Hell, Fire and Damnation

Being among the original distillers of pure heavy metal in the late '70s and having released one solid ball of rock of an album after the other since then, Saxon, as an institution, was simply born with a heart of steel. They have long been one of my favorite metal bands in the world, and they will always have my utmost adoration.

With this disclaimer outta the way, Saxon did set a high bar for themselves with 2022's masterful "Carpe Diem" album. And this one, being their first album integrating new guitarist Brian Tatler into the fold after last year's retirement of founding member Paul Quinn, sees the band cutting away as much fat as possible. Nothing wrong with that, necessarily. But sometimes people forget that the fat is what holds most of the flavor.

It's evident from the opening title track. Ever-majestic singer Biff Byford's age-defying vocals are the only instantly recognizable element. It's heavy metal, alright. Simple, heavy riffing; a wicked scream; a lively beat; a lot of open-E chugging, and a chorus that'll probably do its job on tour. So, it's nothing less than heavy metal – but it's not a lot more, either. Much like the latest, and probably final, long-player from Saxon's fine countrymen Magnum, "Hell, Fire and Damnation" is not a bad album. As we get midway, the near-thrashing "Fire and Steel" sets a different tone with a red-hot energy level, even more savage vocals, and drummer Nigel Glockler nearly causing a bit of irreparable damage to his kit.

Also "Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice" is more uptempo, and "There's Something in Roswell" features a bit of eerie verse atmosphere and the album's most iron-solid riffing. And during "Pirates of the Airwaves", I'm even noticing the solo-chasing improve, as though Tatler and first guitarist Doug Scarrat are slowly finding each other as the album progresses.

However, I'm missing some more of those standout elements that made this album's predecessor just those coupla notches superior to the average high-end Saxon album. When I say there's a lot of open-E chugging here, it's because there's really a lot of open-E chugging here. During "1066" (title and lyrics referring to the battle of Hastings), it gets a bit too much. Apart from aforementioned standout tracks, the biggest element of variation that comes to mind is the waltz-feel in "Witches of Salem". And it doesn't quite cut it.

If "Hell, Fire and Damnation" had been released around the turn of the '80s, it would've made history. And if I hadn't heard any of Saxon's albums since around the turn of the '90s, I'd be impressed that they're still going strong. But neither is the case. And I know that this band can be much stronger. Overall, Saxon's 24th studio LP kinda fills a function similar to 2011's "Call to Arms" after following 2009's superior "Into the Labyrinth": A worthy attempt that any decent metalhead would prefer ahead of any of this century's weak, polished poser-core, but only aligning with its predecessor's lower bar of quality, and ultimately not entering the band's rank of essential albums. Which, to be fair, is also a high standard, even in this century.


Originally written for https://www.GlobalMetalBlog.com

Well, this is a real trip down memory lane, I must admit. I feel a bit unfair, reducing Saxon's latest offering to a mere nostalgia trip, but for me, that is definitely what it is - and in more ways than one. I can scarce believe that it is almost 45 years since I first encountered Saxon, supporting Motörhead on their 1979 Bomber tour, when both they and me were far more fresh-faced and less battle-scarred than now with entire futures ahead of us. Well, on the evidence of Hell, Fire and Damnation, the years have been kinder to the Yorkshiremen than to me and they are still seemingly able to call upon that youthful energy with some cracking classic heavy metal riffs, shred-like guitar solos and Biff shrugging off the years, his ability to belt-out the lyrics with siren-like power seemingly undiminished by time.

I was heavily into the NWOBHM scene at the time and Saxon were a huge part of that, but as the scene waned and those young bloods from the Bay Area revolutionised the metal sound, bands like Saxon suddenly seemed old hat and unable to compete with the heightened aggression and excitement that thrash metal brought to the table. So they, like many of their contemporaries, faded from my life, the gulf between us only being made wider by my discovery of even more extreme forms of metal in later years and Saxon faded into nothing but a distant memory. At least, that is until my attention was drawn to the band's 2018 album Thunderbolt which was a shot in the arm of modern-sounding, old-school heavy metal and opened my eyes to the fact that Biff and co still had what it takes to deliver a high-powered, vibrant and, above all, relevant heavy metal album. Admittedly I haven't kept up with Saxon's releases in the meantime, so six years and one pandemic on from Thunderbolt what have we got? Well, this is a step or two down from that top-level beauty and it does have a couple of clunkers on it, Madame Guillotine being the most egregious example, it just feels flat and a bit contrived, ending up somewhat less than thrilling to my ears, but a track like There's Something in Roswell is guilty of excessive clunkiness too. The opening Brian Blessed-voiced intro didn't help either. I like Brian well enough, but he is very difficult to listen to with a straight face and it is exacerbated by the fact that he is the voice of floor cleaner ads on TV here in the UK!

