James Cameron’s “Titantic” had star power, amazing special
effects and a budget that rivaled the gross national product of some small
countries. “Made in Belfast,” Saxon’s blue-collar tribute to those who put their
blood, sweat and tears into building the doomed luxury liner, was recorded for
their rampaging new album Sacrifice with
considerably less money and a leading man in Biff Byford who looks more like a motorcycle
club president than Leonardo DiCaprio. And yet, it’s “Made in Belfast” that’s
more deserving of an Oscar.
In comparison, Cameron’s interminably long film has nothing
on the widescreen epic that serves as the awe-inspiring centerpiece of Sacrifice, Saxon’s third killer album
in a row out now on the UDR label. As good a place to start with Sacrifice
as any, “Made in Belfast” is an interesting anomaly for Saxon. Dramatic and
devastatingly heavy at times, with a crushing, knee-buckling chorus as damaging
as the iceberg that tore a gigantic hole into Titanic’s supposedly
indestructible hull, “Made in Belfast” also sweeps across the Irish countryside
on wheeling Celtic mandolin courtesy of Paul Quinn. And the aural landscape
Saxon paints is breathtaking.
An experiment that works astonishingly well, against all
odds, the contrast of punishing heavy-metal riffs, soaring twin-guitar helixes,
and lovely folk accents is a refreshing change for Saxon, but don’t expect them
to make a habit of it. Fascinated by history, just as Saxon was when they
penned their own examination of the Kennedy assassination in “Dallas 1 p.m.” some
thirty years ago, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal vanguards go old school and
burn up the asphalt on “Warriors of the Road,” a fireball of delirious metal
energy that’s a throwback to Saxon’s early ‘80s work. The bruising, hard-nosed
contemplation of modern-day frustration that is “Standing in a Queue” is just
as nostalgic, although it seems to pine just as much for the simple, but brutally
effective, hooks of Bon Scott-era AC/DC as it does for their NWOBHM heyday.
Still hungry for new adventures, however, Saxon displays how
enamored they are with the explosive, riotous sound of thrash on Sacrifice by raining down torrents of
serrated guitar noise – designed by Quinn and his partner in crime Doug
Scarratt – in the violent, feverish mosh pit of a title track. And they seethe
with rage on the menacing “Wheels of Terror,” but Saxon hasn’t given up on
melody, a crucial element of the classic Saxon sound found on “Guardians of the
Tomb,” the bruising workingman anthem “Walk the Steel” and “Stand Up and Fight,”
all of which feed on the raw fury and searing speed of Exodus or Testament.
The limited deluxe edition of Sacrifice is paired with a bonus disc of extras that find Saxon re-imagining
a handful of their most revered classic songs – among them, a majestically
orchestrated version of “Crusader,” lush acoustic takes on “Requiem” and “Frozen
Rainbow,” and a frenzied “Forever Free.” Still, it’s the hot, molten core of Sacrifice and its brazen “go for the
throat” attitude that ought to send old fans and new converts alike into paroxysms
of rock ‘n’ roll ecstasy. Saxon's not dead yet. In fact, they seem to found
metal’s fountain of youth, as Sacrifice
burns with a relentless intensity – no ballads were allowed here – that belies their
age.
–Peter Lindblad
Saxon's current lineup includes Nibbs Carter, Nigel Glockler,
Biff Byford, Doug Scarratt and Paul Quinn (Photo by Kai Swillus)
Dodging flying beer bottles and sidestepping brawling
hooligans isn’t everybody’s idea of fun.
Biff Byford and the boys of Son of a Bitch, precursors to
the New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends Saxon, always found trouble in one
particular live venue in the northeast of England – in the industrial town of
Burnley – called the Bank Hall Miners Club, but that didn’t stop them from
playing there as often as they could in the early days.
As the lanky Saxon front man recalls, “The money was good.”
And it had to be, because there was a real possibility that one or all of them
could wind up in the hospital after the gig.
“It was a club for miners, as the miners had their own
club,” says Byford. “That was pretty hard actually. That was a pretty hard
place. There used to be fights there every time we played – not because of the
band, but because there were two gangs that used to stand across each side of
the room looking at each other, and then at some point, they’d all charge at
each other and that would be the end of the concert. So yeah, it was a bit
rough. It was like ‘The Blues Brothers,’ where they’re throwing pots and bits
of beer at the band and things.”
Even for young men craving rock ‘n’ roll excitement and even
danger, the violence of the Bank Hall Miners Club in the late 1970s was a bit much for Byford and
Son of a Bitch. They had to make a buck, though. And, regardless of the trials and
tribulations of barnstorming England in a cramped van and performing at clubs
and bars where many of the patrons might want to take a swing at them, it beat
the hell out of working in the mines.
“When I was 17 or 18, I was working in the coal mines,” says
Byford. “It was difficult. It was really hard work. When you’re that young,
you’ve got mates in there, and I wasn’t in there for very long. It was a
dangerous place. But, yeah, I know what it’s like to work hard for everything.”
Perhaps that’s why Son of a Bitch, and later Saxon,
originally had such a large following in working-class communities in the north
of England and in South Wales, landscapes once dominated by factories and “cut
off from the south,” the more pastoral area of Britain, as Byford says.
“I suppose people just wanted to go out on a Friday or
Saturday night and have a great time and just watch a great band,” says Byford.
“All these little villages or towns had clubs or bars, and we used to play
them. You could play one every night for a month. And that’s what we did.”
