| Thunderbolt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2 February 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 14 September 2016 – 20 September 2017 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 42:46 | |||
| Label | Silver Lining Music | |||
| Producer | Andy Sneap | |||
| Saxon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metal Hammer (Germany) | 5/7 [1] |
Thunderbolt is the twenty-second studio album by British heavy metal band Saxon, released on 2 February 2018. [2]
On 14 September 2016, the band revealed they had begun working on a new album through their Facebook account. [3] A month later, frontman Biff Byford revealed they had written a song dedicated to Motörhead called "They Played Rock n Roll", following the death of frontman Lemmy on 28 December 2015, which ended the band's 40-year history. The song is stylistically similar and referenced their touring companionship on the 1979/1980 "Bomber" tour. [4]
In an interview alongside Airbourne frontman Joel O'Keeffe at 2017's Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, Byford confirmed that the album's title would be Thunderbolt and that the inspiration for it came from the gods of Greek mythology. [5]
Further details were revealed on various stops on their autumn tour of the US and Canada. In an interview at their Newton, New Jersey show on 22 September, he revealed that he'd finished recording his vocals on 20 September. [6] In an interview at their Montreal, Canada show on 4 October, Byford revealed that long-time producer Andy Sneap had finished mixing the album the previous day and mentioned a release date of 21 January 2018 (which later turned out to be incorrect). [7]
On 7 November 2017, the band confirmed the title and revealed the release date of 2 February 2018, track list, artwork and a short UK/European tour alongside Diamond Head, with Magnum and Rock Goddess supporting on select UK dates. [8]
On 30 November 2017, the new video "Thunderbolt" was released. The Record and especially the Motörhead Tribute Song on the Album, They Played Rock N Roll, is especially dedicated to former Motörhead guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke who died the previous month from Pneumonia and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on 10 January 2018, just a month before Thunderbolt Albums release. [9] On 19 September 2018, the "Predator" video was released. [10]
All music composed by Biff Byford, Doug Scarratt, Nigel Glockler, Paul Quinn, Nibbs Carter.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Olympus Rising" (Instrumental) | 1:32 |
| 2. | "Thunderbolt" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "The Secret of Flight" | 5:02 |
| 4. | "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" | 5:00 |
| 5. | "They Played Rock and Roll" | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Predator" | 3:17 |
| 7. | "Sons of Odin" | 5:22 |
| 8. | "Sniper" | 3:36 |
| 9. | "A Wizard’s Tale" | 3:52 |
| 10. | "Speed Merchants" | 3:47 |
| 11. | "Roadie's Song" | 3:31 |
| Total length: | 42:46 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" (Raw Version) | 5:01 |
| Total length: | 47:47 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" (Raw Version) | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Thunderbolt" (Live in Frankfurt – Recorded on 2 March 2018) | |
| 3. | "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" (Live in Los Angeles – Recorded on 22 April 2018) |
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [12] | 18 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [13] | 53 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [14] | 48 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [15] | 29 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [16] | 172 |
| French Albums (SNEP) [17] | 113 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [18] | 5 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) [19] | 53 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [20] | 181 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [21] | 10 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [22] | 39 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [23] | 13 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [24] | 6 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [25] | 29 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [26] | 4 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [27] | 2 |
Saxon are an English heavy metal band formed in Barnsley in 1975. As leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), they had eight UK Top 40 albums during the 1980s including four UK Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums. They had numerous hit singles on the UK Singles Chart and experienced success all over Europe and Japan, as well as in the United States.
Lionheart is the sixteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in 2004. It is the only studio album featuring drummer Jörg Michael. The title is inspired from Richard the Lionheart, a 12th-century King of England. "Beyond the Grave" was released as a single and a video. The album was re-released on 17 February 2006 in digipak format with a bonus DVD-Audio featuring previously unreleased material, videos, rough mixes and a new 5.1 / 96 K mix of the whole album, as well as a Saxon keyholder and a patch.
Heavy Metal Thunder is a greatest hits album by heavy metal band Saxon, released in 2002. The album features eight re-recorded tracks, which first appeared on the limited edition of Killing Ground, as well as five other tracks. All of these tracks originally appeared on their first six albums, from their self-titled debut to Crusader.
Strong Arm of The Law is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon. It was released in 1980, seven months after Wheels of Steel, and debuted on the UK chart at #11.
Denim and Leather is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon released in 1981. The album was certified Gold status in the U.K. This was the last album with the classic line up of Saxon, as drummer Pete Gill would leave the band due to a hand injury, later joining Motörhead; this was also seen as the last of their trilogy of classic albums.
Power & the Glory is the fifth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in March 1983 by Carrere Records. This is the first Saxon studio album with new drummer Nigel Glockler and was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia in the fall of 1982.
Innocence Is No Excuse is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in September 1985. It was the band's first album for EMI after a falling-out with their previous label, Carrere Records, and their last with original bassist Steve Dawson.
Solid Ball of Rock is the tenth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1991 on Virgin Records. Five of its 11 tracks were written by new bassist Nibbs Carter, who co-wrote another three songs.
Destiny is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in March 1988. It is also the only studio album to feature the rhythm section of drummer Nigel Durham and bassist Paul Johnson on it.
The Eagle Has Landed is the first live album by heavy metal band Saxon and the first album featuring their long time drummer Nigel Glockler. It was recorded during the European leg of the world tour supporting the album Denim and Leather and released in 1982. The album reached #5 in the UK charts.
The Eagle Has Landed – Part II is a double live album by the English heavy metal band Saxon. It is the fourth live album by the band and the first recording to feature Doug Scarratt instead of Graham Oliver, who had left just after the release of Dogs of War.
Into the Labyrinth, the eighteenth studio album by British heavy metal band Saxon, was released on 9 January 2009. It was made between tours in 2008 and written by the band in England and at Biff Byford's house in France. The first single, "Live to Rock", was released on 17 October 2008. The album sold about 1,000 copies in the US in the week after its release.
Call To Arms is the nineteenth studio album by British heavy metal band Saxon. Call to Arms was released 3 June in Europe; 6 June in Denmark, Finland, and the UK; 8 June in Greece and Poland; 10 June in France. Previously, it was due to be released on 23 May 2011. The album was released on 27 September in North America by EMI. Current Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey made a guest appearance on the album.
Sacrifice is the twentieth studio album by British heavy metal band Saxon. It was released on 1 March 2013 in Europe, 4 March in the United Kingdom and 26 March in the United States.
Battering Ram is the twenty-first studio album by British heavy metal band Saxon, released on 16 October 2015.
Let Me Feel Your Power is the tenth live album by British heavy metal band Saxon. The title comes from the third track on their seventeenth studio album, The Inner Sanctum. Originally, it was to be released on 23 September 2016, but the release date was pushed back to 7 October. In the US, the release date was 28 October.
Under Cöver is a covers compilation album by the band Motörhead, released on 1 September 2017.
Inspirations is the first cover album by the English heavy metal band Saxon, released on 19 March 2021 by Silver Lining Music. Consisting entirely of covers, it was recorded at Brockfield Hall and The Big Silver Barn in York, UK and produced by Biff Byford.
Carpe Diem is the twenty-third studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon released in 2022.
More Inspirations is the second cover album by the English heavy metal band Saxon, released on 24 March 2023.
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