| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING Carpe Diem (Seize The Day) Age Of Steam The Pilgrimage Dambusters Remember The Fallen Super Nova Lady In Gray All For One Black Is The Night Living On The Limit Release Date: February 4, 2022 Label: Silver Lining Music Website: www.saxon747.com www.facebook.com/SaxonOfficial www.instagram.com/saxon.official |  |
SAXON IS:
Biff Byford - Vocals / Paul Quinn - Guitars / Doug Scarratt - Guitars / Nibbs Carter - Bass / Nigel Glockler - Drums
Biff Byford - Vocals / Paul Quinn - Guitars / Doug Scarratt - Guitars / Nibbs Carter - Bass / Nigel Glockler - Drums
It has been a tumultuous few years for Saxon. They released their last album Thunderbolt in 2018, and toured extensively around the globe in support of it, including launching the cycle for that album by supporting Judas Priest on the Firepower Tour. It was then followed up with the Castles & Eagles 40th Anniversary shows in 2019. However, things came to a grinding halt in the fall of that year, when Biff Byford needed to have an emergency triple bypass surgery. He has since made a full recovery, and put out his first solo album School Of Hard Knocks. He was due to go out on a solo tour following the release of the album, only for his plans to be hard-knocked to the side by the pandemic, which also wiped Saxon's 2020 touring schedule clean. However, with Biff and company being the workhorses they are, they continued working on what would be their 23rd album (crazy, I know) Carpe Diem.
Now normally, when bands start to reach a certain age, like in the case of Saxon, with the guys entering their 60s and 70s, you would normally expect them to start slowing down on the touring, or bringing the energy in the music down a few notches. That is certainly not happening with Saxon. After over 40 years in the business, the energy is still as high as it was in the early years, proving once again that age is just merely a number. For justification to that statement, you have tracks like the title track, "Dambusters", "Super Nova" and "Living On The Limit", both of which are fast-paced ragers in the vein of "20,000 Ft." and "Motorcycle Man". "The Pilgrimage" feels like the band is tipping their hats off to AC/DC, because the main clean guitar melody carries a vibe very similar to "Hells Bells".
Biff's lyrical topics have mainly touched upon ancient history, mythology and rock 'n roll. Given that we've all been living with a pandemic for the last 2 years, it's no surprise that Biff decided to write lyrics that pay tribute to all those who lost their lives from the pandemic. "Remember The Fallen" does exactly that, and it also features guest vocals from Biff's son Seb. At the same time, Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt continue to be one of the most under-appreciated guitar tandems ever. The riffs, solos and harmonies are as potent as they've ever been that will find favour with all fans. The rhythm section of Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter is as thunderous as ever, and Biff's vocals are still in top form.
While still a great album, I didn't exactly find Carpe Diem as strong as Thunderbolt or Sacrifice, but there's still plenty of memorable moments on the album to keep any new or longtime fan interested. The Saxon train is still rolling strong after 4 decades, and showing no sign of slowing down. If the Scorpions are still able to perform at this high of a level at 5 decades, there's no reason why Saxon should start to apply the brakes anytime soon. The guys are definitely serious about what they do, and they take care of themselves. They're clearly showing a lot of us youngsters how it's really done, so all of us should be taking notes from the legends. As long as they are all healthy, and love what they do, they'll be around forever!
Now normally, when bands start to reach a certain age, like in the case of Saxon, with the guys entering their 60s and 70s, you would normally expect them to start slowing down on the touring, or bringing the energy in the music down a few notches. That is certainly not happening with Saxon. After over 40 years in the business, the energy is still as high as it was in the early years, proving once again that age is just merely a number. For justification to that statement, you have tracks like the title track, "Dambusters", "Super Nova" and "Living On The Limit", both of which are fast-paced ragers in the vein of "20,000 Ft." and "Motorcycle Man". "The Pilgrimage" feels like the band is tipping their hats off to AC/DC, because the main clean guitar melody carries a vibe very similar to "Hells Bells".
Biff's lyrical topics have mainly touched upon ancient history, mythology and rock 'n roll. Given that we've all been living with a pandemic for the last 2 years, it's no surprise that Biff decided to write lyrics that pay tribute to all those who lost their lives from the pandemic. "Remember The Fallen" does exactly that, and it also features guest vocals from Biff's son Seb. At the same time, Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt continue to be one of the most under-appreciated guitar tandems ever. The riffs, solos and harmonies are as potent as they've ever been that will find favour with all fans. The rhythm section of Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter is as thunderous as ever, and Biff's vocals are still in top form.
While still a great album, I didn't exactly find Carpe Diem as strong as Thunderbolt or Sacrifice, but there's still plenty of memorable moments on the album to keep any new or longtime fan interested. The Saxon train is still rolling strong after 4 decades, and showing no sign of slowing down. If the Scorpions are still able to perform at this high of a level at 5 decades, there's no reason why Saxon should start to apply the brakes anytime soon. The guys are definitely serious about what they do, and they take care of themselves. They're clearly showing a lot of us youngsters how it's really done, so all of us should be taking notes from the legends. As long as they are all healthy, and love what they do, they'll be around forever!
FINAL RATING
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