The latest black metal opus of this Japanese cult band is called ‘Legend’. This album contains six melodic black metal tracks, with an average duration of almost nine minutes. It is a very complex task to give rise to such long tracks, and they are worthy of my respect for what they have accomplished. It’s not its originality that makes Tyrant to what it is, but the melodies combined with the grasping guitars and grim vocals. Most of the time they stay in midtempo, with several shoot-outs to fast and aggressive parts as well as slow and sensitive parts. I read on the site of ‘Displeased’ that this album has a crystal clear production. That is true to some extent, but you can hardly hear the rhythm guitars and that disturbs me. Especially the keyboards and the drums are on the foreground and that is a pity.

This album would be much stronger if there was a more prominent role for the heavy guitars. In contrast to that, the solos are well played, technical as well as tuneful, and mixed. Especially in songs like ‘Tears of Purgatory (Black Rain)’ the solos are beautiful. According to my interpretation skills, this song, as well as the cover art, have something to do with the 1945 events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The artwork is by Petagno and he did a hell of a job. If they had had a more prominent role for the rhythm guitars and a more individual sound, they would score a lot higher. For the real melodic black metal fans, who do not mind the lack of originality, this record is an obligation.