Saxon
Sacrifice

Consistency. A word so well-known in the musical realm, yet so equally rare to uphold. There are indeed few bands that have carried forward their ideals without ever drastically changing, and for what? To have a greater media impact? To have more fans? There are many examples, and I would surely get lost, and bore those reading, if I started to list some. Let's just take the more famous ones, Iron Maiden first and foremost. Mainstays of classic metal in the early '80s, from the reunion with Dickinson and Smith onwards, Iron Maiden delved into records where an increasingly strong progressive streak was highlighted with songs of excessive length, seemingly abandoning that concept of consistency I spoke about initially.

A band that has always, and I mean always, adhered to this ideal is Saxon. Emerging like Iron Maiden in the height of the N.W.O.B.H.M., the group led by the old lion Biff Byfford has won the hearts of classic heavy metal lovers with the trilogy "Wheels Of Steel - Strong Arm Of The Law - Denim & Leather". In the '80s, a crisis within the group followed due to their shift towards AOR melodies with albums such as "Destiny" and "Rock The Nations". Only after the release of "Dogs Of War" in '95 did Saxon return to their original sound, hardening it further and steering towards a more direct heavy metal, entirely removing the hard rock that characterized some of their past albums.

From '95 onwards, Saxon seems to no longer miss a beat. Riding high on this musical change explained earlier, the English band appears to be experiencing a second youth. It’s 2013, and many people think that, indeed, bands like Saxon should retire. Yet, Byfford and company will release their twentieth studio album, "Sacrifice", which doesn't invent anything new musically, but rather further confirms the state of grace in which the English combo finds itself, telling all their detractors where to go.

Songs with a strong impact like the title track, "Warriors Of The Road", or "Night Of The Wolf" will certainly please lovers of this genre, while fun pieces like "Stand Up And Fight", a track that old Byff could probably write with his eyes closed by now, and "Mare In Belfast", with the latter featuring a great riff in the middle that will undoubtedly make anyone listening headbang. More "dark" and groovy, yet still enjoyable, are "Guardians Of The Tombs" and "Walking The Steel", which, however, have a nice chorus to sing live that will surely make an impact.

In 2013, I ask nothing better from Saxon. Albums like "Sacrifice" are truly rare these days, times where other genres like Death or Alternative Metal have decidedly more space. And if to listen to a genre now almost obsolete like heavy I have to wait five years for an album from bands like Maiden or Priest... Well, I remain anchored to the old and good Saxon, who certainly won't release a masterpiece like some old bands still try to achieve, but who still show they can do what they do best, without many frills. Hats off.