The song “Stand Up and Fight,” off Saxon’s newest LP Sacrifice (a video of the making of the album is shown above), out on the UDR label, speaks
to the struggles they encountered before the tsunami known as NWOBHM swept
through the U.K. If the raging thrash and thundering traditional metal of Sacrifice – as well as other recent
efforts like 2011’s Call to Arms,
2009’s Into the Labyrinth and 2007’s Inner Sanctum – is any indication, the indestructible Saxon
has rediscovered the passionate intensity and raw energy that made their early
‘80s albums such classics.
Making a ‘Sacrifice’
Saxon - Sacrifice 2013
Sacrifice is
Saxon’s 20th album, and for the occasion, Byford decided to take the
con. Or, in other words, he assumed the role of producer, and he wasn’t shy
about giving out orders.
“I just really wanted to make an album that I liked and not
be beholden to the people who are not doing it,” says Byford. “The fans are
quite happy with that, so that was good … there are no ballads, just good rock
music, just good metal music. That’s what I wanted to do.”
The plan was to revisit Saxon’s most revered albums – the
early ‘80s holy trinity of Wheels of
Steel, Strong Arm of the Law and Denim and Leather – for inspiration,
while incorporating the balls-out, crash-and-burn mayhem of the thrash-metal
titans of today who were weaned on the NWOBHM sound Saxon helped establish.
“I mean, we went back to the ‘80s a little bit for two or
three of the songs, just to figure out what made us great,” explains Byford. “I
think ‘Warriors of the Road’ and ‘Stand Up and Fight’ are sort of
thrash-metal-y like the ‘80s were, and yeah, I just wanted to play with
Marshalls and Gibsons really, and just play and not rely too much on too many
digital tricks and just play like it is really. Some of the stuff is quite
modern, like ‘Made in Belfast’ is a really heavy song, with the Celtic sort of
style. We were experimenting as well, but yeah, I wanted the songs to have that
kind of push like it was just recorded yesterday, but still have that one foot
in the past.”
Infused with Irish folk accents, “Made in Belfast” certainly
has historical significance.
“It was originally just a heavy riff and a melodic turn,”
says Byford, referring to how the song was constructed. “I wanted it to have a
Celtic feel to it, so we went and Paul Quinn wrote the more Celtic part of the
beginning and we put it in the song. We liked it that much and it’s in all the
bridges of the song. And in Belfast, not the song but the city, I went to see
the museum, the Titanic museum. And I just thought it would be nice to write a
song for the people that worked on the ships really, rather than those who were
[passengers] on the Titanic.”
“Walking the Steel” also expresses empathy for the plight of
the working man, although this time it’s the construction being done on One
World Trade Center – one of the new towers being built on the old site of the
former World Trade Center, which was destroyed by the 9/11 terrorists – that
stirred Byford’s imagination.
“I went to Ground Zero in 2011, and we saw the progress
being made on the towers, and we were talking to a couple of guys there,” says
Byford. “And they called it ‘walking the steel,’ when they worked up there in
the clouds.”
Available as a standard jewel case CD, a limited-edition
deluxe digibook, a vinyl picture disc, a digital download that comes with a
bonus song or in a direct-to-consumer fan package, Sacrifice was mastered by in-demand producer Andy Sneap, who has
worked on a number of recent high-profile metal releases.
“We’ve known him for quite some time, and we wanted to work
together a little bit last year, or the year before, but couldn’t get to it. He
had a little bit of time free ‘cause the Killswitch [Engage] album was delayed
a few weeks. So, I asked him if he wanted to mix the album, and he said he’d
love to mix the album. So, that’s how it happened really, just over e-mail. He
came down to the studio to talk a couple of times, while I was recording the
band, and we came up with a plan.”
Giving Sacrifice
that contemporary feel was important for Byford, as songs like the title track
have the heaviness and raw power he imagined it would, while retaining that
classic Saxon sound.
“I’m a bit mixed really. I love the melodic stuff, but I
also love the heavy stuff as well,” admits Byford. “I guess I’m a bit of a
hybrid really. I love the melodic stuff – ‘747’ from the early albums – but I
also like ‘Motorcycle Man’ and ‘Princess of the Night,’ so I’m a bit of a
sucker for it all really.”
And he’s in absolute awe of the guitar work of Quinn and
Doug Scarratt on the latest record, as well as the performances of the band as
a whole.
“The musicianship of this band is great,” says Byford. “So
it’s a lot easier to go to different places with this band than it was with any
other band. So, yeah, it’s great this time. It’s really inspirational.”
Road tested
Back in the 1970s, Byford only had to witness the tough
lives of his fellow miners to give himself the push he needed to make it as a
musician.
In 1976, Byford, guitarists Quinn and Graham Oliver, bassist
Steve “Dobby” Dawson and drummer David Ward – who would soon be replaced by
Pete Gill – formed what would become Saxon in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, only
they started out as Son of a Bitch. They toured England relentlessly, as is
recounted in the 2012 Saxon documentary film “Heavy Metal Thunder.” The venues
weren’t exactly posh settings.
“We played a lot of clubs and bars,” says Byford. “Yeah, we
thought it was great fun, although they were very rough. There were a lot of
fights and things.”
Part of the excitement involved having copious amounts of
sex with groupies in the band’s van – which also housed their gear – after a
gig. Their one-night stands occasionally got them into hot water.
“You had to have a good pair of running shoes to get out of
the way,” jokes Byford. “There was always somebody’s girlfriend that liked one
of the band members, and you had to get out pretty quickly.”
While the U.K. club circuit provided Saxon, who ditched the
name Son of a Bitch fairly early on, all the thrills and excitement they could
stand, they had bigger dreams. And they had no intention of being just a covers
band, which only served to rile audiences.
