I've never listened to a Saxon album outside of the 80s classics like Wheels of Steel and Denim and Leather, so I wasn't sure what to expect. How many older bands make good music these days? A handful, maybe? For an aging NWOBHM band, it ain't half bad, less than half bad if I dare say so.
The music is heavy and intense, the riffs are powerful and have that old school sound, the lyrics are catchy as STDs, and the solos rip you to pieces. There really isn't much to complain about. The songwriting here on the upside, as the album has little filler. There is all that you'd expect from a Saxon album: a headbanging title track, a metal anthem ("Stand Up and Fight"), motorcycle-riding ("Warriors of the Road"), a "power-ballad" ("Night of the Wolf"), and the trademark mid-tempo stuff ("Wheels of Terror" and "Guardians of the Tomb").
While it may not become a classic or a modern masterpiece, it really is a solid album. More than half the tracks are worth listening to. The production , while modern, doesn't sound pale at all and only amplifies the strength of the songs. There isn't a bad riff on here and Biff's vocals are still holding up. In my opinion, if you have liked the last two Accept records, then you will enjoy this album. The two best tracks on here are the title track and "Guardians of the Tomb," if those don't sell it to you, I don't know what will.
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