Embedded Files
LEX LEGION “Lex Legion”
LEX LEGION “Lex Legion”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Some folks can only be so patient before they start to twitch and fidget in search of something to do. I think that’s the big motivation for LEX LEGION, made up of four/fifths of the late 80’s KING DIAMOND band along with singer Nils K. Rue from the somnolent PAGAN’S MIND. These guys are itching to unleash some pure melodic heavy metal and with the debut LEX LEGION effort, they have succeeded in the best way!
In many ways, this is like a new classic KING DIAMOND record with a different singer and a slightly more accessible style. The current and ex K.D. members are Andy LaRocque (also a super busy producer/engineer), Pete Blakk, Hal Patino and the great Mikkey Dee, who could arguably be called metal’s greatest drummer. These dudes know each other inside and out and that results in music where just about every note sounds perfectly placed. That’s no surprise. But the real revelation has to be the vocals of Nils K. Rue. I forgot just how great this man is. Let’s be honest, he kind of wipes the mat with KING DIAMOND as a singer and I say that as someone who loves KING. Imagine a big dose of Geoff Tate, with some Ralf Scheepers and Johnny Gioeli mixed in and you’ve got the Rue sound. On the song “Gypsy Tears”, there’s a part where he does an “Ohhh-ohhh-a-ohhh” that is so much like KING, it will make you cry. “Saviours” is another song that features a KING-like flourish in the vocals, but for the most part, Rue sticks to that beautiful clear Tate style of vocal.
Within the first seconds of “Sleep Eternally”, we hear a well oiled machine in action. The guitar work is an absolute pleasure, every solo hits the mark and there are a lot of them. I think LEX LEGION hit their high point on (I Am) “The Resurrected”, where everything just totally clicks. A monster song! “Dreams of Darkness” and “Saviours” have a bit of a hard rock feel to them, not quite as all-out metallic, but still strong. There’s a certain sadness to many of these tracks that permeates them. The last song “Far Away” is a relatively brief instrumental with some real SCHENKER style licks amidst acoustic.
Naturally, anybody who loves KING DIAMOND and PAGAN’S MIND will go ape for LEX LEGION, but fans of QUEENSRYCHE, PRIMAL FEAR and even heavier SCORPIONS will eat this with a spoon.
Report abuse