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Killing Ground

Saxon - Killing Ground Audio CD

A fair review of the Saxon "Killing Ground" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Saxon reviews here, or go back to the Saxon tabs.

Band: Saxon
Title: Killing Ground
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-10-09
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Killing Ground 2: Court Of The Crimson King 3: Coming Home 4: Dragon�s Lair 5: Deeds Of Glory 6: You Don�t Know What You�ve Got 7: Shadows On The Wall 8: Running For The Border 9: Rock Is Your Life 10: Hell Freezes Over

Holy Crap what a listen!!
Yes they had some great tunes along the way, but they were never really my favorite metal band. Over the years I drifted away from this band and never really missed them to be completely honest with you.

Lately I've been going back or checking out/rediscovering some of the older from bands that were once on my radar screen so to speak. I've been doing this mostly because everything these days kind of blows and I needed some inspiration from music again.

Anyway to make a long story short here, after reading some of the reviews on here I decided to give this band and this particular cd a spin. Well let's just say I'm glad I did as this thing rocks. If this is what Saxon has been up to in my absence, I've missed a lot. The riffage, the vocals, the rhythm section, everything, it's pure gold!! Every tune is solid and well thought out, a totally amazing listen. I will now be going back and giving all those metal old bands another chance as Saxon has completely re-energized me with this release.

If you enjoy old school metal or just metal in general, you owe it to yourself to pick this gem up!!

Buy it now! .

"Forged from purest metal"
I am skeptical about post-1980s metal albums as the metal magic dissipated in the 1990s. Killing Ground was first released in 2001 and I am struck by how solid it is. Well, recently I've found that this was not the case for Saxon. Killing Ground (as well as Solid Ball of Rock and their latest masterpiece Lionheart) demonstrates that this band was still putting out quality albums well after their supposed heyday.

Killing Ground begins with a 1:36 intro with battlefield sounds and a slow, rich guitar instrumental. The title track opens with a heavy, Metallica-esque guitar riff. It is a power rocker with excellent vocals and unique guitar and bass work at the bridge. "Court of the Crimson King" offers a progressive sound. The 6:00 track sounds like something that, well, King Crimson would do. I can almost hear John Wetton singing this interesting epic. It is complex with a lot of depth. "Coming Home" is one of the more accessible numbers here. It is a little repetitive but catchy. I can't help but sing along to the chorus. The lyrics are about lonely life on the road. It has a classic rock sound. "Hell Freezes Over" is my favorite. The opening riff which continues through the verses really grabs the listener. It rocks! Nothing fancy here, just awesome guitar with addictive hooks. It is followed by the straight-ahead, driving metal track "Dragons Lair. "

The second half of the CD is not as stellar as the first. "You Don't Know What You've Got" has a cliché for a chorus. OK, so does "Hell Freezes Over" but this track is not a stand-out. "Deeds of Glory" has that characteristic Saxon anthem-like sound with hero imagery. "Running for the Border" is another straight rock track but again, is unremarkable. My interest was sparked again by the 6:15 metal work of art "Shadows on the Wall. " It is about the nuclear age from the Manhattan Project bomb testing in Los Alamos to the dropping of the Atomic Bomb from an American B-29 named Enola Gay on Hiroshima, Japan. Poignant line: "Where is the city, where are the people? There's only shadows on the wall. " The line refers to the phenomenon that occurred when people and objects vaporized in the explosion left their shadows imprinted on walls. The line "Split the tiny atom, Your little boy" refers to the nickname of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima killing 100,000 instantly and dooming 100,00 more to death by injury or radiation poisoning. I always like it when history is used in metal as metal bands usually do such a good job honoring such events, and "Shadows" is no exception. It is a powerful track; slow and melodic at times and then an exploding metal track with distorted vocals followed by the anthem-like chorus. Killing Ground ends with the killer "Rock is Our Life" that is a characteristic Saxon rock rules anthem. Great guitar. Killing Ground is not as solid as some of Saxon's other releases as it tapers off a bit during the first part of the second half, but it is still an excellent album. The CD booklet offers lyrics and a couple of photos of the aging band (ugh! Maybe they should forgo the photos . . . just kidding). No matter their age, these guys can rock!! I highly recommend Killing Ground and even more highly recommend their latest release Lionheart.

saxon are back to their roots
songs like rock is our life, killing ground, dragon's lair and deeds of glory express their roots glory back to crusader and power of glory. saxon are one of the bands that really didn't diverisify into commercial aspect in this album, they kept playing true heavy metal. i can't get rid of thi album , i bought this album several months ago and i m still listening to it until now. Saxon doesn't even need a review because they don't let you down . rock is our life!!!.

Classic Saxon!
Saxon has been one of my all time favorite bands. Man, these guys can sure make music! Saxon is at their metalhead best when they stay away from restricting themselves to a singular musical concept, and this album does it with just good old fashioned hard rock. . . I remember eagerly awaiting a special order vinyl version of "Wheels Of Steel" over 20 years ago. What a history these guys have had.

One of Saxon's strong suits, and frankly it slays me why their popularity has have exploded in the US, is that they bring so much energy to their music, both recorded and live. Saxon is not power metal, but a majestic hybrid mixture of positive powerful hard rock and heavy metal. Their song writing and music have matured and evolved exponentially in the last 30 years to hard rock perfection; what heavy music should engender.

Biff Byford has the quintassential "majestic" rock voice, and I swear it sounds as good here on Killing Ground as it did on the first album I bought, "Denim & Leather. " What appeals to me on this album (in my advancing age along with Saxon) are the addition of some groove oriented rockers that move along at the 4/4 time pace, and simply burn an indelible image. The guitars on this album by Doug and Paul are not as much in your face as in younger days, and support the song structures very effectively. The grinding and pumping riffage, and soloing is still there, but appropriately and tastefully so. My favorite songs here are "Coming Home," "Hell Freezes Over," "You Don't Know What You've Got" and "Deeds of Glory. " A special favorite, living in Southern California, is "Running For The Border," with numerous references to Mexico (these guys are from England, and rarely, if ever, make it west of the Mississippi. . . . hilarious!).

I know that time will eventually take these guys away, but they are just so good that I hope they NEVER retire! I wish they could get their asses to CA for a concert some day; they'd be surprised at the turnout!.

An Underrated Gem
Saxon's songwriting skills and instrumental talent shines in this 2001 release. this CD is rock solid from start to finish. KG is my favorite studio release since Solid Ball of Rock 10 years earlier.

this is a great starting point for new fans and a must for any Saxon die-hard. check out Heavy Metal Thunder as well, an excellent set of classic Saxon songs re-recorded with the current lineup.

You can see a complete list of all Saxon discography, or go back to the Saxon tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.