Having recently been giving Wheels Of Steel a right good hammering I had a sift about and discovered that SAXON had a new album out. Not only that, they were on tour and playing a gig in a town near me. Joy of joys. Better get that album then and give it a good road test before the gig.
This is a classic rock album by a classic rock band and there is not a bad song on it. It has been heralded as something of a return to their roots and to form but I really think it best to dismiss this kind of talk as rubbish. Saxon have been around for an awful long time so ‘fashion’ is not relevant and furthermore, they have made an awful lot of albums. Not all of them are brilliant but they have still made a hell of a lot more brilliant albums than most other bands. The mighty Saxon.
There are great examples of different types of metal/rock songs on this album. Opener Hammer Of The Gods and When Doomsday Comes show a great understanding of more recent (than 1979) developments in metal. Heavy heavy riffage and talk of end of days. Back In 79 and Surviving Against The Odds are classic early doors Saxon. Damn straight. Mists Of Avalon illustrates just why this band are the quintessential English rock band. Naturally there would have to be a Saxon song about Excalibur! It really is handled beautifully as well. Fleshed out with keyboards and lovely melodies it’s so damn perfect in every way that it really does add something to an inevitably tired (in terms of the numerous and sub standard interpretations of the myth from across all mediums) scenario.
Chasing The Bullet has a killer simple dumb ass rock riff, stomping rhythm and “fuck you I’ve had enough of this shit” lyrics. This really is my kind of rock song! Afterburner follows. Motorcycle Man for the skies. Ballad Of The Working Man is classic Thin Lizzy and I respond to its sound, vibe, lyric and sentiment. It takes me back to a simple life. Yes sir (Biff) it does.
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That leaves me with one song to discuss. The centrepiece and title track of the album. The CD also has an orchestral version of this song. It’s hard for me to know where to start? Perhaps with a digression? There are many things I love about Saxon (a recent realisation/learning) and for that matter there are many things to love about Saxon. Two of these you could file under ‘type of song’. Saxon do a lot of war songs and they do them very well and likewise songs about the underdog. Call To Arms is a war song. I played it to a friend of mine and he cried.
People take the piss out of Saxon and that’s fine. They might even accuse them of shameless sentimentalisation (ha!) but I bet you they (Biff at the very least) have a deep knowledge and passion for this subject matter. And they can write a good ballad which any rock band worth its salt should be able to do. This is music with a big heart and maybe you can find a place in your heart for it? I played this song to a friend of mine and he cried...
Saxon online
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