Saxon
Wikimp3 information about the music of Saxon. On our website we have 70 albums and 70 collections of artist Saxon. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Saxon represents Rock genres.
Biography
[Edit]Saxon was one of the early leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, alongside Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, even outdistancing them at the onset, only to see their career slide into comparative obscurity within a few years, due to a series of bad decisions and bad breaks. Internal strife also severely stunted the band's momentum toward the end of the '80s, yet Saxon somehow persevered, recording and performing consistently into the 21st century, and ultimately attaining a semblance of second-tier respectability from the loyal heavy metal community, particularly in mainland Europe.
Saxon was formed from the fusion of two bands, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, in 1977 by vocalist Peter "Biff" Byford, guitarists Graham Oliver, and Paul Quinn, bassist Steve Dawson, and drummer Pete Gill — all of whom had been playing professionally or semi-professionally since as early as 1970. Initially calling themselves Son of a Bitch, they eventually settled on the subtler Saxon moniker, but, like many aspiring British heavy metal bands of the day, the quintet found it extremely difficult to obtain a record deal in post-punk England, finally signing with the French Carrere Records. Saxon's resulting, eponymous debut of 1979 was marred by a lightweight production job, but the seasoned band still managed to build a strong following by touring Britain inexorably, supporting everyone from Motörhead to Nazareth. The band would then capitalize on this exposure with its watershed sophomore effort, 1980's Wheels of Steel, which boasted a much more suitable, heavier, metallic production that finally did new songs (and future standards) like "Motorcycle Man," "747 (Strangers in the Night)," and the title track proper justice. The album was immediately heralded as a N.W.O.B.H.M. classic by fans and critics alike, and the band were apparently on their way. Saxon went on to release two more virtually flawless albums in 1980's Strong Arm of the Law and 1981's Denim and Leather, touring relentlessly across Britain and Europe, where Ozzy Osbourne's rising Blizzard of Ozz opened for them! Not even the group's lack of success in the all-important U.S. market (where Carrere's distribution and promotional limitations were becoming fully exposed) and the loss of founding drummer Pete Gill (replaced by Nigel Glockler, Gill would go on to play in Motörhead) seemed capable of slowing Saxon's forward momentum, and a live album, The Eagle Has Landed, was recorded in 1982 to celebrate their hot streak.
Then a strange thing happened: Saxon became cold as ice. A series of admittedly less inspired, at times repetitive albums followed in 1983's Power and the Glory and 1984's Crusader, and the band's already tenuous relationship with Carrere Records completely deteriorated over the label's inability to expand Saxon's popularity, even as fellow N.W.O.B.H.M. survivors Iron Maiden and Def Leppard convincingly conquered the States. Drastic action was required and so Saxon signed a new deal with all powerful EMI and stepped up their game for 1985's Innocence Is No Excuse, which arguably boasted the group's strongest, most versatile song set in years, but not quite enough to break the band big, while simultaneously upsetting some die-hard fans with its slick production values (not to mention the band's visual makeover, including a fancy new wardrobe, poofy perms, and lots of peroxide). The fallout of yet another commercial failure resulted in the departure of founding bassist and key songwriter Steve Dawson, and though Saxon quickly replaced him with unknown Paul Johnson, the following year's scrappy back-to-basics attempt, Rock the Nations, was a total snooze-fest. Saxon would limp their way through the rest of the decade, gradually corroding what was left of their British and European fan base and recording a pathetic pop metal album in 1988's Destiny (which featured short-lived new drummer Nigel Durham and a Christopher Cross cover!) in a desperate but futile attempt to connect with American fans. By the time they feigned a return to more aggressive heavy metal terrain in 1990, via their tenth studio album, Solid Ball of Rock (where Glockler made his return and bassist Nibbs Carter his debut), Saxon had become inconsequential at best, musical dinosaurs at worst.
