“Ok, I just wanna ask you one question” says Saxon front man, Biff Byford, addressing the Dallas faithful. “Does this town know how to rock!?!” The sold out Bomb Factory crowd let him know that they do with an emphatic scream. The fans went bananas when the drummer Nigel Glockler pumped out the intro and then they lost their minds as the band joined in to crank out the classic rocker. Was it 1983 because the band on the stage on tonight had the same enthusiasm as they did 35 years ago when the album Power and the Glory hit the shelves and that song made its way to speakers across the globe.
I can’t believe it’s been 18 years since I last saw Saxon on the Metalhead Tour but indeed they are out and touring in support of the band’s 22nd studio album and one of the best releases of 2018 – Thunderbolt. It’s full of the vocals you’ve come to enjoy from Byford and the supporting cast of Glockler, guitarists Paul Quinn & Doug Scarratt and bassist Nibbs Carter deliver an adrenaline-fueled 12 song (13 with bonus) slab of molten metal that show them at the top of their game nearly 40 years since the release of their debut album. Currently direct support for the might Judas Priest, Saxon make this tour a one-two punch that Mike Tyson would have been envious of.