Mark of the Legion

Nearly two years after their critically acclaimed Path of the Awakening disc, America's best kept black metal secret Deeds of Flesh returned in 2001 with the impressive Mark of the Legion album. What differentiates this band from most competitors is their impeccable technical proficiency; but while this quality was often wasted in early efforts due to lack of songwriting craft, age and experience have taught Deeds of Flesh many a lesson in saddling their unwavering brutality with slightly cleaner riffing and even occasional harmonies. Don't be misled, now; this is still dauntingly impenetrable black metal, and digestible only for experts in the field. Taking a cue from Nile's obsession with Egyptian history, Mark of the Legion delves deeply into the Roman Empire's bloody massacres of other European peoples, adding a compelling lyrical dimension often lacking in blood and guts, demons and devils saturated black metal. With tracks like "An Eternity of Feasting and Brawling" and "Fulfilled in Warfare" leading the way, this proves to be another remarkably mature, yet utterly uncompromising opus, only confirming this band's well-deserved underground fame.