{"id":24054,"date":"2024-01-19T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=24054"},"modified":"2024-01-18T19:28:24","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T19:28:24","slug":"saxon-hell-fire-and-damnation-militia-guard-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=24054","title":{"rendered":"Saxon \u2013 ‘Hell, Fire and Damnation’ (Militia Guard Music)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It doesn\u2019t seem like five minutes ago that I was reviewing Saxon\u2019s last fine collection of Heavy Metal tunes \u2018Carpe Diem\u2019<\/em> for this fine online publication. That was a bloody great album. I caught the band live twice in 2022 too, firstly when they stepped in and saved the day at the Steelhouse Festival after a certain American guitar player decided to pull out, and then at St David\u2019s Hall in Cardiff with Diamond Head doing a great job in the support slot\u2026. More about them shortly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much has happened in the Saxon camp in the last few years. Founding member Paul Quinn decided to step down from the band in 2023 much to the surprise and disappointment of many of Saxon\u2019s die-hard fans. After all, Mr Quinn had been there since the \u2018Son of a Bitch\u2019 days. He\u2019s kept himself busy though with his other project: The Cards, and it\u2019s been great to see him join the other founding guitarist of Saxon – Graham Oliver on stage at some of Oliver\u2019s gigs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stepping in as the new guitarist in Saxon is none other than Brian Tatler of Diamond Head, (told you there\u2019d be more about them). He certainly fits in well with Biff and the boys. They share a long history as part of the NWOBHM movement back in the late \u201870s and early \u201880s and DH are arguably as influential as Saxon in inspiring a new era of metal with the speed and thrash boom in the mid to late \u201880s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saxon have been keeping themselves busy (as usual) and 2024 is off with a bang as their latest album \u2018Hell, Fire And Damnation\u2019 <\/em>has landed. Incredibly, this is the band\u2019s 24th<\/sup> studio album. Let that sink in\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The album kicks off with an atmospheric build up before Brian \u2018Gordon\u2019s Alive\u2019<\/em> Blessed tells us all about \u2018The Prophecy\u2019, <\/em>which rolls into the title track – a mid-paced chug fest with THAT guitar tone that producer extraordinaire Andy Sneap has nailed down to a fine art. Biff\u2019s vocals sound superb as ever and Tatler puts his stamp on the new tracks alongside longtime guitarist Doug Scarratt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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