Review SAXON ‘Carpe Diem’

Looking at Saxon’s new studio album, you wonder who made the decision for the artwork. The band had always chosen appealing motifs for the packaging of their records, but this time it is an almost childlike drawing with two Roman soldiers standing on a wall looking uninspired into the distance. A certain reference to the album title ‘Carpe Diem’ is definitely not to be denied and yet the realization brings up questions.

Fortunately, however, a longplayer is not about the artwork only but mainly about the music. In this respect Saxon as usual have a lot to offer.

What stands out from the beginning is the power with which the legendary quintet pushes themselves through the album. After a short intro, the title track goes straight into full swing. Powerful heavy metal roars out of the speakers and the chorus is inviting to a little sing-a-long at live shows. Considering that Saxon are in the 43rd year of their career, it can be stated that the NWoBHM legend has not lost its brilliance. On the contrary.

You can check out each of the ten songs without being disappointed. This concerns the long and epic ‘The Pilgrimage’ as well as the crisp and fast ‘All For One’. Living on the Limit’ even increases the tempo before ‘Black is the Night’, with a typical Paul Quinn riff, rounds off a very impressive record. Well, a bit of a weak spot is entitled ‘Lady in Gray’, a song that comes across a bit colorless, and not only because of the “gray” in the title.

Saxon belongs to the heavy metal pioneers and if you listen to the new record, then you know why. Of course, time has moved on and 2022 is not 1980, but Saxon have managed to preserve the spirit and feeling of the early days without seeming old-fashioned and backward. ‘Carpe Diem’ is not just a song or an album. It is a life mantra, of which one has the impression that it accompanies the five musicians for a long time.