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Saxon > Crusader > Reviews
Saxon - Crusader

Sailing to America ('s Market!) - 66%

St John, November 6th, 2022
Written based on this version: 1984, 12" vinyl, Carrere

By 1984, Saxon had already 5 studio albums, rating from "really strong' to "heavy metal masterpiece", and a legendary live album under their belt. They didn't have anything to prove to anyone. Or did they? Well America, the commercial holy grail of every european rock and metal band, was not conquered yet. So they recruited a Crusader to help them on their quest! And let me say that while I understand the fixation with the american market from a financial point of view, I have never really understood why it is always (and I mean always!) accompanied by a really huge decrease in the quality of the released material! (See for example Rainbow, Queen, Scorpions, Whitesnake and the list goes on).

Crusader is not a bad album per se, but is surely worse than its predecessors and below the real potential of this legendary band. Production-wise, while not as polished and safe as Rock the Nations and Destiny would later be, it continues the shift in sound that was first heard on the previous Power and the Glory, which means it is quite further than the raw days of Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law and this fact doesn't help the songs at all, giving them a feeling of beeing weak, even in the moments when they are not!

But this is not apparent as a first impression, and that is of course because the LP starts (after the unnecessary intro) with the mighty Crusader! An all time metal classic, a huge epic, a staple live moment for nearly 40 years now. The evocative intro, the captivating main riff, Biff's performance, the all guns blazing guitar solo, every element is in its right place. The lyrics, though a bit one-dimentional (the brave crusader that goes out to punish the bad guys in the east, with every right in his side!), along with the great chorus, add to the total epicness of the song.

The beginning creates expectations that sadly the rest of the album does not fulfill. "A little bit of what you fancy" tries unsuccesfully to recreate the atmosphere of the aforementioned rawer albums. Thankfully the first side ends decently, with two pleasant enough tunes, "Sailng to America" (ehhmmm!) and "Set me free".

But on the second side things deteriorate fast. First of all 3/5 tunes have the word "Rock" in the titles and that is never a good thing in these proportions! "Just let me Rock" is a "Denim and Leather" replica, and on "Bad Boys..." Saxon goes Twisted Sister, but frankly the Sister does it better. The ballad "Do it all for you" doesn't gain any interest and the last couple of songs have nothing to offer, other than a football ground chanting (aeeeaoooo) on "Run for your Lives".

As a conclusion, Crusader is an album left on the memory of metal fans (and probably the band itself) for the inclusion of the lengendary eponymous track, it would make a very nice single or EP with a couple more of the album's tunes and that's it. It is not a shame for my record collection, not a gem either.

For Christ and Crown! - 80%

hells_unicorn, December 28th, 2019
Written based on this version: 1984, CD, Carrere

There has been a strong consensus that somewhere around the time that thrash metal became the ascendant answer to the metal question that its NWOBHM forerunners began a rather rapid decline into commercial hard rock mediocrity. In Saxon's particular case, fingers are often pointed at their 1983 slight commercial pivot Power & The Glory as being the point where they lost the metallic plot, though this sentiment becomes all but unanimous with regard to their even more rock-based 1984 follow up Crusader. But objectively speaking, while the sort of prototype speed/thrashing characteristics of their early 80s offerings definitely hold an obvious edge in terms of intensity, the maligned status of both these albums as commercial sellouts seems more a product of their release being in closer proximity to their arena-oriented mid-80s shift via Innocence Is No Excuse than any lack of metallic content. To be clear, this 1984 opus is still a far cry from the Denim And Leather sound, let alone the previous two offerings, but it would still fit in quite nicely with the majority of NWOBHM offerings of the earlier days and is still a bit heavier than those offerings that tended a bit closer to the 70s rock sound that helped birth the movement.

While previously exhibiting a strong presentation from start to finish, Saxon has generally put their best foot forward during the opening moments of each album, and this proves to be doubly so in this album's case. The haunting ambient sounds of wind howling, horses neighing and battle cries sounding to the tune of war horns lay the groundwork for what is one of this band's more iconic metal anthems and title song "Crusader", emerging from a droning, folksy clean guitar intro that may well have inspired the signature epic intros often employed by Running Wild to a crushing, militaristic march reminiscent of Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell" with about double the heaviness factor. Everything about this song is on point from the sense of tension and buildup between the verse and chorus sections and Biff Byford's raunchy yet tuneful vocal delivery, perfectly embodying that sort of heroic heavy metal visual that would continue to be a staple of the style in subsequent decades. Truth be told, this song's greatest flaw is that it is so iconic that is steals much of the remainder of this album's thunder in a manner fair'y similar to how the massive title song of Rush's 2112 did to an otherwise respectable collection of songs that followed.

