by Erik Tweedy
— Columnist —
Is it possible for a band that has put out more than 20 albums to have anything left to record that hasn’t already been done? YES! On its 22nd album, Thunderbolt, Saxon delivers a blistering dose of Metal that sounds as fresh today as it did nearly 40-years ago when the eagle first landed with their self-titled debut in 1979.
If you have followed Saxon’s decade’s long career you are already familiar with the quality of their work. If you are new to the Denim and Leather brigade, shame on you. Where have you been all these years? They have produced some of the U.K.’s finest recordings that stand right up there with their homeland heavyweights Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Def Leppard.
“Olympus Rising” slowly opens the Thunderbolt vault to reveal images of dragons, vampires, wizards and Greek gods. The album feels like the soundtrack to a newer version of a Lon Chaney or Bela Lugosi movie. The title track, “Thunderbolt” is a crushing example of how great of a band Saxon are and how they have evolved over the years into a Hard Rock powerhouse. Biff Byford’s vocals are on full display and it is amazing how great he sounds throughout this release at the age of 67. Several tracks like “The Secret of Flight”, “Sniper” and “A Wizard’s Tale” highlight the dual guitar playing of Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt that is clean and crisp and contains some smoking hot riffs reminiscent of Iron Maiden.
Tracks “Nosferatu – The Vampire’s Waltz” and “Sons of Odin” are mid-tempo rockers that chug along nicely and are built more on lyrics than on power. They fit nicely in their change of pace and gives the listener a chance to slow down and breath.
While not being a full-on concept album, a couple of tracks, “They Played Rock and Roll” and “Roadie’s Song” feel out of place with the overall theme of this release. “They Played Rock and Roll”, arguably the best track on Thunderbolt, pays homage to Lemmy and Motorhead at a frenetic pace that is awesome. Killer guitar work that would make Phil Campbell proud and the pounding rhythm section of Nibbs Carter and Nigel Glockler would feel right at home on any Motorhead record. Lemmy has long been recognized as the godfather of Heavy Metal and this is a perfect way to pay respect to the Ace of Spades. The other song mentioned here, “Roadie’s Song” is a bit light when compared to the rest of the material on Thunderbolt and would be more at home on Power and Glory or Crusader.
Lyrically, Saxon have put together one of their strongest releases with Thunderbolt. Every song is a story in its own right. Musically, Thunderbolt delivers a hard-driving record that rivals that of any hand half their age. It is amazing this far into their career that Saxon can put out such a high-quality release with flawless production. Put the headphones on, crank it up and let Saxon take you on a journey.
Genre Heavy Metal, NWOBHM
Band:
Vocals – Biff Byford
Guitar – Paul Quinn
Guitar – Doug Scarratt
Bass – Nibbs Carter
Drums – Nigel Glockler
Track Listing:
Olympus Rising
Thunderbolt
The Secret of Flight
Nosferatu (The Vampire’s Waltz)
They Played Rock and Roll
Predator
Sons of Odin
Sniper
A Wizard’s Tale
Speed Merchants
Roadie’s Song
Label: Militia Guard
Website: http://www.saxon747.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8 / 10)
Great review Eric!