{"id":13313,"date":"2024-12-21T16:50:14","date_gmt":"2024-12-21T21:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/?p=13313"},"modified":"2024-12-21T17:32:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T22:32:00","slug":"review-legacy-hello-new-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/21\/review-legacy-hello-new-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Legacy – Hello, New World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THEY’RE BACK! Okay. Who are they? Well, let’s give some addition introduction for the uninitiated, because, after all, they were one of the many unsigned bands that came through the scene in the 80’s, and so, maybe not as familiar to most of you readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brief History<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Legacy<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ohio based band Legacy started in 1987, and dropped a high-quality custom tape on the scene in 1988. A tape that, I am pretty sure I heard about from an ad in Heaven’s Metal at the time. Released at a time when the scene was full of homemade tapes of various recording qualities, Legacy hit us with one that contained six songs of very high quality, both in recording quality and song writing. With big harmonies, and dual guitar attack, comparisons to huge bands like Stryper are not misplaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tape made a small splash on the scene, but garnered enough attention to get them a place on the Heavy Righteous Metal II<\/em><\/strong> compilation from Pure Metal<\/strong>, and with a song that was not contained on their six-song release no less. And again, inclusion, with yet another new, and heavier track, on the Star Song<\/strong> compilation Brave New World<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Legacy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They were poised for a recording contract, but changes in life direction for some member caused the band to simply pull the plug and fade away. Or so it seemed. Jump forward to 2010 when Stephen Craig of Eonian <\/a>Records<\/a><\/strong>, one who had a long history of involvement in the Christian music market since the 1980s, approached them with the idea of reissuing their early material on CD for the first time officially. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2010 Reissue<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Legacy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Pulling together all previously mentioned released tracks (well, for some reason excluding one of the tracks from the original six-song tape), plus additional unreleased ones, we saw the 2010 self-title Legacy CD which contained a total of 14 tracks, released by Eonian Records, and labeled as a joint-effort of sorts between them, Heaven’s Metal, Nightmare Records and others.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Heaven's<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That led to a 2011 interview with the band by yours truly. In that interview, which landed the band on the cover of issue 85 (of the relaunch days), I asked the band if this reissue would possibly spark a reunion of sorts, since all of the original band members were still friends at the time. They had no idea or plans at the time, but said they had been jamming together in preparation for a release party for the reissued CD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, jump forward over a dozen more years from then, and I get wind from inside sources of a new forthcoming Legacy album in the works. Many, many months later still, IT’S HERE! Thirty-five years after their last early recordings, and featuring the same line up as that early material, Hello, New World<\/em> contains eight tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ON TOP OF THAT, Eonian Records decide to reissue a completely newly remastered edition of the long of our print 2010 self-title release they produced, and this time, it contains an additional three tracks not on the original release, one of which was, yes, that missing track from the first 1988 tape that had been excluded from the 2010 reissue.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Album 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Legacy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But first, the new album. Hello, New World<\/a><\/strong><\/em> does not stray too far from the original musical direction and sound of the early material, but there is a definite new maturity in the sound all these years later. You kind of know what you are in for when you look at the artwork on the back cover, where we find a box radio and a bunch of floating cassette tapes. The cassette images bear the names Shout, Stryper, Sacred Warrior and REZ band<\/strong>, so yeah, it is clear what we\u2019re in for here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With big backing vocals, tons of melodic harmonies, sing-along and anthemic rockers in the vein of Bon Jovi, Stryper, The Brave<\/strong> and other similar melodic masters, the band continue their legacy with another batch of top-notch rockers with a clear Christian message as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening track \u201cThese Five Words\u201d<\/strong> is a mid-paced rocker laced with harmonies and guitar grit where they sing to \u201cLet me love like you.\u201d Up next is a track that appeared on the original 1988 tape, \u201cChange of a Broken Heart,\u201d<\/strong> and which, admittedly, was one of my favorites from those early days, so I appreciate it showing up here. They didn\u2019t really change much here, it is just an updated recording for the most part, so still a great track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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