King Diamond Alumni Mikkey Dee, Andy La Rocque Unite in New Band Lex Legion

Four-fifths of King Diamond's classic late-'80s lineup has reunited in a new band, Lex Legion, featuring Mikkey Dee, Andy La Rocque, Pete Blakk and Hal Patino alongside vocalist Nils K. Rue of Pagan's Mind. The four instrumentalists are the same lineup that recorded King Diamond's iconic albums "Them" (1988) and "Conspiracy" (1989).

Formed by Dee and Blakk and completed by longtime collaborators and friends, Lex Legion is built on both legacy and longevity. What began as a long-discussed idea between close-knit musicians has evolved into a serious project, fueled by over 40 years of shared history. The band's résumé is staggering: La Rocque has been a King Diamond constant since 1985 and also played on Death's seminal "Individual Thought Patterns," while Dee spent over two decades in Motörhead and has been in Scorpions for 10 years. All remained close and have long discussed reuniting, with everyone knowing Rue from prior projects and his five acclaimed albums with Pagan's Mind.

The group has announced that its self-titled debut album will be out in June 2026, with the first single, "Sleep Eternally," coming on March 31. The album channels a deliberate throwback to the band's roots while sounding fresh and immediate, built on lean arrangements, strong melodies and virtuoso performances that reflect the band's commitment to writing music on their own terms.

La Rocque is direct about the band's creative mandate. "This is totally unique. No one is writing this kind of music and there's a big hole for us to fill," he says. "The album is a journey and every song is like the beat of a movie. I want listeners to travel back. The song style is different (to King Diamond) but still from the same era." Speaking from his studio in Varberg, Sweden, he adds: "There's elements of everything on the album. The right tempo and the right kind of vocals, both starting out like a fist in your face!"

Dee frames the project's ethos with characteristic bluntness. "Lex Legion is totally written the way we thought in the '80s," he says. "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!"

Rue's soaring pipes and ominous harmonies are framed by Dee's unmistakable powerhouse drumming, a clutch of imaginative leads from both guitarists and shifts of pace and tempo that will satiate King Diamond fans. Follow-up single "Gypsy Tears" seals the deal: eerie and rapturous, otherworldly and propulsive, evocative and a straight-up headbanger that leaves the listener in no doubt about the thunderous treasures within.

The self-titled record will be released via MNRK Music Group in June 2026, with touring beginning the following year. For a band carrying four decades of shared history into every riff, the wait appears to have been very much intentional.