LEGION (Phil Vincent) - Code Of Honour (2011)

Barely five months after the well received self-titled debut (already presented here on 0day), 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 repeat their studio success.
Whilst everything Vincent has been involved with has had definite Dokken influences in there somewhere, Legion have even more.

The dense George Lynch-like riffs and arrangements from O'Regan are definitely more 'Tooth And Nail' than 'In My Dreams', the hard rocking guitars of songs like opener "Steal The Show", "Long Way Down" and "Hard Times" taking them more in a hard 'n heavy direction than the melodic hard rock you would expect.
However, Vincent's trademark vocal melodies are all over the choruses, giving most of the songs more melodic parts than the heavier verses.
That's not to say there isn't any variation, the stop-start riffs and Dokken-esque chorus of "Riding In The Wind" is another highlight, as are the classy power ballad "Love Ain't The Same" and the highly commercial "Take Your Time", which is probably the catchiest tune here.
There are other notable tracks in the excellent rockers "Down In Flames" and "All Is Forgiven".


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.
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.
I guess you just have to find the right person, and although Vincent 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.
The rhythm section by bassist Gavin Cooper and drummer Steve Hopgood is tight and perfectly recorded, and the overall production / mix is perfect for this genre.
LEGION have come up with a release that's strong from start to finish and even eclipses their well-crafted debut.
If great hard rock anthems are your thing, don't miss this one.


01 - Steal The Show
02 - Long Way Down
03 - Riding On The Wind
04 - Down In Flames
05 - Living With The Past
06 - Love Ain't The Same
07 - All Is Forgiven
08 - Freight Train
09 - Taking Your Time
10 - Liar
11 - Hard Times


Vocals, Keyboards – Phil Vincent
Guitars – Vince O’Regan (Kooga, No Sweat, Bob Catley, Eden)
Bass – Gavin Cooper (Lionsheart)
Drums – Steve Hopgood (Jagged Edge)



tinyurl.com/LEGION-CodeOfHonour
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