Driven by Sonic Obsession

Following the departure of original guitarist Graham Oliver, Saxon gradually grew into too much of a German-styled power metal band. This is not to discredit his follow-up Doug Scarratt, who is probably the best musician to ever play with the band, but the beefy, modern production jobs on their later albums don’t quite carry the charm of their earlier works, which were very much reminiscent of the time when hardrock and heavy metal weren’t actually seperate things yet. There is one exception to this rule however: 2004’s ‘Lionheart’, an album which is still bombastic, but also has the dynamics of early Saxon.

Upon first glance, ‘Lionheart’ is not that much of a departure from the other twenty-first century Saxon albums. This is quite obviously a Charlie Bauerfeind production, with the guitars sounding crispy clear and the drums sounding huge. ‘Lionheart’ just feels less like Saxon going through the motions than many of their other recent albums. There are some ambitious tracks that undoubtedly are inspired by the possibilities modern studio technology gave the Brits, but there are also some more triaditional hardrock and heavy metal riffs to be heard this time around. And most of the choruses actually stick without trying too hard.

The song that initially attracted my attention was the title track of the album, a work that is quite progressive by Saxon standards. It is not very common for Saxon to play around with the time feel of songs, especially not to slow down for the chorus. The normal time feel of the verses contrasts nicely with the stomping nature of the half time feel that transforms the chorus into a chant, while the use of clean guitars and interesting chord work further enhances the song. Biff Byford’s vocal performance also counts as one of the most commanding in his career.

‘Lionheart’ contains significantly more enjoyable material, however. ‘English Man ‘O’ War’ is easily one of the most traditional Saxon songs in ages, while ‘Man And Machine’ is an equally uncomplicated stomper that will appeal to old school metalheads. The driving triplet riffs and rhythms that carry ‘To Live By The Sword’ are engaging enough to forgive the cliché lyrics of the chorus, especially considering the sublime harmonies that sing them. The intense midtempo stomper ‘Justice’ – another track with a chorus that opens up the entire song – is one of the most underrated gems in Saxon history and the aggressive speed metal of ‘Witchfinder General’ is the perfect opener.

At the time, the bland single ‘Beyond The Grave’ was a little misleading, as ‘Lionheart’ is without a doubt my favorite Saxon album of the current century. ‘Lionheart’ is not even a decent album with a few standout tracks, as many recent albums by bands that have been around a long time seem to be. While many traditional bands who tend to keep it simple embarrass themselves when they attempt quasi-progressive tracks, even ‘Searching For Atlantis’ is enjoyable enough. If I were to suggest a Saxon album to get familiar with them, I’d still go with ‘Strong Arm Of The Law’ or ‘Power & The Glory’, but fans of traditional heavy metal could do a lot worse than ‘Lionheart’.

Recommended tracks: ‘Lionheart’, ‘Justice’, ‘To Live By The Sword’