So far, Saxon’s industrious career in metal has essentially unfolded in three stages. In the first of these they released eight albums of note, between 1979 and 1986. The first five in particular were awash with enduring gems such as Wheels Of Steel, Princess Of The Night, 20,000 Feet and Strong Arm Of The Law. Then came the ninth, 1988’s Destiny, a soft-boiled misstep that sounded very much like the band’s last-ditch attempt to sell enough records to appease their label EMI, shortly before they were dropped. We’ve been in Stage Three ever since, with Biff Byford and co. presumably abandoning any dreams they might have of Beverly Hills mansions, and instead revelling in the brute force of traditional heavy metal, plus the major consolation prize of everlasting respect over riches. Brilliantly, their approach during two decades when all around them was grunge and alt.rock was to keep calm and carry on, unapologetically firing off snub-nosed salvos like Unleash The Beast (1997), Metalhead (1999) and Killing Ground (2001). Their routine has changed little since, and clearly not even a global pandemic could stop this new studio record.