Forever Free

By the end of the 80's, Saxon was in a bad way. In-fighting over musical direction and intellectual property rights had begun, compounded with the bitter knowledge that they squandered the majority of heavy metal's heyday writing bland, underperforming arena rock. With a splintering lineup, no sustainable record deal, and the scene itself crumbling around them, most metal bands would've called it quits by the turn of the decade. So 1990's Solid Ball of Rock, while nothing spectacular by itself, was a miracle given its context. Two years later, lightning struck twice with Forever Free.

With a rough, treble-heavy production and a loyal return to gutsy blue-collar riffing, I consider Forever Free one of Saxon's first hidden gems, chockful of hot-blooded riffs and decadent solos that were oh-so-crude and unbidden in 1992. From every direction, hardworking shovels set about exhuming the long-buried sound of Wheels of Steel, which may sound silly at first, but that album was nearing thirteen years old by this point. And while a rehash of past glories might not seem like the most titillating way to spend time with a band, you know what they say about gift-horses.

Tempo and aggression rarely reach a boiling point here, but there's a demonstrable return of sleazy riffs and memorable Motörhead style choruses. 'Cloud Nine', in particular, swaggers into view with brazen Strong Arm of the Law affectations, with so much more sincerity and authenticity than all the "how long must I stand out in the cold" nonsense Biff was wailing just two albums ago. 'Iron Wheels', too, is an outright personification of Saxon; an immense acoustic ballad that regards the British working class with a touching reverence. If that doesn't excite you, perhaps the lycanthropic speed metal menace of 'Nighthunter' is more your speed. Saxon's very first true blue power metal song, 'Nighthunter' is a hot tamale characterized by expert synchronous riffing bound to remind you of Dio's Dream Evil.

Despite all of this, Forever Free is still clogged with a fair bit of filler like 'Can't Stop Rockin' and 'Grind', which are overlong and recycle the same tired hard rock riffs far too much. The Muddy Waters cover 'Just Wanna Make Love to You' comes across as a well-intentioned tribute to an underrated progenitor of likeminded music, but I still habitually skip this track, because it only adds to the meandering cruisers this album already has plenty of. And because Biff croaking the song title into my ear is probably in the top ten things I'd rather never hear. Alongside a doctor telling me I have a urethral prolapse, and the last eight Slayer albums. But still, this is an enjoyable album overall, and a surefire indication that things will only get better from here on out.

...Sort of.

What happened to the guitars at the beginning? They sound muddy compared to the crystal clear ’80s job of the last one. The soaring echoes are replaced by this middling electric tone without that surging power. That’s my one major complaint, if a little exaggerated, since I do end up getting used to and liking it. Other than that, Forever Free is along the same lines as the last one, Solid Ball Of Rock. In terms of songs there are mostly fast numbers which have Saxon right at home. “Iron Wheels” is the only slow one, so bar a couple dull songs Forever Free’s lighthearted attitude makes it of one of the cooler Saxon albums of the ‘90s.

From the title track’s hard-hitting rock attitude to the blitzing prowess of “Nighthunter”, this album’s definitely no slouch. It peters out starting with “Grind,” though, going for easy-listening hooks. I’m into Saxon with melody, yes, but when it becomes something that could be found on a family sitcom I find it less compelling. Charisma and energy are all there, but the velocity and impact of riffs beats easy vocal lines. Byford’s still going strong with his gruff wails and boisterous vocals, but those last two songs don’t hold much weight to them. His voice hasn’t lost its gritty or higher registers, so it’s a problem of actual vocal lines.

Give me the mid-paced chomp of “Can’t Stop Rockin’,” the mauling riffs of “One Step Away,” or the lustrous Muddy Waters cover. The eclectic leads and vigor on this album can be heard best in these songs. Headbanging will become an instinctive tick as riffs, licks, and harmonies fly. The production’s balanced overall (less independent bass), so the clarity is high despite missing a little of that ‘80s pitch. “Iron Wheels” is the only song on here that defies the cheerful approach, going for a somber, working-man’s (manly) ballad. It’s fully acoustic, with drums coming in as loud bashes. Byford’s delivers an expressive performance as good as any of his entertaining choruses, but I would have preferred a song like this closer to the end (had the album been shorter).

