Published on Aug 9, 1998
I’d like to start this review out with a message to all the
critics who say that heavy metal is dead, and that all of the bands
who experienced some level of success in the ’80s should pack it in
now: Shut up.
Fact of the matter is, heavy metal is very much alive, and is a
scene that is growing in power again. While many of the bands that
were around in metal’s glory days are indeed gone, others have
continued to slag it out on the road for the faithful – including
those bands that didn’t become major acts in America.
This brings us to Saxon (who delivered a solid album,
Unleash The Beast, just last year).Biff Byford and crew were
serious players in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, though they
never really became a big name in America like Iron Maiden or Def
Leppard. Still, they have carried on – and their latest release,
The Eagle Has Landed Part II, shows they still have a lot of
fire in them.
Recorded in 1995 (and previously available in Europe), Byford
and the band plow through 17 numbers that are musical ambrosia for
their long-time fans, but serve as curious introductions to any
potential newcomers. Songs like “Requiem,” “Crusader” and “Great
White Buffalo” should be reason enough to send new listeners
scurrying to the online music stores to search out other titles
from Saxon (though I honestly prefer the studio version of
“Requiem” better, for the more fluid guitar part on it).
Guitarists Paul Quinn and Doug Scarrat, as well as drummer Nigel
Glockler, do something that is almost unheard of in the world of
heavy metal: they perform solos that focus more on the songs at
hand rather than using them as fifteen-minute whack-off periods.
The control each uses in their instrumental performances is
surprisingly refreshing, and is a welcome change of pace. (Bassist
Nibbs Carter also gets a chance to show his skills, though not so
much as a spotlight piece as through his solid performance
throughout the album.)
There are only two real negatives to
The Eagle Has Landed Part II. First, Byford’s vocals are
buried in the mix at the start of the album; fortunately, this
seems to correct itself as the concert proceeds. Second, while the
price of this set should be appealing (the two-disc set, last I
checked on Music Boulevard, was just under $15), newcomers to Saxon
might find a two-disc live set to be a little much for their first
taste of the band. This is possible, but the set does present
itself as a wonderful springboard which new fans can use to guide
themselves to other albums like
Solid Ball Of Rock and
Crusader (which I just picked up at one of my used record
store hangouts yesterday).
Heavy metal fans should also note the appearance of one Yngwie
Malmsteen on the track “Denim & Leather”. At first, I thought
Byford was joking when he announced Malmsteen on stage; I thought
he was having fun with either Quinn or Scarrat. However, that is
Malmsteen’s signature playing on the song. (If you need any more
proof, the credit for his performance is buried in the liner
notes.)
The Eagle Has Landed Part II might not be the perfect live
album in the metal genre (for that matter, I have yet to hear the
perfect live metal album), but as long as it’s this much fun to
listen to, that’s really all that matters.