A bit of a special one here. From the Fjords is the sole album from Legend originally released back in 1979. The band, from the USA, wasn’t around long however From the Fjords is jaw-droppingly good.
Legend were a “power trio” with the considerable individual and combined talents of Kevin Nugent (guitar, lead vocals), Ray Frigon (drums) and Fred Melillo (bass). Nugent’s guitar is sublime, effortless, rangy and fluid. He throws out the varied riffs and remarkably mazy solos with ease.
Meilillo’s bass throbs away with complex, fast lines which at times sound like a second lead guitar.
Frigon’s drumming is off the charts good and then some. Technical, complex, fast, jazzy. His style reminds me of say Jon Heisman and the late, great Neil Peart. Indeed – if Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson decided to reinvent Rush they could do much worse than bring in Frigon.
Cult Rock Classics (a division of good old Sonic Age Records) put together a special 40th anniversary edition of From the Fjords – and as usual with the label who are so good at this – have done a cracking job.
The album in all it’s glory plus five bonus tracks of demos from 1978. Three are songs which made the album and two which did not. Add to that Lyric booklet, a booklet with an interview with the designer Ioannis who did the original artwork and has a subsequent long track record of working with the likes of Uriah Heep and others and a nice thick booklet with a comprehensive, in-depth interview with Ray Frigon.
The music is quite something. Overall it’s heavy though brings in elements of NWOBHM, prog and jazz influences all with something of a mystical feel to it. A quick comparison might be a combination of Black Sabbath, mid-1970s Rush, Uriah Heep and a spot of Colosseum II.
The Destroyer kicks things off with a crunching riff which is a bit doomy, soaring solo, the complex bass backing it up and Frigon drumming up a storm. The Wizard’s Vengeance has that mystical feel and another remarkable solo from Nugent. So fast yet skillfull.
Check out The Destroyer:
Nugent’s guitar shines again in the mazy The Golden Bell. Longish, heavy, progressive, glorious atmospheric soloing, that huge bass behind it and Frigon’s drumming quite outstanding in it’s technical delivery. The song has something of a structured yet improvised jam feel about it. Hard to explain unless you listen to it.
The Conforntation is a fast-paced instrumental then R.A.R.Z comes in as straight ahead heavy rocker before Against the Odds takes us back to the heavy, mystical, proggy, slightly jazzy stuff.
The Iron Horse is Frigon’s showcase. It’s basically a drum solo bookended by puncy riffing. And what a drum solo it is. At around three minutes or so it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. Instead it allows Frigon to show his range. Fast frills, technical and gradually building up the pace. Check out the speed too. The snare drum sounds like a steam train – which I guess is why the track is called The Iron Horse.
The title track rounds it off in a stupendous eight minute epic of heavy, proggy stuff so well written and performed. Very technical yet Legend pull it off with aplomb.
Can’t big this up enough. Legend had something very special with From the Fjords. Alas, there’d be no more from them and even more unfortunately Nugent died in the early 1980s.
Don’t hang around – get yourself over to Sonic Age Records (or wherever else you can find it) and treat yourself to the CD. With the album and the Ray Frigon interview booklet it’s unmissable.
Sonic Age Records:
https://sonicagerecords.com