Saxon - Forever Free
1993 Warhammer
by Horatio

Quick Summary:
In 1993, Saxon's stock was lower than it had ever been.  They had made inroads at a comeback in 1991 with 'Solid Ball Of Rock', but once grunge hit Saxon were deemed uncool and a law was passed that you weren't supposed to listen to or mention them again.  Things had deteriorated so much that the only label willing to pick them up was Warhammer, a company who specialized in dungeon and dragon merchandise and had formed a music subsidiary.  Realistically how could Saxon have sunk further?  'Forever Free' went unnoticed upon release and might be Saxon's most forgotten effort, despite the fact they had never made an overly bad album up to this point (except 'Rock The Nation' maybe).

Grunge or not, Saxon hadn't changed one bit.  While 'Forever Free' doesn't reach the levels of 'Solid Ball', it's still solid traditional metal, a glimpse through the titles an indicator of this, 'Nighthunter', 'Can't Stop Rockin', 'Iron Wheels', 'Grind'...in 93 material like this was godsend for fans tired of seeing one time metal bands changing their musical approach at the speed of the average fart.  It's also superior to the concerted boredom of 'Unleash The Beast' and 'Metalhead' later in the 90's.  I can't speak for 95's 'Dogs Of War', an album I last heard in 96 and haven't bothered with since.  93 also saw the entrance of Paul Quinn's increasingly ridiculous wigs, in the sleeve photo here he's somehow attained a full head of hair despite the fact he was bald in 1980.  By 97 his hair was down to his ass and longer than Ian Gillan's in 1972.  It looks more feasible than Nibbs Carter's mullet though.  I suppose people still think he's the new guy'.

Website:  www.saxon747.com

Song Summaries:

1. Forever Free - The thing that turns me off current Saxon is the guitar tandem of Scarrat and Quinn.  With Oliver and Quinn the riffs were always guaranteed metal to the bone and that's what you get here.  Biff can talk all the crap he wants about how Oliver sucked, but if he had stayed there's no way Saxon would have taken the sub grunge direction of 'Metalhead'.  B+
2. Hole In The Sky - Biff's worried about the decay of the natural environment, 'listen now heed the warning' he declares, a line I swear he's used on every album.  Musically another full on slab of metal, but lacking a tough chorus which matches the vigour of the verses.  B
3. Just Wanna Make Love To You - Who needs this?  A cover of that old blues bum Willie Dixon, and a song popularized by Foghat back in '72.  Foghat's was better.  D
4. Get Down And Dirty - The opening riff suggests a cover of 'Highway To Hell', and the whole shebang has an AC/DC tone.  No worries.  Biff's on form lyrically, 'working in a drug store, slaving it nine to five, on the weekend, we'll that's when she come alive'.  Better yet, 'making all the schoolboys stare, and making it look like she don't even care'.  I think Biff might have nicked this from the 'Razor's Edge' production floor, but the riffs a copycat of 'Wheels Of Steel'.  B
5. Iron Wheels - A moving tribute to Biff's dad who worked the coal mines, farmed the land and caught fish on the ocean.  The problem is it's left his old man crippled and forlorn, a shadow of himself.  Acoustic mostly, but not what I want to hear from Saxon.  C
6. One Step Away - 'Just another kid up on the firing line, up against the wall, running out of time'.  Christ I've heard that one before too.  Socially aware Biff rallies against the dangers of drugs.  Why did he care?  I suppose he'd seen too many of his bro's succumb to the 'poison'.  A hard rocker, but somehow nullified by the crap lyrics.  C+
7. Can't Stop Rockin - You were setting yourself up for ridicule in 1993 with titles like this.  It was so impasse' man! It weren't cool!  Nor were lyrics like 'a drunken sailor, a Russian whaler, was my only drinking mate, then a hundred more smashed through the door, said let's party!!!!!!!!!!'  On the whole very tired and monotonous.  C
8. Nighthunter - The true sound of the NWOBHM?  Or a man who took the titles of Krokus' 'Night Wolf' and 'Head Hunter' and made his own title out of them?  Fast and bruising, the last of the real Saxon for me.  Later fast cuts like 'Conquistador' lacked the authenticity of this.  'Midnight, Creeping, Shadows, Nighthunter!!!!!!!!!!!!'  A
9. Grind - Matters revert to cornball late 80's hard rock, 'get on top, keep it up!!, Prime time, my time, take it on the run'...I admire Biff for conjuring up these lyrics.  It must have taken him about five minutes.  The best thing about this is some jazz breakdown.  No it isn't, the line 'pump and grind' is.  B
10. Cloud Nine - Listening to Biff scream 'It's showtime!' in the intro leaves me somewhat repulsed.  Just the way he says it.  Much like Hagar when he says 'hello baby!' before 'Good Enough'.  Another party rocker, where Biff defends his right to tear it up and have fun.  He must have read criticism of Saxon too closely because he turned into a brooding serious git a few years later.  B

Average Song Rating:  B-
Overall Album Rating:  B

Also be sure to read:
Saxon - Denim And Leather Quick Review by Horatio
Saxon - Lionheart by Horatio