“In the early days, we used to do like three sets,” recalls
Byford. “We used to stop and have a break and then start again. And usually by
the end of the set, all of them were pretty rough actually. And we really
didn’t do cover songs back then. So a lot of people used to ask for ‘Smoke on
the Water’ and all (laughs). And we said, ‘We don’t play that.’ And then they’d
usually riot, you know what I mean? After a while, people would come to see us
because we were a good band then, so we actually got on a little bit easier as
time went on.”
Securing support spots on tours with bigger bands, including
Motorhead, gained them much-needed exposure and expanded their fan base.
“It was our first tour,” says Byford, referring to Saxon’s
opening gigs with Motorhead. “I mean, they were pretty big then in the U.K. at
the time. So, yeah, we jumped on their tour. It was great actually. They helped
us out a lot – telling fans to buy our records and things. They were really
cool about it. They were great.”
Gaining momentum, Saxon got signed to the French record
label Carrere, which put out their self-titled debut in 1979. Carrere, however,
would experience financial difficulties, and when the label went under, Saxon
was homeless. It wouldn’t take them long to find another label, and in 1980,
they released Wheels of Steel, which yielded the singles “747,” the title track
and “Suzie Hold On.”
So began a period of intense creativity and ceaseless touring,
with Saxon appearing at the very first Monsters of Rock concert on Aug. 16,
1980.
Saxon - Wheels of Steel 1980
“We’d just gotten Wheels
of Steel in the charts,” says Byford. “I think it had just gone gold in the
U.K. So we went onstage … and it just was crazy, with 80,000 people going nuts,
singing all the songs. Yeah, it was great. It was quite emotional for us. It
was the first time we played to more than 2,000 people.”
On the road, Saxon encountered larger audiences and they
were frothing at the mouth for something different. Much to their surprise,
Saxon found itself at the vanguard of a burgeoning movement. NWOBHM was
happening, and Saxon was taking notice “straight away really,” says Byford.
“It’s not like the U.S. It’s not like a massive country,” he
adds. “In the U.K., it happened pretty quickly for us – two or three big
magazines got a hold of it and gave us some fantastic reviews. You know, we
played quite a few shows in the early days of Maiden, like at Manchester
University and places like that. And yeah, it was a bit of a melting pot of
bands really. I remember we played with a band called Samson back then. Bruce
Dickinson was their singer, so I got to meet Bruce fairly early on as well.”
This conflagration of heavy metal and punk rock, combining
speed and all-out aggression, was sweeping across England, as Saxon’s
compatriots like Diamond Head, Budgie, Angel Witch, Girlschool, Motorhead,
Tygers of Pan Tang and, of course, Iron Maiden blew the doors off the entire
country.
“There was definitely a massive change in the size of
audiences that had interest in the band,” says Byford. “I really think the
magazines were a bit fed up with this punk thing. I just think they wanted
something new to write about. And we were in the right place at the right time
with some great songs.”
Humility aside, Saxon posted four albums in the U.K. Top 10 in the 1980s and had numerous Top 20 singles there and in Japan, at least in part, because of
their insane work ethic. Striking while the iron was as hot as it could ever
be, Saxon took whatever studio time they could get when they weren’t on the
road. While Wheels of Steel was still
going strong, Saxon released perhaps its finest recording, Strong Arm of the Law, which featured the title track and “Dallas 1
p.m.,” a song about John F. Kennedy.
“We were just very, very sort of inspired really,” says
Byford. “We were just writing the first things that came into our heads. You
know, they were great really. We had to work on the songs and get them sounding
great – you know, with the arrangements. But generally, we’d have an idea and
carry on with it and it worked out to be a fantastic idea – like ‘Dallas 1
p.m.,’ you know, I just sat down and wrote it. I said to the guys, ‘I’ve got
this idea about writing a song about the Kennedy assassination and about when
he was younger.’ And they were like, ‘Yeah.’ And we had this riff flying
around, and we put the two together and it worked fantastically. So, I think
that song probably took about two hours, from the original idea to the finished
song.”
Not every song came together as fast as that one for Saxon,
but with their touring schedule having expanded worldwide, having a hit in
Japan with “Motorcycle Man,” there was less and less time for recording. Saxon
didn’t mind the work.
“We’d actually not been out of the country before 1980, and
most of us had never been on a plane,” says Byford.
Though they were spending more time on the road and in the
air, Saxon didn’t do much songwriting away from the studio.
“Not many. Not many. I think we probably wrote ‘Princess of
the Night’ on the road,” says Byford. “I can’t really remember many that we
wrote. I got a lot of ideas for lyrics on the road, but I can’t remember
writing one song on the road really. The guitarist might try something at sound
check, and it would come out way too long, but generally, we just went into the
room on Day 1 and started writing the album.”
Saxon - Denim and Leather 2013
With an ever-shrinking window to record, Saxon banged out
another seminal record in 1981 with the fan favorite Denim and Leather, the title track of which has been a rallying cry
for many metal fans ever since then. “Princess of the Night” was on Denim and Leather, and it was one of the
band’s most successful singles, but in the aftermath, Saxon’s united front
started to crack, as Gill departed and was replaced by Nigel Glockler for an
upcoming tour.
Still formidable, Saxon kept their foot on the gas,
releasing one of metal’s greatest live albums in The Eagle Has Landed. They were headlining tours of their own and
supporting superstars like Ozzy Osbourne. And they brought down the house at
1982’s Monsters of Rock Festival. The tide, however, was turning ever so slowly
against Saxon, as the glam-metal outbreak spread and NWOBHM started to fade.
