Unleash the Beast

CMC International seems to have found a way to sign every available "no longer hip" metal band on the planet, so it was only a matter of time before they snapped up Saxon. After a string of surprisingly strong records, the band delivered another solid platter in Unleash the Beast, their first release following the departure of founding guitarist Graham Oliver. Adding some gothic overtones and slightly darker lyrics than its predecessors, the album also saw Saxon touring America for the first time in almost a decade.