'We Nailed It On This Record' — Mikkey Dee Dives Into Lex Legion's Debut Album

Mikkey Dee joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday (July 14) to celebrate his latest band, Lex Legion, as well as reflect on his storied career. Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

"I really do believe we nailed it on this record, to tell you the truth," Dee told Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong about Lex Legion's self-titled debut album.

"I mean, it's reminding you of what we did in the '80s, of course, and at the same time there's some modification of that."

Dee is joined by bassist Hal Patino and guitarists Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk in Lex Legion, the guys who were part of the King Diamond lineup of the late '80s. The band is rounded out by vocalist Nils K. Rue, who Dee called "a great King Diamond fan."

"We sent a couple of songs to him and we were just blown away," Dee shared.

"When we get together, [Nils] is like, 'Oh, I can't believe I'm sitting here with the four King Diamond guys. I can't believe I'm playing in this.' And I have to tell him, 'Nils, come on, man. Just drop all that stuff. Don't worry about it. Enjoy the gang. You're one of us.'"

Dee was very happy to say that he's proud of the way Lex Legion celebrated their roots while also modernizing the sound of their rock with the help of Rue.

READ MORE: Lzzy Hale Interview — Rock Hall of Fame, Soundgarden + More

"The way we arranged everything, I do believe that people are brought back to the Them album or Conspiracy, that era," he said.

"And that's okay. That's not a negative thing. It's a positive thing. We made some great records those days and we had a wonderful time together, all of us, with King. It's an era that I'll never forget and it was a great, great band, only positive vibes."

What Else Did Mikkey Dee Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• Why he turned down Motorhead's offer to join the band before officially coming onboard in 1992: "I was asked to join Motorhead in 1986, the first time. And I respectfully turned Lemmy, Phil [Taylor] and Wurzel down and kept the contact. They asked again a few years later. I turned them down again. I was busy and I was happy in King Diamond. I didn't think that I earned my stripes yet to join that kind of band. That was the right decision because they would have eaten me for breakfast. I could not contribute to that band. I was just a young buck and I was smart enough to realize that."
• What he brings to the Scorpions, a band he's been with now for a decade: "I will never play with a band sitting behind there and just tap away their music. That's not me. I like to add something to the band. I told the Scorpions guys, I said, 'I'm going to motorize you guys as good as I can.' Let's make it heavier, together and let's have way more fun. Let's bring it back and make it fucking heavy here and let's motorize ourselves. I feel that I did that, I did make a difference for this band."
• When he realized he wanted to be a drummer: "I was going to be an athlete. I was playing a lot of hockey. I was skiing. Music was something that was just there. I had to do it, it's like eating, sleeping, but I was going to be an athlete. But when I became a young teenager, I believe that shifted. Then sports became more of a hobby and music was something, I was going to try to be a musician full-time ... All the bands I was listening to were a big inspiration. Later on in the '70s, of course, Thin Lizzy, Journey, Rush. I'm a huge Rush fan since the beginning."

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Mikkey Dee joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, July 14; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand here.