Band Interview: Shahyd Legacy
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are very proud to bring you an interview with Shahyd Legacy. Check out our review of the latest album, Gateways right here.
1. How did you get started as a band?
Well its was back in 2006 when I was looking for some musicians to back me on my 1st solo album “The Sacred Legacy” release show. So I gathered with with my friends and we held a small gig to release it. While we were playing on the show the crowed started chanting “Sacred Legacy” which later became the name of my 1st band. The name “Legacy” became a stage name for me too.
With the name Sacred Legacy we formed a Melodic Metal band and started touring. Mainly shows in Maldives and some neighbouring countries. Later on we released the 1st band album “Apocalypse” in 2007 followed by the 2nd album “Undying Heart” in 2008. After that we had a little break and with that I got the chance to work on my solo albums. Later in 2012 I released my 2nd solo album “Nostalgia”.
It became a real hit among my Maldivian fans because of its soft rock and melodic style. in 2013 we released Sacred Legacy’s 3rd album “The Legacy Begins” under the German label “STF Records”. It is really hard to get funds and support for metal acts here in the Maldives so I started concentrating on my solo project and hit the studio for the 3rd album “Through The Ashes” which was released in 2015.
After that I was approached by a friend who wanted to start a band under the management of “Habeys” so we decided to recruit the best musicians we know in the scene and later gave the name “Gravity By Habeys” which is now the leading metal act in Maldives. Then with the help of the new band I recorded the new album “Gateways” and released it on the 26th of June 2017 with a grand show in the capital city of Male!
2. How would you describe your sound?
When I started my music career back in the day, I was a really big fan of j-rock (Japanese rock scene) and watched a lot of Japanese anime. So when I composed my 1st album it was more game music but for the 2nd album I changed my whole style to more soft rock with a neo-classical style of music. With a lot of piano compositions the album was more effective and reached a bigger audience.
The 3rd album was more melodic and heavy with hard thrashing riffs and fast solos and 3 songs with vocals. After all these experiments I came to the conclusion that neo-classical soloing with hard rock riffs is more my style. Similar to Yngwie Malsmteen, Andy James and Joe Satriani however I know we have to evolve to the current state and make music that the audience desires too.
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
My favourite is the guitar god and maestro Yngwie Malmsteen but before I found out about Yngwie I was a big fan of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai & Andy Timmons. So I would say all these guitar maestros is a big influence to my music style and playing.
As for bands I’d have to say Progressive bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X. As well as thrash metal bands like Megadeth, Pantera and Testament are big influences. I also love the music of 70’s rock bands and glam metal bands too like Dokken, Loudness & Danger Danger. Lately I’ve been listening to many djent and new age metal bands like Born of Osiris and Veil of Maya. Guitar players like Jason Richardson have got my attention so I might change my sound a little for the future albums.
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
Yes, YouTube has been a big help for rising artists around the globe even for drummers and other instrument players to reach out to their audience. As well as allowing artists to send their music to the scouts that are looking for a new sound.
Many YouTube artists have got the chance to play for mega bands & as for guitars players like us in remote countries like the Maldives it’s a quite good platform. Music streaming and YouTube is the best way to promote your band or individual talent to the music community. So you might see my demonstration videos in the near future too probably from the latest album and the bands too!
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
As a band we hang out at the studio a lot and we all enjoy gaming. I’m a big fan of online gaming like rocket league and MMORPGs like Arch Age and World of Warcraft. I spend a lot of time gaming in the studio and at home. Watching movies and reading is my 2nd hobby even if it’s a old movie or new one. I have to watch ’em a couple of times to be satisfied with the ending of the story. We go on trips together to other islands just for fun and to relax. However, most of the time we hang out at the same coffee house everyday. That’s pretty much what we do.
6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?
Well I’m planning to start composing songs for my next album so I can have some free time for the band and family. A video song is also on the way too.
We have some shows here in Maldives as well as some other countries too. I then have my album “Gateways” promotion show in October. We will be releasing the band Gravity By Habeys debut album later this month. Before planning to tour next year in January so I guess it’s gonna be quite a busy year. What with all the work in studio and tours. However the main thing is to focus on a big tour for next year. For the band to promote the album in Europe and Asia.
We’d like to thank Shahyd Legacy for taking the time to speak with us. You can pick up Gateways via most major streaming services including Apple Music below. Head over to Shahyd Legacy’s official website here where you can listen to the album, buy it, as well as earlier releases & check out tour dates. Like the Facebook Page here, follow on Twitter & Instagram. Finally head over to SoundCloud where you can sample some of the great music released so far.
