Like many bands well past their 20-year mark, UK metal veterans SAXON have released quite a few 'mixed bag' discs since their remarkable '79 debut and NWOBHM classics of the early 80s. Discs like 1991's "Solid Ball of Rock" and 1999's "Metalhead" are just a couple of titles that found Byford, Quinn, and the rest of his grey-haired Hogwarts professor lookalikes unleashing razor-sharp NWOBHM-style metal mixed with trendy production experiments, tedious epics, and occasional piano balladry. But strangely enough, 2006's "Lionheart" took us all by storm. SAXON sounded powerful, timeless, and confident.

Of all the tracks presented here, only "Need for Speed" and "If I Was You" sound even vaguely like the band that created the "Lionheart" album. The opener "State of Grace" is a boring, overblown epic with uninteresting changes and grating percussion. "Red Star Falling" is an interesting concept, but the bass drumming overshadows the riffs and vocals, dulling any interest. Both "Ashes to Ashes" and "I've Got to Rock (to Stay Alive)" are strong tunes, but the production and delivery sound dated, like Byford is looking to compete with the 1988-stylings of Glenn Hughes, Jorn or the guys from GREAT WHITE. "Empire Rising" is a third-tier power metal anthem, "Brother to brother, united we win." You get the idea. The problems seem to go beyond any production-related issue, stemming directly from the arrangements and sometimes the songwriting itself. "The Inner Sanctum" is a messy, uneven affair for diehard Byford fans only.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.saxon747.com

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