Jump to content

Saxon


Recommended Posts

I love NWOBHM but I never got into Saxon. I was listening to Wheels of Steel on youtube while waiting for something stupid at work and I instantly fell in love with this band.

They remind me of the Rods and Bon Scott somehow. Saxon is like the 70's band that out heavied and out grooved everyone (except Sabbath of course) but came out in the 80s. Their music has that late 70s biker feel to it.This album just hits the spot when I'm relaxing with friends.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR61QlZKcM0&list=PLQW91GaylGw9iqMsqWSZx39w3JYLuhX4y&index=7

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjAFa77yHwM&list=PLQW91GaylGw9iqMsqWSZx39w3JYLuhX4y&index=9

I'm new to this band. What is the best Saxon album?

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

They produced some great songs in the early 80s, be a toss up between Wheels of Steel & Strong Arm of the Law as to what is my favourite album by them.

 

Some of their mid to late 80s stuff, when they were trying to crack the US with a more commercial sound, is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, some cracking tunes, though a bit of dross as well, Party ‘Till You Puke, I’m thinking of you.

 

Their current material I just don’t find as memorable or catchy as what the produced in their hey day, probably a bit too heavy for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

This is one of NWOBHM leaders on a par with Iron Maiden. I adore "747 - Strangers In The Night". All 80s albums are gold fund of Heavy Metal. But they also succumbed to fashion in the end of 80s and released a AOR/Glam album called Destiny (1988). The same situation was with Judas Priest (Turbo), Iron Maiden (Somewhere In Time).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I used to listen to Saxon when I was younger, but I don't have time for them now.  There is so much other stuff to listen to.  I was not aware until today that there are any Saxon tribute bands out there.  I just checked, and there are at least four.  However, I do not know of a single young band which ever covers their songs or cites them as an influence.

Also, has any member of the band ever had a signature guitar (or other instrument)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...
  • 6 months later...

Saxon is my personal favorite out of all the early 80's nwobhm era bands. I prefer them over Priest and Maiden and anyone else from that nwobhm movement you care to name except for Motorhead. I'll take Motorhead over any other late 70's early 80's band bar none.

That said, the only Saxon albums you really absolutely need are Strong Arm of the Law, Wheels of Steel, Denim & Leather and I guess Power and the Glory. Crusader is alright but not essential. Thats it, the whole Saxon story in a nutshell.

Hungry Years

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Though this thread is a bit old....I think Saxon has more than only the 80ies. The Inner Sactum is something I really like. There is not a single Maiden album later than Brave new World to which I listen that often...Battering Ram and Into the Labyrinth, Call to Arms are also solid Metal albums worth its moneney -  and what about the 90ies? Unleashe the beast, Metalhead, to my mind rather good Metal, let's take "The thin red Line" a real Metal Ballad, not a Love song, there is so much power in the song...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, i just realized I forgot one of Saxon's best album ever, to my mind, or to put it more neutral,  one of Saxon's album I like most: Lionheart (2004). This is one of my all time favorites in Metal. It has such brilliant songs as the title track, Justice, to live by the sword - and the real heavy ballads, searching for atlantis and flying on the edge. If you don't know them, check it out, the songs are worth it. Surely they sound different from their 80ies songs, but doesn't matter, Heavy Metal at its best, I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Saxon was one of my favourite bands when I got into metal, and their record Denim and Leather was actually my gateway into metal, it doesn't sound very hard now, it was back then though

In retrospect I'm not sure I would say they have any great albums, they do however have quite a few pretty good tracks, even up to the most recent releases

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes I think if you are not from the time  in which a band started/became famous and came very much later, when the band already existed 20 or 30 years, you often have a total different view than the fans who have grown up with the band. I remember having read Lemmy one day saying something like "often I meet people who used to listen to us and they they: ' Overkill was great, Ace of Spades was excellent, but now with the family and lack of time and staff I do no more listen to Motörhead, many year ago I listend to your music' what are they talking about? Why can't they listen any more to Motörhead? We did so many good albums after 'Ace of spades'  Something like this he said. This may be true for great parts of the audience of many bands. As i wrote SAXON did really great albums after the 80ies. Which album of the 80ies is as good as Lionheart? Perphas Power and the Glory, though very much softer - do not get me wrong, I like the 80ies albums of Saxon - apart from Crusader and Rock the nations, Crusader is a good track, but there is not very much more, I like on these albums. I do not think that they did such bad albums after the 80ies...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m seeing Saxon live on Friday in Manchester, cannot wait!!