And then, having reached the lowest low, the members of Saxon once again proceeded to trump all expectations and stump their detractors by refusing to go quietly into the night. In fact, the extinction of the glam metal aristocracy at the hands of the grunge proletariat helped convince Saxon to drop any pretense of making it in America and return to their British metal roots. This simple realization resulted in some of the band's strongest and heaviest material in ages, beginning with 1992's revelatory Forever Free, growing stronger with 1995's excellent Dogs of War (after which guitarist Graham Oliver tendered his resignation), and then wavering only slightly in quality — but not in heavy metal thunder — over albums like 1997's Unleash the Beast (introducing new guitarist Doug Scarratt), and 1999's Metalhead, and 2001's Killing Ground (the last two recorded with German drummer Fritz Randow). The band even managed to land a new U.S. record deal with CMC International for the latter releases, and this also opened the door for Saxon's first American tour — albeit in modest-sized venues — in almost a decade.
Meanwhile, back home in England, Saxon had successfully reconnected with their aging supporters, while surprisingly growing from strength to strength in continental European countries, where they were now able to tour extensively and command huge paychecks for one-off summer festival performances. A steady flow of studio albums, including 2004's Lionheart (featuring Teutonic journeyman drummer Jorg Michael), 2007's The Inner Sanctum (which saw Glockler's return for a third go round), and 1999's Into the Labyrinth, only fed into this quiet career resurgence, but this period was not without its challenges and controversies. First there was a legal battle over the band's very name to contend with, when, after reconvening in 1994 to record an album under the original moniker, Son of a Bitch, former founding members Graham Oliver, Steve Dawson, and Pete Gill proceeded to start touring with a competing version of Saxon. The matter eventually went to the courts and the rebel outfit was ordered to bill themselves as Oliver/Dawson Saxon (Gill had departed by then) moving forward, which they continue doing unto the present day. Meanwhile, the "official" version of Saxon led by Biff Byford, Paul Quinn, et al, decided to risk some of their recovered metal credibility by pairing with reality TV producer Harvey Goldsmith for a show named Get Your Act Together. Its goal was to reintroduce the veteran group to a wider mainstream audience by way of a made-to-order single entitled "If I Was You," but the experiment did not fulfill the TV show's purpose, perhaps for the better. The next few years saw Saxon wresting even greater control over their own operation, and 2011 saw the independent release, not only of the band's 19th studio album, Call to Arms, but also a self-produced, career-spanning documentary, Heavy Metal Thunder: The Movie. The band's muscular and driving 20th album, Sacrifice, arrived in 2013.
Title: Power & the Glory (Remastered) [Bonus Track Version]
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Pop
Title: Denim and Leather (Bonus Track Version) [Remastered]
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal
Title: The Saxon Chronicles
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Electronica, Tech House, Hip Hop/R&B, Hard Rock, Death Metal, Heavy Metal
Title: Heavy Metal Thunder - Eagles Over Wacken (Live)
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal
Title: Wheels of Steel / Strong Arm of the Law
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal
Title: Strong Arm of the Law (Bonus Track Version)
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal
Title: Unplugged and Strung Up + Heavy Metal Thunder
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal
Title: Word to the Wise: The Prodigally Overlooked
Artist: Saxon, Marcus Goodine
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap
Title: More Inspirations
Artist: Saxon
Genre: Rock, Punk, Punk Rock, Metal, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, Alternative
Collections
Title: 100 Hits: Total Rock (CD1)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Punk, Heavy Metal, Pop Rock, Alternative, Indie
Title: 100 Hits: Total Rock (CD5)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Punk, Heavy Metal, Pop Rock, Alternative, Indie
Title: Classic Rock # 095: Metal For The Masses
Genre: Rock
Title: Classic Rock # 100: 15 Great Tracks!
