If you're an avid reader of my blog, you'll know my thoughts on Saxon already; they're one of the few Rock/Metal bands in existence that have improved with age. Whilst that may ring true for rerecordings of their classics, can the same be said for their new studio albums? In this case, sadly not. Thunderbolt is a let down to someone who's heard the band's greatest hits and smashing deep cuts but as far as Heavy Metal goes, it's not bad; it's just a bit "meh" from the band that gave us Sacrifice just five years ago.
The album starts off with the moody, atmospheric "Olympus Rising", a short instrumental that wouldn't be out of place during the introduction of a powerful boss battle in a game or film. It would've been cool if it was fleshed out into a full track but instead, we get "Thunderbolt" afterwards, a half hearted follow up. As far as true album openers, lead singles and title tracks go, "Thunderbolt" isn't bad. It sounds like your typical Saxon song but with a slightly weaker chorus that slows the song's Heavy Metal momentum down. When I first listened to this song, I was worried that Saxon's new album would be a little too one-note and that they'd become the new Motorhead. Fortunately, the band must've been aware of this risk and decided to take steps to avoid that.
The album features several tracks that sound like Saxon's attempt at a musical subgenre taster platter. There's an epic Power Metal blini complete with orchestral elements and a high speed guitar solo ("Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)"), a Speed Metal slider containing lyrical and musical references to Motorhead in tribute to Lemmy ("They Played Rock And Roll") and a Death Metal quiche, featuring guest vocalist Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth ("Predator"). Whilst I applaud Saxon for their attempt to separate this album from others through conscious stylistic changes, none of the previous songs work strongly as either a Power/Speed/Death Metal track or a Saxon one. They're all heavily produced but utterly mediocre, the closest thing to an exception being the raw version of "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" included at the end of the album.
However, Saxon didn't go full-experimental and included new tracks for fans of their classic and contemporary material. "The Secret Of Flight" contains a distinctly modern sounding riff but a similar vocal melody to "Power And The Glory", released a good thirty years or so ago, and "A Wizard's Tale" successfully blends a galloping Metal rhythm with lyrical themes that wouldn't be out of place in a Dio record. This is where the album either excels or falters depending on what you want out of it, as it's an understandably mediocre release for a band that have put out 22 studio albums so far.
The album is well recorded and the songs are passable, meaning you'll probably love it if you just want bog standard Heavy Metal with lyrics about mythology and feats of engineering to stick on in the background whilst driving to work or doing the washing up. However, if you want something a bit more memorable, something to revisit frequently and mentally take apart with each listen, you may be disappointed. There are a few songs with decent riffs and driving rhythms to enjoy ("Sniper", "Speed Merchants") but nothing with the same immediately apparent passion and energy as other modern Saxon songs like "Hammer Of The Gods", a far more exciting song about Norse mythology than "Sons Of Odin".
Then there's the matter of the lyrical themes. Saxon have had their embarrassing moments in the past (such as literally writing a song about standing in a queue called, you guessed it, "Standing In A Queue") but much like some of the solos and riffs, this album feels a little uninspired when it comes to subject matters. "Roadies' Song" would've been a great concept if Tenacious D hadn't beat them to the punch half a decade ago and the general repetition of melodies and riffs from previous Saxon material means that things start to sound a little stale. As I said, these are fine if you haven't already been exposed to them en masse but if you've seen and heard it all before, there's nothing particularly special about their use here.
Thunderbolt is OK. That's the short version of this review; it's an average Metal album by a band that have been capable of much better in recent years. The band still have life in them so I'll refrain from mourning the loss of one of my favourite Metal bands until it's evident that Saxon are physically and creatively tapped but hopefully their next album (because there probably will be another album) will come when the band are ready to blow our socks off, not when they need the money for a loft extension.
I rate Thunderbolt 5/10, mostly for effort. The songs that aren't straightforward Heavy Metal may not belong on the album but it's commendable that the band are gingerly stepping out of their comfort zone when remaining firmly in the Heavy Metal category has served them well so far. It's just a shame that the Heavy Metal songs included are all a bit run-of-the-mill this time round. At least Saxon still know how to put on a top notch live show and can really bring out the better aspects of their material live on stage, which is more than some Heavy Metal bands going through the motions can say.
COMING SOON: a review of the new Judas Priest album!
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