The great classic Metal band is back once more and again the main recipe is straight ahead riff based tunes, that's what they do the best so why change that?
Let me just say it from the start, I don't find this among their most exciting or well worked through albums, but you get some good music nevertheless.
Some tracks seems too simple and without enough solid ideas and melodies, and if you compare it to example Dogs Of War or Unleash The Beast its pretty clear that this one is falling at bit behind. Lets take a closer look at what's working and what's not.
The most successful stuff:
Killing Ground is in my opinion the best song of the record, a fierce monster riff driven giant with great tempo shifts. This is indeed a song in the traditional
Saxon spirit, added those recognisable lead parts, groove bass lines and melodic solo.
The albums direct and simpler feel comes to life in a track like
Coming Home. A simple but catchy riff takes the leading role together with the laid-back chorus; it all falls nicely into place even though a breaking element would have strengthened it.
Dragons Lair offers an up-tempo approach and the lead guitar melody following the chorus is no less than divine. The drums have a cool varied and powerful vibe and the fast guitar solo hits spot on.
Deeds Of Glory is another solid and grooving creation. Nothing revolutionary or mind-blowing but a good classic Heavy Metal song with a memorable chorus, harmonious vocals and a firm musical execution.
With the hymn-like and hard-hitting
Rock Is Our Life we get a great ending track with catchy rhythm guitar parts and a great driving solo. This is a tight and vigorous cut with lost of positive energy.
The stuff that could easily have been better:
The good thing about
You Don't Know What You've Got is its jamming and grooving nature; on the other hand the chorus is one of
Saxon's most monotone, over repeated and unmelodic ones.
Running For The Border is build upon a riff that is quite unexciting and I miss something to keep my attention focused in this one, it flows along without giving much to the listener to remember it by. Not that this is a terrible song and it has some fitting guitar leads, its just overall too standard and dull.
The rest of the songs are about good without impressing which also goes for the lyrics. The classic
Saxon themes of glorious days, brave adventures and living the Heavy Metal lifestyle take up much space.
The sound is very good and tight; it contains a raw and direct feel that fits rather well with the general straight ahead approach.
The double CD edition comes with eight older songs that have been re-recorded; these are all successful and high explosive cuts that among other tracks can be found on their Heavy Metal
Thunder release.
Killing Ground has some good songs but there are also elements that are rather tame and just ok. So the title track gives it that extra half grade, and the 6 goes for the overall solid but not exactly mind-blowing collection of well delivered Heavy Metal.
Written by
Tommy Monday, August 16, 2004
Show all reviews by TommyRatingsTommy: 6.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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