Forty five years on from their debut, NWOBHM royalty Saxon, show they are still very much leading the charge with their twenty fourth studio album Hell, Fire and Damnation.
Entirely fitting the aesthetic and tone-setting introduction, “The Prophecy” is made all the more encapsulating with added narration from the one and only Brian Blessed, which then swings like an axe into the fury and fire of the title track. And just like that Saxon are immediately showcasing just why they have been pillars for so long, The solos that weave through this are also particularly pleasing to the ears.
Continuing that energy with some wonderful song writing is “Madame Guillotine”. The chorus is not only glorious but with its blends of tempos and styles, it perfectly showcases the musicianship as well as, of course, throwing in historical elements.
Shortest track of the album, “Fire and Steel”, is also the fastest and almost has an air of Motörhead about it in places. After being so technical before, it’s great to have something that really makes you want to turn up the volume even more and really blow the cobwebs away as it really complements nicely.
True to form, there’s a two-fold quintessential card with “There’s Something in Roswell”. The storytelling aspect is so well delivered, as too is the execution of vocals and instruments, that you really have to take a moment to really appreciate something so well put together. This is followed by “Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice” which all but confirms that this is one of the strongest albums to date from the Barnsley battalion.
“Pirates of the Airwaves” breathes a wave of nostalgia through the album with its style and lyrical content which is then met with the concluding trilogy consisting of historical “1066”, “Witches of Salem” and “Super Charger” which, all in their own way, collectively add an extra splash of finesse. And very much like the album’s start, it fires on all cylinders and goes straight into the admiration of a member of the extended Saxon army.
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Hell, Fire and Damnation is released on 19th January
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