LEGION: "Code Of Honour"

Rating: 7/10

Label: Z Records 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

Barely five months after the well received debut, Legion have returned with a follow up that, incredibly, does not seem to have suffered at all from the relatively short gestation period. The pairing of Phil Vincent and Vince O’Regan is certainly coming up trumps, with the band set to try and recreate their studio success at Z Rock in May.

It would be entirely fair to say that if you enjoyed Legion’s self titled debut then you will enjoy “Code Of Honour” just as much, as it’s pretty much part 2. This isn’t to say it lacks any spark or creativity, because once again it appears that Phil Vincent is a natural fit for O’Regan, who managed to work wonders with Bob Catley, yet floundered about aimlessly with Eden. I guess you just have to find the right person, and although Vicnet is no Bob Catley, he’s an accomplished vocalist in the tradition of 80’s and 90’s melodic hard rock, suiting O’Regan’s writing style nicely.

There’s no duffers within the eleven tracks on the album, with some nice, upbeat melodic rock songs that will leave a lasting impression on the listener. Sometimes it moves into “Been there, heard that” territory, but there’s usually enough of a spark to keep things moving along nicely, including some very nice guitar from O’Regan. Legion are unlikely to set the world alight with what some may see as yet another above average but below awesome album, but in the end they have delivered something they can be justly proud of. As with the debut, there’s really nothing here that’s not likeable, and that makes a nice change.

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