As one of the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Saxon has managed to survive, despite the countless musical fatalities of that era. Although they never reached the status of Iron Maiden or Def Leppard, Saxon has a never-say-die attitude that keeps them alive today, much to the pleasure of their fanatic die-hard fans. Having failed to reach the mega-heights that the afore-mentioned bands have reached simply proves there are bands that care more about the fans and the music than a paycheck. With their 19th album Call To Arms — a double-disc set with one disc of new material and one disc from their 1980 appearance at the infamous Castle Donnington festival in England — Saxon continue their process of offering that fine-line combination of melodic rock music, backed up with an intensity that does not sway from the true definition of heavy metal.
The first disc of studio tracks opens with “Hammer Of The Gods,” a full-throttle metallic attack that truly sets the tone for the rest of the album. Immediately apparent is that vocalist Biff Byford still possesses a set of very underrated powerhouse, but rough, lungs. I have always felt Byford’s vocals were a true definition of metal vocals — able to shatter glass, yet raw in the true sense of the word. It would be redundant to run down the entire list of songs if only for the fact that Saxon maintains a predictable game plan. Catchy, near-pop choruses, intense guitar power riffs, solid double-bass drumming and intelligent lyrics rather than the stereotypical metal blueprint of dungeons, dragons, wizards and devil worship.
By saying predictable, I am not downplaying Saxon’s songwriting talents. Like Motörhead or Iron Maiden, you know what you are getting on a Saxon album. Somehow, they manage to make the music remain fresh and relevant, albeit all familiar. It is like a metallic version of McDonald’s: You know what you are getting, but it is satisfying all the time. I do have a bit of dispute concerning two of the tracks, however. “Back In ’79” sounds dangerously close to 1981’s “Denim And Leather.” It isn’t a bad song but, in terms of melody and lyrics — wow, the similarities are just too close.
This is more apparent on “When Doomsday Comes/Hybrid Theory,” which is supposed to appear in an upcoming movie entitled Hybrid Theory. Simply and blatantly, it steals its main riff from Deep Purple’s “Perfect Strangers.” I would imagine Saxon would be too smart and self-confident than to simply nick another band’s melody. I could call it accidental, but I don’t know — it is just too damn close. This is minor criticism, and does not sway from the fact that Saxon still offers its legions of fans another decent offering of old school metal.
It may be the second disc that will be better appreciated by the diehards like me. These are seven tracks, pulled from tapes of Saxon’s appearance at Castle Donnington, which featured such rock powerhouses as Rainbow, the Scorpions and Judas Priest. As the story goes, these live tapes were found in an engineer’s attic by accident. Truth or simply a bit of intriguing musical urban legend of sorts? Regardless, it is what it is. And it is a wonderful display of a young and hungry Saxon, tearing up the stage for 50,000 fans who braved the elements that day to witness an amazing lineup of hard-rock-meets-metal legends, present and past.
“Motorcycle Man,” “Backs To The Wall” and “Wheel Of Steel,” to name a few, offer up the proof that Saxon, like many bands, had the desire and the will to simply slam down the gauntlet, tear up the stage, and demand acceptance and respect. Sadly, this drive is often lost as a band’s career goes on. Saxon is, hands-down, still a dynamic, hell-bent metal band that emphasizes quality over the eventual paycheck. They truly are an influence of any band striving to make it in the hard rock world. All this aside, Call To Arms should keep any diehard metalhead happy for some time to come. Or at least until Iron Maiden decide to go back into the studio.
~ Bruce Forrest