I can’t tell if I like this more than Solid Ball Of Rock or not. Both have dull tracks, both have ballads, and both feature Saxon doing well for the majority of it. “Iron Wheels” whoops the shit out of the slower songs on the last album, but this one tops out early, making me stick in for longer than I want to in order to finish it. The previous album was more inconsistent, so I don’t know. The one thing I do know is that both are keepers regardless of how great and bad they aren’t. They fall in that category of being good enough for what they are.

Well, what you probably wanna know is “Does it sound like classic Saxon (and therefore does it kick ass)? The answer – yes. This one kicks ass and has all that classic sound you want – without that faltering wimpiness many of you felt they came to embody in the mid/late 80’s. present on this one are hare riffs, catchy melodies and awesome general arrangements, with few weak moments in the mix – just more classic Saxon, as great and fun to rock out as ever. I’m surprised I didn’t track down this one earlier. Many years ago – my introduction to the band was a CD of their greatest live hits – I was hooked. After that I set about collecting their early 80’s hit albums, then their very earliest works, and the awesome 2000’s releases, but this middle-period had somewhat eluded me. Usually early 90’s releases aren’t at the top of my priority list; reason being the old ‘decline of metal’ argument, during this period. Even if bands were still going (we could have guessed the juggernaut force of Saxon would never stop rockin’), they often pussified their sound by attempting to add grunge, alternative rock, or god knows what else to their sound, often sounding like crap – and often being about as conducive to making you rock as a big sack of the stuff. What we have here is the complete antithesis of said statement; here Saxon continues their quest to rock harder than anyone, despite the wavering popularity of metal, and the tough times they were going through. They don’t relent on rockin, fist in the air tunes, and craft some excellent metal here – very much classic Saxon doing what they do best.

Anyway, many great tracks abound; ‘One Step Away’ is a mid-paced number with the hallmark ripping guitar solo, and classic Biff melodies. Totally memorable and catchy, and absolutely traditional Saxon for the purist. ‘Iron Wheels’ is a memorable, soft number, with very crisp acoustic guitars, and heart-touching working class British spirit. Lyrics are as British as ‘Let it Rain’ by Bruce Dickinson, and speak of one mans life in the coal mines, and descent into sadness. The point is gotten across by Biffs awesome, emotive vocals, great guitars, and generally awesome songwriting. Certainly a memorable and heartfelt softer number on par with any of I’ve heard lately. ‘Nighthunter’ is a badass track centred around a massive chorus, with thundering double kick underneath. Cool lyrics and another ripping solo courtesy of Oliver make this one another track in the long lineage of awesome, straightforward rockers from this Juggernaut band. ‘Forever Free’ your title track is eaily the standout on this one however – an absolute classic worthy of any greatest hits album from the band. Thrilling chorus, and excellent, passionate and rebellious lyrics about motorcycles and liberty. Fucking killer number.

The main low-point of the album is the lame cover ‘I Just Wanna Make Love to You’ – a poor track which should have been tossed aside in favour of more balls-out rckin’ about motorcycles, or English history. These lame covers have always irritated me – and I barely see a place for any cover on albums actually – I prefer them as b-sides or merely as part of the live set – although I don’t see Wacken crowds appreciating this one either. While there are no real other low points, perhaps a couple tracks might just be a tad straightforward and lacking in dynamism. ‘Cant Stop Rockin’ is your obligatory rock-centred track, benefitted from tough riffs and excellent, vocal hooks courtesy of Biff. Another badass rocker in the tradition of the Awesome Saxon. Simplistic, yet utterly catchy and totally awesome. Formulaic – yes, but Saxon delivering the goods like always.

While it’s not the high point of their career this one still kicks total ass and gets its hooks into you a bit. I found myself repeatedly playing it on the ipod because, well – it’s just more Saxon – and as we all know – Saxon rules. Yeah it doesn’t quite have the freshness of WOS or Denim and Leather, or the complex layering of Lionheart or other more recent works, but continues the no BS rockin; in this dark time for metal with the same utter passion and honest conviction that Saxon were always known for. ‘Get Down and Dirty’ is a head-nodding, traditional rocker that could sit comfortably on any Saxon album, while not being amazing or complex. What we have here is a great, fun album besting most of the horrible drivel that was coming out at this time. Saxon sticks to their guns with British Bulldoggery and churns out more songs in the style they’re known for. Far from a disappointment, this album has seen many plays already, and will not be a dust collector. Great party music as always from these true British stalwarts, and really re-instates your faith in heavy metal. A typically solid effort from Biff and crew – with the title track kicking a tonne of ass.

-DeathRiderDoom