Some times it's good for us as music lovers to look at bands that have slipped through the cracks of mainstream music over the years. If we do we'll often find hidden treasures that we might not have known about before. A highly prevalent example of this would be NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) band Saxon. In the early 80's they put out a string of albums that many in the heavy metal community consider to be classics. Today we'll be focusing on one of their most beloved works (and the last with their classic line-up) Denim & Leather, which came out in 1981.
Denim & Leather is crunchy, overdriven, crank up your stereo kind of music from start to finish. Not a single slow, soft, or dull moment on it. The rhythms thunder, the guitars punch and wail, the vocals soar to the heavens, and then some. You can feel that old school leather metal vibe off of it (if the title track didn't give that away) where you can tell it's rock n' roll rooted, but sped up and made heavier and faster. It spawned two Saxon's most well known songs: Princess of the Night and the title track Denim & Leather. Though not the most lyrically profound of an album, it still has no lack of raw talent, drive, and a clear sense of love for what is being created and performed.
Never Surrender is one of those songs I could have heard myself blaring through my speakers a lot in my adolescence. It's all about rolling with the punches, not taking the attacks thrown your way (be they physical or not), and getting out the other side stronger. Granted, a lot of the lyrics are rather down and dirty street themed but that's what gives it that universal appeal. The heavy riffs and blistering guitar solos definitely help drive the point home as well.
Denim & Leather is one of those tracks where despite the fact I only just started listening to Saxon last week I'm playing it over and over again and feel like it's been part of me my whole life. The riff is catchy and the lyrics speak straight to my soul. It's very anthemic in nature. I can just hear it being played at a big stadium show. It's definitely a big love letter to the band's fans for helping them get as far as they did as well as celebrating the culture that surrounded heavy metal at the time.
Overall Denim & Leather may not be the greatest heavy metal album and I can see why Saxon might not have had as big of an appeal to a wider audience, but that by no means tarnishes the great music on this record. It's heartfelt and has everything associated with the true spirit of heavy metal. It's loud, raw, full of attitude, and proud. This is a fun album to put on when you want to liven up a gathering, put the pedal to the metal, or want to feel really cool. It's definitely also something I'd recommend to a beginner metal head.
Denim & Leather, by Saxon receives 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. Princess of the Night
2. Never Surrender
3. Out of Control
4. Rough and Ready
5. Play It Loud
6. And the Band Plays On
7. Midnight Rider
8. Fire in the Sky
9. Denim and Leather
Buy the album on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Denim-Leather-Saxon/dp/B0026L3QH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469175972&sr=8-1&keywords=Denim+and+Leather
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