Legacy – With Peace in Mind (2012)

Legacy is a band name that is not likely to immediately grasp your attention. It’s not quite as flashy as a title like The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza and it lacks the shock value of a name such as Short Bus Pile Up. Many bands in the metalcore scene have taken to simple nomenclature and Legacy is yet another band following that trend. While their name may be a tad generic (the fact that there are at least sixteen other artists that are using or have used that name doesn’t help), the music that they craft is far from it. With Peace in Mind was released on March 27 via InVogue Records.

Legacy is a five-piece band from Toledo, Ohio. I think the simplest way to describe their sound is a cross between The Plot in You and Like Moths to Flames, two other Ohio-based bands. This should come as no surprise to many, seeing as how the album was produced by The Plot in You’s frontman, Landon Tewers. Tewers did a commendable job while producing With Peace in Mind. It’s punchy, crisp, and has a very powerful low end.

As I mentioned previously, Legacy sounds somewhat similar to Like Moths to Flames, particularly in the vocal department. While Chris Roetter, the frontman of Like Moths to Flames, delivers a commendable vocal performance (in the studio, at least), Legacy’s Gabe Lopez and Lupe Lopez combo do a better job. Lupe’s cleans sound less-strained than Roetter’s and Gabe’s low growls are exactly that: low. Both do an outstanding job and make for a great team.

The rest of the band also deliver their parts with precision. The guitar riffs, for the most part, are more interesting than a lot of your run-of-the-mill metalcore bands. There’s no crabcore or endless chugging to be found on With Peace in Mind. While the drumming is not anything mind-blowing, drummer Kirby Hurst is obviously very competent and serves as a solid backbone for the rest of the music.

Despite not having a very original name, Legacy and With Peace in Mind and very enjoyable. All of the band members deliver their parts with passion and quite obviously know how to play their instruments well. If you’re a fan of The Plot in You or Like Moths to Flames, or even just a fan of metalcore in general, Legacy is definitely worth your time.

By Mike O’Hara ~ Me Gusta Reviews