 

not heard a bad album from them so far, I’m currently listening to Call to Arms and it’s kickass!! Not a weak track on it as im concerned, i’ve listened to Strong Arm of the Law, Wheels Of Steel, Denim and Leather, Battering Ram, Thunderbolt and Sacrifice and I like all of them, I think I actually prefer some of their more Modern stuff, but the best introduction album to Saxon is definitely Wheels of Steel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Surely these guys deserve a bit more attention here.  Some of their tracks ala Heavy Metal Thunder, Never Surrender, Motorcycle Man,  Denim and Leather, Power and the Glory  are genre defining whilst others all Princess of the Night and 747 (Strangers in the Night) and Sixth Form Girls are just excellent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dead1 said:

Surely these guys deserve a bit more attention here.  Some of their tracks ala Heavy Metal Thunder, Never Surrender, Motorcycle Man,  Denim and Leather, Power and the Glory  are genre defining whilst others all Princess of the Night and 747 (Strangers in the Night) and Sixth Form Girls are just excellent.

I'm sure I've mentioned several times that Saxon sits atop the nwobhm food chain as far as I'm concerned, I enjoy them much more than Priest or Maiden and I always have. That doesn't seem to be a popular opinion most of the time depending on who I'm talking to, but I don't care. Hungry Years has always been one of my favorite Saxon tunes, no one ever seems to mention that one. Wouldn't say it's my absolute favorite overall, but they honestly have too many bangers to single out just one. Their 4 album run from 1980 to 1983 is unfuckwithable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

I'm sure I've mentioned several times that Saxon sits atop the nwobhm food chain as far as I'm concerned.

I think it's close if you look at Maiden's  pure NWOBHM stuff even though I love Killers and Iron Maiden.  By 1982 Iron Maiden were going down a more epic path and leaving NWOBHM behind.*  I think overall Iron Maiden are far better as Saxon kind of lost the plot to some degree after 1983 and became very inconsistent.

*Yes I know NOWBHM wasn't a specific sound/style (arguably from Def Leppard to Maiden to Venom) but there was a stripped down punky attitude there - other than maybe Witchfinder General who were very much worshipping Black Sabbath.  

I mean listen to not just Saxon or Venom or early Iron Maiden, but Tygers of Pan-tang, Tank, Angel Witch, Samson, Sweet Savage etc.

 

But yeah Saxon 1980-83 is up there with Iron Maiden 1980-81 as top of NWOBHM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dead1 said:

I think it's close if you look at Maiden's  pure NWOBHM stuff even though I love Killers and Iron Maiden.  By 1982 Iron Maiden were going down a more epic path and leaving NWOBHM behind.*  I think overall Iron Maiden are far better as Saxon kind of lost the plot to some degree after 1983 and became very inconsistent.

*Yes I know NOWBHM wasn't a specific sound/style (arguably from Def Leppard to Maiden to Venom) but there was a stripped down punky attitude there - other than maybe Witchfinder General who were very much worshipping Black Sabbath.  

I mean listen to not just Saxon or Venom or early Iron Maiden, but Tygers of Pan-tang, Tank, Angel Witch, Samson, Sweet Savage etc.

But yeah Saxon 1980-83 is up there with Iron Maiden 1980-81 as top of NWOBHM

I'll give Saxon credit up through '84's Crusader before I lost interest, which is exactly the same time I lost interest in Maiden. As you know Powerslave came out in '84 as well, I only liked the first 2 tracks Aces & Two Minutes and I was done with them at that point, I've never bothered to seek out or listen to another Maiden album after that. So I'd say they both lost the plot and became wildly inconsistent together in '84 along with Priest (84's Defenders was my last Priest album too) and pretty much all the rest of nwobhm. All those early 80's bands only exist up to 1984 for me. They're all dead to me after that, I think of them just as if they all broke up Dec 31st 1984.

