Saracen - Heroes, Saints and Fools
#498
October 1981 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY
Saracen
Heroes, Saints & Fools
Genre: Metal
4.5 out of 5
Highlights:
Rock of Ages
Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Heroes, Saints & Fools
Ready to Fly
I know precious little about this band. They seem to be on the cusp of NWoBHM. I didn’t care for their 1984 record, which I felt was too synthesizer heavy and that softened their sound.
This one, their first, opens ponderously. It’s got a kind of majesty that I think Strong Bad would appreciate. And then, when Trogdor needs a soundtrack for his burninating, “Rock of Ages” explodes with Robert Bendelow giving us a shredding for the times, matched by Steven Bettney’s soaring vocals. And I don’t even mind the keyboards because they actually elevate the sound.
I’d like to know what some of our metal members think of Saracen. I mean, I don’t think they are breaking any new ground but I find this refreshing after so much crap I’ve been listening to. Especially “Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. Am I just starved for something or is it actually okay?
The title track evolves from metal to a boogie bass plucked driver with haunting keyboards and I’m here for it. And that instrumental, “Dolphin Ride”? That’s a bit of Never-ending Story right there, i’n’t?
Heroes suggests that Saracen would be a force to be reckoned with in an age of New Heavy metal. That didn’t happen but this record suggests it could have.
This album starts in the middle of this compilation with “Crusader”. https://music.apple.com/us/album/red-sky-and-heroes-saints-fools/441518903
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