LEGEND — Legend (review)

Album · 1981 · NWoBHM

4/5 · 2024-06-13
siLLy puPPy

The island of Jersey’s NWOHM band LEGEND may not have reached legendary status but rather is one of those bands that has earned its creds over the long haul. One of the original NWOBHM bands that formed on the self-governing British Crown Dependency of Jersey off the coast of Normandy, France, LEGEND formed quietly in 1980 in its small island enclave of less than 120 square kilometers (47 square miles) and cranked out two highly developed and accomplished albums in the early 1980s before disbanding four years later and reforming in 2002. This band is not to be confused with the legions of other LEGENDS out there including the Connecticut based prog / metal hybrid band nor the other English band from Kent.

Also developing simultaneously as Iron Maiden, early Def Leppard, Saxon and all the famous bands that have become NWOBM royalty, LEGEND remained obscure in the underground although gained enough traction to support Thin Lizzy in its 1981 UK tour. The band released both this self-titled debut album as well as the following “Death In The Nursery” independently and the original lineup featured Mike Lezala on vocals, Peter Hasworth and Marco Morosino on guitars, Eggy Aubert on bass and drummer David Whitley. The band’s origins lay in an early band called Dr. Morris which featured Haworth on vocals and Whitley on drums. After securing the proper talent, band leader Peter Haworth wrote this first album of material which sounded quite differently than the regular NWOBHM sound.

Inspired as much by Black Sabbath as Led Zeppelin, Budgie, Jimi Hendrix and other 70s hard rock / heavy metal giants, LEGEND developed a less aggressive take on the NWOBHM with elements of the Sabbath inspired doom metal dominating large chunks of its soundscape. The guitar playing more resembled the Scorpions’ original guitarist Uli Jon Roth however the band’s musical style was all its own with a less operatic vocalist delivering lyrics about politics, humanity and other subjects outside the mainstream. LEGEND also had a darker overall sound style than Iron Maiden, Angel Witch and other bands that were dominating the scene although many similarities such as the twin guitar attacks, strong bass and drum grooves and classic power chord breakdowns.

The album featured seven tracks at a typical album’s run of over 42 minutes and showcased a clear display of talent that emerged from the small but vibrant Jersey metal scene. The beauty of this debut album is how diverse it is and although clearly one of those links between the hard rock 70s and NWOBHM 80s, LEGEND truly did stand out from the crowds with Lezala’s unique vocals sounding like no other as well as a greater emphasis on slower traditional doom metal grooves that alternate with the more upbeat NWOBHM styles. The sound on this low budget debut is as you would expect, namely raw and focused more on the compositions rather than any slick production tricks. The band excelled at what it performed and therefore must have been a captivating live act as it performed regularly for its small island population base.

Definitely one of those worthy from the vaults sort of bands that had the talent to take things much further but just out of the reach of developing anything larger despite some significant exposure on the Thin Lizzy tour. Strong songwriting, strong musicianship and a unique band sound that set them apart keeps LEGEND relevant some four decades later after its initial run. Its reformation in 2002 only continues to gain the band more attention with an album coming out as recently as 2013’s “The Dark Place.” LEGEND continues to record new material well into the 21st century but none is as compelling as this earliest raw recordings of the band’s first years. LEGEND’s debut album is definitely a nice addition to your NWOBHM collection once you’ve exhausted the usual suspects.