SAXON’s new live album ‘LET ME FEEL YOUR POWER’ hits the stores on October 7th, 2016!! Pre-order digitally now and you will be able to download the live version of ‘Wheels of Steel’ right away:
DVD + CD – http://smarturl.it/SX-LMFYP-Az-DVD
Biff Byford – vocals
Nibbs Carter – bass
Nigel Glockler – drums
Paul Quinn – guitar
Doug Scarratt – guitar
Stone.
As reported on the Saxon (Official) Facebook:
Saxon regret to inform UK fans that the remaining tour dates have been postponed due to Nigel Glocker’s health issues. The drummer was rushed to the hospital on Monday night; more details will follow as soon as available.
Biff Byford says: “Devastating news that our friend and drummer Nigel has been taken ill. We have to postpone all shows until we find out more. He has been taken to hospital in Newcastle. All our thoughts are with Nigel and his family.”
Biff Byford later wrote: “Nigel our friend and brother is in the hospital in the UK having tests to find a bleed on his brain. He is up and talking but he says he has a ball crushing headache. I will pass all your messages on to Gina, Nigel’s wife and we all pray that Nige can pull through this! At the moment all shows have been re scheduled to 3/4/5/6/7 of February 2015” – Biff
Nigel Glocker (Credit: Saxon Facebook)
The UK dates were due to be the culmination of 38-date European tour “Warriors of the Road” celebrating their 35th Anniversary. The set list featured tracks from what is known to the fans as ‘The Holy Trinity’ – Saxon’s seminal albums Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law and Denim and Leather.
The following shows are re-scheduled as follows: Tickets are valid for the new dates.
February 3rd NEWCASTLE Academy
February 4th NOTTINGHAM Rock City
February 5th WOLVERHAMPTON Wulfrun Hall
February 6th OXFORD Academy
February 7th LONDON Shepherds Bush Empire
The band and management would like to apologize to all involved for any inconvenience caused.
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* For more info on SAXON:
Facebook: Saxon (Official)
Stone.
Fans of Saxon and Skid Row that live throughout Europe and the UK should be psyched; this Warriors Of The Road World Tour runs from the end of October through mid-December of 2014! Metal be thy name.
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* For more info on SAXON:
Facebook: Saxon (Official)
Website: http://www.saxon747.com
* For more info on SKID ROW:
Facebook: SKID ROW
Website: http://skidrow.com
Stone.
Website: www.ppmfest.com
Facebook: Power Prog & Metal Festival @ Lotto Mons Expo !
And:
https://www.facebook.com/events/513439235418211/
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Stone.
As reported on the Official Saxon Facebook page:
The Mighty Saxon is pleased to announce they will be back at Wacken Open Air in 2014!!
“On the 25th Anniversary of this fantastic festival we look forward to filling your heads with some Heavy Metal Thunder!!”
Biff, Paul, Nigel, Nibbs & Doug
The NEW and critically acclaimed album, Unplugged And Strung Up, from the mighty SAXON… is OUT NOW! Metal be thy name!
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* For more info on SAXON:
Facebook: Saxon (Official)
Website: http://www.saxon747.com
Wacken Open Air Website: http://www.wacken.com
Stone.
As reported on SAXON (Official) facebook:
Saxon live plans – Saxon Facebook has cracked 70k followers!!!
We are still busy with the last final details for the new album! Major announcement re the new album will follow shortly!
In the meantime we want to thank you all for your support! That gives us the strength and the will to move on and to work as hard as we can! Your support is not only viewable in all the nice letters and emails and everything you are sending but also in the fantastic amount of Facebook followers! We have reached the unbelievable number of 70.273!!!
To give you a little bit back we confirmed to play the Bang Your Head Festival in Balingen, Germany on the second July weekend. The great thing is that we don’t just play a “normal” headline gig. We are bringing the mighty “Heavy Metal Thunder” Production we already used on this years Wacken Festival! We will see where else we are able to take this production and keep you of course updated. Further live dates will be also announced soon.
Saxon
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Biff Byford – lead vocals
Paul Quinn – guitar
Doug Scarratt – guitar
Nibbs Carter – bass
Nigel Glockler – drums
* For more info on SAXON, click on the links below!
facebook: Saxon (Official)
As this weekend embarks on its second half, the yearning for 36 hour days never seems to wane for me. I always feel like I’m catching up on stuff; from yard work, paperwork and paying bills to new Metal album releases. I’m forever guilty of ignoring that golden rule: Don’t sweat the little things. Still, at the beginning and end of every 24 hour day, I am still grateful to be alive!