Despite it all, Saxon released Power & the Glory in 1983, and it surpassed their previous best
in sales. What nobody knew then was that Saxon was about to undergo
earthshaking changes.
‘Crusader’ for truth
1984 saw Saxon sign with EMI Records, and they kicked off
their relationship with a new album in Crusader,
a record that critics found a bit commercial but Byford never saw it that way.
And the title track is still beloved by fans.
“It was a song [written] from the point of view of a young
lad watching the soldiers go off to war,” says Byford. “And yeah, it’s just a
historic song, and other people have all sorts of different interpretations,
but it’s just a history song, like ‘Dallas 1 p.m.’ or ‘Made in Belfast.’”
There would be other new releases in the ‘80s, including
1985’s Innocence is No Excuse and
1986’s Rock the Nations, although
they lost Dawson in the process. Paul Johnson was hired as Dawson’s
replacement, but Saxon was growing weary of touring. In 1988, they released the
commercial disappointment Destiny,
and EMI dropped the band.
Not willing to give up the ghost, Saxon continued on into
the ‘90s, signing with Virgin Records. But after recording Dogs of War in 1994, Oliver was
dismissed for trying to sell recording of Saxon’s 1980 Donnington performance
without the permission of the rest of the band. To this day, Oliver and Dawson
haven’t been welcomed back to Saxon, although Byford has left the door open for
reconciliation.
“I mean, never say never – we’ll see how it goes really,”
says Byford.
These days, Saxon’s lineup includes Byford, Quinn, Glockler,
Scarratt and Nibbs Carter, who replaced Johnson way back in 1988. And this
version of the band has been on an incredible roll, with each succeeding album
since The Inner Sanctum receiving
ever-increasing critical acclaim. Sacrifice
might be the best of the lot, and it’s going to give the Saxon fans in
Metallica and Megadeth reason to up their game.
“I think those guys were really into the old attitude and
concept of our albums then,” says Byford. “They were very sort of … no
particular style, just great songs played full bore – you know, no holding
back. So I think that’s what those bands from the U.S. sort of liked about us,
that metal/punk sort of stuff. So, yeah, definitely – and I’m sure a lot of
them will like two or three songs of this album.”
Front man Biff Byford talks new album, U.S. release date pushed back
By Peter Lindblad
Like a general marshaling his troops for another saber-rattling, bloody charge into battle, Saxon’s Biff Byford had an inspirational message for the band on the eve of preparing to go to work on Sacrifice.
Saxon - Sacrifice 2013
Due out now in late March, the 26th to be exact, in the U.S., having been delayed
because of manufacturing problems, Sacrifice
is rough-and-tumble, old-school New Wave of British Heavy Metal mixed with fire-bombing
thrash, influenced by the same bands, including Metallica, that once worshiped
at Saxon’s altar.
As Byford says in the press materials related to Sacrifice, “My brief to the band was not
to be afraid, to be raw, be real and not be afraid to look back at the old
classic material for inspiration.”
Between 1980 and 1983, Saxon toured relentlessly and churned
out album after album of rugged, hard-working metal machinery that celebrated the
blue-collar lifestyle, the commitment to spreading the gospel of metal and the
pure enjoyment of engines and driving heavy-duty motorcycles. Studio albums
such as Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law, Denim and Leather and Power & the Glory are considered stone-cold
NWOBHM classics, and Sacrifice – coming
hot on the heels of such critically acclaimed works as 2009’s Into the Labyrinth and 2011’s Call to Arms – is a throwback to the
good old days of Saxon.
“Yeah, I think we’re in that sort of period again that we
used to be in, in the ‘80s,” says Byford, in a recent interview with Backstage
Auctions. “We’re knocking them out really good. So, yeah, we feel pretty good
about this album. I produced it myself. I was more in control of, you know, the
actual songs and the sounds, so I’m quite happy about that.”
The decision to captain the ship this time around came from
a desire to make a classic Saxon album, especially in light of the fact that Sacrifice is the band’s 20th
album.
“I just really wanted to make an album that I liked and not
be beholden to the people who are not doing it,” explains Byford. “The fans are
quite happy with that, so that was good. Yeah, I just wanted to reflect them on
this album. There are no ballads, just good rock music, just good metal music.
That’s what I wanted to do.”
For homework, the boys in Saxon – Byford, guitarists Paul
Quinn and Doug Scarratt, drummer Nigel Glockler, and bassist Nibbs Carter –
were assigned the task of sitting with those landmark recordings and trying to
channel the spirit and attitude of Saxon’s glorious past.
“I mean, we went back to the ‘80s a little bit for two or
three of the songs, just to figure out what made us great,” says Byford. “I
think ‘Warriors of the Road’ and ‘Stand Up and Fight’ are sort of thrash-metal-y
like the ‘80s were, and yeah, I just wanted to play with Marshalls and Gibsons
really, and just play and not rely too much on too many digital tricks and just
play like it is really.”
Forget Pro-Tools and all that foolishness. Sacrifice was made in England, the
old-fashioned way. And though it certainly contains elements of classic Saxon, Sacrifice did allow the band to stretch
out creatively.
“Some of the stuff is quite modern, like ‘Made in Belfast’
is a really heavy song, with the Celtic sort of style (mandolins being part of
the equation),” says Byford. “We were experimenting as well, but yeah, I wanted
the songs to have that kind of push like it was recorded yesterday, but still
have that one foot in the past.”