That said, the title track, which is the first proper track, is a glorious slice of triumphant, fist-pumping metal that takes all the pomp and circumstance of power metal and pares it down to what is important and leaves a shimmering core that rivals the band's heyday. Elsewhere Fire and Steel and closer Supercharger fair rattle along, reminiscent of the proto speed metal of Judas Priest's Exciter or multiple tracks on Painkiller. Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice, 1066 and Witches of Salem mine the historical themes so beloved of Steve Harris and have a similat grandiose feel to some of the tracks Harris penned for Maiden's last album, Senjutsu.

I mentioned earlier that this is nostalgic for more than one reason and the lyrics to Fire and Steel are an example of it, being a paeon to the hulking , smoke- and fire-spewing steelworks of England's disappeared industrial landscape. I myself live only a handful of miles from the site where one such industrial behemoth was once sited (now the headquarters of an online gambling company) where it was such a dominating presence over the city I inhabit. Elsewhere, on Pirates of the Airwaves the rose-tinted spectacles of nostalgia are used to examine the days of pirate radio when we used to try nightly to tune our radios to the unpredictable broadcasts of Radio Luxembourg in the hope of catching some decent rock music, which was unheard of on the legal radio stations and Supercharger brings back memories of a string of high-powered motorcycles and cars I spent all my cash on in my late teens and early twenties.

So, for me, this is a solid enough slab of trad metal with some tasty riffs, cool lead work, a frontman with a distinctive and undiminished vocal delivery but it is most notable for it's ability to propel me back forty-plus years and leave me with a wide, if somewhat wistful, smile on my face.

A new Saxon album – and the first good news is that we are not confronted with “Inspirations III”, but with really new tracks. If I want to listen to cover versions, I go to the local music pub and suffer while amateurs try their hand at crap like “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Take Me Home, Country Road”. Anyone who thinks that Black Metal has a cruel component should please check out such pieces. Anyway, here comes the second good news: “Hell, Fire and Damnation” leaves a higher impact than “Carpe Diem”. Since the bullshit they did in order to hit the US American market, Saxon always stood for down-to-earth metal. Nevertheless, compared to its predecessor, “Hell, Fire and Damnation” sounds more crispy. So let us forget the stereotyped title and the oh-so-metal artwork (both aren’t bad, but maybe too much of a good thing). Let’s come to the music itself.

An “internationally-renowned actor” whose name I have never heard before, proclaims the title track. The song starts with some powerful blows and recalls “Metalhead” (another hardly generic album title, haha). It marks a solid, partly solemn beginning with a casual instrumetal part after the second chorus, but Saxon are clever enough not to use their best weapon immediately. It does pay off if you've been in the business for around 150 years like Biff. By the way, the frontman is still the most important element in the sound of the institution. Even though I do not think that his voice is extremely powerful, his charismatic and passionate performance is excellent. I am sure that he has more energy than most others of his age.

But I wanted to speak about Saxon’s best songs on “Hell, Fire and so on”. The temperature rises sharply with “Fire and Steel”. Yes, it’s another badly hung title, but the composition borders on speed metal and shows that Saxon are still no toothless tiger. Thus, let us open the curtain for the absolute highlight: “There’s Something in Roswell”. The promo sheet describes this song as “the true treasure amidst the jewels”. I agree (and ask myself why they did not write ten “true treasures). This mid-paced track has an irresistible drive, bursts with power due to the crunchy, crystal clear guitar work and dishes up a brilliant chorus: nothing special at first glance, but look (and listen!) again… it will not stop growing on you. I don’t believe that UFOs were landing in Roswell back in 1947 (greetings to Hypocrisy), but if they do not have songs such as this one, they would be well advised to take a trip to Earth immediately. Either way, we have not time for extraterrestrial creatures, because Saxon ignite the next firecracker immediately. “Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice” is another musical muscleman and its lyrics deal with Marco Polo. Yes, despite the almost omnipresent clichés, Biff delivers a lot of fascinating lyrics. This is definitely no run of the mill stuff. In view of the potential the band still has, it's a shame that the smartly titled "Pirates of the Airwaves", which is dedicated to the unforgotten NWOBHM, can't quite keep up with the aforementioned tracks despite a catchy bridge.

