Music Review: Saber Tiger, The Best Of Saber Tiger

By Tim Murr

The more you learn, the less you know. Sapporo, Japan’s Saber Tiger have been rocking since 1981, making them an official classic metal band. Until I received this album to review, however, I’d never heard of them!

To me, Saber Tiger sounds like Testament with harmonies and soaring vocals. And being a Testament fan since their 1992 release The Ritual, that makes The Best of Saber Tiger an exciting release for this old-school metal fan.

Saber Tiger are what I’d call pure metal; they’re similar to Belgium’s Acid (whose re-released Cherry Red Records discography I reviewed earlier this year) because they don’t settle firmly into any sub-genre, but perfectly encapsulate the great things that 1980s metal had to offer.

Over the years, Saber Tiger went through several line-up changes and released ten albums, a few EPs, demos, live albums, and compilations. This Best Of collection features 12 tracks from various points during the band’s output, kicking off with the pulverizing “Messiah Complex.” From there, it’s a headbanger’s dream: no fluff, no filler. Listening to the vocals, you wouldn’t even know these guys were Japanese; that’s how spot on their take on American and European metal is. Saber Tiger are clearly dedicated students turned masters of the game.

This has been a great year for old-school metal fans, including the aforementioned Acid albums as well as Thor’s re-release of Unchained (review) and his new Metal Avenger album (review). The Best of Saber Tiger is the icing on the cake. For a sweet taste, check out the official video for Angel of Wrath HERE.

The Best of Saber Tiger was released on October 2 from Deadline and Cleopatra Records, and is available on CD or in digital format. Help this great band celebrate 35 years of metal and pick up a copy. You can also check them out online, but you’ll have to be able to read Japanese!