When SAXON released ’Lionheart’ in 2004 I was quite disappointed with it but they returned to form again with ‘The Inner Sanctum’ in 2007, so therefore I was quite eager to check out their brand new release ‘Into The Labyrinth’.

The CD kicks in with one hell of a track called “Battalions of Steel”. A very bombastic and fresh sounding track and one of the best songs that SAXON has ever written. What a start! The single “Live To Rock”’ and the great up-tempo “Demon Sweeny Todd” follows and SAXON is still on the right track. Then “Valley Of The Kings” is up... also a quite bombastic track... and a very good one indeed. But then something happens... the next 5 tracks are not above average in my humble opinion. There are a couple of great riffs to be found but the tracks are all in all a tad boring. Especially the very weak “Slow Lane Blues is very, very boring...!

What saves this album from being dull is the next 2 tracks; The up-tempo “Hellcat” with its driving guitar riff and a chorus I have heard a million times... but still one of my favourite songs on ‘Into The Labyrinth’... and “Come Rock Of Ages (The Circle Is Complete).

Track 13 is a slide guitar blues song called “Coming home”. SAXON fans are already familiar with the electric version of the ‘Killing Ground’ album (2001).

Well... a solid piece of work from SAXON... but not their best album in my humble opinion.