Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Lex Legion have been nearly two decades in the making. Their self-titled debut drops June 12 via MNRK Music Group, and the lineup alone is enough to make any classic metal fan do a double-take. Former King Diamond guitarist Pete Blakk and drummer Dee lay the foundation, bassist Patino completes the picture, and guitarist-producer Andy LaRocque — a King Diamond constant since 1985 who also played on Death‘s seminal “Individual Thought Patterns” — pulls everything together alongside vocalist Nils K. Rue of Pagan’s Mind. The roots of this project go back to the early 2000s, when LaRocque was mixing “Disaster/Peace” for Blakk and the two first floated the idea of writing together.
From the first few bars, the production makes a clear statement. The guitar tone is bright and immediate. The drum mix sits forward in the way 80s heavy metal used to, and Rue’s vocals have a melodic directness that cuts through without straining. You can hear the King DNA in the riff construction and the dynamic tempo shifts, but Lex Legion uses that influence as a launchpad rather than a destination. The result is a record that could have slotted comfortably into 1987 — and honestly, I mean that as a compliment. As Blakk put it himself: “No one is writing this kind of music and there’s a big hole for us to fill.” He’s not wrong.
The two pre-released singles make a strong case for the album. “Sleep Eternally” opens with a clean, confident guitar line and doesn’t waste any time — no extended intro, no mood-building preamble, just heavy. “Gypsy Tears” is the one that’ll stick with you, though. It has that rare quality of getting your fist in the air. The backing vocals are where the King Diamond comparison is most obvious, but Rue brings a warmth to the harmonies that gives them a different personality entirely — heavier on melody, lighter on the theatrical edge. Deeper into the tracklist, “(I Am) The Resurrected” stands out as the album’s most ambitious moment. At four minutes and twenty-seven seconds, it’s the longest track here, and the tempo shifts feel earned rather than restless.
I’ll be honest — on first listen, the record’s consistency was almost disorienting. Nine tracks, none running past four and a half minutes, all operating at a similar intensity and pace. It took me a couple of full runs through to realise that this isn’t sameness — it’s focus. Once I settled into the album on its own terms, the smaller details started to open up: the guitar interplay, the way the rhythm section locks in on “Darkness”, the quiet resolve of closer “Far Away” at just under three minutes.
The good news, already confirmed, is that this is not a one-off. LaRocque has said the next record won’t take twenty years, and if the standard here is anything to go by, that follow-up is worth looking forward to. Lex Legion‘s debut is a proper piece of music craft — rooted in the 80s, built with real care, and sounding like it was made by people who have earned every note.
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