The debut release by yet another supergroup and perhaps the most unsurprising facet of Lex Legion is the style, which leans heavily on the common factor for four-fifths of the band – King Diamond. We have long-standing KD guitarist Andy La Rocque, and former members Pete Blakk (guitar), bassist Hal Patino, and drummer Mikkey Dee.
Lex Legion – Lex Legion
Release Date: 12 June 2026
Words: Paul Hutchings
That unit was responsible for the albums Them and Conspiracy. This was back in 1988/89, and as we know, at least one of the band then achieved greatness with one of the best bands the world has ever seen.
It is the addition of Pagan Mind singer Nils Rue that really nudges Lex Legion into the KD territory, though, for whether you like it or not, his vocal range is at times eerily close to the King.
“This is music for fans of heyday Iron Maiden, Queensrÿche, Accept and, yes, King Diamond,” says their website. And you cannot really argue. Apart from Accept, whose last few albums have been consistently reliable if unremarkable, it is a reasonable argument that the other bands’ best work was in the halcyon days of the mid-late ’80s.
“Lex Legion is totally written the way we thought in the ’80s,” said Mikkey Dee. “We wrote what we wanted, and if you liked it, that was a great bonus. If you didn’t like it, that was fine with us, too.”
If you like heavy riffs, songs that follow a standard formula and are performed to a high standard, then Lex Legion may well be of interest. If you do not want to listen to the same old song churned around in various formats, then maybe you should walk on by.
The lead singles open the album. First up, Sleep Eternally, which is as cliched Heavy Metal as you will get, with Rue screaming over the opening riffs before a steady tempo kicks in. It is well played, sharp on production, but suffers from one of the worst fade-outs I have ever heard. It really does throwback to the ’80s in that context.
Gypsy Tears is up next and again relies on Rue’s high-pitched vocals at the start, a pattern of repetition already emerging. As the album progresses, there are certainly flashes that impress. The guitar work is razor sharp, and Dee’s drums are as solid as ever, something that Scorpions fans will no doubt have appreciated in the decade since the sad demise of Motörhead.
Big, bombastic, it is true Heavy Metal in the form that we grew up with.
(I Am) The Resurrected has more than a nod to Helloween’s classic Keepers era, if slightly slower in speed, whilst Lost Inside is one of the better tracks here, a real tub thumper that has more than a hint of Iron Maiden in the mix.
And then there is the traditional finale. Far Away, the sentimental ballad here is an instrumental which allows the four former bandmates to have one last gentle collaboration. Another fade kills it, but it is a reasonable finish.
On the one hand, Lex Legion is a solid slab of ’80s Metal, unashamedly so, and given the personnel involved, that is not really a surprise. But it is also treading a well-worn path that brings absolutely nothing new to the table.
So, it really depends on what you want. I certainly enjoyed it for a couple of listens, but it would not be something I would want to listen to on repeat.
Lex Legion release their debut album Lex Legion on 12 June 2026 via MNRK Music Group. There is talk of touring next year. Pre-orders are available from lexlegion.ffm.to/lexlegion-album.
