Saxon
Unleash The Beast

In the years immediately following the grunge explosion, during the time when metal was plummeting but discovering power (thanks especially to "Imaginations from the Other Side" by Blind Guardian), there was a band still committed to spreading the word of classic metal, or perhaps it would be better to talk about NWOBHM. They are the Saxon, champions of the metal of the past, capable of giving birth to their first self-titled album in the now musical prehistory of 1979.

After a (rather long) period of fading, from 1985 with "Innocence is No Excuse" to 1992 with "Forever Free," Saxon returned to the limelight in 1995 with the album "Dogs of War," showing us again an angry band with a rediscovered songwriting ability, having finally left behind the polished and idea-less AOR of the previous years. "Unleash the Beast" is a work that fits right into this period: a period of "rebirth" for the band with a return to sounds certainly more suitable for Biff Byford and his faithful mates (the first album for new guitarist Doug Scarrat).

The platter in question doesn’t really deviate much from Saxon’s early works, but there is a noticeable greater sound compactness, as well as a sound clarity not perceived in the eighties. But what makes UTB a successful album is the presence of 4/5 pieces of anthemic metal of ancient British school, something forged by Black Sabbath and which Maiden’s Steve Harris helped bring to a different yet still very "classic" epicity. I’m talking about tracks like the forceful hard rock of "Terminal Velocity," the epic "The Thin Red Line," the dark "Cut Out the Disease," and again the breezy rhythm and defiant spirit of the concluding "All Hell Breaking Loose," preceded by the excellent ballad "Absent Friends." In between, many excellent examples of NWOBHM like "Circle of Light," "Ministry of Fools," and "Bloodletter."

UTB cannot be defined as a masterpiece, nor one of those that revolutionized Saxon's career by bringing innovations on a sound level. It is a well-crafted and well-played piece, where the lost spirit of rock, of which Saxon have been (and still are) among the most authoritative European exponents and beyond, can be felt. It must be taken and judged for this, without harboring vague ideas about musical hypersophy: it is rock, it is metal, it is music. Pure, simple, and devoid of unnecessary braininess completely outside their style.

1. "Gothic Dreams" (1:33)
2. "Unleash The Beast" (5:16)
3. "Terminal Velocity" (4:43)
4. "Circle Of Light" (5:25)
5. "The Thin Red Line" (6:20)
6. "Ministry Of Fools" (4:28)
7. "The Preacher" (4:55)
8. "Bloodletter" (5:31)
9. "Cut Out The Disease" (5:23)
10. "Absent Friends" (4:54)
11. "All Hell Breaking Loose" (4:31)