That being said, most of what occupies this album is a respectable exercise in rocking heavy metal that is fun, catchy, and still possessed of that needed edge to get the heads banging. More swift-paced anthems that admittedly lean a bit heavy on the rock cliches such as "A Little Bit Of What You Fancy" and "Set Me Free" have plenty of bite to go along with the excessive degree of bark, with the latter showcasing a highly enthralling lead guitar display to rival Brian Tatler's best work with Diamond Head. Things veer a bit into power ballad territory on the elongated, mid-paced anthem "Sailing To America", complete with Biff cleaning up his voice a bit and indulging in some heavy vocal overdub work to get a massive vocal backdrop accomplished that might be construed as quasi-glam rock in demeanor, but even here there is a strong emphasis on the guitar and a solid working class feel to keep it from becoming too much like Dokken. Truth be told, apart from a lyrical emphasis on partying and rock 'n' roll, much of the mainline rocking material like "Bad Boys (Like To Rock 'N' Roll)" and "Rock City" aren't too far off from the rugged feel of Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot, save maybe for the heavy employment of arena-oriented gang chorus segments.

Opinions may vary as to whether Saxon's lighter late 80s sound was solid or poor, but it's a pretty massive stretch to lump this album in completely with what followed it. True, that early days rawness that had a degree of influence on Metallica is almost completely absent from this album's presentation, but it's no less a metal album than, say, Diamond Head's Lightning To The Nations or Tokyo Blade's debut from the previous year. It could be said that a lot of hopes were dashed over this album not sticking with the epic feel of the opening for at least a few more songs and much of this having a bit more of a party hearty sound rather than a soundtrack to Christendom retaking the holy land in a conceptual package, but this seems more a product of historical revisionism regarding the NWOBHM rather than a true assessment of what it was, namely a gradual evolution of metal out of the confines of its hard rock roots. Saxon seemed a bit more prone to return to their rock roots rather than shed them as the 80s unfolded, but it's definitely a mistake to lump this in with the material that would follow, or to treat it as anything other than a solid collection of fist-raising anthems that, while not as impact-based as their seminal material, are definitely worthy of the Saxon legacy.

Non Nobis - 25%

Tanuki, August 1st, 2017

I wonder how many people were fooled by that album cover. Instead of moshing to a massive motorcycle metal manifesto about Moor massacres, Crusader is one of the many instances of a brave NWOBHM daredevil diving from their stuntplane and parachuting down a canyon of forgettable, uncelebrated AOR nonsense. Power and the Glory, despite its failings, still hung onto some lifelines in the form of its title track and sun-baked closer. Crusader, on the other hand, fully abandoned their old sound at the altar, and boy does this album suffer because of it.

Vulgar major-scale vocal harmonies and participatory clap-along choruses have never sounded quite so wizened and contrived as they do on this traitorously boring album. Throughout gaudy pop rock tracks, Saxon exudes a desperation to come across as this youthful, larger-than-life party animal, instead of a greasy, knife-wielding streetfighter they were only two years previous. It's the first album where Biff Byford creates a milieu of shameful whoops, whistles, "Ohh yeahuh"s and even "Yabba dabba doo"s to punctuate bridges. His fiery barks and hollars inspired by the greats of 50's and 60's rock are, of course, absent.

Compounding this issue, there's also a drastic over-simplication of actual riffs. Meatless songs like 'Just Let Me Rock', 'Rock City', and 'Bad Boys (Like to Rock 'n' Roll)' are kept afloat with only a handful of vapid rock riffs (see: chords) and metronome-like beats. You know things are really going wrong when a Sweet cover is one of the three most captivating tracks. Their cover of 'Set Me Free' illustrates the palpable difference between zesty 80's rock cheese, and moldy 80's rock cheese like 'A Little Bit of What You Fancy'.

The title track deserves brief mention for being a well-paced power ballad, and one of Saxon's first to demonstrate their love of ancient history. I mentioned in an earlier review how 'Sailing to America' was likely inspired by 'Dallas 1 PM', and I suppose I'll go on record saying it has slightly more substance and purpose than that track. However both tunes pale in comparison to the standouts of Power & the Glory, which is like losing an arm-wrestling match against a younger version of yourself.

After Wheels of Steel was released, Saxon was so insulted about being billed as a rock band, they opened up their next album and most live performances with 'Heavy Metal Thunder' just to prove their point. What a difference a few years makes, as Crusader is not only unrepentantly rock, but such jaded and uninspired rock. If you're wanting to pull your head back, throw your hands up, and shake your body to heavy metal thunder, I'm afraid that ship has sailed, and it's not returning to the harbor anytime soon.

