Artist: Saxon 
   Title: The Inner Sanctum
   Label: SPV Records

If ever a band demanded legendary status then Saxon are that band.  They arrived during the NWOBHM phenomena and set out to conquer the world with their hard hitting guitar fuelled heavy metal.  The very fact they are still going strong, led by the effervescent vocal talent that is Biff Byford speaks volumes.

'The Inner Sanctum' is a powerhouse Saxon album that follows the bands 2004 'Lionheart' album, which itself received critical acclaim and the same can be said about this new opus.

The album opens up with ‘State of Grace’ and even at this point in the album, instantly you realise you're listening to a Saxon album, as the unmistakable vocals of Byford shine like a beacon leading the rest of the band of now stalwart members Paul Quinn, Nigel Glockler, Nibbs Carter and Doug Scarrat out of the darkness and into the light.

The album continues with the excellent riff laden ‘Need For Speed’, with the duelling guitars of Quinn and Scarratt against the pounding back beat of Glockler and Carter, all towered over by the sheer power and brilliance of Byford.

The band take the Saxon sound to the next level with the outstanding ‘Let Me Feel The Power’, a real rip snorting Heavy Metal track if ever there was one.  This track takes me back to the glory days of the band and the 'Power And The Glory' and 'Denim and Leather' albums, as it has that unmistakable 80's feel to it, but with a more up to take production.

Things slow down with ‘Red Star Falling’, a song that brings the Saxon sound full circle as it mixes elements of earlier material with the likes of the 'Lionheart' and 'Killing Ground' albums, this is a track that whilst still having that new Saxon sound to it, will be greatly appreciated by the bands older fans too.

For those of you who love the older material like 'Wheels of Steel', '747' and the like, then the next song is for you.  ‘I’ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)’ is classic Saxon at its finest, with some sublime guitar work by Quinn on this one.

The first single to be taken off the album is ‘If I Was You’ which came as two versions.  Firstly the single version which I thought lacked depth and then this album version which is by far a superior version and much more inline with the rest of the album.

‘Going Nowhere Fast’ is a crunching metal anthem that once again captures the full force of Byfords vocals.  It's also got that classic Saxon sound which once again sounds more up to date due to the modern day production techniques.

The band bring in some heavier elements in to the mix with ‘Ashes To Ashes’, a more bass ridden track which still has Quinn at the helm, with some masterful Heavy Metal guitar work.  Another track where Quinn comes into his own is the excellent ‘Empire Rising’, this is the sort of song that you associate with the new Saxon, a thumping double kick drum, a twin guitar assault and a pounding bass all backed by the essence that is Saxon for all their die hard fans, Biff Byford’s vocals.  A man whose voice hasn't diminished in power and grace since I first heard them on the bands self titled debut back in 1979.

Another thumping piece of Heavy Metal is the epic ‘Atila The Hun’ which closes the album for me, but there is still one more track left on the album and that is the single version of ‘If I Was You’.  Which as I said earlier is the poor cousin to the album version as it is more distorted that the album version, but this is the version that will feature on Channel 4 as part of a six part series entitled ‘Harvey Goldsmith Presents’.  During which the legendary promoter brings his wealth of experience and no nonsense advice to six entertainment acts, with the goal of returning them to the showbiz big time.  One of these programmes will be featuring the mighty Saxon, but I think the strength of this album alone will bring its own rewards to the band, never mind the documentary, as I think this the best Saxon album to date.

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