Album number 19 from British legends Saxon and by rights the flag of Saint George should be flying high above every Castle in the land in celebratory and triumphant manner. The Yorkshire Lionhearts have returned to claim their place at the top table of traditional British metal alongside the likes of Maiden and Priest with easily the best album they've done in the last 20 years. Solid Call Of Rock? Fookin' right!!!

So what do we get from 'Call To Arms' that makes it so great right from the off? Well, 'Hammer Of The Gods' leads the way, launching the first wave of quick fire riffing from the double axe attack of Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt backed up by the rhythmic artillery of Nigel Glockler and his four string general, Tim Carter. It sounds fresh, exciting even, the production job done by Toby Jepson (Little Angels) and the God-like Saxon centrepiece that is Biff Byford has captured the sound of a rejuvenated band in full flow. Byford's vocals, as uniquely identifiable as ever, rage over the unfolding storm of metal as the 'Hammer....' brings Saxon crashing back to the forefront of a party they started some 35 years ago.

'Back In 79' is a slow burner that harks back to those early glory days and the rise of the NWOBHM movement that catapulted Saxon and their fellow defenders of the faith to stardom. A nostalgic trip down memory lane to a time before venues were driven by the sponsorship of phone companies and piss poor lager. To a time when the Eagle would land in your local concert hall and shine forth over a sea of urchins clad in denim and leather, infused with a cocktail of body odour and Biactol. The steady pulse of '....79' with its "Show me your hands!" chorus conjures up images of the old school faithful, heads banging, fists clenched and wrists wrapped in leather straps. Straps that were as rough as a badger's arse, if you're old enough to remember such things, with buckles and studs that would leave telling rust marks on your wrist if you happened to get a little too sweaty in the company of your bedside Betsy Bitch poster..........Ahh the things we had to put up with....anyway, moving on...
 

Tim Carter has lost none of his youthful exuberance that had fans taking him to their hearts upon his arrival in the Saxon camp at the tail end of the Eighties. The rock steady run of thunder ticking straight through 'Chasing The Bullet' while Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt throw down some sexy bitch riffs with a pinch of Acca Dacca swagger shows that he still plays with a passion and enthusiasm that could put many to shame. Equally Biff's voice is in amazing shape for a fella who turned 60 this year, not that you'd think it as he kicks the doors to the northern club circuit right off their hinges with the blue collar crunch of 'Ballad Of The Working Man', a grooving, big hearted, feet on the ground stomp around some familiar old territory. A grass roots rocker that echoes the feel of those early albums like 'Strong Arm Of The Law' to a T.

'Call To Arms' sounds like five guys revelling in a new found vibrancy. Five feet all firmly planted on their individual accelerators but ultimately all heading in the same direction which makes this all the more enthralling to listen to. It's crisp and direct, simplistic and catchy yet detailed with nearly four decades of experience in a game they pretty much wrote the rules for. While 2007's 'The Inner Sanctum' and 09's 'Into The Labyrinth' certainly had their high points 'Call To Arms' is the sound of a band embracing a new found vitality, focussed and once again firing on all cylinders on every single track. The sublime 'Mists Of Avalon' and the orchestral version of the title track that closes the album show that Saxon have lost none of their bombastic charm when it comes to turning in a killer tune. Just having the full on metal thrust of 'Afterburner' blasting its way out of your speakers could easily have you in danger of losing your eyebrows. Eyebrows that you would have probably only raised moments earlier with the likes of 'Surviving Against The Odds' and the aforementioned 'Chasing The Bullet' both showing that the Barnsley boys still have more metal in their veins than a T-1000.

 
At the end of the day to play through this album from start to finish is a pleasure, pure and simple. There's no barrel scraping or dead horse flogging, just eleven tracks by five guys still loving what they do and doing it well. Give it a spin yourself and I'm sure you'll soon be rallying the troops too. Saxon are back, hoist up the banners!

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