British hard rock legends SAXON have been around for over 2 decades, churning out their own custom brand of gritty rock. SAXON have enjoyed enormous success much like their contemporaries, JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN, and have remained true to their roots, much like those other two groups. SAXON have proven themselves to be a strong live act, and has demonstrated their musical prowess on several live albums. However, one area that has eluded them has been on the home video front. Sure, they have shot a few MTV-style promo videos over the years, but for a band who boasts such a live reputation, SAXON (or their record label) have yet to put out the definitive live concert. Well, Saxon’s new label, SPV, has chosen to rectify that with a new DVD called SAXON: THE SAXON CHRONICLES. SPV has worked with the band to deliver one of the best 2 disc DVD sets of 2003.

In recent years, the original members of SAXON have not been getting along personally or professionally causing the two parties to split into two separate entities, each laying claim to be SAXON identity. Its no secret to SAXON fans that the group featuring original members Biff Byford (vocals) and Paul Gibbs (guitar) is the one and only true SAXON. The other band claiming to be SAXON has a leg to stand on legally because the founding members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson still have authorship of much of the SAXON back catalog. After a court hearing, the judges ruled that the Byford-Gibbs are the true SAXON legends, and that the other founding members can continue under the name OLIVER-DAWSON SAXON. Anyway, the main concert on disc 1 of SAXON: THE SAXON CHRONICLES features the group performing a killer live show from the 2001 Wacken Festival (where they headlined in front of 100,000 screaming rock fans). Joining Biff Byford and Paul Gibbs for this performance are Nibbs Carter (bass), Doug Scarratt (guitar), and Fritz Randow (drums). This lineup may be heaviest yet for the band, as this penultimate version of SAXON gives the older material a rawer edge. And the newer SAXON compositions are not only heavy, but boast more musicianship than their older stuff.

Here is the track listing from the Wacken 2001 show.

The main concert portion of this DVD was shot on actual film, as opposed to inferior videotape that is used for most concerts. SPV presents SAXON: THE SAXON CHRONICLES in widescreen with 16x9 enhancement. Kudos to SPV for producing such an excellent visual document for a band that deserves the best presentation available. True to film, the image quality exhibits excellent detail, color, and depth. You can see everything from the tiny figures of the crowd, to the wrinkles in Biff Byford’s face. The camera crew worked hard to catch the blistering guitar work and stage show of SAXON including their trademark robotic eagle, and all the fiery action looks great here. From the Audio Setup menu, you can select from a strong PCM stereo track, or a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The PCM audio track is only a 2-channel stereo mix, but the clarity, rawness, and the better-than-CD-quality fidelity is superior to a Dolby Digital 2.0 one. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is different in that it is a little less powerful than the PCM track, but features more imaging and separation in the instrumentation and audience noise. If you have a 5 speaker system, you’ll want to play this. The bass level is about the same as the PCM mix. In both soundtracks, vocalist Biff Byford’s vocals are slightly underwhelmed. Disc 1 also contains a detailed discography and a 13 minute interview with charismatic frontman Biff Byford. SAXON: THE SAXON CHRONICLES contains not only an entire concert, but a plethora of extra features as well. Disc 2 contains three more live songs, captured live from the 1995 Ebjerg Festival including:

SPV also includes several of SAXON’s promotional videos including:

There is a 16 minute collection of televison tapings from SAXON appearances on the BBC’s Top of the Pops and Old Grey Whistle Test shows. Songs include:

Additional supplements are 5 minutes worth of SAXON press clippings, 3 minute Photo Gallery, and Weblink information. The 105 minutes of music videos, live footage, and supplements on Disc 2 are presented in full frame (1.33.1) and in Dolby Digital 2.0 (and not the superior PCM like Disc 1).