The excellent Saracen were right there as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal took off around 1980.
Their mixture of superbly crafted heaviness along with the pomp and prog influences was like nothing else back then as evidenced by their classic debut album from 1980 – Heroes, Saints and Fools.
The follow-up of Change of Heart was hit by line-up changes and more direct style then Saracen disappeared for around two decides before resurfacing with Red Sky in 2003 and the mighty Vox In Excelso in 2006.
Vox is to be re-released by Escape Music in limited edition CD and vinyl formats with revised artwork. Escape do this sort of stuff so well – most recently the Bob Catley solo albums of The Tower and Legends.
Vox In Excelso is a towering album. Make no mistake.
It is is a concept album based on the mysterious and controversial history of the Knights Templar – a medieval body of warrior monks, who grew to become one of the most powerful military and financial organisations in Europe.
Their story goes far beyond battlefield exploits. The Knights Templar were guardians of Ancient Knowledge. Secrets that had major implications for the nations and religions of the western world. Secrets that are still cherished and protected even to this day.
The album tells the story in a powerful way musically with short narration parts here and there to link everything together.
It’s got the lot. Steve Bettney has a marvellous voice. Smooth, powerful and effortless. Rob Bendelow’s guitar supplies the cutting riffs and soaring yet controlled solos. He’s a fine player.
Soaring, atmospheric keys and synth swells everywhere to big up the sound and thunderous drumming from Mark Cross.
From the smooth power of Meet Me at Midnight to the equally powerful closer of Priory of Zion and everything in between this album is a musical tour de force. Sort of New Wave of British Heavy Metal meets The Grand Illusion era Styx.
Majestic, heavy, proggy, pompy all together. The epic ten minute centrepiece of Mary is quite something. Switches between the power and the emotion as the Knights are visited by visions of Mary Magdalene herself.
Here’s The Order – wait until the narration stops and the dramatic synths warm things up for the galloping guitars to come in and then how the guitar and synths alternative throughout.
Vox is equally as good, if not better, than Saracens debut twenty years earlier. The band had so much to offer yet with the two decades between Change of Heart and Vox they lost momentum.
Vox, in my opinion, is a “must have”. By coincidence I was listening to it yesterday just before the email from Escape arrived announcing the re-issue.
The Vinyl will be double gatefold limited edition of 500 copies only with newly designed artwork and will be individually numbered 1-500. There will also be a limited edition of 500 CDs only.
The release date is due to be 28 March 2025. Order directly from Escape:
https://www.escape-music.com
After Vox, Saracen released Marilyn in 2011 – a concept album based on Marilyn Munro – and Redemption in 2014. Wonder if Escape may have plans top re-release them in the future?
Saracen remain active here and there with sporadic live performances. I was fortunate enough to see them in a small venue in Chesterfield around three years ago. Top gig it was too.
As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.