Sad Legend

s/t

(c)(p) Hammerheard Productions

Review by Neil St.Laurent

Thanks to Hammerheard for the CD

The heart of this South Korean band is member Naamah, who has done just about everything on this recording: he wrote the songs, he performs almost all the vocals and plays most of the instruments (for the recording at least), with exception for some additional rhythm guitar and keyboards (which I apologize for our limited western alphabet can't display his/her name, sorry).

Despite their country of origin, Sad Legend shares much in common with the NWOSDM bands, although including much more of a black metal influence. That then should describe the sound as very melodic, flowing, and quite atmospheric (provided significantly by the keyboards in this case). The riffs are not very complex, but they serve a very basic rhythmic purpose; there is also a very definite lead guitar that often performs a slow evolving melody (this contrast is similar to the clean guitar lead of older Hybernoid, but not quite as extreme).

It seems lately that the overall quality of a music is being hinged more and more not on the prowess of the individual musicians, but on the cumulative work from writing, to performing, to production. Sad Legend certainly is setting for an achievement in quality of production: the layers in the songs blend seemlessly, to the point where the low black metal style vocals fit in without compromise (a point that some will find more value in than others). The definite foreground has been mixed as to entwine you in the mystery, but balanced as to not prevent you from being swept away by the normally dark and depressing atmosphere. A solid uniform sound.

Although this album is not perfection, the mistakes made, or problems that exist, are certainly not significant enough to make any particular mention of. If this style of music appeals to you in any form, if you are a fan of any band like Sentenced, Rotting Christ, or even Bal-Sagoth, you will find a very valuable recording in this self-titled release from Sad Legend.

Sad Legend is:
Naamah - Drums, Vocals
Young-Woo Kwon - Guitar
Eun-Hyung Kang - Guitar
Kang-Hyun Lee - Bass

Contact:
Hammerheart Productions
c/o Sad Legend
Seoul CPO Box 8383
South Korea

Fax: +82.2.678.9572
Email: hammerht@hitel.net

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