Lex Legion is one of those supergroups that seemed to emerge out of nowhere when their first single dropped, but things have been in the works for just shy of two decades. While the “supergroup” designation doesn’t always carry as much weight depending on the bands its members came from, there was plenty of reason for heavy metal fans to get excited for Lex Legion’s self-titled debut. The group features all the musicians who played on King Diamond’s “Them” alongside Pagan’s Mind vocalist Nils K. Rue, and they bring they recapture that classic dark yet catchy blend of heavy metal throughout their debut. It does feel like it flies by a bit too quickly, but what’s here is high quality and showcases these veteran musicians still have great chemistry.
With Pete Blakk, Andy LaRocque, Hal Patino, and Mikkey Dee reunited on the instrumental front, Lex Legion comes in strong out of the gate. There’s plenty of speed and power to the material, as well as a good emphasis on darker tones and atmosphere that recalls the members King Diamond days. But unlike the narrative focus and sprawling nature of “Them”, Lex Legion opts for a more concise and direct approach where the band explores a few key ideas on each song and then move onto the next one. It’s an approach that works well, and you can feel the chemistry between the band as the performances are tight and never miss a beat. There’s a decent amount of variety too, as opener “Sleep Eternally” has muscular riffing alongside some soaring melodic leads while songs like “Saviours” slow things down a bit and let the atmosphere really grow. Sometimes there’s a bit more of a hard rock edge while other tracks settle into that familiar heavy metal gallop, but the leads and solos consistently pull you in on each one and keep the energy at a high. Admittedly it does feel like things are sometimes a bit too brief though, as all the songs are over in three and a half to four and a half minutes, plus closer “Far Away” had me thinking I was in for a power ballad and then the album just ended. “Far Away” is actually really solid compositionally, as the acoustic guitar work is haunting, but it feels like it’s hinting at more rather than finishing things off. Had this been a lead-in to another song or expanded upon further it could’ve fleshed things out quite a bit, and this is one area where it feels like Lex Legion has left room for growth following this debut.
It has been a bit since Nils K. Rue was behind the mic, as Pagan’s Mind hasn’t had an album since 2011 and Holter’s last effort was in 2018. But it’s clear that Rue is as strong as ever, as he gives a sense of energy to the material that really helps it stand out. Given his background its not surprising that the way the vocals soar gives this heavy meets power metal overlap, but there are also some ranges on Lex Legion that sound like they’re also trying to recapture some of that King Diamond style. Earlier tracks like “Gypsy Tears” have some backing pitches that hit similar falsetto ranges, while “Saviours” also has much lighter singing that reminds me quite a bit of “Them”. But as with the rest of the band, Rue isn’t simply recapturing that same vibe one for one and does give the material an identity of its own. There’s a consistency from beginning to end, though I personally like when Rue goes a bit more into power/prog mode on tracks like “Darkness” which hits different sounding falsettos and leans a bit more into his prior work.
It may have taken quite awhile for this band to come to fruition, but it’s clear from this debut how well the members gel together. Lex Legion recaptures that period of heavy and power metal where the riffing was muscular but had some melodies seep in that gave things a darker slant, and while there are a lot of clear similarities to the work most of these guys did with King Diamond they do plenty to differentiate it as well. Admittedly it does feel like the album ends a bit abruptly and I’d love to hear a longer track that lets things stretch out a bit more, but what’s here lays out a strong foundation that heavy metal fans should still spend time with. I know the players involved all have different things going on, but hopefully it won’t be too long before we get more music. Lex Legion is available from MNRK Heavy.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg