The first thing that catches your eye is the stylish artwork, done in gray with a bluish sheen. The cover painting is by Kris Verwimp. Your gaze opens upon skeletal landscapes — yes, the remains of humans and other creatures entwined in cobwebs and slime, while from various holes (mostly from the abyss in the center of the composition), streams of walking, crawling, and flying skeletal beings flow into a river heading toward the full moon.
The traditional thank-you credits are placed on the inside of the back cover. It was amusing to spot Id Software in the list. The musicians must be avid Doom fans — perhaps the game inspires the Swedes when creating their music. Tommy Tagtgren, who produced the album, also gets a mention in the shout-outs, along with a call for Tommy to gear up for a second intensive recording session. And the recording of "Unseen To Creation" was indeed completed in a very short time, from June 23 to 29, 2003 at Abyss Studio. So I won't bother talking about the high recording quality — it's obviously top-notch. Unlike a certain russian LEGION, the Swedish THE LEGION play black/death metal of the finest caliber. Crisp death metal guitars alternate with the hazy sound of black metal. The death metal guitar work mainly drives the rhythm, while the "blackened" parts create the melodic framework of each composition. At times, the instruments are muted and gradually brought to the foreground, while some eerie interlude plays in the background. The drummer demonstrates superb skill (no surprise there — it's Emil Dragutinovic of MARDUK). Beyond the frequent blast beats, he's capable of lending compositions a sense of grandeur and majesty with his drumming. There's also an instrumental track on the album, and one composition features acoustic guitar, which, you'll agree, is quite an interesting touch.
Recommended for all extreme metal fans. And we're eagerly awaiting that promised second album!