Genre: Rock
Title: Classic Rock # 105: Metal For The Masses
Genre: Rock
Title: Classic Rock # 109: 100% Live
Genre: Rock
Title: Classic Rock # 118: Maximum Overdrive
Genre: Rock
Title: Classic Rock # 166: The Best Of 2011
Genre: Rock
Title: Best Of The Eighties (CD2)
Title: Rock'n'Roll Children (CD1)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Title: Rock'n'Roll Children (CD2)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Title: NWOBHM 25th Anniversary Collection (CD2)
Genre: Heavy Metal
Title: Best Of Rock 100 Hits (CD2)
Genre: Rock
Title: The Party Mix - Rock (CD1)
Genre: Rock
Title: The Party Mix - Rock (CD3)
Genre: Rock
Title: Essential Metal 2015 (CD1)
Title: Essential Metal 2015 (CD2)
Title: Drivetime - 120 Original Hits (CD2)
Genre: Rock
Title: Drivetime - 120 Original Hits (CD3)
Genre: Rock
Title: 100 Hits: Drivetime Anthems
Title: 100 Hits: Driving Rock
Genre: Rock
Title: 100 Hits: Rock Classics
Genre: Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1980 (CD10)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, New Wave, Hardcore Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Synth Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1980 (CD2)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, New Wave, Hardcore Punk, Post Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1980 (CD6)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Post Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1980 (CD8)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, New Wave, Progressive Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1983 (CD13)
Genre: Rock, Celtic Rock, Hard Rock, Thrashcore, Hardcore Punk, Post Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop, Dance Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1983 (CD16)
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock, Hard Rock, New Wave, Hardcore Punk, Metal, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Pop, Pop Rock, Dance Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1983 (CD17)
Genre: Rock, Celtic Rock, Hard Rock, New Wave, Thrashcore, Post Punk, Metal, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Pop, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1983 (CD2)
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock, Celtic Rock, Hard Rock, Thrashcore, Metal, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop, Pop Rock, Dance Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1983 (CD5)
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Post Punk, Metal, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Pop, Synth Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1984 (CD4)
Genre: Rock, Alternative Rock, Black Metal, Hard Rock, New Wave, Progressive Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal
Title: Rock Collection 1984 (CD10)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1984 (CD12)
Title: Rock Collection 1984 (CD13)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1984 (CD16)
Genre: Rock, Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Post Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1985 (CD2)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Post Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop, Pop Rock, Songwriter/Lyricist, Progressive
Title: Rock Collection 1985 (CD4)
Title: Rock Collection 1985 (CD14)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1985 (CD16)
Genre: Rock, Alternative Rock, Black Metal, Hard Rock, Post Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1985 (CD7)
Title: Rock Collection 1986 (CD11)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Post Punk, Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal
Title: Rock Collection 1986 (CD17)
Title: Rock Collection 1986 (CD2)
Genre: Rock, Celtic Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Doom Metal, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1986 (CD3)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1986 (CD9)
Genre: Rock, Celtic Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Pop Rock
Title: My Favourite Hits Of 1988 (CD10)
Genre: Soul Jazz, Rock, Blues Rock, Hard Rock, New Wave, Heavy Metal, Flamenco, Disco, Pop, Pop Rock, Synth Pop
Title: Rock Collection 1988 (CD19)
Title: Rock Collection 1988 (CD3)
Title: Rock Collection 1988 (CD6)
Genre: Industrial Metal, Rock, Hard Rock, Noise Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal
Title: 100 Hits Total Rock ~ 100 Ultimate Guitar Classics (CD1)
Genre: Rock
Title: 100 Hits Total Rock ~ 100 Ultimate Guitar Classics (CD5)
Genre: Rock
Title: Rock Collection 1984 CD16
Title: Rock Collection 1984 CD13
Title: Graspop Metal Meeting 1996-2015 (CD2)
Genre: Tech House, Hip Hop/R&B, Metal
Title: 100 Hits - Power Ballads (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, New Wave, Pop Rock
Title: Rock & Pop Collection 2016 (CD2)
Genre: Hard Rock, New Wave, Heavy Metal, Pop, Synth Pop
Title: The Many Faces Of Iron Maiden (CD3)
Genre: Heavy Metal
Title: The Heavy 90's Vol. III
Genre: Groove Metal, Heavy Metal
Featuring albums
Title: A Journey Through The Inner World Of Motorhead (CD1)
Artist: The Many Faces Of Motorhead
Genre: Hard Rock, Punk, Heavy Metal