Sacrifice was originally slated for release Feb. 26 in
America. It’ll come out in a variety of packages, including a standard jewel-case
CD, a limited-edition deluxe digibook, a vinyl picture disc, a direct-to-consumer
fan package (available exclusively for online order from online retailers), and
a digital download that includes one bonus song, “Luck of the Draw.” It’s an
iTunes exclusive. A complete version of our interview with Biff will be available as the release date for Sacrifice approaches.
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.”
Van Halen, Judas Priest, High on Fire and others make our list
By Peter Lindblad
Overkill - The Electric Age
It was a bull market for heavy metal in 2012. Any bears who
predicted a downturn after a very strong 2011 were quickly proven wrong when
Overkill’s The Electric Age was
released early this year and it served notice that the East Coast thrash-metal
kingpins were back and better than ever.
And then, the new Van Halen record came out, and it didn’t
suck. In fact, it stunningly good, and even if it was pieced together with leftovers
from the good old days, their ability to pull it all together and make something
coherent – and oh so powerful – out of all those scraps certainly made
everybody stand up and applaud. Were that all to 2012, we could have suffered
through the rest of it without whining about the state of heavy metal, but
there was more, much more, to this year than two electrifying releases.
It was a great year for grizzled veterans like Kreator and
Testament and younger acts like High on Fire, Pallbearer, The Sword and Whitechapel
– all of whom unleashed hell in 2012 with stunning albums. Saxon and Ozzy
Osbourne’s band received their just due with amazing DVDs; in Saxon’s case it
was a captivating documentary while Ozzy came out with a thrilling concert
video from the “Diary of the Madman” tour, where Brad Gillis had just replaced
Randy Rhoads following Rhoads’s death. And then there was Iron Maiden, showing
everybody just how it’s done onstage with an incredible world tour, supported
by none other than Alice Cooper. So, with 2013 just about upon us, it was time
to reveal our best of 2012 heavy metal selections.
Metal Artist of the
Year/Comeback of the Year: Van Halen
Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth 2012
Expectations couldn’t have been lower, especially after the
release of that lead trial balloon known as “Tattoo.” Underwhelming in almost
every possible way, from its awkward verses to choruses as glitzy and smarmy as
a Las Vegas lounge lizard, the 2011 single had everyone talking – only most of
that conversation revolved around how historically awful “Tattoo” was. The bar
wasn’t just lowered. It had crashed through the floor. And then, A Different Kind of Truth arrived, and
it was magnificent – aggressive and heavy, with Eddie Van Halen putting on an
awesome fireworks display of dazzling solos and dynamic riffs. Of course, the
triumphant tour that was supposed to vault them back to the top of the
hard-rock heap ended rather abruptly, and Eddie’s health problems were a buzz
kill, so it wasn’t the best of times for Van Halen. Still, in 2012, Van Halen
redeemed itself mightily with A Different
Kind of Truth, and that was no mean feat, considering how far they’d
fallen.
Best Metal Album: High
On Fire, De Vermis Mysteriis (Entertainment One)
High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis 2012
This could just as easily go to Kreator’s Phantom Antichrist or Over Kill’s The Electric Age, but the tumultuous De Vermis Mysteriis is such an intense,
churning maelstrom of ragged, crazed thrash and pulverizing sludge metal that
it simply boggles the mind. His throat shredded almost beyond repair, Matt Pike
rages maniacally about Jesus’ cursed, time-traveling twin brother and the
devastation he has wrought in an epic concept album engulfed in thundering
drums, pile-driving bass and roiling guitar riffs. Mother Nature may have met
her match.
Best Metal Song:
Testament – “Native Blood” (Off of the album Dark Roots of Earth on Nuclear Blast Records)
Testament - Dark Roots of Earth 2012
Rightly proud of his Native American heritage, a
battle-scarred Chuck Billy belts out the lyrics to “Native Blood” with the
full-throated roar of a runaway freight train. Impassioned and defiant, Billy’s
booming, resonant voice adds gravitas and emotional depth to a powerful song of
independence and self-reliance that stirs the soul, a modern-day anthem for
indigenous peoples everywhere who feel the weight of oppression upon them. And
while the words that steam out of Billy’s fiery mouth carry both a political
and social significance for those he’s trying to rouse to action, it’s the
deliriously infectious riffs and terrific momentum “Native Blood” gathers – not
to mention a blast-furnace chorus that even Metallica would kill to call its
own – that make it the standout track
on one of the finest albums of Testament’s glorious career.
Best New Hard Rock
Band: World Fire Brigade
World Fire Brigade - Spreading My Wings 2012
World Fire Brigade is not just some reasonable facsimile of
Fuel, even if its degrees of separation from those ‘90s alternative rockers are
way fewer than six. See, Brett Scallions has teamed with Smile Empty Soul’s
Sean Danielsen and producer Eddie Wohl on a new – well, fairly new, having
actually been hatched in 2009 – project that is full-on metal … cross my heart,
it is. Of course, it helps to have Wohl, who has worked as a producer for none
other than Anthrax, onboard. And then there’s the presence of Anthrax’s Rob
Caggiano and closet metalhead Mike McCready of Pearl Jam fame to add sonic heft
to the proceedings. In interviews prior to this release, Scallions said World
Fire Brigade was heavier and more metallic than Fuel, and he wasn’t kidding. Thick
with dynamic, serpentine riffs, World Fire Brigade’s surprisingly powerful
debut, released this past summer, is chock full of gripping hooks and
compelling songs that would be commercially viable were it not for radio’s
aversion to comeback stories.
