Salem UK – Outer Limits

Salem UK
Outer Limits
Label: Rude Awakening Records
Out: November 29^th, 2024
Playing time: 44:46

Salem are a British Hard Rock / Heavy Metal band. Founded by guitarist Paul Tognola and drummer Paul Conyers. The band was initially active for three years, from 1980 to 1983, during which time they released one single and several demos. Twenty-seven years later, the band was reactivated. But this creative period also ended seven years later, in 2017, shortly after the album ‘Attrition’ was produced. Two of the original members (Simon Saxby – vocals, Adrian Jenkinson – bass) continued the legacy under the new name ‘Salem UK’. ‘Win Lose Or Draw’ was released in 2019. Five years passed before the follow-up ‘Outer Limits’. The release is scheduled for the end of November this year.

Does that have to be? An intro like ‘Prologue – The Fairground’? Music from a fun fair. Just like the outro ‘Epilogue – The Fairground’. But then you are rewarded with ‘Rock You’. Nomen est omen. It really gets rocking here. The guitars roar right from the start. Heavy riffs and hard drumming dominate. Simon Saxby’s vocals are a perfect match. ‘Red Light’ is then much calmer. It is strongly reminiscent of the power ballads of fellow countrymen Saxon. With a great chorus as a refrain. ‘Silverback’ is then a little faster again without leaving the mid-tempo range. Towards the end there is a guitar solo, but unfortunately far too short in my opinion. A Metal anthem followed with ‘Miss Fortune’. You can hear a Hammond at the beginning. The chorus is again performed by a chorus. The title track ‘Outer Limits’ is another Midtempo Metal anthem with hard riffs. Although there is only one guitarist in the line-up, the next anthem ‘Overrider’ starts with twin guitars. Here, too, memories of Saxon come to mind. ‘Meteorite’ picks up the pace again, starting with the fast drum introduction. ‘Fire Fire’ is a rhythmic Metal stomper. With subtle growls. And driving drumming. With ‘Present From The Past’, the Brits switch to high-speed, at least by their standards. Fast guitar leads underline the vocals. The last regular song ‘Oblivion’ is a fast rhythmic anthem.

Apart from the intro and outro, Salem UK present classic NWoBHM from the eighties on ‘Outer Limits’, i.e. exactly from the time when the band was active for the first time. Musically excellently realised. A word about the album cover. I find it totally cheesy. Visually, it’s not the rich Rock sound that is realised here, but the fun fair atmosphere of ‘Prologue’ and ‘Epilogue’.

Salem UK – Rock You: https://youtu.be/beQOR23ubVA?si=q3KzbN202MFFXccm 

Lineup:

Simon Saxby – Vocals
Adrian Jenkinson – Bass
Jonny Hirons – Guitars
Dan Ellis – Drums

Track list:

• Prologue – The Fairground
• Rock You
• Red Light
• Silverback
• Miss Fortune
• Outer Limits
• Overrider
• Meteorite
• Fire Fire
• Present from the Past
• Oblivion
• Epilogue: The Fairground