BravePicks 2015 - SAXON's Battering Ram #24

All the votes are in and the compiling is done after days and countless hours of digging through all the piles of molten metal from 2015! So who will be #1? You’ll find out as we count down to the BravePick Of 2015 throughout December! And once again our devout scribes put their collective metal minds together to build the ultimate lists including individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY),  Top 5 Brave Embarrassments, Top 3 Concerts, What/Who Needs To Stop In 2016? and Metal Predictions For 2016. All will be showcased come the New Year!

Tis the season to commence the good, bad and ugly of 2015! Let’s rock!

BravePicks 2015

24) SAXON – Battering Ram (UDR)

In October, Saxon released their 21st studio album, Battering Ram, a record which boasts a clinically ‘heavy’ echo of Saxon’s glorious NWOBHM sound. “This one’s a natural progression from Sacrifice,” says singer Biff Byford, “There’s a bit less rock’n’roll and a bit more ‘heavy’ on it. We wanted to keep focused on a style rather than moving around too much.”

Produced by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, Accept) at his Backstage Recording Studios in rural Derbyshire, Saxon were able to hone in and whittle down any excess, finding the sonic space and balance to let Battering Ram’s riffs and melodies get the necessary space to scream front and center, Sneap bringing a crispness to the sound which evokes memories of the early ‘80s without for one moment sounding dated.

“Yes, Andy has been in charge of everything with this album, I keep on overview of it all, but he’s done a great job and we’re both pleased with the results. We have a great partnership,” adds Byford.

BravePicks 2015 Top 30

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24) SAXON – Battering Ram (UDR)
25) KAMELOT – Haven (Napalm Records)
26) VENOM – From The Very Depths (Spinefarm)
27) CHILDREN OF BODOM – I Worship Chaos (Nuclear Blast)
28) KATAKLYSM – Of Ghosts And Gods (Nuclear Blast)
29) EUROPE – War Of Kings (UDR)
30) MY DYING BRIDE – Feel The Misery (Peaceville)

Fonte: Bravewords.com