Review: Saxon “Strong Arm of the Law” [Carrere]

Saxon‘s third release is definitely their finest hour. While their sophomore effort displayed a lot of potential and climbed high in respect of their debut album, Strong Arm of the Law brought the band’s musicianship to the next level, considering that few bands from the NWOBHM dared to try speeding up their songs prior to 1981 and that the songs sound heavier than in the previous release. Much of these changes were apparently originated, to a great extent, by the time Saxon spent touring with Motörhead in England. This influence is, in fact, blatantly noticeable in various songs, which are a headbanging guarantee and guitargasmic at the least. “Heavy Metal Thunder” is a perfect warm-up for all the potential that this release offers in those terms. Without a doubt, it is a nice speed metal number played at the rhythm and pace of Venom‘s memorable number “Bloodlust”. However, this number is not as explosive as the following track, “To Hell and Back Again”. This song is even faster and more melodic than the opening track. Although its riffs are not as explosive as in the rest of the album, this is a great power metal number and a mandatory part of the band’s setlist. “20,000 Feet” is another astonishing speed metal number with more riffs and higher intensity in the drums. This music is perfect for the motorcycle man-styled songwriting they display. These songs could not get better.

Not everything runs, however, at such a pace. The closing track is perhaps one of the most memorable moments, considering the topic addressed in the lyrics and that the guitar playing is by itself impressive. The solo followed by the police radio message on John F. Kennedy’s death is a special moment (take it, Guns N’ Roses, learn how to make this type of moment a more effective item than in your Bob Dylan‘s cover). On the other hand, the title track is part of the road rage moments, not necessarily played at the same pace as the other tracks of this kind, but still is full of great riffs. That said, this riff box is an essential item if you want to get into the NWOBHM movement, and even if this is not the case, it is a must-have.