By now, there's not much to say about Saxon that hasn't already been said..."the venerable British metalheads remain as solid as a rock,” "the band should have been as big as Priest and Maiden,” "these English rockers prove old school metal isn't dead,” so on and so forth, etc. etc., etc. All of which is of course true.

The band continues to refine itself more than 20 years after their first release. The Inner Sanctum is probably their most well-rounded record yet, containing graceful epic metal and bluesy crunchers in equal proportion. Charlie Bauerfind's production is extremely clean, which is kind of a two-edged sword. I definitely miss the gritty, sweaty vibe of Saxon's classic days, which seems to be missing from most of the metal scene these days. At the same time, The Inner Sanctum allows us to hear how musically advanced the band has become more than ever before. Cuts like "State of Grace" and "Attila the Hun" would have been beyond their reach in the era of Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law.

So once again, I must restate what has been said before: Saxon is pure British steel and there's nowhere better to sample it than right here.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2007 Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.