To anyone who has been kind enough to take the moment from their busy day and visit Metal Odyssey, here are a few Metal and Rock ‘N Roll thoughts that I want to share:
SAXON – This tuesday (May 22nd), in North America, the 2 CD/1 DVD set titled Heavy Metal Thunder – Live – Eagles Over Wacken gets released. I’ll be putting this Saxon release on my Metal want list, there’s no doubt. The price isn’t cheap, then again, there are 2 CD’s and a DVD involved here. Who knows, maybe I’ll find this cool Saxon set sometime in 2017… at an open-air flea market… for 3 dollars.
BLACK SABBATH – As the family feud continues to unfold in the Black Sabbath camp, the latest news is so immature that it’s beyond shocking. Apparently, as its been reported everywhere: vintage and/or recent band photos of Black Sabbath have been placed on the official Black Sabbath website… with Bill Ward cropped out of them! Metal be thy name!
* UPDATE – I guess it’s now being reported, as of mid-day on May 20th, that Bill Ward requested to have his image cropped out of any Black Sabbath group photos, which are shown on the Black Sabbath official website. Whatever. Who cares at this point. This is why I usually don’t write about any band’s soap opera moments. From here on in, I won’t cover any more related news regarding this Black Sabbath story. That’s it. I’m a fan who is fed up. Life is too damn short for me to worry about this nonsense.
Maybe Black Sabbath should just change their band name altogether now? Without Bill Ward, it’s no longer the original Black Sabbath. To assist the Black Sabbath camp in moving forward, here are several sincere and free band name suggestions from Stone:
1. – The Ozzy Trio
2. – Sharon Calls The Shots
3. – Sharon Knows Best
4. – The Osbourne Way
5. – Ozzy & His Band
6. – No Contract For You!
7. – Bill Who?
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Is it just me or are the following two album covers kinda similar? Same artist? I don’t know. Same idea? Looks like it. Both layouts are basically identical too. Weird how this sometimes happens. I’ll also add that the Running Wild album cover has a chunk of Voivod influence with the artwork.
Honestly, I’m not that impressed with either of the album cover art below. This is what I used to see being done in my high school graphic arts class… back in 1983. I used to sit through many critiques in art class while in college, so believe me, I know how proud artists can be about their work. I was always proud of my art, regardless the degree of difficulty. However, these two album covers below were not that difficult to create.
Death By Stereo – Black Sheep Of The American Dream
Running Wild – Shadowmaker
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Okay! That’s it! My Metal and Rock ‘N Roll Thoughts for Sunday, May 20th, have come to a close. I really hope you’ve enjoyed your visit to Metal Odyssey and will come again… and again. Leave a comment! The more comments that are made, the less likelihood that my boss will crop me out of his photographs! Make the most of your day today and watch out for parking lot speed bumps.
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LONG LIVE METAL & ROCK ‘N ROLL.
Stone.
SAXON – Back On The Streets, (die-cut), shaped picture disc FIND! This past week, I entered yet another antique mall and I stumbled upon this unreal great Saxon picture disc! I was in Metal glee, upon my eyes becoming affixed, to this piece of Saxon vinyl memorabilia. The price I paid for this Saxon find was $10, (U.S.), Metal money worth spending. I don’t know the actual value of this picture disc on the open Metal market, yet I have a funny feeling it is worth more than the $10 I spent on it. Looking around the world wide web, I did not find one dealer/site that has this Saxon picture disc for sale. (Now, can I honestly say it is not available anywhere on the internet? Of course not… I just have not seen one just yet). I will have to think, with Metal certainty, that this Saxon picture disc must be scarce. Oh, the feeling of making a Metal score like this! Why I feel so psyched is that this is a picture disc from 1985, it’s not as if it’s a current/newly released picture disc. Plus, the sheer fact that this is a Heavy Metal band that I really do like makes it only better.
SAXON – Back On The Streets – Shaped Picture Disc Specs:
Side A: Back On The Streets
Side B: Live Fast Die Young
* To the best of my Metal research, Live Fast Die Young has never appeared on any Saxon studio album. Maybe it has appeared on a Saxon bootleg? Anyone with further info on the song Live Fast Die Young is welcomed to comment. If this is to be the only Saxon recording that Live Fast Die Young is found on, man, that makes this picture disc all the more Metal important.
* This is a U.K. import, the picture disc code, (found at the bottom of Side B), is: RP 6103.
* Directly below the picture disc code is a small logo witch reads: Parlophone.
* Other text found at the bottom of Side B, reads: SAXONGS CARLIN MUSIC CORP., (and), 1985 Original Sound Recordings Made By EMI Records LTD., (and), 1985 EMI Records LTD.
The single Back On The Streets is from the Saxon album Innocence Is No Excuse, (released in 1985).
Saxon, as they appeared on the 1985 album Innocence Is No Excuse:
Biff Byford – lead vocals
Paul Quinn – guitarist
Graham Oliver – guitarist
Steve Dawson – bass guitarist
Nigel Glockler – drums
This super fine picture disc is shaped like an apple, with the stem actually protruding out at the top! Here is what this Back On The Streets – shaped picture disc looks like:
Side A:
Side B:
I thank my wife for taking the pics for Metal Odyssey… she is quite a Metal asset for me in more ways than I can count, I honestly don’t know what I would do without her… that is a Metal fact!
