Legacy

The flame that was born in London

Ihlo didn’t emerge just to be another piece on the vast chessboard of progressive metal. From their very first steps, the band made it clear they wanted to build something bigger: music that carried both the sharp weight of metal and the delicacy of almost ethereal atmospheres. London, always a cradle of musical revolutions, was the fertile ground where this proposal took shape. And now, with Legacy, the group shows they didn’t come to play at modern prog, they came to carve their own identity.

A plunge with no return

The first time I listened to Legacy, it felt like opening a book with no title and getting lost in its pages. The album didn’t hand me quick answers, but instead invited me to pay attention, to let myself be carried away by the layers. At times I felt as though I were caught in an electric storm, guitars striking down like lightning. At others, it was like walking through corridors lit only by a flickering flame. This alternation isn’t just a trick, it’s the heart of the record.

Phil Monro: the voice that guides the narrative

Phil Monro’s vocals are, without exaggeration, the emotional compass of Legacy. He doesn’t just sing, he narrates, he leads, he guides the listener through every corner of the album. His ability to move between melodic passages full of vulnerability and more intense, powerful moments breathes life into the story the music tells. Phil feels like that storyteller by the fire, capable of captivating anyone who listens.

Andy Robison: architecting storms

If Phil is the voice of the narrative, then Andy Robison is the mind that builds the scenery. His guitar doesn’t settle for powerful riffs, it raises entire sonic landscapes. At certain moments, the strings sound like impenetrable walls, while in others they flow like winds carrying us into the unknown. The balance between technique and sensitivity is what makes his work so essential to the album’s identity.

The collective force

As much as Phil and Andy shine in their roles, what truly makes Legacy pulse is the whole machine working together. Every member of Ihlo seems to understand their place within the composition. Nothing feels inflated or out of place. The cohesion between musicians transforms the album into something organic, where the individual dissolves into the collective, and the result is greater than the sum of its parts. This synergy is what gives the record its consistency and makes it such an immersive experience.

Between fury and silence

What impressed me the most here is the absolute control of dynamics. When the heaviness hits, it comes with impact, but it never overshadows the melodic side. And when calmness appears, it doesn’t sound like a pause, but like an essential part of the narrative. It’s within this play of contrasts that Ihlo finds its voice, creating an experience that grips you from beginning to end. The band doesn’t fall into the cliché of flaunting technicality all the time, instead, they use technique as a tool to transmit emotion.

Sound that paints images

The production on Legacy has that rare trait of expanding imagination. It’s not just sound, it’s sensation. Every detail, from the vocals that seem suspended in the air to the synths that echo like distant horizons, makes the album come alive. In certain passages, I closed my eyes and saw landscapes forming: mountains rising with riffs, seas calming with electronic textures, night skies opening up with melodic refrains.

A milestone in the present, a promise for the future

More than just a second album, Legacy feels like a manifesto. It shows that Ihlo is not just a promising prog act, but a band already consolidated in its own identity. The record left me with the feeling that we are witnessing a group that knows exactly where they want to go and has already built the bridge to get there. The title couldn’t be more fitting: this is a legacy that begins now, but will surely echo far beyond the present.