Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, that I hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Artist: SARACEN
Album: “Redemption”
Released: 19 September, 2014
Label: Escape Music
Tracklist:
Rocamadour
Reacher
Give Me A Sign
Geraldine
Swords Of Damascus
Road To Yesterday
Crusader
Catch The Wave
More Than Missing You
Redemption (on the 6th day)
You & I
Let Me See Your Hands
Ready to Fly
SARACEN – “Redemption” The New Wave of British Heavy Metal’s explosive impact gave a platform to as wide a variety of bands as had the Punk revolution a few short years before, and Saracen were definitely an outfit with their own strong musical identity, which propelled them as far as a record deal with Polygram, and into the UK Top 50 with debut release “Heroes, Saints and Fools”. Since reforming in 2003 with the “Red Sky” album, they’ve released two concept records, including their previous release, “Marilyn”, in 2011, after which vocalist Steve Bettney and keyboard player Paul Bradder challenged guitarist and songwriter Rob Bendelow to write a set of “signature” Saracen tracks. Rob agreed to take on the challenge, on the condition that he felt sufficiently inspired to do so. Well, judging by the sound of “Redemption”, Rob has had a series of ongoing visits from the same inspiration that fuelled the band’s past classics, as this is quintessential Saracen through and through.
Often referred to as having an epic or symphonic element to their sound, this 13 song set shows Saracen’s unique musical character to the strongest possible effect – they have a knack of merging those epic influences with a powerful, riff-driven delivery, and this allows them to pull off the grander aspects of their material without losing heaviness or energy, and Tommy Hansen’s skilful production captures this dynamic well. Lyrics covering an engaging range of subjects, from the Knights Templar to literary and cinematic favourite Jack Reacher (with the track “Reacher” having been given the approval of its subject’s creator, Lee Child!)are matched by the quality of the music throughout, which is delivered passionately by a band still at the top of its game. The inclusion of two re-recorded classics from debut album “Heroes, Saints and Fools”, could have backfired if the new songs hadn’t been up to par, but they blend in among equally strong new numbers. If you’re already a fan, I’d say you’re in for a treat, and if you’re new to the band, and enjoy the likes of Dio, Magnum, or Rainbow, this album is definitely worthy of investigation.
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 