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Saxon - 1983 Power And The Glory
Background Saxon were only five albums into their recording career, but to many they peaked with 'Power And The Glory'. The four previous albums were rough slices of boogie-metal fusion, but natural progression saw the first shades of metallic AOR creep into their sound. Not to mention an ever increasing polished production. This allows the album to stand with Def Leppard's 'Pyromania' and Iron Maiden's 'Piece Of Mind' as one of 1983's best albums from the NWOBHM pioneers. It should have cracked the American market wide open for Saxon. Due to record company politics and some bad breaks, it never happened. Quite amazing when you consider Motley Crue were opening for them. The Songs The title track remains one of Saxon's key moments. The riff is brutish and carries the entire track. Nigel Glockler was making his first appearance as drummer and kicks the crap out of his kit with some thunderous double bass kicks. 'Redline' is a street machine anthem, one of early Saxon's trademarks, although far more sophisticated than the dirty 'Freeway Mad' sound from 1980. Noted producer Jeff Glixman was at the helm, so gleaming precision was a sure thing. 'Warrior' is a traditional metal classic, with a bodyblow of a riff. The Nordic 'rape and pillage' lyrics were never better. Crushing. Then the first shades of AOR are explored with 'Nightmare', while not a ballad, it has a fine sense of atmosphere and a great chorus. It was a sign of the direction pursued for much of the decade. 'This Town Rocks' is another full speed metal burner, but 'Midas Touch' and 'Watching The Sky' let the album down a bit. They are missing an essential chorus or piece or melody. Some unfortunate filler. The momentum is regained with the epic drama of 'The Eagle Has Landed', huge on buildup with plenty of tension in the guitar work from Oliver and Quinn. In Summary Saxon's AOR direction would grow stronger with 'Crusader' and 'Innocence Is No Excuse', before peaking in 1988 with 'Destiny'. Foremost they were still a metal band. But for all round excellence, 'Power' will always be the Saxon album to own. The clinical touch is as equal to 'Pyromania' in many ways, a good balance between all out heavy metal with just a tinge of AOR. It solidified Biff and the boys reputation as legends of the genre, a tag never to be lost. Related Articles Saxon - 1979 Saxon Saxon - 1980 Wheels Of Steel Saxon - 1981 Denim And Leather Saxon - 1983 Power And The Glory Saxon - 1985 Innocence Is No Excuse Saxon - 1988 Destiny Saxon - 1990 Solid Ball Of Rock Saxon - 1997 Unleash The Beast Saxon - 2000 Diamonds And Nuggets Saxon - 2004 Lionheart Saxon - 2007 The Inner Sanctum Saxon - 2009 Into The Labyrinth Saxon - 2011 Call To Arms Saxon - 2013 Sacrifice Copying of material without permission is not permitted. Posted by dangerzone
on August 03, 2005 ·
5 Comments ·
1572 Reads ·
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