Best Concert DVD:
Ozzy Osbourne Speak of the Devil (Eagle Vision)
Ozzy Osbourne - Speak of the Devil 2012
On June 12, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” tour
rolled into Irvine Meadows, California, having only recently buried guitarist
Randy Rhoads, the man primarily responsible for reviving the career of one of
metal’s greatest frontmen. With heavy hearts, and a new guitarist in Brad
Gillis, Ozzy and his band put on an electrifying performance for the ages, as
they plowed through a set list heavy on selections from Ozzy’s two solo records
– plus a doom-laden medley of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” “Children of the
Grave” and “Paranoid” to close the show. Of great historical importance, “Speak
of the Devil” captures all the madness with varied camera work, their lenses
focused mainly on an enthusiastic Ozzy imploring the crowd to go nuts and
Gillis’s fiery fretwork. Backed by a dark, gothic castle and a huge drum riser
for Tommy Aldridge, a reinvigorated Ozzy seems hell-bent on proving to everyone
that Rhoads’ death will not send him into another tailspin like the one that
nearly killed him after being summarily dismissed from Sabbath. This is a
fantastic entry in Ozzy’s journal of rock ‘n’r roll insanity.
Best Documentary DVD:
Saxon Heavy Metal Thunder – The Movie (UDR/Militia Guard/EMI)
Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder 2012
Sex, tea and rock
‘n’ roll? Evidently, at least until bassist Steve Dawson dabbled briefly with
cocaine, substance abuse wasn’t part of the equation for working-class heroes
Saxon, one of the bands that spearheaded the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
Abstaining from alcohol and drugs, these teetotalers preferred less powerful
brews, but they did indulge in other forms of debauchery offstage – namely,
doing groupies in the back of a cramped touring van, where privacy wasn’t an
option. Inside the venue, they were all business, rocking as if their lives
were at stake in blazing live shows that became the stuff of legend. And yet,
at least in America, Saxon never really hit the big time, despite the patronage
of Lars Ulrich and the respect of everybody from Motorhead to Doro. That is a damn
shame. Incapable of putting on airs, Saxon pushed their records into the red
more often than not. Appropriately enough, this thoroughly engrossing,
warts-and-all documentary is a no-frills, completely candid oral history, with
some narration from Fastway’s Toby Jepson, of the band from stem to stern –
augmented by rare concert footage that confirms their reputation as one of the
hottest running engines ever built by heavy metal. Here’s hoping the long arm
of the law – and time – won’t ever catch up with these hard-rock veterans.
Best Live Album:
U.D.O. – Live in Sofia (AFM Records)
U.D.O. - Live in Sofia 2012
The greatest live albums don’t just make you feel as if you
were there, front row, experiencing the show up close. They make you suicidal
over the fact that you missed it. Such is the case with U.D.O.’s Live in Sofia, a thundering, electric
performance fueled by the raucous energy of a salivating crowd. Surveying
material from Udo Dirkschneider’s days with Accept and his grossly
underappreciated solo career, Live in
Sofia is a captivating listen, with Udo growling and screaming like a caged
animal and his band charging through a tantalizing set list with technical
brilliance and pure adrenaline. Bulgaria’s capitol is probably still burning.
Best Metal Reissue:
Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance Special 30th Anniversary
Edition (Columbia Legacy)
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance 2012
No other metal reissue had a chance in 2012, not with the
bonus DVD version of Priest’s historic 1983 US Festival concert – the one
everyone’s been lusting after for years – added onto it. One of the truly great
albums in heavy metal history, Screaming
for Vengeance goes through a revved-up remastering that packs on the sonic
muscle and makes it gleam like chrome. As with the 2001 reissue, this edition
includes the Turbo outtake “Prisoner
of Your Eyes” and “Devil’s Child,” but this time around, scorching live
versions of “Electric Eye,” “Riding on the Wind,” “You’ve Got Another Thing
Coming,” “Screaming for Vengeance” and “Devil’s Child” – all culled from a
stirring 1982 performance in San Antonio, Texas – fill out this absolutely
essential reissue. Alone, the US Festival footage would be worth its weight in
gold, as Priest delivers the goods and then some with a hammer-and-tong
performance that is absolutely scintillating. Packaged together, this reissue
is a must-have.
Best Book: Randy
Rhoads by Steven Rosen and Andrew Klein (Velocity Books)
Randy Rhoads - 2012
Yes, the price tag is a bit steep. These days, who in their
right minds is going to shell out around $99 for a book? This one just might be
worth it. An extravagant package, overflowing with colorful and rarely, if
ever, seen photos of the late guitarist and a plethora of memorabilia, the
400-page Randy Rhoads is a work of
outstanding journalism. Exhaustively researched, with the authors interviewing
seemingly almost everyone who ever came in contact with Rhoads, this fully
loaded, bulging biography takes readers into studio sessions with the Blizzard
of Ozz band, pieces together the events leading up to Rhoads’s tragic death and
the sad aftermath, and relates, in detailed fashion, Rhoads’s unusual childhood
and his rigorous musical education. And that’s just a small taste of what’s
inside this extraordinary biography.
Best Tour: Iron
Maiden, Maiden England World Tour, 2012
Iron Maiden - Maiden England Tour 2012
Supported by shock-rock superstar Alice Cooper for a
smashing double bill, Iron Maiden stampeded through North America and points
abroad as if sitting atop fire-breathing steeds and whipping them into the fog
of battle. Two elaborate stage shows, one the product of Cooper’s nightmarish
imagination and the other an ambitious fantasy merging historical and
scientific references with dazzling technology and the ever-present Eddie, gave
concertgoers an unforgettable thrill, but it was Iron Maiden who stole the
show. Still possessing a strong voice that climbs to places few singers can
ever hope to reach, Bruce Dickinson again leads the charge through a play list
reminiscent of the “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” tour, and the rest of the
gang plays with vim and vigor, clearly relishing the nostalgia and warm embrace
of frenzied, almost obsessive, crowds. Iron Maiden rides again.
