Lunatic's Serenade
HMS Music Spotlight
My first taste of Saxon came in 1984, on a cool autumn morning before school in California. A friend of mine gave me Crusader and I was locked in with these bad boys from Britain. Over the years, with some line-up changes here and there, they continue to hold their banner high, never failing to bring heavy metal to the masses.
Their new release, Battering Ram, crashes through letting in a fury of sounds that will pummel you into oblivion. It kicks off with the title track, Battering Ram, which is deep with angry rhythms and an attitude that says, “I don’t care if the door is locked because we’re busting through!” “The Devil’s Footprint” starts with a short narration, as someone reading a passage of poetry. What follows is a brutal pounding as Saxon unloads an arsenal of fury, giving the word ‘heavy’ new meaning. Don’t be fooled by this next title because “Queen of Hearts” is no love song. The rhythm grabs you right away with the heavy tones and gritty vocals. “Destroyer“ brings the metal destruction while “Hard and Fast” and “Eye of the Storm” are borderline speed metal with Iron Maiden flavor.
“Stand Your Ground” is the heavy metal anthem, and the speed doesn’t stop here because “Top of the World” is a runaway bullet train. Groove metal describes “To the End” as it’s a bit more mid-tempo than mellow, but heavy in its own right. No metal record is complete without a mellow tune. “Kingdom of the Cross” is not a love song but a true ballad for those lost in war. Its music set to a poetry reading of lyrics that sound like something Edgar Allan Poe or Samuel Taylor Coleridge composed. The only lines sung are in the chorus as the verses are spoken.
Saxon
Battering Ram
(Warner Music)
Written by: Tim Duran
10 out of 10
Ending on a heavy note is the wild sound of “Three Sheets to the Wind”. After listening to this record it feels like being three sheets to the wind! From start to finish, you get one heavy song after another. Tight rhythms and strong songwriting by this veteran band only ensures that it will rock your socks off! Chalk full of blistering leads, thunderous drumming, and deafening vocals I have no option other than to give Saxon a ten for offering up a true masterpiece of metal in Battering Ram. Just like old times!
Tim Duran, HMS
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