North Carolina rockers He Is Legend are back after years of silence and an indefinite hiatus. With their first full-length in over five years, Heavy Fruit has picked up right where the Wilmington natives left off.

The record opens up with brief feedback leading into the riff-heavy “No Visitors”. The track starts out relatively slow, before kicking into a fast ¾ groove during the first chorus, and staying that way for the remainder of the song. “This Will Never Work” follows, and has quite the Southern flair to it. It doesn’t pack quite as much punch as the previous track, but still holds its own. “Miserable Company” is an atmospheric slow-burner, with searing guitarwork and a haunting chorus. Right around halfway through, the band turns things up a few notches to get the blood pumping, before eventually returning to the original tempo and ending the song that way. This makes quite the contrast with “Something, Something, Something Witchy”, the speedy lead single with a catchy bassline, which is very prominent throughout the entire song. The track gets the most aggressive during the bridge, but even then stays accessible enough to fit well as the single. “I Sleep Just Fine” follows, and is the longest song on the record, clocking in at over six minutes. This one is another slow-burner, and this time around has a solid two minutes of instrumental mayhem to finish things out as well. “Bethozart” may be the weakest song yet, but it somehow still finds a way to shine through, particularly in the chorus and bridge sections.

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“Spout Mouth” follows in the same vein as its predecessor, and is an enjoyable track overall. However, it’s the next song that really stands out. “Be Easy” starts off with a quick drum fill before kicking into an infectious beat, led by swung eighth notes and a bluesy feel. On the contrary, its successor “Time to Stain” begins as a more subdued track, and gains more traction as it builds throughout. While this one may be another of the so-called “weak links” from the record, it still isn’t bad. “ABRACADABRA” gets back to the fast-paced, aggressive nature of the group. The shortest song on the album, “ABRACADABRA” keeps things to the point, which fits well with the mood of the song. “Smoker Scoff” returns to the ¾ time signature from the opening track in the verses, and is another standout. The only downside is that as soon as “Smoker Scoff” seems to pick up, it’s over, lasting only a bit longer than the previous track. “The Carpet” keeps the solid block of rock going, and although there isn’t anything that really makes it stand out from the others, it’s a fun listen nonetheless. The title track closes things out the right way, with one final searing guitar lick, more of Schuylar Croom’s crooning, and a killer breakdown near the end. Not only is “Heavy Fruit” a phenomenal finish, but it’s also one of the strongest songs on the entire record.

After a five-year absence, the Southern rockers are back and better than ever. The band’s musicality is top-notch in addition to the stellar vocals provided by frontman Schuylar Croom. Heavy Fruit is a phenomenal record from start to finish, and while it may have a few minor “weak links”, even those aren’t enough to hinder the album from being a great release overall.

Score: 4/5

Stay up to date with He Is Legend on the band’s Facebook page, and you can also purchase Heavy Fruit on iTunes.