From "Worship Metal" website: Saxon - the best British heavy metal band in operation

 

Worship Metal Album Of The Week – Saxon – Battering Ram

Two years on from Sacrifice – and less than a year on from the serious illness that could have derailed the career of drummer Nigel Glockler – Saxon unleash their 21st studio album upon the world with the aptly titled Battering Ram. Much like Motörhead, Saxon have been on a rich run of form over the past ten years and the good news is that with this album their great form continues!
 
There’s an undeniable comfort in knowing what you’re going to get with a new Saxon album and that’s top class, honest, no frills (but plenty of thrills), melodic heavy metal. The album starts in bullish form with the explosive title track, an ode to the headbanging hordes that fill concert halls around the world and it’s safe to say that there is never a dip in quality amongst the 9 steel-shaking songs that follow. You could safely pick any track at random, be it the hammer horror-esque “The Devils Footprint“, the Deep Purple on steroids of “Destroyer” or the chest-beating machismo of “Top Of The World” and intense metal pleasure is 100% guaranteed. However, special mention must go to “Kingdom Of The Cross”, which -in typical Saxon fashion – takes the side of the everyday working man, and in this case, those who died in their thousands on the killing grounds of Flanders. The song is part poem, part ballad and a poignant, beautiful tribute to those that died during the Great War and a track to rival the glories of “Broken Heroes” from the underrated Innocence Is No Excuse.
 
Battering Ram sees each member of the band in the form of their lives with Nigel Glockler acting as the glue that holds it all together. With an unfussy style which suits Saxon perfectly he can still be a percussive demon when needs be. Paul Quinn and Doug Scarrett are a guitar duo that never get enough credit and they riff and solo like absolute lunatics from beginning to end – just check out “Hard And Fast” where they trade one blistering solo for another -while Biff Byford remains a metal talisman, his commanding presence steering Saxon into ever heavier waters with a voice that appears ageless.
 
After 39 years, Saxon still have a ferocious hunger and passion for their craft that puts most bands to shame and they remain proud standard bearers for the music we love. Unlike Iron Maiden, Saxon have not disappeared up their own collective arse but have released another modern day classic and not a tedious snooze fest like Book Of Souls. Battering Ram simply reaffirms Saxon’s position as the best British heavy metal band in operation.
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I somewhat concur. This album is blisteringly excellent.
 

Impressive. 
 
Speaking of Maiden - we placed the order for Book of Souls 3 or 4 weeks ago, but it's been back order ever since. Quite successful as far as I can tell.
 
Not that I am expecting to like it much, but I need to learn one of the songs. As far as I can tell from a quick audition on iTunes, it won't reconcile me with 21st century Maiden. (Steve Harris needs to be kicked out of the producer chair).

Wow ! The review makes entertaining reading, you can really believe it ........ Hmmm, no.

Sorry, they should have given up many years ago.

Just my 2 cents, others may differ.

Jerry

yorolpal
This kind of references Krist's individual idyosincratic tastes thread...but no matter what group of, presumably, talented musicians I hear playing this or most anything like it...it's all Spinal Tap to me.

A couple of months back I asked my good friend Steve to create sort of a set list so that I could finally get what Saxon was all about. They weren't that big where I come from and at the time when I could have gained an interest in them, their record sleeves kind of put me off (I know, silly - but I was a kid, and to this day, I still have a natural reluctance towards knights and swords and all things medieval in heavy metal).
 
I'm still working my way through it and I can't say that I'm the biggest fan but I've started to get it, and I thought this one was rather good. 
 
But I do understand what you mean. ;)

craigb

Rain
...at the time when I could have gained an interest in them, their record sleeves kind of put me off ...

Heh, exactly why it took me a lot of years to finally get into Iron Maiden!  I've always preferred completely safe album covers (take pretty much anything from Yes for example).  

I was 11 the first time I bought a record, and I bought it based on the artwork/cover.
 
I narrowed my options to two choices and went from one to the other, picking one up, examining it in detail, moving to the other, doing the same, and starting again. For what seemed an eternity.
 
I knew 3 Iron Maiden songs and this picture disc really spoke to me, especially this side. 


 
I only knew Ozzy's reputation as the most deranged man in rock - I'd never actually heard him or Sabbath. But this one had everything - flipped crosses, blood, dead birds, candles, a guy that looked possessed and the whole gothic imagery. So it became my first record. 
 

 
Little did I know that the guitar player on that record would change my life... Though I admit that, at first, it really didn't sound as outrageously heavy as I was expecting.

joakes
Wow ! The review makes entertaining reading, you can really believe it ........ Hmmm, no.

Sorry, they should have given up many years ago.

Just my 2 cents, others may differ.

Jerry

But it's how they earn their living..
 
I'm no big fan of metal (although Steve's introduced me to some good stuff over the years), but I listened to a couple of tracks and they sound pretty good to me.
 
If a band can sell music and draw crowds, why would they want to give up, and what would they do then if they did?

Rain
I only knew Ozzy's reputation as the most deranged man in rock - I'd never actually heard him or Sabbath. But this one had everything - flipped crosses, blood, dead birds, candles, a guy that looked possessed and the whole gothic imagery. So it became my first record. 
 

 
 

And a black cat too! 

I've been known to fall into tube worship every once in a while... 
 

tlw
... One of the best live LPs of the period I think. Not for pristine recording quality but for capturing the moment....

 
And the one album I love to blast in my ears to no end!
 
Saw their tour of this during their LA run with MAN opening for them on a night when Mickey and Deke were on fire! Sadly, Hawkwind was way too loud, but Stasia was impressive! I had seen the "Space Ritual" on their previous tour, and I think it was the Santa Monica Civic ... though I do not remember Stasia, but Nick wore many outfits that night!
 

tlw
...
The current line-up is seriously good live and releases some good recordings as well, new stuff and rearrangements and retakes on the older material, and is yet another of the many shades of Hawkwind there's been over the last 45 or so years (and well over 60 long or short term members, but always with Dave Brock at the helm).
...

 
And one of those members was a part of GONG ... Mr. Dream Machine himself, and some very nice versions of his own material! Tim Blake!
 

tlw
...
If you've not head it, "Quark, Strangeness and Charm" is worth a listen, quite a gear change from the heavier stuff that preceded it.

 
Are you kidding me? You can't name an album of theirs I don't have! It's getting to be so that any album that comes out has more older material than anything else, but as is the case with the DVD (Silver Machine), it is all that is left for me to enjoy these days. 
 
I still love the extended wahwahs, and guitar effects ... not many folks touch those, and they can only be done on extended music, not on 3 minute songs!