Legacy is the latest offering from the band T.O.C, a four-piece heavy metal group with a clean traditional sound.
Immediately upon starting this album you notice the great sound quality with a fantastic all slick production level and a great true sound to the music. The guitars are meaty and crunchy in the right order and the drums provide a good engine to a mid-tempo and sufficiently heavy rhythm. Mick Arnold on guitars, Chris Brown on bass, and Mick O’Shea on drums.
Many of the tracks have classic heavy metal hard rock riffs that immediately provide interest for the listener, with a real consistency throughout all tracks.
The vocals are handled by Renee Jacobsen who at times is rather Halfordesque in her sound and at times comes close to a power metal wail. Great a powerful voice and is very suited to the music.
On all albums, there are highs and lows and while there are no real low points there are passages where it becomes a little bland and pedestrian and blends in together, but these passages are few and seldom.
The highs are the standout tracks and they are good, the opening track Above Them All, which kicks the album off nicely and is one of the heavier tracks, is a good idea to set the tone and grab the listener. The title track Legacy is a very good song and holds up to the responsibility like all title tracks should with good hooks and an overall feel of more importance about it. The best song on the album I think is Reign Of Tears, with an outstanding heavy riff that really gets you going and a more evil, sinister-sounding Renee makes this song really stand out with the guitars and drums having just that bit extra life and boom.
This is a very good album to just put on and let it go all the way through and be thoroughly entertained.
You will get to the end and think I really liked that and instantly play it again. Overall this is a really good album but just doesn’t quite blow you away.
T.O.C.: Facebook
Release Year: 2012
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Chris Rankin
