Published on April 3rd, 2016 | by Andy Barnes
0Saxon – Eagles and Dragons – Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set
As a fledgling music fan in the late 70’s / early 80’s, Saxon were a massive part of my introduction to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal via ‘ Wheels of Steel,’ ‘Strong Arm of the Law’ and ‘Denim and Leather’; three classic albums of the era. As the decade progressed however, I fell out with rock and delved into other areas, the subsequent albums by Saxon completely passed me by. The nine album limited edition vinyl box set has given me an opportunity to back track and find out what I’ve missed during a large chunk of their career. I should point out at this stage, I am working with a sampler of the albums, rather than the full versions, although assume these give an overall appreciation of the content.
Initially, I must admit to being disappointed. The tracks taken from ‘Solid Ball of Rock,’ ‘Forever Free’ and ‘Dogs of War’ give an impression of a band struggling to maintain their identity. Now I’m all for a positive change in direction, but here, the similarities to perhaps more commercially successful outfits is striking. The title track of ‘Solid Ball of Rock’ is anthemic for sure, although in a very AC/DC way, while ‘Requiem (We Will Remember) heads into lighter weight generic transatlantic territory. ‘Iron Wheels’, while the sentiment lyrically sound, transplants Bon Jovi down a Yorkshire pit shaft, musically lifeless akin to one of those unfortunate canaries. The initial riff of the ‘Dogs of War’ title track sounds promising before the song drifts away and I’m seriously considering giving up and just relying on the early albums plus my memories of live gigs at Bradford St Georges Hall and the inaugural Monsters of Rock at Donnington Park in 1980 to maintain an appreciation of Saxon.
But what’s this? ‘Unleash the Beast’ kicks in and Saxon are back, frenetic and the energy bursts forth from the speakers carrying further into ‘Terminal Velocity,’ which also showcases the vocals of Biff Byford to the utmost. Here we find him at his gritty best, the vocal beast completely unleashed, this, the Biff and Saxon as I know and love them, the secret, a return to basics, back to the Saxon of yore, which made them such a special band in the first place.
From here on in it’s all good. Much heavier aspects arise from tracks taken from ‘Killing Ground’ (including a cover of King Crimsons ‘Court of the Crimson King’), ‘Lionheart,’ ‘The Inner Sanctum’ and ‘Into the Labyrinth.’ Strong riffs and screaming solos abound, the spandex swagger back completely.
Catching up on the period between 1991 and 2009 has shown Saxon having a highly impressive and exceptionally strong back catalogue. There have been difficult times over the last few years with legal fights over the band name with ex members, but originals Biff Byford and Paul Quinn along with Nigel Glockler, Nibbs Carter and Doug Scarratt are still going strong, and long may that continue.
Saxon – Eagles and Dragons – Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set was released on the 25th March.
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About the Author
Andy Barnes An avid music fan for far more years than he cares remember, and an avid gig goer since the age of fifteen. Of the three Sonic Bandwagon presenters, Andy exhibits the most varied taste. It’s certainly not uncommon for a diabolically dark piece of Black Metal to be swiftly followed by minimalist electro pop, a laid back piece of ambient jazz or even a full scale hoedown.
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