Who dares battle the Charts? - 72%

Brainded Binky, February 24th, 2015
Written based on this version: 1984, 12" vinyl, Carrere

Saxon is among the most famous acts ever to emerge from the NWOBHM scene, crafting some hard, driving, and powerful stuff. If heavy metal music were a country, its national anthem would be the title track from "Denim and Leather", 'cos it captures the fist-pumping, powerful spirit of heavy metal and its fans. However, such power was not to last, and one of the first stages of this decline is the 1984 release of "Crusader". It still carries some of the metal charm that Saxon is known for, but we also get a taste of the abhorred albums that are to come in the future.

First, the good stuff to talk about. The title track is basically the highlight of the album for me, since it covers historical subjects and has a slow, yet mighty atmosphere. Historical subjects were present in nearly every Saxon album, even the bad ones, so it should make perfect sense that it they should show up here. Not only that, but the chorus adds to the mighty and majestic tone of the song and its topic, the titular crusader riding into battle. It's basically one of only three good songs that dominate the album, but I'll get to the bad songs eventually. Another song that I seem to like is "Sailing to America". It might be a little bright, but to be fair, its brightness only conveys the song's subject matter a little better than it should. The guitars are a little soft in some spots, but in some respects, it seems to show the tranquility of the ocean in the song, at least when the ocean isn't stormy. I would prefer the title track over this one, though, 'cos that one is harder, and more heavier than this one. Although it's also a little bright, "A Little Bit of What You Fancy" also has a very rapid tempo. Not only that, but it resembles the NWOBHM that Saxon played in previous years more closely than other tracks on "Crusader". It's got a NWOBHM-like bite to it with a heavy metal-based riff, but the backing vocals are mostly synthesized, much like those of Def Leppard. That's what takes a few points off of it, 'cos that's one of the big reasons why I don't like much of Def Leppard's so-called "hits".

I've mentioned before that "Crusader" also contains the shape of things to come for the band, and nowhere is this more evident than with "Just Let Me Rock". Okay, it's not completely out of character for Saxon to write songs about rocking and give them a somewhat bluesy hard rock riff, but I feel that "Just Let Me Rock" is a hint of the crappiness that's on here. While that song is passable, "Do it All for You" is as pretentious as pretentious could get. It's at a slow rock ballad tempo, the synthesized backing vocals that I mentioned in the previous paragraph, and sugary sweet melodies throughout. Don't forget the much overused lyrics of "I'll be there to catch you" and "I'll climb to the tallest mountain, "I'll swim the deepest sea". Come to think of it, those lyrics bear an uncanny resemblance to those from a Foreigner song. No, I'm not kidding, you guys, they actually might have ripped off the opening lyrics to "Feels like the First Time". Any more plagiarism from anybody, they might as well steal the main riff of Styx's "Come Sail Away"! I feel that "Run for Your Lives" almost had it; it's a pretty rocking riff reminiscent of the NWOBHM days, yet it's a lot brighter and, again, the backing vocals ruin everything. Had the song been heavier and less glossy, it would've been absolutely fantastic, a classic among NWOBHM songs. But nope, it has to be bright in order to please the teenage crowd, right?

Although it's got some good stuff on here, "Crusader" is only a glimpse into the future, and thus the truly lousy albums that Saxon is to release then. Songs like "Do it All for You" should be the only time you'd ever have to hear Saxon creating sub-par music for sub-par people, and honestly, "Crusader" could've been a hell of a lot better. If only they put forth more good ideas rather than going for what was then the norm for most popular music in order to conform to social standards of the day. If only, if only.

Misleading - 42%

OzzyApu, February 16th, 2013

Crusader takes what Power & The Glory did and makes it a bit worse. The previous album's fault was starting and ending strong while having a very mediocre core. Its blend of heavy metal and hard rock didn't go over very well, making for a very inconsistent album. This album doesn't do it any different, except maybe spreading the crap out more. Therefore, what Saxon hands out is a strong opening song with a commercial (glammy) tracklist to follow. It's very apparent where the band wanted to go, but their writing leaves a lot to be desired.

