45 years and 27 studio albums…please take notes kids, that’s how you do it, that’s how you stay relevant. Letting your fanbase wait 5-6 years between releases is unforgivable for me and it has been something that has bothered me immensely for the last 20 years or so. Saxon consistently brings new material to the table and now ‘’Hell, Fire and Damnation’’ is their new year’s release and it’s another step in their legendary career.

They never had the success back in North America that they had in Europe and that’s a crying shame, their influence and reputation on the NWOBHM movement has been documented since the beginning yet they never got the appropriate credit. Headlining festivals throughout Europe and South America but barely can fill small venues in the States and Canada, that’s pretty ridiculous but it happens, some bands just have their place in the universe I guess?!!

This first single of the new album is the title track. The lyrics are profound, the angel and the devil on your shoulders, the eternal battle between good and evil. A battle since the beginning of life itself, the temptation of the snake in the garden of Eden yet the promise of eternal life if you live your life the ‘’right’’ way. It’s not campy and it doesn’t go too religious, it’s exposing a theme by making comparisons and questioning yourself on your meaning of good and evil. It’s some of the best lyrics I have seen in some time, even 45 years after their debut, they can still deliver something thought-provoking and that’s a testament to their legacy.

I am not going to stand here and tell you guys that Saxon are a common entity on my phone and I listen to them as often as possible. Look, I haven’t listened to a full album since 2011’s ‘’ Coat of Arms’’ and highly enjoyed Biff Byford’s surprise appearance on the 30^th anniversary shows for Metallica as well. I had listened to them here and there and never as thoroughly as I have this week. I took some time to listen to the Best of Saxon compilation and make myself familiar again with some of the early material, material that is extremely important in the genesis of NWOBHM.

What surprised me after listening to the compilation and then ‘’Hell, Fire and Damnation’’ is how strong Biff’s voice is still after all these years. Not many singers from back in the day have the same range and power as back in the day, maybe other than Rob Halford, but Byford is a freak of nature. It feels effortless and that’s not something you throw as a compliment too often in the music business. He still has it and you would think after these years, his vocal prowess would diminish like Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden or Ian Gillan from Deep Purple but the gruff vocals are still there intact and he still hits the high notes, who would have thought eh?

This is the first album that has Brian Tatler on it. The underappreciated and underrated member of Diamond Head replaces the departed Paul Quinn who had been with the band since almost its inception. Tatler adds some presence behind the axe and he has such a calming presence for the band. The guy can write a nice hook and adds a lot to the band and I am glad he is getting it just because Diamond Head has been such a driving force and influence on so many bands like Metallica. I am happy for him to find a new home and his trio with Nigel Glocker and Biff Byford has created some really good music on this new opus and they are far from finished that’s for sure. He added an influx of energy talent and passion to the band which is not to be forgotten.

On a side note, Biff Byford collaborated with the almighty Amon Amarth on a new song titled ‘’Saxons and Vikings’’ and it’s a nice blend of old-school Heavy Metal and the Viking Metal goodness of our favorite Swedish Melodic Death Metal band. It’s not a shock to see bands asking for him to sing with them, he has had an impact and influence on generations of bands in Europe and it’s just a nice homage and tribute and such a blast. This collaboration was unexpected yet so good!

The lyrical themes are a bit different than what they usually dip their toes in. Dealing with witchcraft by the way of aliens and even some Napoleon-esque songs, it’s pretty much an all-out assault but nothing is quite homogenous per se. Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes and the themes are all over the place I don’t mind and I don’t think the fanbase mind honestly. Not all albums can be something around the same subject or something along the way of a concept album. At this stage of their career, they don’t need to explain themselves obviously and they write what they want which is fine.

They talk about cars and the brotherhood of the blade which is a common theme for them. I mean what got them to the dance are songs like ‘’Denim and Leather’’, ‘’Motorcycle Man’’, ‘’Wheels of Steel’’ amongst countless others. So it’s not a big surprise to have songs like ‘’Super Charger’’ and ‘’Fire and Steel”. Actually, for me, these are two of the most solid songs of this new release, a twinge of nostalgia but with some modern elements thrown in for good measure. An ode to the past yet looking towards the future, which is nothing to be taken lightly for a band like this.

I was not expecting anything that was going to reinvent the wheel, not for a formidable band like Saxon and it’s a constant. They deliver on all fronts and it’s an enjoyable ride, something that you want to listen to many times afterward. The last few Iron Maiden albums were really good but I did not want to listen to them after their first go around Saxon, I want to keep listening to it and maybe dive deep into their earlier material, to see what I have missed the last few decades.