Has it really been thirty years since Girlschool first came into being? They first started as Painted Lady in 1975 before changing to Girlschool in 1978 when Kelly Johnson and Denise Dufort joined the band. The band fitted snugly into the new wave of British heavy metal becoming label mates with Motorhead. They hit a commercial peak between 1980-1982 with classic albums such as Demolition and Hit And Run. Since then the band has been sporadically releasing albums, revolving band members and keeping their name alive. In 2000 they had a reunion when original bassist/vocalist Enid and lead guitarist Jackie Chambers rejoined the band. This reunion has seen the release of 21st Anniversary: Not That Innocent', 'Believe' and now Legacy.

The album mantle Legacy is quite an apt name as Girlschool not only have a cult following in the metal world but their influence can been seen in bands such as The Donnas. They perhaps don't get the credit they deserve but their achievements and longevity can never be understated. In fact their influence on contemporary all female acts is obvious as they chock through opening tracks Everything Is The Same and From The Other Side. Both songs pack a rock and roll punch suggesting that there’s no substitute for experience, and one could argue that it’d be difficult to find a better example of this all girl rock band in music’s contemporary acts. This is perhaps a big statement to make but when Girlschool is on the money on Legacy they’re quite simply brilliant. I Spy and Spend Spend Spend continue in the same vein proving the band still have a real chemistry. Another advantage this album has over younger acts is the variety. Whereas ‘The Donnas’ tend to write one song twelve times, Girlschool mix up the track listing sounding like a band who’ve thought about what they’re writing.

The excitement of the first third of the album is, sadly, not maintained. Many albums are guilty of this. Putting your best songs first is the way of things, but Legacy takes a frustrating dip in the middle before building up to a rousing finale. It’s not that the songs are bad, it’s just the start of this disk sets the standard that would’ve been difficult to maintain. This may sound harsh but I’m trying to give a rounded view of the whole disc. Whole New World misses the spot, Legend sounds like a filler and Still Waters is perhaps a song too many. When you reach Metropolis the disc kicks back into gear and the last handful of songs are the best on the album. Don't Mess Around', 'Zeitgeist' and 'Don't Talk To Me' proves how good this band can be. Add some guest performances from Lemmy, Dio, Tommy Iommi and Fast Eddie Clarke to add extra gravitas and the album, including the bonus tracks, has a well-rounded feel about it.

Legacy is a great listen and sits nicely in contemporary metal despite the band’s 30 year history. It also fits snugly into their discography. They sound edgy and full of youthful attitude. With the old NWOBHM bands enjoying renewed success Girlschool have produced an album that could help them tap in that interest. It’s not brilliant and it does dip in the middle but give me Girlschool over The Donnas any day.