CARPE DIEM is the 24th studio album from British rockers Saxon. The album was produced by Andy Sneap. It’s their first studio album since 2021’s INSPIRATIONS covers album, and first of original material since 2018’s THUNDERBOLT.
What a long and strange odyssey it’s been for the band once known as Son of a Bitch. Saxon started in England in the late 1970s, as pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Their early albums were hard rock classics for all time, but attempts pushed by the band’s management to help them penetrate the American market throughout the 80s did more harm than good. Eventually, they decided to say “commercial appeal be damned!” They’ve been doing their own thing since them.
And bless them for that.
Saxon’s lineup has been consistent for the past three decades or so, consisting of vocalist Peter “Biff” Byford, guitarist Paul Quinn, guitarist Doug Scarratt, bassist Nibbs Carter, and drummer Nigel Glockler. Of these musicians, only Byford and Quinn have appeared on every Saxon album. Recent years have also seen Byford record a side project album under the name The Scintilla Project, and more recently, a solo album.
With the recent pandemic in the world, it’s no surprise bands have had a lot of time at home due to a lack of tour dates and live performances. Saxon, of course, put this to good use and used the time to record a new studio album; their first of originals in four years. So how does it fare?
If there’s one thing you have to give Saxon credit for it’s consistency. Like AC/DC or Motorhead, we’ve more or less come to know what to expect from these guys, for better or worse. When a new Saxon record comes out, you know you’re getting a quality assortment of appealing heavy metal tunes with vocals from one of the industry’s most reliable and underrated frontmen, plus killer axe work from start to finish. CARPE DIEM doesn’t offer the listener any surprises, but for the established fanbase and lovers of hard rock and heavy metal, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
If you buy CARPE DIEM, there’s a good bet you already know what you’re getting, but Saxon is never boring, and this latest release is no exception, with the band still showing they’ve got what it takes nearly half a century on. While I would personally like to see the band try something a little more progressive and experimental for their next studio outing, I won’t deny for one second that this is a damn good hard rock record that’s one of my favorites of 2022 so far. Recommended!
By Taylor T Carlson
Taylor T Carlson Assistant Editor/Senior Staff Writer Taylor T. Carlson was born August 17, 1984, and has called the Vegas Valley home his entire life. A die-hard fan of classic rock and metal music, Taylor has been writing album and concert reviews since he was 16 years old, and continues to do so, having done well over 1,000 reviews. He is also a fan of video gaming and cinema, and has reviewed a number of games and films as well, old and new alike. His thorough and honest (some would say brutally honest) reviewing style has won him the respect of hundreds of music fans and musicians alike, both local and abroad, and the ire of just as many others. Despite being one of the youngest attendees at classic hard rock/metal shows around Vegas, he is also one of the most knowledgeable, having gained the unofficial nickname of “The Eddie Trunk of Las Vegas.” In addition to reviews, Taylor has written and self-published three books on classic hard rock bands, and is a regular participant in rock and roll trivia contests. Taylor also holds a masters degree in special education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), and has appeared on the hit History Channel television series Pawn Stars. His dream is to be able to one day make a living from writing music books and reviews.