So where are the new, classic bands? It's a question that has confounded labels and listeners alike for years, and with good reason.
With over four decades since the likes of Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi first put soul to reel, its perhaps understandable that all who have followed in their wake have faced a near-impossible task.
Present yourself as homage to those timeless sounds and you'll be dismissed as derivative.
Step too far out of the shadow, and you just wouldn't rock.
Enter Sahg, who have cast aside the bullshit to create the kind of record that could only come from the deepest respect for the architects of our world, but also from a cast-iron resolve to move beyond it to create something thrilling, compelling, and utterly new.
Forged in Bergens creative melting pot in 2004, the Norwegian riff-lords have conquered stages from Wacken to India, and their chart-busting 2006 debut, Sahg I, received universal praise from critics and fans alike, including a perfect 10/10 from Germanys Rock Hard and a commendable 8/10 from Metal Hammer UK.
It didn't end there, with Classic Rock magazine boldly declaring that their 2008 follow-up, Sahg II, teeters on the edge of a modern day classic. But while the praise for Sahgs singular vision and virtuoso abilities has been high, it's also been consistently laced with references to the most monumental of groups responsible for creating the rock and metal world we live in.
01 Slip Off The Edge Of The Universe 02 Blizzardborne 03 Firechild 04 Walls Of Delusion 05 Ether 06 Then Wakens The Beast 07 Odium Delirium 08 Sleeper's Gate To The Galaxy