Old Wave of British Heavy Metal
Well it’s 2024 and we’ve still got legacy bands from the so-called “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” releasing records. They’re a bunch of old geezers now, so let’s call it the Old Wave. Can any of these British old guard still produce quality up to their 80’s heights? Let’s find out…
Saxon: Hell, Fire and Damnation
The Prophecy (1:24)
Hell, Fire and Damnation (5:32)
Madame Guillotine (5:24)
Fire and Steel (3:37)
There's Something in Roswell (4:09)
Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice (4:15)
Pirates of the Airwaves (3:56)
1066 (4:03)
Witches of Salem (5:11)
Super Charger (4:47)
Man, I love a good Saxon record, and let’s get everything straight right out of the gates: this is a good record. It’s straightforward balls to the wall heavy metal in the style Saxon has always mastered. And clocking in at just over 42 minutes, its brevity is welcome amongst a slew of overlong records that flood my library. The opener The Prophecy is stupid and cheesy (but what did you expect) before launching into the excellent title track Hell, Fire and Damnation. And don’t let the title fool you, the lyrics are about the war of heaven and hell, as shown on the beautiful artwork.
From then on, the record is remarkable consistent with mid-paced to quicker traditional heavy metal. The middle of the record is especially worthwhile, with the excellent Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice following on the heels of There's Something in Roswell. And oh, the inner Norman in me can really get behind the battle cry of 1066, though it seems odd to have a band called Saxon sing about the defeat of the Saxons. Oh well, c’est la vie. Witches of Salem does little to impress, but album closer Super Charger is super indeed, and finishes the album on a strong note.
Bill Byford sounds as good as ever, rasping through the lyrics like its 1980. Oh, and Brian Tattler, the legend of Diamond Head fame has taken up guitar duties, and offers some excellent selection. Production-wise, everything sounds good, and remarkably heavy, which is a welcome addition to a Saxon record.
However, despite its consistent quality, it doesn’t quite reach to the glory days of Saxon. It’s heavier, that’s for sure, and I like a lot of what’s going on here, but at the end of the day I don’t end up loving it. I find myself wanting more Saxon, but I really want the good ole days. For everything good that they do here, they have done it better before. But no worries, it seems Saxon will be releasing solid albums til they die, so we’ll get plenty more from the boys.
Hell, fire and damnation, written in the prophecy. Holy fire and salvation. Will our souls ever be free? Ever be free.. 6.5/10
Top Tracks: Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice, Hell, Fire and Damnation; 1066
Bruce Dickinson: The Mandrake Project
Afterglow of Ragnarok (5:45)
Many Doors to Hell (4:48)
Rain on the Graves (5:05)
Resurrection Men (6:24)
Fingers in the Wounds (3:39)
Eternity Has Failed (6:59)
Mistress of Mercy (5:08)
Face in the Mirror (4:08)
Shadow of the Gods (7:02)
Sonata (Immortal Beloved) (9:51)
Oh Bruce Dickinson, can anyone rival your legacy? For my money, the famed singer for heavy metal legends Iron Maiden is the greatest front-man in the history of metal (no offense to Mr. Halford, whom we’ll discuss below). However, his voice hasn’t aged particularly well in recent years, due both to his age and his battle with throat cancer nearly a decade ago. And, for a solo album of a legendary vocalist, the vocals are going to make or break the record. In this case, unfortunately for Bruce, they break it. Whilst he sounds better here than on that steaming turd of the last Iron Maiden album Senjutsu, he is still straining the limits of listenability. He is rrrrealllly reaching when he tries for those high notes and it doesn’t sound good. Furthermore, in the lower registers he just sounds old and haggard. Th
As for the songs, the lyrics are pretty goofy and pseudo-spiritual, and the instrumentation doesn’t do anything particularly remarkable. This makes for a bad listening experience if the band can’t wow me to make up for the lackluster vocals. It strays from true heavy metal near to dad rock territory at points and really loses me. I think the middle of the record offers the best cuts, with Resurrection Men and Fingers in the Wounds being fairly decent tracks. Then there is Eternity Has Failed, a reworking of If Eternity Should Fail, a track I kind of liked from Iron Maiden’s bloated 2015 offering The Book of Souls. This track actually works somehow, and I’m not sure if I like it more than the Maiden version.
That’s about all the good I have to say though. Mistress of Mercy is ok I guess, but the last three tracks are a chore to get through. Face in the Mirror sounds particularly bad, and the last two are both overlong and nonsensical. Ultimately, nothing in this album makes me really want to return. I’m sorry Bruce. You’re the reason I love heavy metal in the first place, but you’re not the air raid siren you used to be. It may be time to retire.
So put your fingers in the wounds and pray that he's god. A roll of the dice for a piece of his cloth…4/10
Top Tracks: Eternity Has Failed; Fingers in the Wounds; Resurrection Men
Judas Priest: Invincible Shield
Panic Attack (5:25)
The Serpent and the King (4:19)
Invincible Shield (6:21)
Devil in Disguise (4:46)
Gates of Hell (4:38)
Crown of Horns (5:45)
As God Is My Witness (4:36)
Trial by Fire (4:21)
Escape from Reality (4:24)
Sons of Thunder (2:58)
Giants in the Sky (5:03)
Priest is back, showing once again that they are capable of playing at a high level despite their age and line-up changes. Returning on the heels of 2018’s Firepower (an album I quite enjoyed at the time) with the same lineup, Judas Priest have unleashed a flurry of heavy metal goodness 50 years after their debut.
The record races out of the gates with the very fun Panic Attack, and the absolutely killer The Serpent and the King. This album shows one thing very quickly, it’s gonna be heavy. It’s much more riff-based that classic era Priest, at the cost of the dual guitar harmonised leads. The title track is fine, but by no means a standout, and the band continues to chug through decent metal numbers before the best run on the album. Crown of Horns is a good slow number that lets Halford rest a bit. Then we have As God Is My Witness, with an infectious chorus that you will be singing by the end, with Trial by Fire searing a whole close behind. This is the true strength of the record, and worth returning to. The album peeters out a bit with the final tracks. None are bad, but they don’ offer anything fresh.
Rob Halford is really old, but in comparison to Bruce his vocals sound quite good on this record. He’s got his classic grit and rasp, and the double-tracking really helps his voice fill up the space. Furthermore, I think the band is aware of the big man’s vocal limitations now, and the music and mixing compliments his strengths and doesn’t let him strain too hard. He gets high enough for sure, such as The Serpent and the King and Trial by Fire. The riffs are chunky and beefy, and the drums add a bit of heft to what is overall good production. There are some interesting soloes as well
My biggest problem with this record is the same as that of Saxon. Whilst it’s good and consistent, at the end of the day it doesn’t wow. Perhaps I expect too much of the band, but I don’t see myself spinning this over and over again. I put it about on par with Firepower, which is good for a band of this age, but I hardly come back to that record either. Judas Priest, it seems, are still worth paying attention to, but maybe just to whet your appetite for a live show with their bigger numbers.
As God is my witness I swear there'll be hell to pay. As God is my witness I will prevail until the end of days…7/10
Top Tracks: The Serpent and the King; As God Is My Witness; Trial By Fire
So, at the end of the day, the winner is…Judas Priest.