As the old saying goes, change is the only constant, and when you’ve been around as long as NWOBHM legends Saxon, then some form of adjustment – enforced or voluntary – is usually never too far away. For the last eighteen years, the Yorkshire veterans have enjoyed their lengthiest spell ever of an unchanged line-up. This impressive run came to an end earlier this year when guitarist and co-founder Paul Quinn declared a hiatus.
Arriving from suitably prestigious stock, Quinn’s replacement (for this record) is none other than fellow NWOBHMer Brian Tatler, axeman for Midlands metal pioneers Diamond Head. Settling in with unerring ease, Tatler strikes up an instant rapport with co-guitarist Doug Scarratt, the pair going hell bent for leather on their first record together.
Saxon’s twenty-fourth full length studio release (not including the two recent Inspirations cover albums), Hell, Fire and Damnation (Silver Lining Music) finds the band sounding as fresh as ever, the record opening with the booming tones of none other than the mighty Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon) on introductory piece “The Prophecy” before smashing into proper opener “Hell, Fire And Damnation”. The epic battle between good and evil is relayed through big riffs, piercing solo,s and classic Biff Byford screams.
A moody bass intro turns into the historically charged Judas Priest style stomp of “Madame Guillotine”, the song boasting a simple but fiercely effective main riff and a bluesy middle section with Tatler and Scarratt trading guitar solos like they were going out of fashion.
After kicking off with two fairly mid-paced cuts, you might think age is finally catching up with Saxon. However, the balls to the wall double-kicks of “Fire and Steel” soon put that to rest. Yes, things slow down halfway through for a brief spell but they soon kick off again with another screaming guitar solo and a bracing charge to the end. “There’s Something In Roswell” combines surging metallic riffs with UFO conspiracies straight out of The X-Files; a punchy groove climaxing with another patented Byford scream.
“Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice” is another fast paced historical rocker, this time about the meeting of Italian adventurer Marco Polo and the titular Mongolian/Chinese Khagan-Emperor. Nostalgia is the main theme of “Pirates Of The Airwaves”, the band’s honouring pioneering– if ever so slightly illegal– radio stations like Radio Caroline before returning to the history books with the arrowhead accuracy of “1066”. Penultimate cut “Witches Of Salem” is imbued with a spidery riff, gravelly vocals, and some more fine lead guitar work before high octane closer “Super Charger” entirely lives up to its name, closing out the album with a bang.
Bolstered by the always reliable rhythm section of drummer Nigel Glockler and bassist Nibbs Carter, the band can also thank premier knob-twiddler Andy Sneap for his valued input, putting the icing on the cake with yet another predictably outstanding production job.
Vibrant, timeless, and metal as fuck, Hell, Fire and Damnation is the latest reliable entry from a band seemingly unaware of how to write a bad album, the only real grumble being a disappointing lack of “Gordon’s Alive!” anywhere on the record.
Buy the album here:
https://linktr.ee/SaxonBand
8 / 10
GARY ALCOCK