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It's really hard to believe that The Inner Sanctum represents the 17th studio album for NWOBHM stalwarts Saxon. With their first, self-titled album being released in 1979, the math indicates it has been almost 30 years that they have been playing their brand of no frills heavy metal. And while during that time they may have never achieved worldwide superstardom, they have endured the times & trends enough to be considered champions of metal, and with that a secure place in metal history. Undoubtedly the band's essential albums will forever be the ones put together during their early 80s hey day, but the 2000s have quietly seen the guys go on a nice little run with quality albums in 2004's Lionheart and 2001's Killing Ground. This most recent volume sees them retaining the essence of those previous records and tries to even expand on them a bit.
The Inner Sanctum also sees the return of long-time drummer Nigel Glockler to the ranks. The rest of the band from the previous couple of records is intact. Of course, this could not be considered a Saxon record without Biff Byford, whose journeyman voice preserves its status as one of the more recognizable in all metal. While Biff's voice may not have the razor sharpness that it once did, it is still quite unmistakable on The Inner Sanctum. Come to think of it, the same can be said for the overall band performance as well. The majority of the songs aim to be catchy rock anthems, in the mold of old school Saxon records. With a modern production, the sound is way more polished than those records from long ago and keeps things from sounding like they could have been released in 1984.
To the band's credit they prove they still know how to write some good tunes like the slow building "State of Grace," the catchy "I've Got To Rock" or the speedy "Let Me Feel Your Power," which all contain a vintage Saxon vibe. Some other tunes such as "If I Was You" have a more modern feel to them. The guys even get a bit experimental with the 8+ minute "Atila The Hun" to close things out.
So while their glory days may be long behind them, the eagle has not yet landed on Saxon's career as they are still surprisingly going strong some 28+ years later from when they started. The Inner Sanctum does not have any major surprises and is probably not going to garner Saxon any new or youthful fans, but mature audiences looking for a modern hard rock record will like what is offered up by these resilient metal legends.
| Tracklist |
| 1. State Of Grace |
| 2. Need For Speed |
| 3. Let Me Feel Your Power |
| 4. Red Star Falling |
| 5. I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive) |
| 6. If I Was You |
| 7. Going Nowhere Fast |
| 8. Ashes To Ashes |
| 9. Empire Rising |
| 10. Atila The Hun |
: 44:39
| Buy other Saxon albums |
