This EP is the second release for Legion Within from Seattle. Their debutalbum on Tragick records, named Aeons, was excellent and quite a varied gothic rock album. With it they managed to completely surprise me. With this EP Legion Within does it again, only this time because their style has become even more varied.

On The Empty Men you’ll find modern music with intelligent socio-political critical lyrics, packaged into songs that musicwise go from gothic rock to hammering industrial rock. Some really good industrial rock tunes such as ‘Rise’ or ‘Fascisti’, in whic, given the theme of this EP, of course a special contribution is reserved for the voice of the big agressor president Bush, but also more tranquil songs such as the excellent ‘She Chides’ with conhuring vocals or the blues flavoured gothrock song ‘Wrath of the Empty Men’. A really good epic guitar song which also features the sweet voice of bass player Erica Butler, next to the charismatic dark vocals of singer and guitarist Willam Wilson. One of the more atmospheric highlights on this EP is ‘Led Astray’, a song with strong melodies and extra percussion added by KMFDM’s Andy Selway.

The special thing about this EP furthermore is that Legion Within has managed to get not only Andy Selway, but also Jules Hodgson, Steve Whiteen Sascha Konietzo of the famous industrialrock band KMFDM to record and mix this EP. ‘Fascisti’ is also present in a club remix by Sascha Konietzo, but to be honest the original version is more powerful and convincing. Furthermore a very loud remix by Steve White of the song ‘Glass Ships’, originally on the debutalbum.

Legion Within moves towards industrial rock with it’s music, but without doing harm to their original sound. The atmospheric and organic elements in the music of Legion Within perfectly melt with the confrontational militant rhythms of the industrial rock. Legion Within takes another leap forward with The Empty Men. This is very well done and strongly recommendable. The Empty Men is CD of the month may at Gothtronic.