Saxon – Eagles Over Hellfest – Silver Lining Music
What can you say about Saxon; for a band who are well into their fifth decade of existence they’re still going strong and we have to say that if any evidence were needed, this latest live album shows they have no intention of letting up any time soon.
Their first demo appeared way back in 1978 and while many bands from what came to be known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal fell by the way side while the mighty Iron Maiden broke through the glass ceiling to enjoy huge global mainstream commercial success, leaving the birthing pool of the NWOBHM far behind and gradually transitioning into arguably the progressive metal band they are today, Saxon have stayed true to the roots and with the arrival of yet more NWOBHM royalty with Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler now on full-time guitar duties, they continue to unashamedly fly the flag for U.K. Heavy Metal.
Opening up with grinding guitars, a voice-over from the unmistakable Brian Blessed, then a call-to-arms from vocalist Biff Byford we’re off; straight into Hell Fire & Damnation, from their latest album released in 2024 and proving, if any were needed, that these old rockers have absolutely still got it. A great classic heavy metal song; fast driving sections meet grooving rock and it’s as is we were still in the heady days of 1980. The modern opener leads straight into classic track, Motorcycle Man, and then another, Power and The Glory, which is an absolute stand-out performance here, already we’re being brutalised and indulged at the same time with an example of just perfect heavy metal! The band then knock it back a notch with the melodic and brooding, Madame Guillotine, another song from the latest album. This really is a great song and we could easily make the argument that after almost 50 years they’re actually just now producing their best material as the last two studio albums have been excellent. Then it’s just classic after classic and the sequencing in the set list is great; it ebbs and flows but the energy never lets up from start to finish, right up to the closer Princess of The Night.
Production is raw, pretty unpolished and really sounds “live”, which isn’t always the case with some “live” albums, but this authenticity is just what we could want here. The mix and balance are good and the energy of the songs and the performances is great. It’s hard to believe the age of these guys; Nibbs Carter, the baby in the band is 58, and yet I’ve heard and seen bands half their age with less energy. The Snare Drum does sounds very “poppy” and overly compressed in places, as though it’s either a trigger sample or someone was a little heavy handed with the Transient Designer, and Biff’s vocal could be louder in places but these issues can be easily overlooked as the overall instrument balance is good. There’s also just the right amount of crowd noise; enough to remind us it’s live but not so much that it’s just so distracting it almost makes things unlistenable. Biff’s patter with the crowd is also quite funny at times and maybe betrays his age somewhat. “We’re gonna put you on our Facebook site!” he yells at one point, his “Mid-Atlantic” tone almost slipping completely into a broad Yorkshire accent; a point at which I can’t help but smile.
For all of us music fans, as the bands that we love get older, we must inevitably begin to look to other up and coming bands to “scratch that itch” we all have for new music. As Heavy Metal fans these are halcyon days, with the likes of Tailgunner, Crimson Storm, Mean Mistreater and hundreds of other young and hungry bands just waiting to fill any vacuum, but if this performance here is any example, then many of the old veterans are certainly not ready to give it up yet and can still bring it with aplomb. This album is pure nostalgia and new, fresh heavy metal blended perfectly. Saxon fans, or any NWOBHM fans are gonna love it. All the classics are here and anyone new to this band could easily pick this up as not only a great live album, but a good “Greatest Hits” introduction to the band. A great album from the veterans of the NWOBHM.
Rating: 8/10
Wayne McAloon | Now Spinning Magazine