Even with a clearer production job, Saxon decided commercial hard rock with no depth outdid heavy metal that had passion. The Japanese band Bow Wow / Vow Wow were doing the same thing at the time, but even their music had authenticity to it. Saxon's commercial take-over with dull songs like "Rock City" and "Just Let Me Rock" (guess what's starting to get repetitive here) glossed with clean leads feels really outdated and forced. Oddly, other songs like "Sailing To America" and "Run For Your Lives" have actual atmosphere and high-ranged vocal lines that, despite their cheesiness, I can't help but enjoy. It's got no power behind it, but the strict enjoyment that's invigorating in some strange way. The leads, riffs, and vocals are all catchy (not a whole lot of substance, but whatever), but it's just not Saxon; there's always something off.

Skipping over the great intro, there's "A Little Bit Of What You Fancy". When it started, it sounded like it bended into 8-bit hard rock for a split second. Even without that blunder, it's a song that defines what kind of album this is - plodding hard rock. Even with that cover art to keep up its misleading ways, it doesn't change the fact that this is rock for an '80s movie soundtrack. No bite, no anthems, no ripping riffs, no lasting impact, and no replay value.

Despite all of these drawbacks, the one thing avoiding the above pitfalls is the title track. It's everything that this album was missing: epicness, supremacy, immensity, and Saxon where they truly belong. It's tacky, but cool in execution and dark in tone. Byford's Udo-like vocals sing well and high, particularly during the clenching chorus. It's still a rockier Saxon, with its weaker guitar distortion and controlled tempo, but that depth isn't lost. It's a song like that which demonstrates a band knowing full well what it wants to accomplish and doing it with all seriousness. Nothing is held back, making it a song that doesn't feel like it's obligated to accomplish something out of character. It's inconsistent with the rest of the album like hell (because it doesn't suck), but something good in a heap of bad can't be dismissed.

Apart from the title track, commercial rubbish! - 40%

WheelsOfTheLaw, June 12th, 2012

Saxon never made it as far as Maiden, but they are still one of the well known bands from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. They released several excellent albums up to this one. On Crusader, Saxon forget that they are British heavy metal. Instead, they think that they're some mindless American glam metal band. On the UK charts, Saxon had been doing pretty well, so I suppose they must have decided to follow this success with success in America. Big mistake. Biff and co. looked at Def Leppard and went "they come from the UK and they're massive in the States. If we make our sound like their's we 'll be massive, too."

However, listening to the Crusader Prelude and the title track, they don't sound commercial. The drums have an echo and the guitars are a little weak, but it is still an awesome metal song singing about BRITISH history. Then we get...a load of crap. A Little Bit of What You Fancy has a whiny guitar tone and Biff shouting "make me boogie!". It's just embarrassing. The chorus is fluffy and the lyrics are silly. Sailing to America starts off with more whiny guitar and more reverb drums. Where have the British songs gone? And why are the band repeating quietly everything Biff sings in the chorus?

The Sweet cover is alright; the production is much better and the vocals aren't so wimpy, but it seems out of place. Saxon don't pick their covers very well. Just Let Me Rock is absolute glam shit. I skipped from the moment Biff goes "just let me rock! Rock!", but listening to it fully, I suppose the verses sound okay. The solo is just rubbish. I don't know what Saxon were thinking. Bad Boys (Like to Rock 'n' Roll) is even worse than the previous track. It's the opposite of its (embarrassing) title. The band do the same thing as on Sailing To America, echoing everything Biff says. There's another crap solo as well. Can this album get any worse?

It can. Do It All For You is like Suzie Hold On and Nightmare stuck together and is made more wimpy with a silly choir. This is another track you want to skip. Rock City I wanted to wipe off my cd. Stupid lyrics: "Hi-fi, Sci-fi. Hear my words. We've been a long time coming. But we're here at last". It's painfully commercial. Why isn't there a good track other than the title? Run For Your Lives is the best track on here aside from Crusader, but the song seems to be about him being drunk or on drugs and everything on fire? It's hard to work out.


Best Track(s): Crusader
Worst Track(s): Every other track.

Rock n' roll! - 81%

Nightcrawler, October 23rd, 2004

"Crusader" makes a swift turn in Saxon's direction (Well, I haven't heard "Power & The Glory" so I'm not counting that one). From raw, catchy and true NWOBHM they turn to a more rock n' roll direction, blasting out easy-on-the-ears rockers like "Rock City", "Bad Boys (Like To Rock N' Roll)" and "A Little Bit Of What You Fancy". So while this doesn't exactly have the same vicious attitude as you'd find on, say, "Wheels of Steel", this does feature some very catchy and memorable songwriting, fairly simplistic but well-done riffing and just a whole lot of fun air guitaring action.

