If there’s one thing you can be sure of when it comes to heavy metal, it’s that every two to three years will bring a new Saxon album. Throughout their four-and-a-half-decade long career (or longer if you count the time spent under other names), they’ve kept up a workmanlike pace that no other group from the NWOBHM era can match. The last few years in particular have found Saxon just as productive as their earliest years, as not only did they put out the incredible Carpe Diem in 2022 but had two cover albums come out in 2021 and 2023. You could argue some of that output was best left for diehards, but there’s no denying just how productive these guys have been when they could have just as easily let their legacy speak for itself and stop releasing new studio material. Last year saw one of the biggest changes Saxon has had in awhile, as original guitarist Paul Quinn opted to leave the group. For a long-running act like this that could easily be a death sentence, but instead of being held back they simply opted to recruit another guitarist who’s been involved with NWOBHM for just as long, Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler. With this new lineup in place, it’s time for Saxon’s latest full-length Hell, Fire and Damnation which offers a mix of up-tempo and mid-paced tracks with plenty of scorching riffs.
Throughout Hell, Fire and Damnation it’s clear that Tatler is a natural fit, and even with a lineup shift this significant Saxon still sounds just as they always have. The major difference this time around is the songwriting is a bit more straightforward and the tonality has a darker feel to it, which ties in well with the cover art and themes that are explored throughout the album. Songs like “Fire and Steel” and “Super Charger” kick the tempo significantly and showcase that Saxon can still go for speedy, scorching riffs and pull it off brilliantly, but a lot of the material opts for a slightly slower pace. The title track makes a strong impression after the appropriately epic opener “The Prophecy”, moving seamlessly from a brisk pace with scorching leads to a slower melodic break. “Madame Guillotine” opts for more of a hard rock leaning tempo, with the approach shifting to more melody while still providing plenty of power. All of this is classic Saxon and depending on the song you’re likely to be reminded of different eras of the band, but admittedly the writing comes through a bit more uniform compared to Carpe Diem. There aren’t any ballads like “The Pilgrimage” this time around, and the similarity of the pacing on many of the songs does make some of them blur together over repeat listens. Don’t get me wrong, Hell, Fire and Damnation still has some incredible moments on tracks like “Madame Guillotine”, “Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice”, and “1066” but there weren’t quite as few moments that popped out from each song to the next when compared to its predecessor. For long-time fans this is definitely still enough to hold your interest, and as with the last decade of Saxon albums Andy Sneap has helped this one sound massive and pack a real punch.
You’re never quite sure on a modern Saxon album if they’re going to launch right into the material or give you a shorter instrumental intro, but Hell, Fire and Damnation offers a pleasant surprise in the form of “The Prophecy”. Rather than just being a dark and foreboding instrumental track, the band brought in English actor Brian Blessed to provide narration which makes a strong first impression. From that point onwards it’s another masterclass showing from Biff Byford, who continues to have one of the best and most intact voices out of all the original NWOBHM singers. He still has a considerable amount of range, which is demonstrated almost immediately on the title track. Here Byford moves from rougher, lower pitched singing into powerful melodic ranges that soar over the recording. There are plenty of choruses that will get stuck in your head, and with the lyrical content exploring everything from Roswell to the Salem Witch Trials there’s a bit more diversity to the performance than is sometimes typical for Saxon.
Saxon’s been consistently strong for the better part of twenty years now, as each album released since 2004’s Lionheart has ranged from pretty good to incredible. I do think that Hell, Fire and Damnation is a bit of a step down from Carpe Diem, as it’s a bit more uniform and the songs don’t stand out quite as much on an individual basis. But at the end of the day this is still Saxon doing what they do best and there are more than enough moments that will keep me coming back. I’m interested to see where they go with Brian Tatler in the band too, as he’s a natural fit and it seems likely that they could easily do another few albums with this lineup over the next few years. Hell, Fire and Damnation is available from Silver Lining Music.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg