Description
Double album on black vinyls with gatefold cover. Limited 250 copies
Legend I is the first album in Saviour Machine’s Legend series, which are concept albums telling the story of the Christian apocalypse. In Legend I, the world is just beginning its downward spiral, with the Antichrist arriving on the scene at the end of the album. As anyone who’s read the “Left Behind” series knows, we have quite a ways to go before the believers reach eternal life. Now, I myself am not a Christian, but that is hardly relevant to the enjoyment of this album. Hell, like most metal, the lyrics themselves are of little real importance. Don’t expect to get your ass kicked by crushing riffs, blazing shred solos, or even guitars that go “chug chug chug.” What you should expect, however, is an atmospheric, symphonic, and keyboard driven experience that feels quite classical. There are even choral endings on several songs. The opening track “Overture” is pretty much a keyboard solo piece, and the typical metal instruments don’t even appear until near the end of “Legend I:I.” Even then, the keyboard usually takes the lead. I’m not complaining though; the keyboard lead is excellent, whether it’s blaring some symphonic line or acting as a more straightforward piano. Eric Clayton’s vocals, as you might expect, are operatic, but Tarja Tururen, the usual suspect when operatic vocals are mentioned, is leagues behind Clayton. He’s that good. Of course, that doesn’t make this a non-metal album. There are a couple of songs with moderately heavy guitar riffs, most notably “The Sword of Islam” and “The Invasion of Israel.” These songs are bizarre beasts, though. The riff repeats endlessly through the songs, which are about six and a half minutes and five minutes respectively. Legend Part 1 is a massive album with so many tracks that it winds up being a seventy-odd minute epic. Add the other three Legend albums, and we have a musical experience of Biblical proportions in more than one way. Don’t let that deter you, however. If you like anything with classical influence, this album is enjoyable. If you want something extra heavy, don’t waste your time.
Track list:
1. Overture
2. A Prophecy
3. I Am
4. Legend I:I
5. The Lamb
6. The Eyes Of The Storm
7. The Birth Pangs
8. The Woman
9. The Night
10. The Sword Of Islam
11. Gog: Kings Of The North
12. The Invasion Of Israel
13. World War III – The Final Conflict I
14. Ten – The Empire
15. Legend I:II
16. The Beast
17. Antichrist I