Saracen originated in the fertile NWOBHM region of Derbyshire out of which would emerge other great bands such as Witchfynde and others.
And their debut album – Red Sky – is arguably one of the finest examples of the genre given the expansion in to prog/pomp territory and the remarkable guitar of Rob Bendelow and voice of Steve Bettney.
No mistake, Red Sky rocks hard a-la NWOBHM did/should. Though such is the expanse of song-writing and musicianship on display those forays in to prog/pomp/melody make for a heady mix and epic songs.
Red Sky was a success for Saracen breaking in to the top 50 album chart. The opener – We Have Arrived – is a hard paced “spacey” rocker bringing all elements in to play. The synths give it a spooky feel. Quite fitting given what the song is about.
Other cuts such as the title track, Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Heroes, Saints and Fools, Jekyll and Hide etc. all serve to show what a phenomenal debut album Red Sky was back in 1981.
Bettney’s vocal range is wide. He can do the lot. Bendelow’s guitar is crisp, clear, powerful. His solo work is measured without wasting a note or being flashy for the sake of it. Keys/synths complement the guitar with the proggy drums/bass completing the mixture.
Check out Heroes, Saints and Fools as a prime example of how great Saracen’s debut was.
You’d have expected Red Sky would catapult Saracen to the top of the tree, Alas not. Line-up changes ensured and it fell apart for them somewhat. A second album – Change of Heart – would follow a few years later (will be reviewed separately) then Saracen went off the grid.
Then a couple of decades later and right out of nowhere, they resurfaced with another album – Heroes, Saints and Fools.
That featured reworked version of some songs off Red Sky together with some new stuff. And how good was the new stuff – very, very good. The mighty Crusader starts it off. Classic Saracen sound, epic delivery, driving riff. Brilliant. Rock of Ages a punchy rocker and No More Lonely Nights sounds like a heavier Foreigner.
Ready to Fly the highlight as the band cut loose in an extended effort with Bendelow making his guitar work hard effortlessly as is his style.
Both Red Sky and Heroes, Saints and Fools are, thankfully, available in a double-CD package. Seriously not to be missed. Red Sky sounds as fresh today as it did in 1981. A superb album from a band who surely should have been massive. Don’t think about it – BUY IT!
>> RED SKY / HEROES, SAINTS AND FOOLS ON AMAZON HERE <<
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