Description

‘Nineteen albums in and SAXON continue to showcase its art of doing no wrong. On CALL TO ARMS June 3rd 2011 SAXON takes a more direct approach to songwriting, maintaining a degree of variety within its trademark style parameters, but on the whole ending up a more compact example of melodic and classy traditional heavy metal and hard rock. The 11 cuts work as a representative career sampling in many respects, though more often than not are most representative of the meat and potatoes side of the SAXON sound. A great opener in the memorably riffed and catchy chorused Hammer of the Gods is followed by a big guitar, ode to the old days anthem called Back in 79. Uptempo tracks Surviving Against the Odds and Afterburner, as well as the ACDCesque Chasing the Bullet are demonstrative of the bands nofrills heavy metal rock n roll delivery. The tough riffing and marching cadence of No Rest for the Wicked delivers in similar form. Melodic hard rock territory is entered on Mists of Avalon, while a title track that is distinctively SAXON in its epic feel if not length, and the midtempo When Doomsday Comes Hybrid Theory with its mystical shades and a synth solo to boot, feature a different, though comfortably familiar side of the group. The way this album moves offers a freshness and energy about which most bands a 10th SAXONs age could only dream.’ Scott AlisogluBlabbermouth Saxon LP is available for home delivery from Vinyl Records London, only £22.5