This song stands as an example for the second row tracks of the album. None of them falls completely through the net, but they do not have the abundance of exciting ingredients like the best songs. The earthy “1066” is one of them and its historical reference is more or less obvious, right? Saxon give the guitars a lot of room again, and the mighty riffs hit the bull’s eye. Needless to say that they profit from another great performance of Andy Sneap and Biff, who mixed and mastered the output. I could cry when I imagine the never-released Sabbat record, which combines a production from 2023 with the musical class of 1988. Of course, some modernity-hating people will once again moan about alleged sterility, but who cares about these guys who only feel good as long as they can feel bad?

Snarling, rebellious guitars herald the powerful end of the album. “Super Charger” marks a worthy finale for a surprisingly strong output. But even if the record would be less good – anyone who has produced more than 20 studio albums and still has this integrity and musical power is nothing less than a very important cornerstone for the entire metal world. Some badasses might not understand that, but they can go to their local music pub. Maybe someone there is playing "Sweet Home Alabama". Have fun with that.

Since my early teens, I have been into various NWOBHM bands, and I still am to this very day. One of those bands that I still love and worship is Saxon, who I have always admired for their constant inspiration and willpower. Back in 2022, they released their 25th album Carpe Diem which was quite an enjoyable listening experience, and as of 2023 they recruited the longtime Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tatler who would contribute his talents for their next album. On January 19th 2024, Saxon is set to release their 26th full-length album Hell, Fire and Damnation via Silver Lining Music, and I think it’s the perfect time to see what the new album has prepared for the fans.

As the opening intro track “The Prophecy” perfectly sets the demonic and hellish mood for this album, from the title track “Hell, Fire and Damnation” it instantly starts rocking out with heavy metal extravaganza, dominated by tight mid-tempo downpicking riffs, powerful guitar riffs, banging drums, and Biff Byford’s singing vocals. Saxon continues to provide intensely powerful and catchy tunes with just a tinge of melody, although still in a highly effective manner, even with the addition of Brian Tatler on guitars it seems that they managed to climb a step higher from Carpe Diem. Some great examples that perfectly demonstrate that they are still capable of writing what everyone’s pure heavy metal heart desires are “Madame Guillotine”, “Fire and Steel”, “Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice” and “Witches of Salem”, all of which are incredible and strong bangers that really get your adrenaline going.

It is a true miracle that there are veteran heavy metal musicians like Saxon who are still inspired at songwriting, no matter how simple and standard it may sound. Although I rarely have any doubts with bands like Saxon and Judas Priest, some of their newer songs do still manage to surprise me to the point where I admire the fact that their music doesn’t show its age. All of the songs are fairly easy to follow along and will definitely give you a good time while listening to the entire album from start to finish. The riffs keep the mood going, but Biff Byford’s vocal lines and the uplifting choruses is really where the songs shine in my opinion, ranging from very good to incredibly effective. No matter how the previous album Carpe Diem did fairly alright, I think that Hell, Fire and Damnation is really one bar higher in my opinion when it comes to the overall band performance. Even the awesome album cover art by Bornhom’s vocalist Péter Sallai perfectly demonstrates the kind of energy that Saxon’s music expresses on this album, with all the heavenly might that strikes you down.

Hell, Fire and Damnation as an album is a very fun ride that really got my joy going all throughout, and I have to say that despite their age, Saxon still means business. This was the trial by fire for Saxon’s new lineup with Brian Tatler on guitar, but in the end, it proved that they made the right decision of hiring the grandmaster of the white Gibson Flying V. Even though I would still prefer listening to Saxon’s classic discography any time of the day, I still think that their new album is really worth a go, especially if you are their long-time fan who grew up with their music, alongside many other great names in NWOBHM. Do not miss out on Saxon’s new album when it is released, because you would rob yourself of this enjoyable experience that rocks out in pure banging heavy metal.

Written for www.Metalbite.com