Saxon, the name alone just seeps New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Anyone who was around in the late 70’s to early 80’s and was part of the NWOBHM scene knows who Saxon is and would agree that these guys were the unsung heroes of this movement. While bands like Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead were getting all the attention during this scene Saxon was paving the way behind the scenes for the future of this genre. Unfortunately Saxon never reached the pinnacle as the aforementioned but this does not take away from these pioneers of British heavy metal. For nearly 30 years Bif Byford and gang have been belting out CDs that have stayed true to their roots (there are always exceptions of course) and sound just as fresh today as they did back in the day.
Into the Labyrinth is the bands 18th studio recording and is a solid 50 minutes of true Saxon metal. “Battalions of Steel” opens the CD and will be a staple song in the bands set list for years to come. “Live to Rock” is the first single and follows up next and kicks the CD into high gear with its catchy and “sing a long-able” chorus is reminiscent of classics like “Wheels of Steel” and “Strong Arm of the Law.” The CD does not let up for the remaining 11 (with the exception of closing song “Coming Home” Bottleneck version) songs and has a “BIG” arena sound to it that screams to be played at maximum volume. Biff Byford’s vocals are quite possibly some of his best since their classic Crusader album. Paul Quinn and Doug Scarlett are a tight guitar duo that has brought back the art of dueling guitar solos. Some other highlights include “Valley of the Kings”, “Protect Yourself” and “Hellcat” and have the classic Saxon sound with a modern upgrade.
All in all Into The Labyrinth is a great CD and should guarantee to appease Saxon fans across the globe. If you have ever been a NWOBHM at one time or another or maybe you have lost touch with these guys in the past decade or so then I would highly suggest you pick this CD up. It is no frills heavy metal with a raw and intense groove to it. This CD is classic heavy metal in the making and hopefully it will bring Saxon back to their glory days.
Reviewed by Jeff Holton
