Madball are quite possibly one of the only bands in existence that make me feel like starting a mosh. Now ask anyone that actually knows me how much I dislike excessive body movement (trips from the couch to the fridge and back not included) and you know that saying something like this is quite a compliment.
Thus needless to say that my expectations for Legacy were rather high, especially considering the fact that Madball's last full length album, Hold it Down, was released in 2000 and NYHC, the 2004 MCD, did not completely satisfy my desire for new material (something which has more to do with length than the quality of the songs).
Luckily it is clear from the opening track Adapt And Overcome that the band fully delivers and moreso, even manages to come up with what just might be their best and most mature release yet. New York's finest clearly put on display exactly what it is that seperates them from a lot of the modern Hardcore scene (which admittedly I am not a huge fan of), namely integrity and emotion, coupled with the uncanny ability to write catchy, groovy tunes bursting to the brim with agression. Not convinced yet ? Then just check out songs like Damned, For My Enemies, Timebomb or War And Hate for a sample of the best NYHC has on offer.
Add to this the a rather excellent production (the best the band has had so far in their career) and it probably won't be a surprise that Legacy comes highly recommended. In fact it would genuinly surprise me if this album would not end up rather high on my end-of-year list.