Saxon's 'Sacrifice' to drop Feb. 26


New album from NWOBHM legends a blast from the past
Saxon - Sacrifice 2013
Saxon’s 20th album, titled Sacrifice, is due out Feb. 26 via UDR, and front man Biff Byford promises it’ll offer a return to traditional metallic Saxon values, as the band seeks to restore the Harley-like roar of its glory days.
“Less tricks, more power!” That’s what Byford wanted from Sacrifice, as he says, “My brief to the band was to be raw, be real and not be afraid to look back at the old classic material for inspiration.”
Not that Saxon has wavered much from those principles of late, as recent albums like A Call to Arms, Into the Labyrinth and The Inner Sanctum have, indeed, harnessed the horsepower and raw energy of classic LPs Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law, and Denim and Leather. New tracks like “Warriors of the Road,” “Wheels of Terror” and “Stand Up and Fight” are purported to be weighty and hard-hitting, with some elements of modern-day thrash thrown in for good measure and the invigorated guitar work from Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt amplifying Saxon’s thunder.
“It’s certainly been done from a more early ‘80s thrashier perspective,” explains Byford, “and it’s not just guitars bashing away willy-nilly, they’ve got a fresh drive, purpose and perspective.”
It’ll be interesting to see what Saxon has cooked up this time around, considering the record was co-produced by Byford and the highly sought after Andy Sneap, who helmed the production of Accept’s last two records, the critically acclaimed Blood of the Nations and Stalingrad. Along with ten new songs, Saxon has some other surprises in store, including unique re-recordings of Saxon classic songs – among them an orchestrated version of “Crusader” and an acoustically rendered “Frozen Rainbow.”
Sacrifice will be released in a variety of formats, from a limited-edition deluxe digibook (including a bonus disc featuring the revisited classic tracks) to the standard jewel-case CD, a vinyl LP picture disc, a direct-to-consumer fan package (available exclusively for online order from online retailers), and as a digital download.
“From the songs to the production, I wanted to focus on the raw aspects which made us great in the first place,” says Byford. “And living in that rawness, combined with some great classic Saxon songwriting, has in my opinion made Saxon fresher than ever.”
Sacrifice track listing:

01. Procession

02. Sacrifice

03. Made in Belfast

04. Warriors of the Road

05. Guardians of the Tomb

06. Stand Up and Fight

07. Walking the Steel

08. Night of the Wolf

09. Wheels of Terror

10. Standing in a Queue

Bonus Disc:

01. Crusader (Orchestrated version)

02. Just let me Rock (Re-recorded version)

03. Requiem (Acoustic version)

04. Frozen Rainbow (Acoustic version)

05. Forever Free (Re-recorded version)

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