Saxon – "Carpe Diem"
The more things change...
In a world as tumultuous as it's been these last six years, there are certain constants of nature acting as lifelines. One such lifeline is heavy metal.
And the absolute most unfairly overlooked natural constant in the constant of heavy metal itself, is Saxon.
Saxon have been around for 45 years at this point. And on their 23rd studio album, they're rocking as hard as ever, which is crystal clear from the first balls-out, gasoline-fueled riff in the opening semi-title track, "Carpe Diem" (Seize the Day)".
It's as if producer Andy Sneap has done the same thing for Saxon that he did for Accept and Judas Priest: Make the band dig into its core and unearth the essence of true heavy metal.
In fact, it's as if that very title is telling us to get up, kick ass, and not sit around and waste our time just because most of us have been kinda screwed over by this whole stupid virus shitshow. – Which, by the way, Saxon commemorates with an equally liberating balls-out metal attitude on "Remember the Fallen".
It's also as if legenday producer Andy Sneap has done the same thing for Saxon here that he did in his producer gigs for Accept and Judas Priest in the later years: Make the band dig into its collective core and unearth the essence of true heavy metal.
The base level of quality here is solid as the very steel that Saxon themselves were part of forging back in the day. Songs like "Age of Steam" and "Black is the Night" are as unmistakable and immovable working class metal tunes as Saxon ever graced us with since the early '80s.
The base level of quality here is solid as the very steel that Saxon themselves were part of forging back in the day.
But again: There's somehow simply MORE to "Carpe Diem" than there is to Saxon's releases since their best album in this century so far, "Into the Labyrinth" (2009). The uptempo "Dambusters" is pure Harley metal, and the motherfucker-intense "Super Nova" could have been an outtake from one 1990 masterpiece album named "Painkiller".
The guitar tones, clean and distorted, are nothing short of perfect. Both Paul Quinn and Doug Scarrat make full use of every 8-bar solo period with tasteful blues phrases along headstrong 16th-sprints, showcasing how they're at least as technically proficient as – and unfairly overshadowed by – their colleagues in Iron Maiden.
The one outstanding band member here, though, which has been pointed out by many already, remains Biff Byford. At 71 years old, looking ever more like a Richard Lionheart (!), his voice is as awe-strikingly clear and powerful as ever. People who distinguish other third-age hard rock vocalists like Glenn Hughes for their time-defying skills really should look more in the direction of Byford.
At 71 years old, looking ever more like a Richard Lionheart, Biff Byford's voice is as awe-strikingly clear and powerful as ever.
However, there's also something to be said for the ever-rock-solid backbeat of drummer Nigel Glockler, who shows off a couple of double-kick rolls in the no-bullshit <2min. ending track "Living on the Limit". Nicko McBrain could only dream of being this tight. (And by the way, just to not leave bassist Nibbs Carter out of the name-dropping here, you should catch the band on their European tour in October. – The man is simply one of metal's most awesome live bass players.)
The album's standout track has to be the "Crusader" callback single "The Pilgrimage". All the band's aforementioned assets come together here in such perfection that it almost brings tears to my eyes. In the literal meaning of the nowadays often so misapplied word, it's probably the most epic track Saxon has done since "Battalions of Steel" from the aforementioned "... Labyrinth" album. Next to which, by the way, "Carpe Diem" deftly manages to climb.
Saxon are simply a band that sticks to their heavy metal roots because it's what they happen to do better than most other bands – in- or outside the genre.
Indeed, if you think the album cover this time around looks suspiciously like the aforementioned "Crusader" ('84), there might be just a bit more to it than the fact that it's once again done by the same Paul Raymond Gregory whose first cover art gig with Saxon was that very album. It might also be because Saxon are simply a band that sticks to their heavy metal roots because it's what they happen to do better than most other bands – in- or outside the genre.
Goddammit, I love Saxon. And mark my words, boys and girls: We are blessed to still have them around.
Rating: 5 out of 6
Genre: Heavy metal
Release date: 4/2/2022
Label: Silver Lining Music
Producer: Andy Sneap + Biff Byford