Saturn - Beyond Spectra album review

Analogue-loving Swedes discover that less is more

Cover art for Saturn - Beyond Spectra album

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Eschewing studio wizardry and even overdubs, Swedish fourpiece Saturn offer a plethora of timeless riffs and Halford-like high-pitched shrieks over the course of 10 tracks. Those in the thrall of Di’Anno-era Maiden, UFO and Lizzy will find much to enjoy on here. Fun, fast-paced and fresh, despite the classic influences, Saturn’s second album packs a considerable punch and while the spartan production lets the likes of the magnificently titled Nighttime Badger and jittery rocker Electrosaurus Sex down and singer Oscar Bo Valentine Pehrson’s fromage-laden vocals will divide some, Beyond Spectra provides plenty of old-school thrills. Orbital Command is full of deft fretwork, bluesy licks and a wonderfully OTT hook that calls to mind fellow Swedes The Hellacopters, while Still Young is an uptempo boogie in the vein of The Sweet’s proto-metal phase.