message from spv records

[saxon747rock]

for those that havent read it yet this is the write up from saxons record company site spv.

SAXON - New Album LIONHEART to be released September 20th 2004
Saxon are British through and through. Not only are they among the founders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that kick-started a new musical genre in the early Eighties, they’ve also upheld the theme of their native country in their lyrics as well as in their music for some 25 years. Pretty much the same can be said of every aspect of their new, haunting album, Lionheart. From their impressive songwriting with its powerful sounds and ambitioned lyrics about witch hunters, King Richard Lionheart and the attitude of British soldiers towards war, to their striking cover artwork, Saxon unequivocally stand by their origins. At the same time, the band surrounding vocalist Biff Byford display an energy that’s almost physically perceptible. Byford rightly explains: “Lionheart is the most powerful album we’ve ever recorded.

Tracklisting:
01. Witchfinder General, 02. Man And Machine, 03. The Return, 04. Lionheart, 05. Beyond the Grave , 06. Justice, 07. To live by the Sword, 08. Jack Tars, 09. English Man´o`war, 10. Searching for Atlantis, 11. Flying on the Edge

 

[nightwar]

Thanks 747!
This sounds excellent and typically Saxon!
It's good to hear that Biff has been looking at his history books again!

Although the band have always stuck to their English roots lyrically, it would be good to hear how the European fans view all this. After all, Saxon are bigger there than here in the UK.
It will be interesting to see how 'Lionheart' and 'Killing Ground' compare to each other.
Biff is bound to say that this is the best Saxon album ever - I hope it is! - but it is going to take something to top 'MetalHead' and 'Killing Ground'.
I can't wait for September 20th!

 

[mmurnau]

A lot of the topics on this album sound very interesting. I'd say Saxon have been influenced by some of the European bands they have been touring and playing festivals with recently because this seems very much a historical / fantasy based album.

I'll be most interested to see what Saxon made of Richard the Lionheart actually. Did they go for the romanticised figure of the Robin Hood myths or the real, far less glamourous figure from history?

Just so you can see what I'm on about: Richard the Lionheart was a French nobleman who didn't speak a word of English. In 10 years as King he spent less than 10 months in England, only coming back to the country to either raise money to fund his Crusades via taxes or to slaughter any English peasants who were threatening a rebellion.

His reputation in battle was as a brilliant warrior but also a merciless one who slaughtered his enemies without pity. On the way back from the Third Crusade he was captured by Leopald of Austria and had to be bailed out by his younger brother John, only to go off fighting some relatively obscure battles in France and die very shortly afterwards.

In some ways, y'know, there's quite a lot of scope for a bloody good song in there. Just curious about which way the band went about it, that's all.

 

[Paxoman]

Thanks for the history lesson mmurnau. But can you tell us who Jack Tars was?! Anyone? It's not a trick question, I haven't got a clue myself!

It's interesting that Biff is saying that Lionheart is the most powerful album Saxon have ever done. It sounds like it might be along the lines of Metalhead. That is quite a powerful and dark album. I read Biff say in an interview once that Saxon would never go darker than the Metalhead album. I quite liked the direction Metalhead went in, and I thought Saxon should maybe try that direction again, but Killing Ground was a bit more the Saxon that we are used to. Will be interesting to hear what direction the album is going in.

 

[DirtySanchez]

'Jack Tars' is a Victorian reference to sailors. As in the jolly Jack Tars of the Royal Navy.

This album's theme seems to be exploring British military traditions in much the same way Iced Earth's 'Glorious Burden' did for the Americans.

 

[Paxoman]

Cheers Dirtysanchez!

 

[nightwar]

Nice history lesson, Mmurnau! What have you been reading, bookworm?

I have to admit that Richard the LionHeart sounds more like a Premiership football player than a historical figure!

 

[mmurnau]

Yeah, Pax, I liked the direction of Metalhead as well. The same for Unleash the Beast.

It seems to me that Biff and the boys made a deliberate decision with Killing Ground to try a wider variety of material. Crimson King is prog metal (as Shadows on the Wall may be as well, a great song which often seems overlooked), Coming Home and Hell Freezes Over are rock n roll, Dragons Lair and the title track are power metal, etc., etc. So its more varied but maybe borrows from a few too many places(?).

I'm wondering whether this was an experiment to see which would go down best with the audience or whether the boys were just trying to branch out a bit by both doing new stuff AND going back to their roots at the same time. Personally I like a bit of classic rock in the UFO vein but if Saxon were to go even darker and heavier (and faster!) than Metalhead you wouldn't find me complaining!

nightwar, I read all that stuff in a newspaper article a while ago. It was completely at odds with what I thought I knew so I read around it a little bit and found it was all true. For even more entertainment try researching the real life St. George!

I'm no historian, unfortunately. But there's a good explanation of Jack Tars at:

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~jacktar/privfaq.html
(go to the very bottom of the page)

It seems that the phrase is Victorian as Sanchez said, but is based upon something earlier from the 1600s. If it is a song about Privateers, who were basically LEGAL pirates who only attacked the ships of their country's enemies, then that could indeed be a good one. Running Wild-stylee, anyone?

 

[Patte]

On this history topic,

I don't know if you guys read that much, being headbangers and all, but would you know any writers of historical novels? I'd love to find some historical novels, but it's not easy. English history, crusaders and stuff, anything really. As long as it's novels.

 

[DirtySanchez]

You could try something by Bernard Cornwell. He's written about Stonehenge, King Arthur and the 100 Years War. He's best known for his 'Sharpe' novels set in the Napoleonic Wars.

Anyway, here's the link -

http://www.bernardcornwell.net/

 

[Paxoman]

You could try Rosemary Hawley Jarman. I have read a couple of her novels ('We Speak No Treason' and 'The King's Grey Mare'). They are fiction but based around factual events.

 

[Patte]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll try to find something by them...
I find it not so easy to find novels with historical themes?

 

[KellyM]

Hi,

I agree with Dirty, Cornwell wrote some outstanding books, his Arthurian Version is simply great. Love it...