They\u2019re one of the British prog-metal scene\u2019s brightest new sparks, although their second LP has arrived after a lengthy wait. Ihlo\u2019s Legacy comes six years after Union\u2019s superlative modern thump, writhing djent and swathing keyboard sojourns put them on the musical map<\/p>\n
It was reissued by Kscope last year, serving as a reminder of why it had become so adored. That relaunch was the tinder to the explosion of their long-awaited second coming.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Ihlo\u2019s new partnership with Kscope, a label with a history of iconic prog releases, may brings with it a sense of pressure. But it\u2019s one they cooly shrug off across Legacy\u2019s 10 explorative tracks. Like the 14-year-old restored church that is now The Arch Studios, where the album was partly recorded, they\u2019re sensitive to the past, but bound forward with a contemporary gait that strikes a fruitful middle ground between younger audiences and those with more vintage inclinations.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n The core identity of Union remains here, but there\u2019s a step up all the same. Opener Wraith is a staggering, Muse<\/a>-gone-properly-prog affair with bubbling synths, patient build-ups and crescendos that call to mind a more panoramic, cinematic TesseracT<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ihlo – Empire – Official Video (Taken from the album ‘Legacy’) – YouTube Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n Replica proves that, although their dislocating riffs are played with venom, they\u2019re dialled into a wider, more palatable mix that places Andy Robinson\u2019s imperious and versatile voice at its heart.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear to see why Empire, which unifies their labyrinth-like, long-form writing with a sparkling, almost stadium rock sensibility, was chosen as the lead single. From subtly mathy guitars to a vast, open-ended chorus and swirling keyboard motifs, each of its winding passages is utterly captivating.<\/p>\n Only the closing cut, Signals, creeps just past the 10-minute mark; and the chameleon-like guitar textures of Phil Munro \u2013 which sparkle, scintillate and slide back to let spirited, 80s prog keyboards take the helm \u2013 are at their most resplendent.<\/p>\n Ihlo – Replica – Official Video (Taken from the album ‘Legacy’) – YouTube Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n As with the rest of the album, Ihlo let their ideas evolve naturally: Clark McMenemy\u2019s trick bag of drum fills is enthusiastically but tastefully emptied as it soars towards its final moments.<\/p>\n Throughout, their heaviness comes not from screams, but from context and jarring rhythms. Macro thinkers, they know when to let their music float, and when to bring it crashing down to earth.<\/p>\n Uniquely, while Legacy is a record that reveals its clever nuances over repeat listens, it\u2019s enigmatic and unskippable from the offset. For a band as technical, ambitious and kaleidoscopic as this, their scope feels bigger than just prog audiences alone. The ceiling is high.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Ihlo](\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/FBsSZ6Hr4aw\/maxresdefault.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n![\"Ihlo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756451180_853_maxresdefault.jpg\")
<\/p>\n