Silver Lining

With a storming new stomp in their boots and a renewed, lithe swagger to their legendary sound, Saxon will release "Sacrifice", in February 2013 through UDR. Taking a sharper, re-invigorated approach to the production, on this, their 20th album, Saxon have produced 10 of their strongest, heaviest and most inspired songs for many-a-year, and a more than worthy successor to their last album "A Call To Arms".<br/><br/>"Less tricks, more power!" roars frontman and founding father Biff Byford, "my brief to the band was to be raw, be real and not be afraid to look back at the old classic material for inspiration."<br/><br/>The album was recorded at LS Studios in Yorkshire and was produced by Byford with Andy Sneap mixing and engineering by Jacky Lehmann. It fairly bristles with muscular metallic intent, Paul Quinn's and Doug Scarratt's guitar work the best it's ever been, while Biff's vocals sound fresher and livelier. The songwriting too harks back to a classic era in Saxon's history, with the likes of 'Warriors Of The Road', 'Wheels Of Terror' and 'Stand Up And Fight' evoking the halcyon days of yore with a contemporary twist, the classic Saxon sound absorbing the snarl, ferocity and attitude of contemporary bands (and fans) such as Megadeth, as evidenced by the crunching title cut 'Sacrifice'.<br/><br/>"It's certainly been done from a more early '80s thrashier perspective," explains Biff, "and it's not just guitars bashing away willy-nilly, they've got a fresh drive, purpose and perspective."<br/><br/>Besides the new material, Saxon will also be adding some unique recordings of revisited classic to certain formats of the release, also produced by Byford and mastered by Andy Sneap, including an orchestrated version of 'Crusader' and an acoustic version of 'Frozen Rainbow'.<br/><br/>"From the songs to the production, I wanted to focus on the raw aspects which made us great in the first place," concludes Biff, "And living in that rawness, combined with some great classic Saxon-songwriting, has in my opinion made Saxon fresher than ever."

Saxon: Carpe Diem 2022 [Digipack / CD]

Following the release of "Inspirations" in 2021, "More Inspirations" is the second "deep dish" serving of the influences which have fed the mighty SAXON's immensely successful 40-plus-year career.<br/><br/>Whether getting feral with THE ANIMALS' "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place", letting loose a high-octane take on ALICE COOPER's "From The Inside", or laying down a ferocious tribute to KISS's "Detroit Rock City", "More Inspirations" is a joyous trip into the sounds which galvanized the Barnsley boys and continue to get spun on home stereos and tour buses.<br/><br/>Produced by vocalist/co-founder Biff Byford, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann, "More Inspirations" also includes enthusiastic takes on RAINBOW, ZZ TOP and CREAM, as well as a thunderous "Razamanaz" by NAZARETH, a tasty take on THE WHO's "Substitute", and a thick groove take on URIAH HEEP's "Gypsy". Whether this is your first dance with such classic songs, or you've come to see where SAXON was born, "More Inspirations" delivers the goods and then some.

Saxon: Hell Fire and Damnation [Vinyl LP]

Morbid Angel: Kingdoms disdained 2017 [CD]

Saxon: Sacrifice [Vinyl LP]

Chaos & Colour, the energetic and triumphant 25th studio album from British hard rock legends and progenators Uriah Heep, bristles with explosive classic rock guitars, supreme harmonies, and Heep's famously generous keyboard foundation. Led by founding member Mick Box, it is no surprise that themes of light, love and, ultimately, positivity are constant through the eleven tracks. Opener "Save Me Tonight" shows the band's weighty yet blistering chops, whilst "One Nation, One Sun" is a journey of soaring balladic contemplation. "Fly Like An Eagle" takes the listener on a journey of meditation, and "Closer To Your Dreams" is a battle cry for all rockers to get out there and do it, with Shaw imploring that "So many have tried but slipped away/Now it's time for you to have your say." During the entire album, Bernie Shaw's timeless vocals sit expertly beside the band's phenomenal artistry (Mick Box - guitar, Phil Lanzon - keyboard, Russell Gilbrook - drums, Dave Rimmer - bass), rounding out exceptional performances throughout. Produced at Chapel Studios by Jay Ruston, and engineered by Pieter Rietkirk, Chaos & Colour is a superb album of quality hard rock from the pioneers of the genre who continue to create top class material. Old fans will be reinvigorated whilst new fans will surely find Chaos & Colour an exceptional discovery.