Saxon--Unleash the Beast (1997)
Rating--8.6
Circle of Light--RealAudio The Thin Red Line--RealAudio
Unleash the beast, indeed! Saxon delivers a fine slab of NWOBHM in the traditional '80s vein of
Priest, Maiden, and Accept. Yes, Biff
Byford's voice may seem a little tired at times, but it's actually the best it's sounded in years. And there's no real reason to
compare to any of the greats anyway--lump him in with UDO and others and simply enjoy the way he works well with the music. Good,
emotional work. A solid effort all around.
The title cut gets things started off in tough fashion, and is followed up by the
excellent metal beat and chord-based riffs of "Terminal Velocity"--a smooth neck-mover. "Circle of Light" goes from a Maiden-influenced
intro to the power chords of Priest--sounds that Saxon actually helped to create back in the early '80s, though the aforementioned
bands were the breakthrough successes. "The Thin Red Line" features a good, solid back-riff, and has a pulsing sense of urgency
throughout.
"The Preacher"--nice groove/beat! More good stuff. "Cut Out the Disease" is another slower, mesmerizing piece,
and comes across extremely strong.
HOT CHOPS: A nice little slow-down section at 4:25 of the title song. Nice metal slug chug. Also, the "You gotta hold the line!" screams
in "The Thin Red Line" come up at just the right times, to keep the song moving along nicely.
TRACK LIST: Gothic Dreams/Unleash the Beast/Terminal Velocity/Circle of Light/The Thin Red Line/Ministry of Fools/The Preacher/
Bloodletter/Cut Out the Disease/Absent Friends/All Hell Breaking Loose
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