LEX LEGION

All good things come to those who wait, but there is rarely any harm in making alternative plans. An international supergroup with monstrous pedigree, LEX LEGION may not have formed solely to plug the gap where a new KING DIAMOND album should have been, but it is hard to ignore the fact that their debut album does that admirable job regardless. Here we have four current and former members of the great Dane's backing band – guitarists Andy LaRocque and Pete Blakk, bassist Hal Patino and drummer Mikkey Dee — and a well-chosen frontman, PAGAN'S MIND's Nils K. Rue, who is famously able to hit notes that only dogs can hear. LaRocque's involvement suggests a slight frustration with the pace at which his day job boss is completing the first KING DIAMOND album since 2007, but beyond that, LEX LEGION are an all-new and all-star entity, hell-bent on making thunderous, deftly progressive, melodic heavy metal that sits squarely in the same musical ballpark that brought us classic albums like "Abigail" and "Them".

Pleasingly, "Lex Legion" is an absolute triumph. Despite the band's slightly reductive claims that "no one is writing this kind of music", the worlds of progressive and power metal are thriving in 2026. With new music from CRIMSON GLORY, a recent run of top-tier albums from QUEENSRYCHE, and efforts from the likes of METAL CHURCH, PORTRAIT, VICIOUS RUMORS and THEM all evoking the best attributes of the '80s, LEX LEGION's approach is far from unique, and yet the character and class of everyone involved has turned a well-intentioned side-project into a remarkable, distinctive achievement.

Ultimately, it all hinges on the quality of this band's songwriting, and every one of these eight songs (plus one beautiful instrumental) hits the bullseye. Flawless musicianship is a given, of course, but it is the spirit of "Lex Legion" that makes this such a deeply satisfying endeavor. From the opening uproar of "Sleep Eternally" onwards, this five-man elite force demonstrate an impeccable understanding of what made their creative victories from four decades ago so enduring. Rooted in tradition, but subtly unconventional, this is intricate, dramatic and exhilarating: classic metal, reconfigured to sidestep cliché.

At times, LEX LEGION are a ferocious tornado of '80s metal majesty. "Gypsy Tears", "Lost Inside" and "Life Eternal" are masterful, three-to-four-minute anthems, with Rue's extraordinary vocals nailing sharp hooks to the wall with effortless precision. "When The Stars Align" is a skillful throwback to the early KING DIAMOND days, replete with dazzling lead breaks and palpable undercurrents of dark and sinister intent. "(I Am) The Resurrected" is a punishing, midtempo display of prowess; "Dreams of Darkness" weaves melodic histrionics into a shapeshifting squall of ultra-heavy, gothic-tinged speed metal; and "Saviours" is a grimly atmospheric gem with multiple jaw-dropping solos from Blakk and LaRocque and a magnificent vocal from Rue. The whole, laudable enterprise sounds fantastic, too: fiercely modern but brimming with old-school charisma, "Lex Legion" sets a new benchmark for unfussy, contemporary production. Even the closing "Far Away", a wordless epilogue with a melancholy heart, contributes to an overall sense that LEX LEGION have stumbled upon a fabulously fresh, retro-friendly formula with vast potential. And if you're a KING DIAMOND fan, watching the clock as the 20th anniversary of "Give Me Your Soul… Please" looms over the horizon, this gritty but grandiose record will be utterly essential listening.