It is often forgotten that the first wave of Black Metal was heavily influenced by Punk. Sarcófago state Bad Brains as an influence, and Celtic Frost did not hide their love of Discharge. If you then consider what influenced the Bad Brains from their Jazz Fusion beginnings onto what they became, it would lead you to The Clash and Sex Pistols and so on and so forth. It has reached the stage where describing what a band sounds like, and who has influenced their sound has become redundant, and you will not see me write this way unless it is blatantly obvious. We Are Legion is many things, and could be described many ways, but what is important is that it has been written and recorded authentically. There is only one Drugoth and only one Shograath, and together, they are LEGION!
Shograath's two tracks are longer than Drugoth's, and this works well. Shograath writes his songs in a way that requires sections and repetitions to be expanded a little more. The wall of bass and the razor sharp riffs on “War Come Unfurled” is effective, working cohesively with Shograath's deeper vocals. Whereas, Drugoth’s riffs are often harsher and sharper, and work well being led by his differing vocal style.
They are marginal gains considering Shograath only released Carving the Sigil in the Realm of Man earlier this year, but he sounds more confident and powerful. “Violent Retribution” sees Drugoth firing on all cylinders, relentless from start to finish, and wielding the wrath straight to the sword. The guitars on “Filth Eradication” are interesting. Between the more straight forward stomping sections, they threaten to run away on their own, straight onto their own battlefield.
"Calamity Unbound” is the standout. Shograath and Drugoth trade their weapons back and forth in ferocious style, with tremolos, vocals and a rhythm section that could swallow armies. Some of the sections sound quite simple and repetitive on face value, but what Drugoth does with the drumming sets him (both of them) apart from others. His symbol work adds an extra element to what you would normally hear from extreme metal drummers. Where the symbols crash and hit within the riff become part of the riff, or the tremolo repetition for that matter. It is all well crafted, varied, dynamic and very cool.
The final track, “Tempestuous Hate,” again, showcases the drumming of Drugoth, particularly in the back end of the slow building track. A careful ear will hear the variation when counting the repetitions before the symbol crashes. It is not the longest track that the two have compiled, and it is not unique for them to slow things down, but there is a slight stylistic shift, a different tone of warfare would be the best way to describe it. Nonetheless, the whole 26 minutes of We Are Legion is incredible. A 10/10 effort here. Killer stuff and highly recommended. Drugoth and Shograath keep improving, and the exciting thing is that I think they have only just begun.