When it comes to heavy metal, Saxon are right up there with Motorhead in terms of reliability. For forty-nine years, the Yorkshire-born outfit has rampaged across stages bringing their love and dedication to music with them, standing tall as one of metal's flag bearers. Forty-five years after the release of their eponymous debut and still fronted by the legendary Biff Byford, the band are as strong as ever and seek to prove it with, "Hell, Fire And Damnation," their twenty-fourth studio album. Can they still cut it? Come on... I already told you in the first sentence!

Straight away with the short intro "The Prophecy," Saxon gives a little treat that will please many British fans, as the iconic thespian Brian Blessed provides the narration, and if there's one voice that will get you excited, it's Brian Blessed's. From there, the title track kicks in and the group demonstrates why they're still so highly regarded with a very catchy, yet utterly pummeling number. The song is on par with other recent favourites such as "They Played Rock And Roll" and can also be likened to fellow British metal staples Judas Priest and their recent output in terms of taking the classic heavy metal sound but making it modern and fresh.

One of the strengths of the record is its variety. There are some fast and furious tracks here like "Fire And Steel" and "Super Charger," the latter of which closes the album superbly and along with personal favourite, "Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice," which is a more power metal affair with a sweeping rush, which keeps the exhilaration going. Elsewhere, there's some groove and grit in equal measure, such as "Pirates Of The Airwaves," which as one might expect, pays tribute to the days of Radio Caroline and such, and "1066" which while also having an obvious lyrical reference, has a wonderfully mean vibe.

Honestly, there isn't a bad track to be found here. Some songs stand out more than others of course, with "Witches Of Salem" maybe making the least impact, but still containing a pendulum-like swing that keeps it interesting throughout. Of course, Saxon has well and truly established their sound by now and if you weren't a fan before, then it's unlikely "Hell, Fire And Damnation" will win you over, so those of you who don't listen to anything from the last millennium probably won't be too interested. "Madame Guillotine" is another track which, while good, very good in fact, doesn't stand out on a record full of incredibly strong heavy metal pieces.

All in all, it's a Saxon album and a bloody good one. There probably isn't anything here that will surprise fans, or longtime detractors for that matter, but what is here is some absolutely blistering heavy metal fire. It's such an enjoyable album from beginning to end and never becomes stale or repetitive. Saxon, as always, stay true to themselves, their history, their sound, and their legacy with an album free of any pretension or needless experimentation. They may not always get the recognition, respect, or love that they deserve, but "Hell, Fire And Damnation" definitely makes the case that they should be hailed as one of heavy metal's last honest stalwarts.