DVD Review: Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder – The Movie
IDR/Militia Records/EMI
All Access Rating: A
Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder - The Movie 2012
Chosen to support Motorhead on the “Bomber” tour in 1979, Saxon
seemed a perfect fit and yet there was something different about them that
confounded Lemmy. Being the charitable sort, Lemmy – is there really any need
to list his last name anymore? – offered them some of his vodka and samples of
whatever drugs he had available, as former Saxon bassist Steve “Dobby” Dawson
remembers it, readily admitting that the alcohol made him sick. Saxon actually didn’t
seem to want any of it, and that made Lemmy … well, not sad, but a bit baffled.
They were a heavy metal band, after all. What part of sex, drugs and rock and
roll didn’t they understand?
Shaking his head and having a good laugh about the whole thing now in the
long-awaited 2012 Saxon two-disc documentary “Heavy Metal Thunder – The Movie,” Lemmy
still finds it amusing that they were more interested in drinking tea than
downing bottles of booze. As a matter of fact, Saxon demanded crates of English
tea when they New Wave of British Heavy Metal horsemen set out to conquer
America for the first time, believing that they couldn’t find the good stuff in
the U.S. That’s what kept Saxon up at night – the ability to find quality tea …
and lots of it. Not exactly the stuff of a “Behind the Music” special, is it?
In the beginning, Saxon was one for all and all for one, a
band of brothers that busted out of the mining and industrial wasteland of South
Yorkshire with modest dreams of heavy-metal glory. Informed by the punk
movement and the harsh, dirty noise of industry and machines, Saxon’s sound
couldn’t have been less pretentious. Devoid of artifice, the hard-nosed,
hot-wired guitars of Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver could sear flesh, and
Steve “Dobby” Dawson’s bass rumbled like a Hell’s Angels’ chopper, while the
drums – first ably played by David Ward, and then bashed into powder by former
Gary Glitter drummer Pete Gill – pumped furiously like pistons. Driving this
thundering vehicle, Biff Byford, a lanky, long-haired showman with the voice of
a metal god, always has been the heart and soul of Saxon, as well as its most
compelling character. They were, and still are, a working-class band, albeit with a lineup that's somewhat different now,
and their lyrics often sympathized with the plight of blue-collar England,
which at the time was embroiled in vicious labor disputes with the mother of
all union busters, Margaret Thatcher – all of these elements are trumpeted in “Heavy Metal Thunder – The Movie,” an account of Saxon’s history that bares everything.
Against this backdrop of economic depression and rusted-out
factories, Saxon’s story played out, taking interesting twists and turns, their struggle mirroring
that of Black Sabbath and other NWOBHM legends. With the kind of honesty and integrity that characterized Saxon’s music, “Heavy
Metal Thunder – The Movie” tells a heroic tale of perseverance and substance
over flash. Full of wicked old war stories, as told by the members of Saxon,
this documentary traces the Saxon story all the way back to when they were
called Son of a Bitch. Despite the dated production values, this no-frills film
– supplemented with amazingly rare and vital live footage from various points
in Saxon’s history, including great stuff from that infamous “Bomber” tour with
Motorhead – travels back to that rough-and-tumble English rock club circuit the
band played when that fire that burned in their bellies was all that got them through poverty and dashed hopes. They toured on a
shoestring budget, taking liberties with groupies in a cramped van containing
their gear and no privacy. They fervently dreamed of securing a record contract,
and when they did, it was with French label Carrere Records, a deal that would
leave them penniless. Details about how their famous logo was developed and how
the cover of their debut album was created are revisited in the film, and when Saxon’s
machinery finally started churning out the records they were born to make, like
Strong Arm of the Law, Wheels of Steel and Denim and Leather – these powerhouse, chrome-plated albums of tough,
smoking riffs, workhorse rhythms and gritty, uncompromising hooks – “Heavy
Metal Thunder – The Movie” traces the band’s steady progression to the top of
British rock heap with admiration.
Of course, there’s the inevitable decline, the clueless
producers who tamed Saxon’s mighty roar, Dawson’s cocaine use and the fierce battles
with Byford that led to his messy departure, and insight into the hard feelings
that persist between past and present members – all of whom talk candidly and
passionately about these matters and about this thing they started. “Heavy Metal Thunder – The Movie” would go nowhere
without these conversations, and the editing strikes a not-so-easy balance
between shaping loads of content into something entertaining while at the same
time trying to manage a flood of Saxon-specific information. The result is an engrossing
and comprehensive biography, essential viewing for anybody with even a passing
interest in Saxon.
And there’s more on a second disc comprised of behind-the-scenes
material, stirring live footage, in-studio scenes, various tributes from other rockers, humorous exchanges
between Biff and Lemmy – much of it stemming from a recent Saxon tour with
Motorhead – and a full-length concert from 2008. Then there’s the vintage video of a tight and energetic Saxon
killing it in a raucous 1981 “Beat Club”performance as they
charge through “Motorcycle Man,” “Hungry Years,” “Strong Arm of the Law,” “747”
and a host of other favorites. It’s an immersive Saxon experience, packaged
as unassailable testimony to their grossly underappreciated greatness.
Stuffed to the gills with loads of fantastic Saxon material, this whole set is an absolute
must-have for Saxon fans. Tea is not included, however.
