LEX LEGION, Featuring Classic KING DIAMOND Members MIKKEY DEE, ANDY LA ROCQUE, PETE BLAKK And HAL PATINO, To Begin Recording Second Album

In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of Pod Scum, guitarists Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk of LEX LEGION, the band featuring four-fifths of KING DIAMOND's classic late '80s lineup, revealed that they are working on material for the group's second album. They are joined in LEX LEGION by drummer Mikkey Dee, bassist Hal Patino and vocalist Nils K. Rue (PAGAN'S MIND). La Rocque said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We already have, like, 10, 11 songs, I mean, the basics of it. And Mikkey's going into the studio in about two weeks, putting down the first kind of drum tracks for it."

Added Pete: "Yeah, [Mikkey] was just here [in Andy's recording studio], because that's the way we work. I have a couple of songs, and Andy had a couple of songs. We laid down the foundation for them. We bring Mikkey in, and he comes down, and we arrange, change a little bit or take a piece out here and there and he has his say. And then he records the drums, and that's the way we work. And then Hal comes in and Nils. So that's the pattern."

Asked if LEX LEGION will release another full-length album or if the band will concentrate on putting out standalone singles, Andy said: "We'll probably release a single or two before the second album is released, I would assume. But we're still gonna release the full album. I mean, we're old-school guys, doing old-school [things]. It's gonna be 10 or 11 [songs], maybe even [more]. I don't know, but it's gonna be longer than the first one. It's gonna be probably around 40 minutes this time around, 45."

As for a possible release date for LEX LEGION's sophomore effort, Andy said: "If everything goes well and everything goes the way we want it, I think that the second album could be released maybe August, September next year. And then we'll see what's happening. We don't really know. We have this one show in Gothenburg [Sweden] in about a month and a half, two months — the first show and the only show this year. And then people are gonna see what we're all about and see how we sound on stage and all that. So that's gonna be really fun to work on that. And that's what we kind of do now, along with writing and recording music."

Pete went on to say that he and Andy "have material for at least two other albums, two more albums," and he described his musical chemistry with Andy as "magic. It is. We have a certain style, a certain way of writing, and we just continue where we left off, where I left off from early '90s, whatever," Pete explained. "And I think my [perception] has been all the time, for many years, [that] there has been fans out there wanting to get this back, the stuff that we have together. And so it looks like [I was right]."

As for the likelihood of a full LEX LEGION tour in the not-too-distant future, Andy said: "We'll most likely be on tour. Of course, we'll do that. I don't know really exactly when, because right now we only have, like, 37 minutes of music for the LEX LEGION [from the first album]. And, of course, we could put in some other songs that we played live with KING, and probably MOTÖRHEAD too. But we wanna do this as LEX LEGION, the band LEX LEGION. So we wanna have as much own material as possible. And so that's why we can't really go out and headline at this point. We could probably end up supporting someone, [a] bigger [band], of course. But I would think it would change as soon as the second album comes out. Then we can really start working on and planning on touring. And I would love to do that with this band, of course. I'm really looking forward to do that."

After Ruger noted that it's important for LEX LEGION to make its own mark and not just be dismissed as KING DIAMOND version 2.0, Andy concurred. "Yeah, before they hear the album, a lot of people probably think that this is like a continuation of KING DIAMOND," the guitarist said. "But if you listen to the first couple of songs, you will understand that it's not. This is completely different, and it's unique in that sense. I mean, we don't try to copy anything we did before, even though we are inspired by everything that happened in the '80s, and the '70s too, of course. That's what we are born and raised with, but we're not trying to copy anything that's been done before in that sense or taking parts from our previous bands or whatever. We want this to be standing on its own, definitely."

Asked if there is pressure on LEX LEGION on come up with quality material to follow up the band's critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, which was released in June 2026 via MNRK Music Group, Andy said: "I think we just write music from our heart. And it's still gonna be kind of the same style as the first album, but, of course, you don't want it to be... What can I say? You want it to be at least as good as the first one. And I really think it's gonna be. We talked about that today when we listened through a few songs here today in the studio. We said, 'Hey, man, that song is really good.' 'And that one too.' 'And that one too.' So it's definitely, definitely in the same kind of genre as the first album and in the same class as the first album."

Pete chimed in: "So far I think it's gonna be a stronger album than the first one. But we'll see, because we just have the foundations of the structures yet, so we'll see what happens when Nils writes some amazing lyrics and Hal puts his bass on, and Mikkey with his drums. So we'll see."

Andy continued: "Yeah, I think so far, if you listen to what we have now, I think we have a little bit better foundation on the second album at this point than we had on the first one, because now we know how everyone in the band works, and we know — what can you call it? — the way everyone works in the band, how they work, and the quality of the playing and the singing. We know now what that's gonna do to the album, if you know what I mean. So I agree with Pete. Hopefully. And I think that this will be even stronger than the first one."

La Rocque, Dee, Blakk and Patino were part of the KING DIAMOND lineup that recorded the iconic albums "Them" (1988) and "Conspiracy" (1989).

LEX LEGION's first-ever concert will be held on December 11 at Filmstudion in Gothenburg.

La Rocque, whose real name is Anders Allhage, left KING DIAMOND in July after more than four decades. He has been replaced by Gus G. (FIREWIND, ex-Ozzy Osbourne).

Photo by Patric Ullaeus