Year: 2021
Total Time: 25:25
Label: Silver Lining Music
When you open a dictionary, the image of SAXON should be visible next to terms such as quality, honesty or sincerity among many others. After more than 40 years of continuous presence in the metal scene they are here with us again with a new album, ready to offer us exactly what we want and long for. So, the metal veterans from England are now unleashing their 23rd studio album with the trademark title that means “Seize The Day”, after “Thunderbolt” from back 2018 and after a series of live albums and a covers album earlier in 2021.
I am not really sure about how I should proceed with this review. It’s pretty subjective what someone should be expecting from such a band, with huge history and discography. Of course, there is always the question if there is anything else they have to offer, if they have good reasons to stay around and other similar matters that often bother the audience when they are checking band of their age. As always though, everybody who knows and loves SAXON can rest assured that once again they will not be disappointed. The new album is 100% SAXON, whatever that means. In other words, “Carpe Diem” is an almost 45 minutes of pure traditional British steel, the one that you will listen to while at home, in the car full speed ahead, or in a bar with the company of few pints of beer. What you will not find here, is innovations or modern touches or elements from other music areas. Thank God for that, there are other bands that do such things!! From the first few seconds after we press playback. We get the same titled first track, also first video of the album, a fast and powerful tune that get’s us in the mood right away. “Age Of Steam” that comes next stays in the same rails and then we get one of the best moments here in my opinion, the heavy, atmospheric, and always classic SAXON tune with the characteristic guitar sound named “The Pilgrimage”. An epic tune in few words only. This one is followed by another 100% traditional number, called “Dambusters”, before another single and video comes in, “Remember The Fallen” which describes exactly the situation we are living in now and is dedicated to the victims of Covid19. Moving on, we are still in full speed with “Super Nova” before we slow down a bit with “Lady In Grey”, one more nice rhythm and atmospheric tube that definitely is more than worth noticing. Before even thinking of relaxing a little, “All For One” comes in and the very MOTORHEAD-ish tune “Living On The Limit” make us bang our heads and bring memories, especially to those of a certain age and more, like me obviously. The album will come to its end with “Black Is The Night”, a heavy and rather dark I could say song that makes the perfect closure to another strong and high quality release from the legendary Englishmen.
Summarizing, we can easily say yes, this is exactly the album we were hoping to get and definitely wanted to listen to. A great mixture of old SAXON with modern heavy sound and a solid production thanx to their long-time producer and friend Andy Sneap, a lot of high-quality compositions and Biff in very good shape after the serious health issues he successfully faced a couple of years ago. The bands line up stays the same for the last 20 years or so, another warranty factor for the sound and performance, so everything in here is exactly as it is supposed to be.
So the answer to the questions on top are yes, we are more than happy that SAXON are still here with us, we want them to be here and they have to do that for as long as possible because unfortunately the bands that still hold high the flag of traditional metal are almost in extinction nowadays and of course we are always looking forward to seeing them on stage once again, rocking the nations like few still do!
Rating: 7/10
Editor: Antonis Livanios
Related Link: SAXON – Official Site
