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Artist: Saxon |
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Earlier
this year we witnessed the mighty Saxon live once more and again the
band rocked big style with Biff, Doug, Paul, Nibs and Nigel showing just
why they are held in such high esteem among Rock and Metal fans
the length and breadth of the world. It was during this tour that the
band introduced us to a few tracks from their new album ‘Call To
Arms’, so when the album hit the office, I just couldn’t wait to hear
the album in its entirety. Once
again the band show you can't keep the old dogs down, as these dogs of war
keep coming back year after year, both live and in the studio, with some
stunning slices of Metal and Rock. The
album get us underway with the stunning ‘Hammer Of The Gods’ and from
the off it's grooved filled metal that can be only Saxon, with Biff
sounding even more powerful than ever, as each new album is released his
vocals just seem to get better and better like a fine malt. Add to
that Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt pulling out the metal licks like rabbits
from a hat, (you don’t know how its done you just enjoy what’s coming
off), along with the powerhouse rhythm section that is Nibs Carter and
Nigel Glockler, this surely is a fine way to get the ball rolling. The
album continues its impressive path with the mighty ‘Back In 79’ on
which we hear fans singing on the album, although this isn't actually a recording of past shows,
but rather 79 fans who were asked to come along just 24 hours prior to the song
being recorded in Brighton, another brainwave from Byford as done on 'Denim & Leather' all those years ago.
This is old school Saxon and is
very reminiscent of their first few albums. No nonsense ballsy rock. One
thing that makes Saxon what they are today is the fact they haven’t strayed
too far
from their roots. Yes there have been a few wanderings but they’ve
always come back stronger and wiser and one track that tells of this is
the storming ‘Surviving Against The Odds’. Again a pounding Heavy
Rock tune with Quinn and Scarrat sharing guitar duties as always, maybe
that’s the only difference between the Saxon we know today and the
band of old, is that they have a powerful twin guitar sound now. Another
thing about Saxon is with the songs there is always a tale to tell and the
band take up the Arthurian legend of Excalibur with the tremendous metal
of ‘Mists Of Avalon’. Great guitar work features strongly
throughout but it’s the
powerhouse bass lines of Carter and the skin work of Glockler that
really drive this one forward, along with Byford’s great vocals of
course. But the
band have never been an all out hell for leather kinda band, they do have a mellower
and melodic metal side and the title track ‘Call To Arms’ showcases
this perfectly with a
haunting melody which runs throughout this one. This is but a short reprise as
it's pedal to the metal with two real monster Heavy Metal songs,
first up it's ‘Chasing The Bullet’, a real thumper of a tune, then
there’s the stunning ‘Afterburner’ where the band go all out.
I
don’t know if Quinn and Scarrat are auditioning for the vacant guitar
spot left by K.K. Downing because on this one the guys shred like
Mothers, on one of the hardest and meanest Saxon songs you’ll hear,
with Byford really going for the jugular with an earth shattering vocal.
Think 'Freewheel Burning' and you won't be far away from the vibe this one has. If you
thought you had heard it all then you haven’t, ‘When Doomsday
Comes’ floods in and we hear the keyboards of one Don Airey making a
special guest
appearance on this song, which is one of my favourite tracks off the
album. There are just so many layers to this one that it's just a joy to listen
to. I
loved this one live and it still holds that power on the album. A great
track, very Saxon, as it the next song ‘No Rest For The Wicked’ which
actually features on the James Erskin film ‘Hybrid Theory’. A very dark and
heavy vibed metal monster that rocks big style. One
thing that Byford is proud of are his working mans roots, from his mining
and mill days as a young man just waiting to live the dream of singing
in a rock band and he pays homage to the common man with ‘Ballad Of
The Working Man’, a touch of boogie guitar from Quinn gets this up
tempo rocker underway and carries on throughout. A real feel good song
that reminds us of simpler times when the wheels of industry kept this
country of ours turning. The album closes with something a little different with an excellent orchestral version of the title track ‘Call To Arms’. This one finds Saxon doing the symphonic metal thing, just to show the young guns that ... anything you can do we can do better ... and rounds off what has to be one of the finest and complete Saxon albums of all time. If you could take the best parts of all the albums they have done over the years and put them on to one album, then ‘Call To Arms’ would be that album. |
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Tracklisting: 1. Hammer Of The Gods |
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