SAXON: Power & The Glory (MELODIC METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

The release of the live album "The Eagle Has Landed" marked the end of an era for Saxon, especially with the arrival of Nigel Glockler behind the drums, the latter bringing a technique and a power superior to what Pete Gill offered until now. "Power & The Glory" can be considered as the first episode of a new era for Saxon, and the least we can say is that the first visual contact is not the most encouraging. Indeed, the British quintet, which was rather in the pass-partout since its beginnings, serves us here a particularly hideous cover. Fortunately, what interests us is the music, and in this field, the news are rather reassuring.

From the first chords of the eponymous title, a real hymn with a sustained tempo and sharp riffs, some evolutions appear with evidence. The production, signed by Jeff Glixman (Kansas, Magnum, Gary Moore...), is typical of the 80's with a rhythm section particularly highlighted and Biff Byford's voice endowed with an echo which deprives it a little of its aggressiveness. This does not prevent the band from serving us many anthems. We have already mentioned 'Power & The Glory' and we will add 'This Town Rocks', a real tribute to their friends of Mötorhead with its omnipresent double pedal and its immediate chorus. Finally, Saxon innovates with 'The Eagle Has Landed', an aerial mid-tempo with bluesy accents that remains attractive despite its length thanks to some heavy passages and a final acceleration relatively surprising.

The rest of the album offers us classic tracks for the band ('Warrior', 'Redline', 'Midas Touch'). What is more surprising, it is the FM side which emerges from the chorus of 'Watching The Sky', even from the entirety of 'Nightmare' which ends up going in circles. Here is an evolution which, without spoiling the whole, is not less worrying because not completely mastered and especially too far from the usual style of the band.

Saxon perfectly understood that they had to move on after their three previous studio albums which defined his style. The quintet gives however the impression to hesitate between 2 ways, one more metallic which seems to suit him wonderfully, and another one more FM for not especially successful. The whole remains nevertheless of very good quality, and the mentioned anthems continue to make their effect on stage. - Official website

SAXON

POWER & THE GLORY

EMI

MELODIC METAL