Germany's Paragon has delivered another blistering slice of classic German heavy metal with this, their sixth album, entitled The Dark Legacy. These guys have been around since 1990 and were founded by main songwriter, Martin Christian. Their first album, World Of Sin was released in 1994, after which, the band was put on hold with label problems and personnel changes but regrouped in 1997 with a new lead singer. The year 1998 saw the release of Final Command, with Chalice Of Steel following in 1999. The band's fourth album, Steel Bound was their first for Remedy Records and also was the birth of a collaboration with producer Piet Sielck of Iron Savior fame. Tours followed with Grave Digger and Iron Savior and last year, the band released what many believed to be their best album thusfar in Law Of The Blade, another Piet Sielck production. This new album sees Piet Sielck yet again at the controls and the result is a truly solid slab of German power metal.

Paragon's sound is very typical German metal and they show influences from bands like Accept, Running Wild, Gamma Ray, Iron Savior and Grave Digger. This style of metal is enjoying somewhat of a comeback with new bands like Stormwarrior, Twisted Tower Dire, Cage and Rawhead Rexx carrying on the traditional sound born in the 1980's. To say that Paragon has a "typical" sound is by no means a criticism or weakness with this band. Although the style, song arrangements and melodies are not very original, they pack a lot of punch and they turn out some fine classic heavy metal. The first 2 tracks, The Legacy and Mirror Of fate kick start this album in fine form. Both are excellent fast and charging metal songs with lots of speedy muted riffs. The chorus to Mirror Of Fate has a very Iron Savior-like sound to it. Breaking Glass builds with a pounding heavy Accept style riff with a verse/pre-chorus/chorus structure very much like many Grave Digger songs. Overall, a great metal romp! Eye Of The Storm begins with a slow and very Am I Evil (Metallica) style intro. A slower paced pounding song, the Iron Savior stamp is all over this one too. Maze Of Dread, with it's great charging and sustaining riffs along with very speedy drumming, is one of my pick's for the album's best track. Accept-like in it's use of big slicing guitar chords, it also uses some speedy muted Helloween style riffing and if it doesn't get your head moving....something's wrong with you!! Another album highlight is Green Hell and no, it's not the same one as on Metallica's Garage Days Re-revisited.....Charging and heavy, it again uses great riffs and a solid lead guitar break featuring dual lead harmonies to produce another killer track.

Like I stated before, what the band lacks in originality, they more than make up for it with their sound and the musicianship of all members of the band. The vocals and vocal melodies have a very similar style to Iron Savior and I swear I hear Piet Sielck on backing vocals however, the more angrier tone to the vocals gives the band more of a Grave Digger type of sound. This is pure and simple old-fashioned riff driven heavy metal. Along with Mystic Prophecy's Regressus, Cage's Darker Than Black and Twisted Tower Dire's Crest Of The Martyrs, The Dark Legacy is one of the better pure heavy metal releases I've heard so far this year. A great album that is guaranteed to satisfy fans of German heavy metal. If you've never heard this band before, run out and get this one!!!