Full Album Stream: In Cold Blood “Legion of Angels”

A couple decades, multiple lineup apocalypses, and a long stroll into the abyss or two after unleashing its severely under-appreciated metallic hardcore debut opus Hell on Earth, reactivated Cleveland underground legends In Cold Blood can now not only boast a new lease on death but also a straight up leveler of a sophomore full-length. (You can real all the gory details in Decibel #180.)

Sure, we expected Legion of Angels to be ultra-aggressive, full of locomotive riffs and sledgehammer-rather-than-pick breakdowns. And it is. But there’s also a real and impressive diversity of attack here as well as a surfeit of clever nuance and sly transitional work. It’s an engaging and enlivening listening experience — which you can enjoy exclusively and in its entirety below.

“When I was younger I lived in neighborhood called little Italy in Cleveland,” guitarist/vocalist Blaze Tishko (ex-Integrity/Ringworm) tells Decibel. “We used to all eat mushrooms and hang out at the cemetery that was right next to little Italy. So the first time I saw the angel that appears on the cover of our record was at four in the morning and I was on hallucinogenic drugs. So seeing that angel which looks like it was bleeding left a lasting impression on me.”

Legion of Angels is out tomorrow via Fast Break Records. Preorder bundles here.