SLANDER – Take It To The Grave (2025) *HQ*

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British 5-piece SLANDER return with ”Take It To The Grave”, their first album in eight years. Formed in 1990, Slander are considered the last NWOBHM band ever formed. Since the beginning they witnessed the scene changing and heavy metal becoming less and less popular in the UK, however the band released their debut LP in 1991, now a cult album, and while the group played at every venue available, they folded in 1993.
But the leader, guitarist Andy Saxon-Lamb, never gave up and the band returned in 2009, releasing their second effort in 2017. After some line up changes they are now back with a fabulous record – “Take It To The Grave”, released on Stormspell Records, sees Slander in top form playing what they know best: traditional heavy metal with melody.
From the first notes, “Terrified” screams Judas Priest—the opener’s got the “Electric Eye” surge, and it’s an instant signal these guys mean metal for real, not some poser act. At places, Slander leans into a darker vibe, and it works. Lines like “Capture the essence of the night / As I take your soul” and “Speed is my weapon, surprise is no balm in the passage of time” cut like a razor.
“Requiem” stays the course. It’s here I first clock the biting lead guitar; it is clear Andy Saxon-Lamb was part of the ’80s scene. “Scream for the voiceless / Unleash the storm” and “With hearts like thunder, we’ll break the norm” hit with proper anthemic punch.

“In the Twilight” doesn’t bring anything you didn’t already hear in the first two tracks, but it keeps the bar high and the record’s momentum rolling. The eponymous “Take It to the Grave”—this is the make-or-break moment. The chorus—“I’ll take you to the grave, my love! I’ll take you to the grave!”—has exactly the emotional kick that earns an album its title.
“Rust in My Bones” kicks off with sweet twin guitars before singer Steve “Witty” Wittington cuts in—he’s a 2021 addition and fits like the missing puzzle piece. In “Soul Reaper,” forget parties with groupies; it’s darkness, graves, and a waltz with the Grim Reaper (“A dance with a reaper / In a world that is fear”). In this mode Slander are at their best: straddling heavy and melodic metal, with atmosphere, riff, and chorus all pulling their weight.

Slander ride the heavy / power border without cheap clichés and with a real go-for-the-throat drive. 40 years in the business, you can hear that all over ”Take It To The Grave” – making it clear they’re one of those bands time’s headwinds couldn’t knock down.
Highly Recommended

1 – Terrified
2 – Requiem
3 – In The Twilight
4 – Take It To The Grave
5 – Deguello
6 – Rust In My Bones
7 – Soul Reaper
8 – Power Of The Msuic

Steve “Whitty” Whittington – Vocals
Andy “Greg” Gregson – Guitar
Andy Saxon-Lamb – Guitar
Jamie Brandon – Bass
Will Brotherhood – Drums

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