The following is a review from a website of saxons lionheart album.
3 years have passed since Saxon's last release, Killing Ground, and the time has now come for the follow up. As one of the founders of the NWOBHM and proud bearers of the flag all along the years, the band has very few times disappointed me. Even if some may be of the opinion that the last effort was a lame and dull album, I say that the whole four-leaf clover of last studio albums are all more or less great albums and I really like the style Saxon has taken on lately.
Frontman and singer Biff Byford describes this new album: "Lionheart is the most powerful album we've ever recorded", and it's hard to disagree with that statement. As almost all other bands, Saxon follows the development of the scene and adds a little bit more heaviness and hardness for each time, and this can best be described as a natural development of Metalhead, and to some extent Killing Ground, with a dose of the familiar, classic bits for the mid 80's. As Fritz Randow has reportedly left the band in order to concentrate on other projects, but may rejoin the group at some point in the future, well known Jörg Michael steps in and is pounding the kegs and is doing a splendid job.
With the opener Withfinder General, they set the tone of the album. Double bass drums and a pumping riff. Nice verse and bridge, but the refrain leaves more to ask for. Nothing special, and a bit malplaced, even. Man And Machine continues with a heavy riff and a "classic" sound to the verse and the short bridge, and not much of a chorus here either, just the songtitle sung once. Overall, it is not so much refrain based this time, as it is focus on a hard and distinct approach. There are some really heavy and sharp riffs, which are balancing perfectly on the line between the new, tougher Saxon and the classic era.
Up until this point the album is very promising, and Lionheart is another great track which starts with a delicious riff, leading up to a semi acustic verse, and almost a Grave Digger smelling chorus and stick. Midtempo, a bit epic and a future live favourite. With Beyond The Grave comes the first track that does not really stick out in any direction. Decent, but nothing special. It's midtempo, has clean and soft vocals during the verse, and a standard heavy riff is backing up the pretty ordinary bridge and refrain. A rolling, fat riff starts up Justice and appears again during the bridge and it's a great flow in the song, but without being especially fast. Jörg Michael is a big asset behind the drumkit in Saxon. No bad words about all other great drumer they have had, but Jörg is Jörg.
To Live By The Sword is straight through one of the hardest and best songs they have made. Great uptempo riffing - almost thrashy at some points, as well as during other parts of the album - building up to a great chorus, and great lyrics help to create a great mood. Jack Tars that follows is just a short ballad piece that leads us into English Man 'O War that is an example of a song of the more classic shape, but with todays sharp riffs backing it up in a good uptempo flow. Searching For Atlantis are another one of those less good songs. Nothing in the songs stand out, despite a heavy riff and a pretty atmospheric chorus. Ths closing track Flying On The Edge is along with the previous one the reason to why it feels like the album is losing a bit of its energy and flow at the end. It is a slow piece, and not much melody makes its way through the riffing.
The production is good with a very clear, yet heavy sound, and Biff's vocals are probably the best and most powerful so far. It seems like that man is simply growing on the task along the years and he sings with great pondus. The guitar work is great as well, with good solos in god, old classic style as a good compliment to the heavy riffs.
A great album, that is definitly fighting for a top position among the "golden four" releases during the new and modern era of Saxon's history. I am positive that this album will grow slowly but sure along the way, and that feels safe. There might not be many new classics being born here(how easy is that really to create nowadays?), but at least 2-3 future live killers, and the material is overall very genuine and will be greeted well by the fans.
See also review of: The Saxon Chronicles
Production Vocals Compositions
9
9
8,5
Summary
8,5 chalices of 10 - Tommy
:hotjump:
3 years have passed since Saxon's last release, Killing Ground, and the time has now come for the follow up. As one of the founders of the NWOBHM and proud bearers of the flag all along the years, the band has very few times disappointed me. Even if some may be of the opinion that the last effort was a lame and dull album, I say that the whole four-leaf clover of last studio albums are all more or less great albums and I really like the style Saxon has taken on lately.
Frontman and singer Biff Byford describes this new album: "Lionheart is the most powerful album we've ever recorded", and it's hard to disagree with that statement. As almost all other bands, Saxon follows the development of the scene and adds a little bit more heaviness and hardness for each time, and this can best be described as a natural development of Metalhead, and to some extent Killing Ground, with a dose of the familiar, classic bits for the mid 80's. As Fritz Randow has reportedly left the band in order to concentrate on other projects, but may rejoin the group at some point in the future, well known Jörg Michael steps in and is pounding the kegs and is doing a splendid job.
With the opener Withfinder General, they set the tone of the album. Double bass drums and a pumping riff. Nice verse and bridge, but the refrain leaves more to ask for. Nothing special, and a bit malplaced, even. Man And Machine continues with a heavy riff and a "classic" sound to the verse and the short bridge, and not much of a chorus here either, just the songtitle sung once. Overall, it is not so much refrain based this time, as it is focus on a hard and distinct approach. There are some really heavy and sharp riffs, which are balancing perfectly on the line between the new, tougher Saxon and the classic era.
Up until this point the album is very promising, and Lionheart is another great track which starts with a delicious riff, leading up to a semi acustic verse, and almost a Grave Digger smelling chorus and stick. Midtempo, a bit epic and a future live favourite. With Beyond The Grave comes the first track that does not really stick out in any direction. Decent, but nothing special. It's midtempo, has clean and soft vocals during the verse, and a standard heavy riff is backing up the pretty ordinary bridge and refrain. A rolling, fat riff starts up Justice and appears again during the bridge and it's a great flow in the song, but without being especially fast. Jörg Michael is a big asset behind the drumkit in Saxon. No bad words about all other great drumer they have had, but Jörg is Jörg.
To Live By The Sword is straight through one of the hardest and best songs they have made. Great uptempo riffing - almost thrashy at some points, as well as during other parts of the album - building up to a great chorus, and great lyrics help to create a great mood. Jack Tars that follows is just a short ballad piece that leads us into English Man 'O War that is an example of a song of the more classic shape, but with todays sharp riffs backing it up in a good uptempo flow. Searching For Atlantis are another one of those less good songs. Nothing in the songs stand out, despite a heavy riff and a pretty atmospheric chorus. Ths closing track Flying On The Edge is along with the previous one the reason to why it feels like the album is losing a bit of its energy and flow at the end. It is a slow piece, and not much melody makes its way through the riffing.
The production is good with a very clear, yet heavy sound, and Biff's vocals are probably the best and most powerful so far. It seems like that man is simply growing on the task along the years and he sings with great pondus. The guitar work is great as well, with good solos in god, old classic style as a good compliment to the heavy riffs.
A great album, that is definitly fighting for a top position among the "golden four" releases during the new and modern era of Saxon's history. I am positive that this album will grow slowly but sure along the way, and that feels safe. There might not be many new classics being born here(how easy is that really to create nowadays?), but at least 2-3 future live killers, and the material is overall very genuine and will be greeted well by the fans.
See also review of: The Saxon Chronicles
Production Vocals Compositions
9
9
8,5
Summary
8,5 chalices of 10 - Tommy
:hotjump:
