Love them or hate them, Saxon are legends in their own right. From their classic albums back in the early 1980’s heralding the NWOBHM movement, to their more modern classic albums that give the new boys a run for their money, they will always have a special musical legacy when it comes to British Metal.
2009 brings a new album, and with it, does it bring anything new to the table? Admittedly, I did not find the bands last outing that special. Opening track ‘Battalions of Steel’ brings in the album much like a power metal record, but with too many synth’s for my liking making it a cross between Nightwish and Hammerfall. However, the boys bring things back on track with ‘Live to Rock’. This reminds the listener of classic Saxon and an ass kicking solo that fits the arrangement just right. Biff Byford’s vocals have always been spot on; this album does not detract from that statement in the slightest; powerful and emotional where required. An album recorded in the same studio as Blind Guardian gives the whole package a fuller, more accomplished sound that is perfectly mixed and balanced - great for loud listening! ‘Demon Sweeney Todd’ takes the listener into the dark past of the infamous barber of death, whilst musically it’s modern and up-tempo; a neck beater with no pomp. The timing of this track is also about right, anywhere past the 4-minute mark gets a little tedious for me. ‘Valley of the Kings’ is another modern masterpiece in terms of arrangement. Expect more syncopated guitars with a chorus full of power and emotion that would sit well on any Blind Guardian album. Classic Saxon and cheesy lyrics return with ‘Slow Lane Blues’ and their issues with “the law”.
You have everything that Saxon has been all about lyrically; women and the law, mixed with some historical comments to make it a bit more interesting than what is normally expected. The ballad ‘Voice’ is a little disappointing; it’s just not that amazing to me. The final track is a re-arrangement of ‘Coming Home’ that appeared on the ‘Killing Ground’ album that could have maybe been a b-side rather than an album track.
Things are restored with ‘Protect Yourselves’ and ‘Hellcat’ that go down the British Metal route that is associated with Blaze Bailey, but then it’s British metal pure and simple; many try, many fail, Saxon are one of the originators and they still put down a good show. The album on the whole is a good listen. For me there were a couple of low points mid-way through, but when you balance this with the remainder of quality head banging tunes, you just cant say anything bad about ‘Into the Labyrinth’. One of the latter tracks ‘Come Rock of Ages’ finishes things off great for me.
Put into a short sentence, another slab of British power and might.
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