But that's just my opinion man, I can appreciate that you along with many others are die hard Maiden fans who have continued following them and enjoying their albums for the next 40 years after I bailed and I would not dream of wasting my time attemping to disuade any of you from that stance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Join Metal Forum

    joinus-home.jpg

  • Our picks

    • Whichever tier of thrash metal you consigned Sacred Reich back in the 80's/90's they still had their moments.  "Ignorance" & "Surf Nicaragura" did a great job of establishing the band, whereas "The American Way" just got a little to comfortable and accessible (the title track grates nowadays) for my ears.  A couple more records better left forgotten about and then nothing for twenty three years.  2019 alone has now seen three releases from Phil Rind and co.  A live EP, a split EP with Iron Reagan and now a full length.

      Notable addition to the ranks for the current throng of releases is former Machine Head sticksman, Dave McClean.  Love or hate Machine Head, McClean is a more than capable drummer and his presence here is felt from the off with the opening and title track kicking things off with some real gusto.  'Divide & Conquer' and 'Salvation' muddle along nicely, never quite reaching any quality that would make my balls tingle but comfortable enough.  The looming build to 'Manifest Reality' delivers a real punch when the song starts proper.  Frenzied riffs and drums with shots of lead work to hold the interest.


      There's a problem already though (I know, I am such a fucking mood hoover).  I don't like Phil's vocals.  I never had if I am being honest.  The aggression to them seems a little forced even when they are at their best on tracks like 'Manifest Reality'.  When he tries to sing it just feels weak though ('Salvation') and tracks lose real punch.  Give him a riffy number such as 'Killing Machine' and he is fine with the Reich engine (probably a poor choice of phrase) up in sixth gear.  For every thrashy riff there's a fair share of rock edged, local bar act rhythm aplenty too.

      Let's not poo-poo proceedings though, because overall I actually enjoy "Awakening".  It is stacked full of catchy riffs that are sticky on the old ears.  Whilst not as raw as perhaps the - brilliant - artwork suggests with its black and white, tattoo flash sheet style design it is enjoyable enough.  Yes, 'Death Valley' & 'Something to Believe' have no place here, saved only by Arnett and Radziwill's lead work but 'Revolution' is a fucking 80's thrash heyday throwback to the extent that if you turn the TV on during it you might catch a new episode of Cheers!

      3/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 10 replies
    • I
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/52-vltimas-something-wicked-marches-in/
      • Reputation Points

      • 3 replies

    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/48-candlemass-the-door-to-doom/
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • Full length number 19 from overkill certainly makes a splash in the energy stakes, I mean there's some modern thrash bands that are a good two decades younger than Overkill who can only hope to achieve the levels of spunk that New Jersey's finest produce here.  That in itself is an achievement, for a band of Overkill's stature and reputation to be able to still sound relevant four decades into their career is no mean feat.  Even in the albums weaker moments it never gets redundant and the energy levels remain high.  There's a real sense of a band in a state of some renewed vigour, helped in no small part by the addition of Jason Bittner on drums.  The former Flotsam & Jetsam skinsman is nothing short of superb throughout "The Wings of War" and seems to have squeezed a little extra out of the rest of his peers.

      The album kicks of with a great build to opening track "Last Man Standing" and for the first 4 tracks of the album the Overkill crew stomp, bash and groove their way to a solid level of consistency.  The lead work is of particular note and Blitz sounds as sneery and scathing as ever.  The album is well produced and mixed too with all parts of the thrash machine audible as the five piece hammer away at your skull with the usual blend of chugging riffs and infectious anthems.  


      There are weak moments as mentioned but they are more a victim of how good the strong tracks are.  In it's own right "Distortion" is a solid enough - if not slightly varied a journey from the last offering - but it just doesn't stand up well against a "Bat Shit Crazy" or a "Head of a Pin".  As the album draws to a close you get the increasing impression that the last few tracks are rescued really by some great solos and stomping skin work which is a shame because trimming of a couple of tracks may have made this less obvious. 

      4/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 4 replies
×
×
  • Create New...