Saxon-Call To Arms

UDR MUSIC
2011

Call To Arms marks the 19th studio album for British heavy metal legends Saxon. With over 30 years experience under their belt there doesn't seem to be anything left for the band to prove. And yet Call To Arms will certainly shake the foundations of hard rock when it is all said and done. This release is their strongest effort in a long time. Who could have guessed that on their 19th album Biff Byford and company would sound this good? From the opener "Hammer of the Gods" to the album's closing cut "Call to Arms" (Orchestral version) there really are no bad cuts. Of course "Hammer of the Gods" has been out for awhile as a single and is impressive. It's a riff happy slab of heavy metal offering a tip of the hat towards Saxon's roots. That is just the opener though. "Back in 79", "Surviving Against the Odds" and "Afterburner" help give this album a serious kick of adrenaline. Other than "Mists of Avalon" there wasn't one song that failed to moved me. This is simply good old fashioned heavy metal. It doesn't get better than this. Saxon remain awesome old school metal and Call To Arms is a reminder of why they define NWOBHM. These tunes have all the power and glory one needs to rock hard. Thank you Saxon for reminding us what heavy metal should sound like!