My favorite Saxon song ever created is Denim And Leather, found on their 1981 album Denim And Leather. The riff that repeats throughout this entire song is so addicting and memorable for me. I swear that this song could never lose it’s Metal appeal, ever. Each time I listen to Denim And Leather, this song just resonates with Old School Heavy Metal swagger, pride and power. The power is in the Heavy Metal music, the pride is in the lyrics and the swagger is Biff Byford on lead vocals. Denim And Leather is probably one of the very first in a long line of Heavy Metal anthems. (I would not want to take on the task of actually researching which song was the very first Heavy Metal anthem … it does sound like a cool thing to do if I have the spare time in the future though). If I ever make a list of my top 25 favorite Heavy Metal songs of all time, man, Denim And Leather would be right up there. If someone who has never listened to Saxon before, asked me to play them a song from Saxon, Denim And Leather would be choice #1. When this song gets cranked up really loud, it makes for the Metal maximum enjoyable listen.
The band lineup for Saxon, as they appeared on Denim And Leather in 1981:
Biff Byford – Vocal, Graham Oliver – Guitar, Paul Quinn – Guitar, Steve Dawson – Bass and Pete Gill on Drums
Denim And Leather:
Where were you in ’79 when the dam began to burst
Did you check us out down at the local show
Were you wearing denim, wearing leather
Did you run down to the front
Did you kill for your ticket through the ice and snow
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
Did you read the music paper from the back and to the front
Did you find out where to see your favorite band
Did you listen to the radio every Friday night
Did hang around your local record store
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
Do you dream of playing guitar or smashing up the drums
Maybe you can learn to play the bass
You can always be a singer like me and front the band
When on the stage we wait at your command
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
It was you – that set the spirit free
It was you – that put us here today
It was you – that filled the concert halls
It was you – that set the spirit free
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
Denim and Leather
Brought us all together
It was you that set the spirit free
Saxon – the words durable, old school, enduring and still excellent at their Metal craft, come to my mind. Let’s be honest, this is not the same Saxon from their “Denim and Leather” days, yet they are Saxon 2009 – that is Metal-good enough for me. Saxon was an essential part of “the new wave of British Heavy Metal”, going back to the late 1970’s into the early 1980’s. When I first heard Saxon back then, I felt like I found a band no one else knew about… I had a cool Metal secret. Well, the secret was already out, as I later found. Saxon was justifiable a favorite of legions of Metalheads, therefore I was not alone with my new found Heavy Metal band after all.
“into the Labyrinth” is the newest album from Saxon, released on January 13, 2009. “Battalions Of Steel” and “Valley Of The Kings” have an almost majestic Power Metal sound, complete with keyboards and what sounds to me like an enlightened choir. For me, Saxon pulls it off extremely well when they go the Power Metal route. “Live To Rock” is the single being pushed off of this album, it is bona fide Old School Heavy Metal with a cool, vintage, anthemic delivery to it. This is the fist raising – head banging tune that will stir up plenty of 80’s Heavy Metal memories for many. “Slow Lane Blues” is another fine example of how Saxon holds onto the Classic Metal approach, a fun tune that tells the complete story of a dude being pulled over by a cop for speeding. “Crime Of Passion” is heavy, heavy, Metal. Nigel Glockler punishes the drum kit on this song, again, head banging can and may occur when listening to this song too. If there is to be a song on this album that is considered a ballad, well, “Voice” is it. However, this is a heavy ballad – staunch Metalheads need not worry – Saxon does not get sappy here at all. “Hellcat” is my favorite track on this album, it is fast, furious and heavy. The three key Metal music ingredients I always embrace! “Come Rock Of Ages (The Circle Is Complete)” is a Heavy Metal exclamation point for Saxon on this album, man this song is good. “Coming Home (Bottleneck Version)” is a back woods – lets stomp in the swamp – foot stomping tune. It is a cool way to come down after the previous 12 tracks of fired up Heavy Metal.
Biff Byford on lead vocals sounds fabulous throughout “into the Labyrinth”, he is what I consider truly underrated, as a Heavy Metal front man. Biff Byford is like the silent elder Metal statesman – compared to the press the other more popular lead vocalists of Old School Heavy Metal receive. Doug Scarratt and Paul Quinn are a cool and talented guitar duo to listen to, I have sincere Metal admiration for both. Nibbs Carter on bass hooks up with Nigel Glockler on drums to provide a top tier rhythm section of crushing Heavy Metal. Overall, long time Saxon fans should gobble up this new album, new fans should be easily recruited. When you have 13 songs this good, with tunes that Rock this heavy, I feel you have a Metal winner.
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
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