Germany’s We Are Legend came out of nowhere with this debut and received a great deal of attention, managing to win a couple of awards in the process. At first blush, it’s easy to see why, as they are obviously a talented bunch. Led by vocalist/pianist Selin Schonbeck, they have a sound reminiscent of later Savatage, mostly due to the lush piano work and Selin’s vocals, which are rather like Zak Stevens with a metal rod jammed up his ass. But it’s there the comparison ends, as a lot of this material is driven by heavy, almost Thrash-like riffing and big, theatrical vocal arrangements that sound like something out of a Broadway musical. The guitars are worth paying attention to here, as they constantly churn out interesting, complex, but always addictive riff work that continuously owns you.
There are some excellent cuts here, such as the careening "This Holy Dark", the grinding "March of The Living", and my favorite, "God Is Dreaming", which is so much like a lost Circle II Circle track it’s unreal. The production is thick, putting the crunchy guitars upfront, but despite the use of keys and pianos, Rise of The Legend can feel a little claustrophobic, especially during the latter half. This is still a unique release from a promising young band, one that will make Savatage fans happy if nothing else.