Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken (Wacken Show) [DVD] [2012]

wow i cant belive ive been a saxon fan none stop now for 31 years, i got into saxon when i got an import lp copy of denim and leather back in 1981, needless to say i was hooked instantly and i have never looked back, ive been with saxon all along and everytime a new record came out since the eagle has landed in 1982 i bought it within days of its release and yes that includes some of the weaker saxon records like destiny in 1988 or meatalhead in 1999 or the more modern sounding killing ground in 2001, anyway that is how die hard i am with saxon, hey i even bought the new od saxon cd motorbiker but it does not hold a stick to the real saxon w/ biff, anyway enough of that this is a review of this 3 lp set, its awsome, its the fans choice setlist and it was a thrill to see/hear saxon bring back rock the nations from 1986 to the set, the whole show is very powerful and as with all saxon live albums ,shows etc etc they put 100% into this wacken show, im still waiting for the special edition 3 dvd set with the st geaoges day 2 cd audio cd set from 2011 that will come with this, this is a live record set ANY OLDSCHOOL METAL FAN NEEDS TO OWN and also any new comer to the oldschool must own, saxon once again have really come through with this live album from one of the best hm fests in the world next to sweden rock,if you have never seen saxon live yet, this record demonstrates what you will get from biff and co live, a full energy set and as a bonus with this live lp you get a few really awsome saxon songs that saxon dont always play live!!!!!!!!!! cant wait for the 3 dvd set, i want to see all wacken shows from 04,07 and 09 in there entirety not just skimming clips, keep rockin biff call to arms last year was saxons best record since unleash the beast in 1997 with tony jepson co producing, i cant wait to hear what saxon give us next year in 2013 with andy sneap producing??????

Okay lets get to the audio disc,i was there. it was an outstanding gig by SAXON and i've been to a few SAXON gigs in Glasgow. It has to be said from my vantage point,dead centre at the bar,with an ever increasing line of Pints,i dont remember the sound being this clear,I would tend to believe its been 'Cleaned up' and dare i say it the crowd mixed down,trust me it was bedlam in the ABC club that night.

So discs 2/3 contain the complete gig and what a set list,almost perfection for someone who's been there since 1980,all the classics,5 from 'Denim and Leather' celebrating its 30th anniversary,show stoppers in 'Crusader' and 'The Eagle Has Landed' whilst the current era supported well with 4 from the 'Call to Arms' disc,the title track and 'When Doomsday Comes' going down particularly well,truth be told had they threw in 'Broken Heroes' and 'Hungry Years' i could probably have died there and then.

Make no mistake this is a superb live disc on its own merits never mind being a bonus,the sound superb,booming drums,scorching lead guitars and the ringmaster Biff Byford with yet another crowd in the palm of his hand.

So to disc 1, the dvd,the best of Wacken 2004/07 & 09,nearly 3 hours of Saxon in glorious BIFF'O VISION, sound quality and picture both excellent, another imperious collection of tracks,classics here there and everywhere,yet its the unsung songs that make this a real pleasure,tracks that dont see much action these days,such as 'Red Star Falling',Ashes to Ashes','Rock n Roll Gypsy' and 'Witchfinder General'.The bonus features,are like most bonus features,not particulary interesting unlikely to be viewed on a regular basis.

Finally ,the packaging,the discs come in a fold out digi pak with slipcase,the booklet is smothered with live shots,sadly no liner notes,which is a small negative,would have loved the thoughts behind releasing the Glasgow gig(although it might be because they forgot to include any Glasgow tracks on THE EAGLE HAS LANDED - VOLUME 3).

In conclusion as a 3 disc set this is super value for money,its a no brainer and should be purchased at once, 10/10

EDIT : Unfortunately for reasons only known to themselves Amazon wont allow a separate review for the 2cd set (the fans choice set list),which is actually a completely separate recording.

So i'll review it here(yes i purchased both),22 rip snortin heavy metal moments as chosen by the fans,so as well as all the established classics,others such as 'Stallions of the Highway','Battalions of Steel','Dogs of War''Unleash The Beast' and the like all make welcome returns,its truly a superb set list,every album bar 'DESTINY' accounted for.

Sound quality,unlike the Glasgow gig seems more soundboard level rather than 'Official Bootleg',its another superb collection proving Saxon live are as good as ANY band past or present.

Packaging,slightly naughty as its the exact same booklet as the 3 disc set,once again no liner notes,it would have been good to get the bands thoughts on the fans choices,still its a small point,it would be churlish to dock any stars 10/10.

Having been a Saxon fan since they the 80's, this feature length cd and dvd show the group has lost none of its power , the raw strength of Biff's vocals reach out above some fine guitar, bass and drums. The old favorite's mix well with some of the newer stuff, Hammer of the Gods plus When Doomsday comes just roll into some monster songs. I have enjoyed the cd's so much I have not even watched the dvd yet, that's a treat to come.
The packaging is quality, the accompanying booklet is full of classy photo's that just add's to value the overall cost that's not in the extreme at all.
To sum up The band played on,- in triumphant style, play it loud, play it proud, a complete package of superb heavy rock
enjoy.