Strong Arm of the Law [Bonus Tracks]

Performer: Saxon
Distributor: MSI Music Distribution

Notes: Recording information: Hammersmith Odeon (12/1981). STRONG ARM OF THE LAW has always been a favorite among Saxon fans. With its driving Deep Purple-ish aggression and Thin Lizzy swagger, the band wades through each track with rocking fury. Originally released in 1980, not only did STRONG ARM OF THE LAW serve as an influence for budding European metal bands, but its gritty confidence and fist-thrusting anthems can be heard in many L.A.-based metal bands throughout the '80s. A mere six months after releasing their stunning sophomore album, Wheels of Steel, Saxon managed to top themselves with Strong Arm of the Law. All the ingredients fell into place with this record, and though it lacked the obvious hits of its predecessor, its greater consistency from start to finish marks it as the band's definitive work for most fans and critics. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find any New Wave of British Heavy Metal Top Ten that doesn't include both these albums. Opening in bombastic fashion with the embryonic thrashing of "Heavy Metal Thunder," side one races by at breakneck speed with "To Hell and Back Again" and "Taking Your Chances," and only slackens the pace somewhat for the ever-popular title track, based on the bandmembers' true-life experience of being pulled over during their first American tour. The band had spent much of the precious year touring in support of Mot�rhead and it shows, as "20,000 Feet" introduces side two with another thrashing onslaught. The band falters momentarily on the unimpressive "Hungry Years" but soon races off once again with "Sixth Form Girls" before closing with the JFK assassination-based "Dallas 1 PM." In a way, these last two tracks serve as a preview of things to come, as Saxon say goodbye to their tongue-in-cheek British origins in order to embrace America with pompous arena rock -- a move that would ultimately spell their doom. [The 2006 reissue includes bonus tracks.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Along with Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, Saxon was one of the key bands in the early-1980s scene known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Using the hard-rock template laid out by Deep Purple and Black Sabbath but playing a faster, louder, and more theatrically bombastic version of it, Saxon's sound would influence a plethora of metal bands--from Megadeth and Bathory to Metallica and the Darkness--for decades to come.

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