Saffire – ‘For The Greater Good (Redux)’

(Rock Of Angels)

I do believe there is a new Saffire album incoming very soon, but this ‘For The Greater Good’ is a re-release of their second album from 2015. It’s not just a reissue though it is a remixed version, it’s not altered in any major way just some minor touches and upgrades that the band felt were missing upon its initial release.

Saffire are a band that can hit and miss with me, they remind me a lot of Coldspell and like them have a devoted following. It’s easy to understand why they are liked and enjoyed but sometimes they leave me cold and at times their music just doesn’t resonate with me. For me ‘For The Greater Good’ is one of their misses, it’s not a bad album and I can definitely hear what others will dig about this album but it just doesn’t push all the right buttons with me.

Saffire like to draw upon a lot of varied influences to put into their gritty melodic hard rock sound. Those Classic Rock tones are accentuated by the use of Hammond organs. They can also be quite heavy and draw on Metallic and NWOBHM influences, I on a couple of occasions thought about Dio. They are very hard edged and dark toned and showcase some exemplary musicianship throughout. I know people will thoroughly enjoy Tobias Jansson’s vocal performance throughout the album he’s a strong versatile vocalist who will definitely appeal to fans of singers like David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.

I think the mix of influences and the dark tone are key elements to the album not really engaging with me, perhaps the mixture of modern and retro on ‘For The Greater Good’ just doesn’t sit well with me. Theirs a couple of songs which make me think of the late Sixties early Seventies and those songs lose me quickly.

‘For The Greater Good’ is the sort of album you need time to absorb. Not because it won’t grab your attention on first spin but to truly appreciate what Saffire do I think you need to soak in their music over repeated listens. It will certainly have its fans amongst those hard rockers who like dark edges and nods to the past but it really lacks some strong standout tracks which hampers the albums staying power and overall impact on listeners.

6/10

Essential Track - 'Heartless'

Review by Woody