For Week Ending:
16 November 2024

Saxon - Hell, Fire And Damnation (2024)

[Heavy Metal]

Saxon have well and truly proven themselves as in important influence on so many metal bands that there really is no reason they couldn't sit back and take it easy in their final years. Whilst Hell, Fire And Damnation doesn't really bring anything new to their arsenal, it certainly isn't an album that sees them taking it easy. The album starts gently enough with the atmospheric spoken intro 'The Prophecy' (featuring the voice of Brian Blessed, everyone's favourite king). 'Hell, Fire And Damnation' kicks the album into proper gear, with a dirty guitar tone, and a muscular riff reminiscent of Judas Priest. 'Madame Guillotine' slows the speed down, but is a welcome second track with the well-worn and aged vocals of Biff Byford finding the style that suits them best. There are big choruses everywhere here, pulling the listener back to ye metal of olde, but still played with a modern feel. 'Fire And Steel' pummels its way through three and half minutes with lyrics straight from the Anvil playbook. You will find your head bobbing throughout, even on some of the less solid tracks like the cheesy 'There's Something In Roswell' or 'Witches Of Salem', but for the most part punchy tracks like 'Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice' give the album enough edge to set it a cut above most of the recent albums by the band. Although the great production and guitar tones have a lot to do with this, the songs are the true star here, and the addition of Diamond Head's Brian Tatler to the band has certainly given them a lift. This late in the game a band like this is unlikely to pick up many news fans with each release, but if the quality continues on par with this album they certainly won't lose any old ones.

Arist Information
Saxon are an English heavy metal band formed in Barnsley in 1975. As leaders of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), they had eight U.K. Top 40 albums during the 1980s including four U.K. Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums. The band tours regularly and have sold more than 15 million records worldwide.

Release Information
'Hell, Fire And Damnation' is the twenty-fourth studio album by Saxon. It charted internationally across Europe, reaching the top 20 of the U.K. Albums Chart.