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Saxon > Call to Arms > Reviews > hells_unicorn
Saxon - Call to Arms

These arms are for shooting. - 84%

hells_unicorn, April 2nd, 2015
Written based on this version: 2011, CD, UDR Music

If there is a slogan that could properly capture the spirit and nature of Saxon's current musical direction, it would be "stick to what you know, but mix it up a bit". It could be likened to having one's cake and eating it to since these elder NWOBHM statesmen are taking advantage of current studio technology to bolster an archaic, traditional style of metal, but it is definitely a formula that works well for them. This isn't to say that there isn't a clear rustic charm to Saxon's early 80s output, but the added punch of the instruments and the amplification of Byford's gravely shouts are definitely an asset to this band's recent works, along with taking a few occasional cues from some younger power metal outfits that they've associated with in recent years such as Freedom Call and HammerFall. It is in this spirit of moving ahead while keeping one's roots centered in an established, working formula that Call To Arms enters the fray of the 2010s.

Following a very gradual evolutionary scheme, this collection of songs shares a collective commonality with its two immediate predecessors The Inner Sanctum and Into The Labyrinth, though differing slightly in its overall consistency. While the latter of the two in question and also this album's immediate predecessor came off as slightly uneven due to the massive luster of its epic, quasi-power metal anthems alongside more traditional rocking fair, this album tends a bit closer to the former album and opts for a more basic metallic formula with fewer and more isolated epic moments. The result is something that is more streamlined, though still something of a mixed affair stylistically, employing occasional lighter 80s trappings and massive sounding power metal elements, but otherwise sticking to a sound that is fairly close to the rocking, metallic and occasionally sappy as heard on parts of Crusader and a bit more so on Rock The Nations.

The mixture on display here, while a bit more nuanced then recent prior outings, is nevertheless nicely varied and in keeping with a varied display of older guard metal traditionalism and recent power metal revivalism. On the faster end, "Hammer Of The Gods" and "Afterburner" offer up a solid display of speedy riffing and energy that wouldn't be out of place on a Judas Priest album between 1982 and 1988, not to mention some killer lead guitar interchanges to give Tipton and Downing a run for their money. Bringing up the larger sounding, epic, Manowar-infused character of recent power metal in a similar mode to several standout songs from the last two albums are "Call To Arms" with a haunting clean verse trading blows with a heavy ended, stomping chorus (the orchestral alternative version further accents the Manowar tendencies) and "When Doomsday Comes", which while maybe not as massive sounding as "Battalions Of Steel" or "Attila The Hun", presents a similarly impressive musical affair in a shorter duration.

For the most part, the songs that round out the listen are a bit more in line with a traditional 80s album, though that alone allows for a potentially diverse affair. The result here is a two-fold mix of mid-paced grooving with an Accept flavor circa Metal Heart and lighter, almost AOR material that doesn't quite hit the Destiny button, but definitely flirts with it. Of the heavier variety of the former is a nice, chunky anthem of fast living in "Chasing The Bullet", with a nearly as heavy but more Ozzy influenced crusher auspiciously named "No Rest For The Wicked", as if Saxon were making a not so subtle tribute to one of the even older guard, embodying the characteristic sound of the song's studio namesake no less. Rounding out the list of highlights (which encompass about 75% of the album) is a rather jarring shift into keyboard-tinged late 80s territory, albeit with some recent power metal elements, in "Mists Of Avalon". While definitely on the lighter side of things for this album, this song definitely listens closer to what made Into The Labyrinth a strong album, and probably could have improved its overall strength had it stood in the place of some of the cookie-cutter rock filler on there.

Making an analogy of Saxon being like a fine wine would be a bit of a stretch since it's tough to content with the power of their early 80s material, but while they may not have gotten better with age, they have most certainly not gotten any worse for it. Barring a few really parochial old school fans that want an absolute carbon copy of Wheels Of Steel every time an album comes out, this is an effort that any fan of NWOBHM and its various current stylistic cousins can sink their proverbial teeth into. Make ready for the trenches mates, because Lord Kitchener says it's time for the Britons to reclaim the field yet again from the Teutonic hordes.