Biography
Like the late-'70s punk scene that fueled its independent ethos, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal produced scores of promising young groups throughout Britain, extending even to the far-flung Channel Islands town of Jersey, the birthplace of Legend.
The band came together in August 1980 when Mike Lezala joined forces on vocals with lead guitarist Peter Haworth, rhythm guitarist Marco Morosino, bassist Eggy Aubert, and drummer Dave Whitley. They quickly cultivated a regional audience across the Channel Islands yet struggled to draw notice from the British mainland, prompting an independent, self-financed release of their debut album, Legend, in July 1981. Several tracks eventually reached BBC Radio One’s Friday Rock Show host Tommy Vance, whose program had become a key platform for emerging New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts. His support heightened the group’s profile and secured high-profile support slots with established artists touring the islands, among them a short run alongside Thin Lizzy. After Morosino exited, Legend continued as a quartet and issued their sophomore album, Death in the Nursery, in July 1982. Although the record displayed notable progress and received favorable notices, geographic isolation continued to limit their reach. Plans for a full British tour in early 1983, meant to promote a freshly cut four-track EP, collapsed when Aubert sustained a severe injury. Neil Haworth stepped in on bass, but the interruption erased their forward motion, and the band played its final show at London’s Marquee Club in January 1984.
Over time Legend’s underground reputation expanded, and grassroots interest sparked by the 1998 compilation Retroshock 1981-1984 directly led to the comprehensive 2002 Anthology. That retrospective inspired guitarist Haworth to reconvene with most of the founding members, resulting in the 2003 comeback album Still Screaming.
The band came together in August 1980 when Mike Lezala joined forces on vocals with lead guitarist Peter Haworth, rhythm guitarist Marco Morosino, bassist Eggy Aubert, and drummer Dave Whitley. They quickly cultivated a regional audience across the Channel Islands yet struggled to draw notice from the British mainland, prompting an independent, self-financed release of their debut album, Legend, in July 1981. Several tracks eventually reached BBC Radio One’s Friday Rock Show host Tommy Vance, whose program had become a key platform for emerging New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts. His support heightened the group’s profile and secured high-profile support slots with established artists touring the islands, among them a short run alongside Thin Lizzy. After Morosino exited, Legend continued as a quartet and issued their sophomore album, Death in the Nursery, in July 1982. Although the record displayed notable progress and received favorable notices, geographic isolation continued to limit their reach. Plans for a full British tour in early 1983, meant to promote a freshly cut four-track EP, collapsed when Aubert sustained a severe injury. Neil Haworth stepped in on bass, but the interruption erased their forward motion, and the band played its final show at London’s Marquee Club in January 1984.
Over time Legend’s underground reputation expanded, and grassroots interest sparked by the 1998 compilation Retroshock 1981-1984 directly led to the comprehensive 2002 Anthology. That retrospective inspired guitarist Haworth to reconvene with most of the founding members, resulting in the 2003 comeback album Still Screaming.
Singles
