The second review is from Paul from Salem’s hometown Hull, UK. Thanks mate …. here goes!

“Being around at the time of the decline of Punk and the ascendance of the NWoBHM I saw the the cream of the crop rise to the dizzy heights of god like status, Saxon, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Diamond Head, Krokus, Tygers Of Pan Tang to name but a few.  On the back of all those there were the bands that never quite got to that status but are just as important none the less to the genre.Salem from Hull are one such band. Formed in 1979 and later disbanding in 1983 having released a now extremely rare and collectable single ‘Cold As Steel’/’Reach To Eternity’, the band reformed in 2009, releasing a double album compilation in 2010 along with EP releases, played several festivals in 2012 in and around Europe and released the ‘X Rated’ EP to coincide their appearance at Brofest in 2013. Brief history over!Now on the verge of releasing their new album ‘Forgotten Dreams’ I have no doubt it will gather new fans to the Salem fold. I am extremely privileged to be able to hear the pre-release of the album and hopefully give you an honest account of what I hear.The opening riffs of the title track ‘Forgotten Dreams’ is laden with all that is ‘proper’ heavy metal. Power chords, soaring solos, thundering drums and pulsating bass lines all add to the mix of anthemic choruses and harmonies that are so definitely NWoBHM.

All thirteen tracks are beautifully mixed with vocals coming through loud and clear, no muddiness here, you can hear that painstaking time has been spent on the mix to enhance each instrument and not destroyed the integrity of the music. There are standout tracks of course and none more so than the tracks ‘Forgotten Dreams’, ‘Reach To Eternity’ with the Byfordesque vocals, big riffs and great solos and ‘Ask The Lonely’, all driving rock songs that are infectious and want you to set the player to repeat.

There are a lot of influences that can be heard in the tracks …. not a bad thing and I’m sure fans will agree that essences of Saxon, Def Leppard, Rush and Whitesnake are all in the music.  Simon Saxby vocals can sometimes uncannily sound like Geddy Lee of Rush in some songs and other times like Biff Byford of Saxon, both powerful, sensitive and heartfelt all at the same time and no more so in the beautiful rock ballad ‘This Heart Is Mine’

This is an album that has all the qualities of being a classic, all the ingredients are evident, the tracks ‘When Loves In Your Heart’, ‘Break The Chains’, ‘Aftershock’ and ‘Retribution’ are undeniably NWoBHM eighties tinged Heavy Metal, it is and always will be exciting guitar driven Heavy Metal we all love and continue to listen to, it has just been updated and as long as there are bands like Salem to bring it to the masses it will always have a place alongside progressive, thrash and death metal.

Having listened to the album several times now and enjoyed every track I have come to the conclusion that this is not a comeback album as someone has already suggested, but a continuity album from a band that has matured, become a bit wiser and progressed musically. In reality they have never been away and this album suggests they here to stay and long may they continue.

Paul Hurst @21 Frets Photography.”

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So “Forgotten Dreams” will be released in roughly three months through Pure Steel Records, and we will have pre-release copies available on our merchandise table at our gigs in November (see below).

Good luck – and keep rockin’ \m/

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