Track listing

Personnel

• Biff Byford
  Biff Byford
  Peter Rodney "Biff" Byford is an English rock singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Saxon. Byford formed Son of a Bitch with guitarists Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn, bassist Steve Dawson and drummer Pete Gill in 1976...
  
   - Vocals
• Doug Scarratt - Guitar
  Guitarist
  A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
  
  
• Paul Quinn
  Paul Quinn (guitarist)
  Paul Quinn is an English lead guitarist, and the founding member of the NWOBHM band, Saxon. Other than Biff Byford, Quinn is the only remaining member of Saxon's original line up, and is present on every Saxon release...
  
   - Guitar
• Nibbs Carter
  Nibbs Carter
  Timothy 'Nibbs' Carter , British born bassist for heavy metal band Saxon. He is the most enduring bass player in Saxon history, appearing on thirteen of their albums...
  
   - Bass
  Bassist
  A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
  
  
• Nigel Glockler
  Nigel Glockler
  Nigel Glockler is an English drummer for the NWOBHM band, Saxon.His first professional musical experience was the UK band Krakatoa, followed by session work. He joined Toyah Willcox's band in late 1980...
  
   - Drums
  Drummer
  A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
  
  

Lyrical Concept

1. "Unleash the Beast" is about a fictional story of stone gargoyles coming alive.
2. "Circle of Light" is about dying and watching (as a spirit) people try to resurrect you ("You're far outside your body now, looking down you see yourself below " and "You watch the doctors try to save your life"), then eventually coming back to life ("Suddenly you feel the pain, your body jerks and you begin to breathe").
3. "The Thin Red Line" is about The British Army and their war with the Zulu Nation during the Anglo-Zulu War
   Anglo-Zulu War
   The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
   
   . The sound bites at the beginning and end of the song are from the classic movie, Zulu
   Zulu (film)
   Zulu is a 1964 historical war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War....
   
   .
4. "Ministry of Fools" is a song about the government ("The ministry of fools").
5. "The Preacher" is about a preacher trying to convert someone to his religion.
6. "Bloodletter" is about vampires.
7. "Cut Out the Disease" is about treason between friends.
8. "Absent Friends" is about the death of very close friend.
9. "All Hell Breaking Loose" is about the passing of a hurricane.

Production

• Producer: Kalle Trapp & Saxon
• Recorded and mixed at Karo Studios, Brackel
  Brackel
  Brackel is a municipality in the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
  
  , Germany
  Germany
  Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
  
  
• Mixed by Kalle Trap & Biff Byford
• Album dedicated to John J. J. Jones