JamesT

Saxon - "Hell, Fire & Damnation" Finally, I've arrived at the end of this amazing catalog and listened twice through the brand new slab of metal from these legends. Their 2022 release, "Carpe Diem", was fantastic, and this one is even better. Biff just sounds incredible, and the riffs are heavy and memorable. I cannot rave enough about these metal titans! Torch - "Dark Sinner" I've had this album for a few years now but only listened to it once or twice. I dusted it off this evening, and wow! Straight-forward, no-frills, undiluted heavy metal!

Saxon - "Battering Ram" Saxon - "Thunderbolt" Saxon - "Carpe Diem" Can't wait to finally get to check out the brand new album tomorrow!

Saxon - "Call to Arms" Saxon - "Sacrifice"

Saxon - "Into the Labyrinth"

Saxon - "Lionheart" Saxon - "The Inner Sanctum"

I appreciate that, my friend! I know you've got my back, even though our tastes tend to differ pretty widely. I'm currently up to "The Inner Sanctum" (didn't get a chance to listen to as much today as I would have liked), so it won't be too terribly long before I dive into the new slab of metal the mighty Saxon has released! I would be curious to see what your thoughts are on the new album, if you venture a listen at some point.

No worries! Admittedly, I'm relieved to hear that, because I've never been a huge fan of cover songs. In some cases, the cover is really good, and on rare occasions, it's actually a version I like better than the original. But for me, those instances have been few and far between. Can't wait to see what Biff and the gang have in store! As I continue through the discography today, I'm picking up with "Lionheart" (2004), so I'm getting closer to the new one slowly but surely!

Ah, really? The newest release, "Hell, Fire, and Damnation" is all cover songs? I know they released an album full of cover songs called "More Inspirations" in 2023, but I wasn't aware that this brand new one is all cover songs. Oh well, I love anything by Saxon, so I guess I'll give it a try!

I appreciate you keeping my secret from Biff and the gang! After further consideration, I've decided to continue listening through the entire catalog in chronological order until I reach the new album. The anticipation is killing me!! Saxon - "Unleash the Beast" Saxon - "Metalhead" Saxon - "Killing Ground" Can't wait to reach "Hell, Fire, and Damnation"!

Saxon - "Solid Ball of Rock" Saxon - "Forever Free" Saxon - "Dogs of War" I only made it halfway through the catalog prior to the big day tomorrow, thanks to time constraints. Passing out early tonight so tomorrow morning will come even quicker! Getting up at 5:45 a.m. sharp to hit the gym, and I'll most definitely have the brand new monster blaring!

My favorite doom metal band! What an incredible debut - absolutely timeless.

Saxon - "Rock the Nations" Saxon - "Destiny"

Saxon - "Strong Arm of the Law" Saxon - "Denim and Leather" Saxon - "Power and the Glory" Saxon - "Crusader" Saxon - "Innocence is No Excuse"

Oh, I see! While I enjoy every Saxon album to some extent, that one would rank in the bottom 4 or 5 of the catalog for me. Although, it does contain one of my favorite Saxon songs they've ever recorded, "Rockin' Again" (the album opener). Great call with Sacred Reich, by the way!

It's release week! The mighty Saxon will be releasing album number 24 on Friday - truly incredible. Can't wait to see what Biff and the boys have for us! In honor of the upcoming slab of metal coming our way, I'm listening through the catalog in chronological order this week. Here it goes! Saxon - Self-titled debut Saxon - "Wheels of Steel"

Motorhead - "Motorizer" Motorhead - "The World is Yours"

Cattle Decapitation - "Death Atlas"

Oh, I see! "Fury & Flames" is my favorite album from them, although I acknowledge that it took awhile for it to grow on me. It was too chaotic for me in the beginning, but now it's at the top of my list.

Excellent choice! My favorite death metal band never disappoints.

Motorhead - "Inferno" Motorhead - "Kiss of Death"

Motorhead - "We Are Motorhead" Motorhead - "Hammered"

Sadistic Force - "Midnight Assassin" Fantastic blackened speed/thrash metal. Like a mix of Motorhead and Hellripper. Highly recommended!

Fantastic choice! I've listened to this one more times than I can count.

I must admit, I laughed out loud when I read this post, my friend! Always a pleasure to discuss the world of heavy metal with you! I still do enjoy harsh vocals quite frequently. Death metal was the predominant style that I listened to as a teen. And I still do enjoy a good bit of death metal - Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal, Creeping Death, Facebreaker, The Black Dahlia Murder, Be'Lakor, Obituary, and the list goes on! - but I've found that there are a lot of other death metal bands that don't hold my attention as well these days. The blazing guitar work and face-melting solos of traditional metal have held my attention constantly over more recent years. The song structures are more interesting to me, and it takes me on more of a listening journey, whereas a lot of death metal these days becomes more monotonous to my ears, and I find my mind wandering while listening rather than focusing on the music. Yes, class of 2008! And just like your daughter, I listened to a lot of rap back then. I don't go near rap music these days. The closest I get is when I'm taking a trip down memory lane while jamming to some nu metal. But straigh-up rap/hip-hop? It's been forever since I listened to any of it, and I don't plan on going back to it!

Yes sir, I respect any difference of opinion on this album or any other! I actually think "Keeper of the Graves" and the final track, "Wash Away Your Sins", are two of the best on the album. "Hymn 66" is the best track on the whole thing, but it just slays from start to finish. Ripper is one of my favorite vocalists in metal's history, so that's just a bonus for me as well with this fantastic band. I hope they release several more albums before it's all said and done! Interesting point! I hadn't ever thought of it quite like that before. Most of the metalcore I listened to as a teenager definitely doesn't get much air time for me these days. And back then, I rejected almost everything that had clean vocals in it. Now, traditional heavy metal with soaring melodic vocals is a large portion of what I listen to. It started back in 2006 when I was a junior in high school, and I discovered a power metal band called Cellador by watching Headbanger's Ball. Their debut album, "Enter Deception", was released that year, and the video for the lead-off track, "Leaving All Behind", came on the show that night, and I was instantly hooked. The music was heavy and fast, but the melodies transported me to another dimension, emotionally speaking. From there, I got into DragonForce, Rhapsody of Fire, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Dragonland, Edguy, Power Quest, Angra, Elvenking, and a host of other power metal bands. In more recent times, I've leaned much more into traditional heavy metal (which I believe is very distinct from straight-forward power metal in a lot of cases), rock 'n' roll, hard rock, and blues-based hard rock, along with some glam as well. The only two sub-genres of metal that have remained consistently at the top of my list are southern/groove metal and thrash. And as I'm typing this post, this is a thrilling trip down Metal Memory Lane, so I must thank you for your thought-provoking post! I hear you on that, my metal friend! As much as I'd enjoy seeing KK reunite with Judas Priest, in a lot of ways, I'm thankful that the situation is what it is now. We now have two great bands putting out killer metal for the masses! No way that it could ever be a bad thing in my book!