Saracen were an unknown name to me until a few years ago when a review of the Rob Bendelow solo album' 'Templar', appeared in Fireworks magazine. The result of this review saw Bruce Mee (Fireworks Editor), who was a big fan of Saracen,  persuading Bendelow to reform the band and record a new record. This new album turned out to be 'Red Sky' which initially saw the light of day back in 2003 on the Now and Then record label and featured seven new tracks and five re-workings of older Saracen/Rob Bendelow songs. This was some twenty one years after the issue of the bands debut album,  Heroes, Saints & Fools,

After the release of the 'Heroes, Saints & Fools' a single was released, 'We have Arrived', after which Rob Bendelow quit  the band, who nevertheless soldiered on with another line up and released the album Change of Heart in 1985 but called it a day not long after that. After re-forming for the Red Sky album Saracen made a live comeback at Bloodstock 2003, to great acclaim and yet despite such a long history it wasn't until last year that I actually heard music from the band when they were initially scheduled to play the Firefest 2 show and I “borrowed” the Red Sky album from Steve. Unfortunately Rob’s ill health scuppered that proposed appearance and so here we are in 2006 with the Escape Music re-issue of both the albums mentioned above in a double package and  hence the duplication of some tracks albeit in differing forms.  

Heavy symphonic rock music is now the label describe these albums but I would categorize it more as pompie/progiee heavy metal and the debut album, which encompasses the second disc of this package was ten years ahead of its time in terms of song’s but unfortunately not production. Originally recorded back in 1981the production sounds like a cross between the production jobs on Def Leppard's first two albums and hence the idea to re-record some tracks for Red Sky. 

'Red Sky' opens with 'We Have Arrived', the first of the tracks to feature on both discs and is about Aliens arriving on earth. To these ears it sounds like a heavier Magnum, with vocalist Steve Bettney sounding akin to Steve Walsh which IMO is an improvement on his Rob Halford style vocals that were in evidence on the original recording.  'Red Sky' itself  is a great heavy rocker of  a track and then comes 'Faith', a ballad with a very familiar keyboard sound and is very much like Kansa in style.  

Horseman Of The Apocalypse is the next of the re-recordings to feature and makes me wonder if Dream Theater had ever heard as it could be a prototype of the sound Dream Theater went on to make famous. 'Castles In The Sand' is an acoustic led piece that as with earlier songs is reminiscent of a Kansas/Magnum hybrid.

 Heroes Saints And Fools is the final re-recording and opens with  big keyboards and deals lyrically with the theme of growing up and looking back over your life as the years pass. 'Flame Of Youth' is a great up-tempo track that features Steve high pitched vocals whereas Jekyll And Hide, which opens with a spoken intro featuring the late great Tommy Vance, is the most “NWOBHM” sounding track on the album, a genre to which the band were ostensibly linked back in the early days. 'Ménage A Trois' is a instrumental featuring great guitar/sax interplay! 

Ride Shotgun With The Wind is dedicated to Harley riders everywhere and is a suitable mid tempo rocker and then we get 'Angel Eyes', a ballad featuring pan pipes and in all honesty it's a great late night track featuring the vocals of Dagi Kaletsch. The album rounds off with 'Follow The Piper' , the first studio recording of the bands first ever song and a big live favourite I’m led to believe. Once again a  very Magnum style track. 

Heroes Saints & Fools as I’ve stated earlier sounds dated, but the songs themselves still show quality. This is especially true with opener Crusader which brings to mind  Black Sabbath with keyboards. Rock Of Ages on the other hand features an Irish jig style guitar riff and would go down a storm live. 'No More Lonely Nights' is another great track, this time dealing with the discovery of pubs woman and beer ( Don’t do it! You’ll only end up married with kids!) Dated but I love this track!

Dolphin Ride is an instrumental track whilst having echoes of Jean-Michel Jarre may be slightly out of place but luckily the original album finishes with 'Ready to Fly' featuring great guitar work Bendelow, as do both albums in truth,  and one I can see this being  a great live track.  

This is a great package for some like me who has heard very little by Saracen and shows that the band were before their time. With a new album, 'Vox In Excelso' on the way and hopefully a recovering Rob Bendelow this could yet prove to be the beginning of a high water mark in the band's career.

Big thanks to Bruce Mee for the help with the background Info for this review.

Let us know your views on 'Red Sky/Heroes, Saints & Fools'

Track List

Red Sky (Disc 1)
We Have Arrived
Red Sky
Faith
Horseman Of The Apocalypse
Castles In The Sand
Heroes Saints And Fools
Flame Of Youth
Jekyll And Hide
Ménage A Trois
Ride Shotgun With The Wind
Angel Eyes
Follow The Piper

Heroes, Saints & Fools (Disc 2)
Crusader
Rock Of Ages
No More Lonely Nights
Horseman Of The Apocalypse
Heroes Saints And Fools
Dolphin Ride
Ready To Fly
We Have Arrived
Blue Stanza
Come To The Light

Line Up

John Thorne - Drums
Steve Bettney - Vocals
Barry Yates - Bass
Richard Lowe - Keyboards
Rob Bendelow - Guitar
Richard Bendelow - Bass
Jason Gardner - Bass/vocals
Jamie little - Drums