FORGOTTEN LEGACY is a Power/Speed Metal band formed in 2009, in Kingston, Pennsylvania of the United States and disbanded in 2013. This is a reissue of their only demo entitled "The Oracle" which contains 10 tracks and over 54 minutes of music. I had never heard of this project before, even though I have definitely listened to my share of power/speed metal, especially in the 1990's and early 2000's, so my curiosity was pretty high in getting a chance to listen to a demo album reissued this year. On to the album itself!

"2012" starts off the album with a very melodic approach. One can feel the QUEENSRYCHE and IRON MAIDEN influence here, not only in how the guitars are handled, but especially the vocal style of Joel Wood. One thing that surprised me was the tempo of the song, as I was expecting an "all guns blazing" approach, when in fact the song is quite mid-tempo. The remake version that closes the album is basically a more polished version of the original and really the essence of the song remains the same.

"Banished from Heaven" is one of the heavier numbers on the album, with more of a NEVERMORE style to it in a raw, more stripped-down version of the latter. The bass lines are really striking in this one and resonate through the guitars. There is also a touch of "viking metal" here as well with the use of rough vocal choirs. There is an interestingly creepy side to the track as well, which is not that common among power/speed metal groups.

"Cimmerian" is your typical shredder, with that in your face prophet-like theme. The vocals are very high pitched in this one and brought me back to the old days of FATES WARNING. You can say there is a great set of pipes overall in this song. There are some other standouts songs including "Death is 24-7" with a really nice groovy guitar riff that me nodding in appreciation. For those of you who have followed the progressive metal genre, this reminded a bit of POWER OF OMENS, crossed with a bit of the more modern SYMPHONY X.

The title track and namesake of the project adds a lot of flavor to the album with its darker side and the guitar sound immediately brought back of memories of one of the most underrated metal albums of all-time "The Ritual" from TESTAMENT. For those of you who know the album, the songs are slower but filled with a lot of emotion and the tempo changes are key to getting that message across. This song embodies that feeling perfectly and should please fans of the bands I have mentioned in this review.

Overall, what has always impressed me with the power/speed metal genre is how it clings to the values and the vintage aspects of the 1980's in keeping it "true", yet they find a way to have the songs still be relevant and modern in this day and age. This band does it really well and for those you who had not heard the demo, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of these compositions.