Founded in 1985, Powerline began as an undergound hard rock/heavy metal mag, distributed mostly in record stores worldwide. As it evolved a few years later, it embraced more commercial hard rock
(the popular genre at the time was classified as “hair bands”) and the mag was distributed as a high-gloss publication on American newsstands with a circulation of over 100K.
By 1992 the party was over. The magazine became defunct (for various reasons). The staff went onto other jobs. And the name gathered dust. Until now.
Resurrected online, Powerline covers hard rock/heavy metal music in general (truly From Glam to Slam!), as well as reminisce about the old days in the form of time-capsuled articles and experiences.
Backstage Auctions sat down with Pat Prince to talk about all things hard rock and heavy metal, the new online version of Powerline and the industry in general.
How did you start Powerline? And why?
I grew up reading magazines like CREEM and Kerrang! But I then became obsessed with seeking out and collecting metal fanzines – I loved Bob Muldowney's Kick Ass monthly and Metal Rendezvous — and the pure excitement of discovering new metal bands. Powerline was really born out of my love for fanzines and the metal underground but also my frustration of not being able to get enough of my photographs published in the metal press. I'd been sneaking my 35mm camera into metal clubs like L'amour in Brooklyn for years and taking photos of all the latest bands. Finally, in 1985, I figured I'd take my photographs and put them next to my ramblings about the bands I loved, so I started Powerline with a typewriter, pasteboards, and veloxes from my photographs. And, at first, I dropped off copies to sell in all the record stores in the tri-state area that carried metal. It progressed from there.
Since Powerline started as a fanzine. How much did the editorial content change upon hitting the newsstand? After I teamed up with my friend Mike Smith in 1988, we merged the essence of the fanzine with the more popular hard rock/ metal acts of the time like Ozzy, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, etc. It was really a great combination because it covered everything. Soon we were able to hire renowned metal journalists like Mick Wall (a favorite of mine from Kerrang!). And the graphics and quality became really fantastic. Some might of seen it as a sell out. But it was really an evolution.
What was your favorite issue to put together?
Each issue had its own great experience. But I would have to say the Metallica issue, September 1989. I was into Metallica from the very beginning of their existence but by the time I started Powerline in 1985, Metallica became too big to get access to. Finally, we were able to get an exclusive interview and make it a cover story, with great color live shots.
What was the strangest interview you've done?
L.A. Guns. It was in a hotel room in New York City and the band had their rock star hats on. They were rude and seemingly drunk out of their minds. My questions were repeated back at me and answered in a nonsensical manner. Steve Riley was laying on the bed and bouncing a rubber ball off the walls and giving me a juvenile play-by-play of it. I had brought Powerline t-shirts to give the band and Phil Lewis stood up and said sarcastically, 'Oh, great, t-shirts.' He picked one up and rubbed his crotch with it and then threw it across the room. Up to that moment Powerline had been a big promoter of LA Guns — not that that demanded my respect, but it certainly hurt witnessing this kind of behavior. I walked out of the room with Riley, Lewis, and Kelly Nickels in a laughing/giggling fit. I had loved Lewis' singing since he was in the UK band Girl, but I thought 'F*ck you. I don't care who you are.' The PR woman finally directed me to Tracii Guns' room. And walking in, you can clearly tell Tracii was in the middle of getting hardcore stoned. It was like walking into a hash den. But, completely opposite of his bandmates, Guns was one of the coolest musicians I've had the pleasure to meet. That's why when people ask me nowadays which faction of LA Guns I support — Tracii Guns' L.A. Guns or Phil Lewis' L.A. Guns — it becomes quite an easy question to answer.
How is the metal genre different than it was when you started Powerline?
Today's metal now has standardized extremities — it seems too forced at times. I like all kinds of metal for its musical value but I don't agree with this way of thinking. You don't have to be extreme to be intense.
Is it harder for a metal band to be recognized nowadays?
Metal seems to be making a comeback. Genres can be cyclical as far as popularity. But hard rock and heavy metal will always be there. It was very hard for metal bands to get recognized in the early - to mid-'80s— which made it seem more exciting, actually.
How are Metal fans/collectors unique? Do you collect metal memorabilia?
When you listen to a genre exclusively, you like to think that your music is the most unique, and its followers are the most enthusiastic. And there are some aspects of it that are unique. But, basically, fans and collectors are the same all over, no matter the genre. After being the editor of Goldmine I certainly realized that!
A lot of my favorite memorabilia, unfortunately, has been lost over the years. I had almost all the metal demos from the '80s, including Metallica's. And the heavy metal demos of the '80s were the most fun to collect and trade. It was a world onto itself — almost a secret society. And, unlike today's MP3s, bands wanted you to trade demos -- get the music out there. I'm glad I experienced it. The demos from bands like Malice and Mercyful Fate were better than a lot of the stuff that made it onto their studio albums. Brilliant stuff that you'd could only hear if you were part of that scene. And then you had bands like Surgical Steel that you can only hear on demo tape. It's a moment in time that you really can't recapture.
Why did you resurrect Powerline as a Web site?
I listen to all kinds of music now, but I had missed Powerline and the music it cherished being an important part of my life. Plus I got kind of sick of bands like Korn being seen as the face of heavy music. What about bands like Saxon, Riot, Accept, Raven and the hundreds of other great bands from the '80s — the ones that started it all?! They deserve the most respect!
What are Powerline's future plans?
To have Powerline conitnue to represent vintage Hard Rock/Heavy Metal bands. I love the idea of turning kids onto all that old school stuff for the first time. Kind of like how Kerrang! turned me onto it in the early '80s.
