Review by Adam M on August 27, 2025.

This is an epic album that makes the band seem very grand and epic in scope.  It is an album that has wonderful emotional poignancy and is very addictive to listen to overall.  There is a need to be atmospherically interesting and this permeates every level of the album.  Songs such as “I Am Your Flesh” are outstanding and capture your attention quite nicely.  The entirety of the affair is a trip in emotional poignancy.

The musicianship is solid with emotive guitar playing and a very solid singing performance.  The production is merely good and moves the songs along nicely as they capture your attention.  It seems like the musicianship comes together more nicely here than it does on Strange in Stereo and this contributes to making the album resonant.

This is still not a perfect album and loses some steam when compared to Katatonia’s best efforts, for example.  There is simply not enough of a good production job to make the album as timeless as those efforts.  This is still a valid and timeless record in its own right and very effective at gaining your attention.

All in all, this is one of the more beautiful albums you shall hear and a real treat.  It is not as outright outstanding as Anathema or Katatonia’s best work, yet it is quite excellent and a real emotional affair from start to end.  Fans of the band will probably find this their best work and be highly impressed by it.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Allan on July 30, 2002.

“What exactly is an epic?” It has been a question that has been tampering with my mind lately. I’ve finally found an answer that satisfies me for now. I’d say it is something; in this case music, which has a few distinctive qualities about it. Those qualities are heroic, impressive, grand, elevated, or simply a vast musical panorama. It’s that, or we could just say listen to In The Woods...'s “Omnio”.

In The Woods... sound is somewhat akin to, well, themselves. They’re quite original for sure, both in sound and style. Their sound is comprised of the usual instruments, but also some acute orchestration with a quartet of strings. Though, the strings do not need to be present for that feel to come alive. It is their sense of orchestral song writing that makes the atmosphere of “Omnio” so epic. Not all the weight lies on their song writing preferences though. The vocals are one of the most beautiful factors about the music. There is one male vocalist, accompanied by one female. The black shrieks found on In The Woods...’s previous album “Heart of the Ages” are now a rarity, thankfully. The male vocals usually dominate the music with power and prowess, enclosing the listener in their majestic tranquility. The female vocals are angelic and often take a very large part in different sections of the album, creating a hypnotizing experience. Both the vocals become even livelier when they perform together, creating a whole new experience on their own. This would all mean nothing of course, were they not supported by the proper instrumental backing. You know they are though, of course. The riffs never have a dull moment, the chord progressions are beautiful, and the climaxes (a must in epic music) are perfectly in place and frequent. The guitars are often interacting with each other, doing separate things, or they are creating lush harmonies. No matter what each member of the band is doing though, it all seems to fall right into place at the right time to create the perfect musical sphere.

Bottom Line: One of the true gems of the 90’s metal scene; a must-hear to all fans of music.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Originality: 10
Overall: 10

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Alex on October 24, 2019.

Russian black metal band Second to Sun have been very active since their formation in 2011, managing to put out 6 full length records amidst a slew of EPs and singles. Their soon to be 7th full length effort comes in the form of "Legacy"; black metal fused with plenty of atmosphere and groove. Says they play a bit of post metal too but I hear none of that at all or maybe it's buried, either way I'm glad, because when I see the words 'post' and 'black metal' in the same sentence, I think about that "transcendental" crap that yoga bitches listen to during their spiritual sessions. Second to Sun's latest entry "Legacy" walks a line between, black metal, groove, and a tiny bit of metal-core; surely an offsetting combination; even stranger is Second to Sun started as a raw black metal band, so that's a major leap as far as sound is concerned. After listening to "Legacy" my main takeaway resides within the band's seamless ability to coat and unify their aggression with beautiful atmospheric intermissions and progressions.

I couldn't stand what I was hearing at first due to how much had been occurring at the same time, plus being already turned off about post metal didn't help; however due to the intense drumming and abrasive and raw vocals, I was able to stick around and make sense of what Second to Sun was doing and where they were heading. Hearing 'Devil' was offsetting at first that later became more understandable through the keyboard usage to establish and aura. That method would continue to be utilized as "Legacy" progressed. Their groovier moments began to take shape and effect with the introduction of 'Confessional of the Black Penitent' in so showcasing some of their better mellow and aggressive components intertwined. By now I had become a bit more open-minded to what was being offered on "Legacy". 'Pages for a Manuscript' is precisely where Second to Sun placed the definitive piece of the puzzle needed to exemplify a completionist status. Here they contribute 10 minutes of succinct music, managing to blend all of their now adapted traits into one channeled effort. Melancholic guitar leads and keyboards merged with sharp vocals cast a crestfallen overtone often times challenged by one of anger such as on 'Raida'. From here the outlook of what's to follow was set.

It's still quite a lengthy journey with the exception of 2 bonus tracks I believe are remastered versions of the originals; that's not saying you get bored because Second to Sun apply their multi-layered instrumentation to commendable effect. The compositions here are fluent when merged, that when put to the overall concept and lyrical themes of "Legacy", add a sufficient complimenting intonation. 'Monster' (which was promoted through a well coordinated music video), 'No Need to be Afraid Now' and 'Raida' commence by dragging the listener into vast landscapes established either by weighty guitars and/or keyboards then in contrast change tempos to amplify the effect through which immersion sets in. The atmosphere is a major element of "Legacy"'s success the way I see it, those transitions to overwhelmingly cold and despondent tones carry the flow by acting as entwined intermezzos. I understand an instrumental version of "Legacy" is also set to be released alongside the original as was the case with previous record "The Walk", thus emphasizing how much work and sacrifice Second to Sun put into the composing of Legacy's instrumentation, it truly stands as something to be experienced separately. As a whole, "Legacy" is a fabulous album still met with the harsh touch of the genre's staple and band's past, thus aptly titled.

Rating: 8 out of 10