Legend

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal emerged with a self-reliant ethos borrowed from the punk explosion of the late 1970s, generating scores of promising outfits throughout Britain, even in outlying spots such as Jersey on the secluded Channel Islands, the birthplace of Legend.

Mike Lezala on vocals, Peter Haworth on lead guitar, Marco Morosino on rhythm guitar, Eggy Aubert on bass, and Dave Whitley on drums came together in August 1980 to launch the group. They quickly developed a regional audience within the Channel Islands yet struggled to gain notice from the British mainland, prompting them to issue their independently funded, self-titled debut album in July 1981. Cuts from that record eventually reached BBC Radio One’s Friday Rock Show host Tommy Vance, whose program served as a leading platform for rising New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts at the time. Vance’s support broadened the band’s exposure and secured notable support slots with established headliners during visits to the islands, among them a short run alongside Thin Lizzy.

After Morosino’s exit, Legend continued as a quartet and completed their follow-up album Death in the Nursery, which appeared in July 1982. Though the record displayed clear progress and drew favorable notices, the group’s geographic isolation proved insurmountable. Early 1983 brought plans for a full British tour behind a newly tracked four-song EP, yet those dates were scrapped when Aubert sustained a severe injury. Neil Haworth, brother of Peter, stepped in on bass, but the interruption erased prior momentum and Legend played their final show at London’s Marquee Club in January 1984.

Over subsequent years the band’s underground reputation expanded, and the grassroots impact of the 1998 compilation Retroshock 1981-1984 directly led to the comprehensive 2002 Anthology. That release motivated Haworth to reconvene with most of the original members for the 2003 return album Still Screaming.