Though one song stands way above the rest - Crusader, the lord of the realm! My god, this OWNS. OWNSOWNSOWNS. Epic as fuck, insanely powerful, and the atmosphere is just out of this world. Biff's vocal performance is divine, the mid-paced melodic riffing is huge, and everything is just awesome.
And then, when the solo kicks in... that's easily the best guitar solo in Saxon and one of those where true metal enthusiasts like me just go into complete ecstasy until it's entirely over. Every note seems incredibly thought out and the solo just gets better every second. Absolutely orgasmic.
And it goes on for the remainder of the song, even for the last powerful, soaring "Fight the good fight! Believe what is right! Crusader, lord of the realm!" That is one of the most powerful endings to any song in metal ever, and owns beyond belief.


Okay, so I fellated over one song for like half the review, but that song alone makes this album worth getting even if you hate the other stuff. But fortunately for me, I dig the rest as well. "A Little Bit Of What You Fancy" is catchy as hell and a blast to sing along to, same with "Bad Boys (Like To Rock N' Roll)" and "Rock City".
"Just Let Me Rock" is a pretty cool, bluesy number with a simple but effective power chord-chorus. Oh yeah, and the cover of The Sweet's "Set Me Free" totally owns.

There are two ballads on here, "Sailing To America" and "Do It All For You". The first is just incredibly boring, to be honest, and shall not be spoken of again. The second is quite alright though, and that opening melody sounds like vintage Iron Maiden shit.


All in all, a damn fun, solid album with one of the band's top 5 songs ever for a title track. Yup, this rocks.

Well, the title track is fantastic... - 75%

Dethrone_Tyranny, September 14th, 2003

...but what the fuck happened with the rest?? Okay, so most of the other songs on here sound like a British version of Motley Crue, which of course isn't so bad, but when you compare to to the title track, you'd be expecting sooooo much more out of this album.

The Crusader Prelude - Hehe, you already know what type of song you're in for after hearing this...

Crusader - This song is so fucking amazing! Though not very fast, the overall mood just makes you wanna take up a sword and slash up your foes, showing no mercy what-so-ever. The vocals are done amazingly well, and the heavy, mid-paced riffs just add so much more to the mood, fitting the lyrics quite well. No wonder why this is such an incredibly popular tune among the Metal crowd and why it's still played live today. Now you know why one would expect so much more out of an album after hearing a song like this...

A Little Bit Of What You Fancy - Minus the title track, this is actually one of the better tunes here. Good, solid speed Metal to headbang like crazy too, but this song sounds like it belongs more on Strong Arm or Denim....well...maybe not. :p

Sailing To America - Once more, this is another one of the better songs on the album. The music and lyrics just make you wish that you were out on a ship at sea, sailing in the cool breeze while drinking a bottle of rum. I love this song, one of the only three songs on the album that I can actually say I love.

Set Me Free - Now I keep forgetting who actually did the original of this song...it is a cover. Ah well, Heathen did a much better job on, ashamed to say. One thing Saxon has never been quite good at is doing covers, as shown in other albums. Just like the Heathen version, this is a great speed Metal number with outstanding riffs, but it doesn't even come close to the three previous tracks.

Just Let Me Rock - A mid-placed, slightly bluesy number. Only thing I really like about this song are the attitud and lyrics, which do live up to the title. Lyrically, this song means a lot to people like me, but other than that, the track itself is a bit weak.

Bad Boys (Like To Rock N Roll) - Decent at best, but if I wanted to listen to hard edged glam, I'd crank up some Crue or Twisted Sister. Yeah, I do like some glam Metal, but when I'm in the mood for Saxon, I wanna hear Saxon goddamnit!!

Do It All For You - Ahh, a ballad. Of all the ballads that Saxon has currently done up till this year, 1984, this is probably the weakest one of all. Good track, but it's no Suzie Hold On and it sure as Hell is no Nightmare! Good riffage though. :D

Rock City - God damnit! As if Bad Boys was not glammy enough!! Oh yeah, and I'm sure that song title is very original as well. Pfft! Like I said before, glam is decent, but Saxon is suppose to be far more than just average or decent. Needless to say, this song and Bad Boys blow away every other glam band I have heard, but they do not belong on this album, nor on ANY Saxon album.

Run For Your Lives - Well, at least the album's ending is great. This is the only other song that I can actually say I love. I'm not even going to compare it to the title track because it doesn't even come close, but, this is still a terrific song, second best on the album. The chorus is what makes this song so addictive, it's one of those 'nail it to the back of your skull choruses'. Oh yeah, the verses are pretty catchy too and the lyrics are something to definetly mention..."I had a dream last night and I saw you burn!". So yeah, this oughta make the listener smile after hearing the last previous songs.