When Saxon released their 24th studio album, “Hell, Fire And Damnation,” on Jan. 19, social media was ablaze with metal swamis contemplating how the collection stacked up against the rest of the catalog. Despite the fact that many records require the passage of time before they’re adequately assessed, the immediacy of the Internet demands that everyone deliver a hot take before the hive moves on to the next thing.
As someone who has participated in plenty of rankings and panel discussions in recent years, I have just as much passion for debate as the next person, but I also recognize the ongoing issue of biases when it comes to legacy bands.
For example, if you were in high school between the years of 1979 and 1983, the likelihood of anything they’ve put out in the past decade surpassing “Strong Arm of the Law,” “Denim and Leather,” and “The Power and the Glory” is slim, because you have an emotional attachment to those albums that goes beyond just how well-crafted they are. They provided the soundtrack to a simpler time and hearing them now is akin to taking a spin in “Doc” Brown’s DeLorean.
Nostalgia sells tickets, but the tenacity behind “Hell, Fire And Damnation” as well as 2022’s “Carpe Diem” is what keeps Saxon from being just another band clinging to the past. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be just as formidable 45 years after their debut and what we’ve heard from them recently proves that.
I caught up with drummer Nigel Glockler recently about the album and what fans can expect on their co-headlining tour with Uriah Heep, which kicks off in April.
MNOD: You guys have been on an incredible run the past few years with two albums that I would rank just as highly as many from the ’80s. How gratifying is it to know that you can still perform at such a high level?
Glockler: It’s extremely gratifying. We’ve been pleased with the reviews so far and really appreciative of the support. We’re always writing and coming up with ideas even while touring a lot. We made ‘Hell, Fire And Damnation’ during festival season, which meant that we had to fit our recording sessions into an already busy schedule. I recorded my drum tracks in Germany and then Andy Sneap made sure that they were up to my standard from the production side of things.
MNOD: Andy Sneap has developed quite a knack for bringing the best out of classic bands. What is it about his style that works so well?
Glockler: He’s just a great producer and mixer. I’m very fussy about my drum sound, but he understands the band and how to bring our ideas to life in the studio. We had success in the ’80s, but I think we’re just as an energized now as we’ve ever been. We’re really happy with his contributions and his method of working.
MNOD: The physicality of your drumming on “Fire and Steel” has to be the highlight of the new album for me. How difficult was it to get the track just right?
Glockler: It was so fast. The demo had a lot of power to it, but the finished product took it to another level. As we like to say, the last one to the end makes the tea, and that song is a sprint. I couldn’t play that way for a whole set, because it would eventually sound like Animal from The Muppets. We’ve always played around with tempos, but groove is always the most important thing when we’re putting together a song. If it doesn’t groove, it doesn’t work. The variety of this album is a result of whatever came out of us at the time.
MNOD: Guitarist Paul Quinn announced his retirement from touring last year and he was replaced by Brian Tatler from Diamond Head. How was the playing divided up on this album?
Glockler: Paul plays on a couple songs. We knew that he was planning on retirement for a while, so Brian was slotted in rather easily. His playing is great and we love having him be a part of the band. Also, Doug (Scarratt) upped his game even more in Paul’s absence.
MNOD: Biff’s lyrical content on this album is as compelling as ever. How interested are you in the topics that he writes about?
Glockler: I love Biff’s writing on this album. What I love about ‘Madame Guillotine’ is that he’s not talking about Madame Guillotine, he is Madame Guillotine. He’s basically welcoming you to get your head chopped off. He writes a lot about history, which we’re all interested in. We’re not a party band. Sure, there are some tongue-in-cheek lines here and there, but that’s not really what we’re about.
MNOD: Your upcoming tour is a co-headlining trek with Uriah Heep. What’s your history with them?
Glockler: Uriah Heep was the third gig I ever saw. It was either on the Demons and Wizards or The Magician’s Birthday tour. Because this will be a co-headlining tour, we’ll both be playing the same amount of time each night, but which one of us goes on last will be determined by the city we’re playing in. We can’t play our usual two hours, so you can expect four or five tracks from the new album mixed in among the classic tracks.
MNOD: How do you prepare yourself physically for a tour at this point in your career?
Glockler: Not a lot actually. I like swimming and walking, but I think the most important thing is to not burn the candle at both ends. Getting proper rest and sleep matters. We like to party after the show and drink wine, beer, or rum, but staying up until six in the morning doesn’t work anymore. We’re there to do a job and the audience deserves our best. I’m sure there are examples of performances suffering due to trying to do too much, so it’s important to avoid that. As far as practicing goes, I’m not the guy who can sit in a rehearsal room for hours, so I also think it’s refreshing to take a break every now and then. I’m also interested in synths and keyboards, so I find that I can take a break from the drums and come back to them without missing too much.
MNOD: Tell me about your time playing with Toyah.
Glockler: That was a lot of fun, because I’ve never been focused on one particular style. I listen to all genres of music, so I’m always incorporating stuff from different places into my own playing. Bill Ward was an influence, but I also gained a lot from Siouxsie and the Banshees and Ultravox. Phil Ehart from Kansas is another guy that I took after. My musical style is really a melting pot, so playing with Toyah was a fusion of everything in those days.
MNOD: I’m psyched that you guys are getting another chance to play America on a major package tour, because you always should have been bigger.
Glockler: I’m very grateful for the success we’ve had. Saxon was so close to breaking in the States on the Iron Maiden tour, but it just didn’t happen back then. We’re excited to get this opportunity.
“Hell, Fire And Damnation” is available now wherever music is disseminated, but do us all a favor and pay for a physical copy.
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