SAXON: 'The Inner Sanctum' Audio Samples, Artwork Available

Audio samples of all ten tracks that are set to appear on SAXON's upcoming album, "The Inner Sanctum", and the CD artwork have been posted online on the band's newly re-launched web site.

Regarding the rather unusual working process that went into the new songs, SAXON singer Biff Byford states, "The past 12 months were undeniably the most successful year in our career to date, so we knew that it would be a good idea to start collecting ideas and write the songs early. All through the last summer, we used the weekdays between the festival weekends to concentrate on working on our albums. We hired rehearsal rooms in Germany, Spain and England, where we ensconced ourselves for three days during the week, before travelling to the next festival. We'd never gone about things this way before, but as you can see it worked."

Byford has every reason to be satisfied with the result. "'The Inner Sanctum' is a typical SAXON recording that kicks off with real heavy metal, followed by a couple of rock 'n' roll numbers, returning to metal towards the end," he describes his group’s new offering, which — between the uptempo numbers, "Atila The Hun" and "Let Me Feel Your Power" (which unconditionally lives up to its title),the anthemnic midtempo track "Red Star Falling", the groove rocker "I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)", reminiscent of the glorious "Strong Arm Of The Law" era, and "Going Nowhere Fast" — covers the whole range of a typical SAXON masterpiece. The brand-new single "If I Was You" has been available as a download since January 26. As far as Byford is concerned, "The Inner Sanctum" is on par with his band's great classics: "I'd say the album is in the style of 'Metalhead' and 'Lionheart' with a little bit of 'Solid Ball of Rock'; a number of tracks have an Eighties feel, but at the same time the production is very modern," he says.

SAXON will release "The Inner Sanctum" in Europe on March 5 (Germany: March 2, U.S.: April 3) via SPV Records.

"The Inner Sanctum" will be available as a digipack with a bonus DVD and as a jewel case, featuring a bonus track.

"The Inner Sanctum" limited editon track listing:

01. State of Grace
02. Need for Speed
03. Let Me Feel Your Power
04. Red Star Falling
05. I've Got to Rock (To Stay Alive)
06. If I Was You (album version)
07. Going Nowhere Fast
08. Ashes to Ashes
09. Empire Rising
10. Atila the Hun

Bonus DVD (approximately 50 minutes long):

A Night Out with the Boys:

01. To Hell and Back Again
02. A Night Out with the Boys – The Idea
03. A Night Out with the Boys - Not Really
04. See the Light Shining
05. A Night Out with the Boys - Now It Started
06. Redline
07. Suzie Hold On
08. Stand Up and Be Counted
09. Frozen Rainbow
10. Never Surrender

(Thanks: Graham Horne)