«Strong Arm of the Law» came out in 1980, just four months after «Wheels of Steel» that had made Saxon known. It is rare for a band to release two good records in the same year, but Saxon managed it: their third record follows the same recipe as the previous one, with clean, energy-filled heavy metal, without unnecessary ornaments.
“`The record is full of strong riffs from the start. «To Hell and Back Again», «Heavy Metal Thunder» and «Taking Your Chance» have a fast tempo and show the influences from Motörhead, with whom Saxon had toured Britain in 1980. The title track «Strong Arm of the Law» is based on a true story: the band’s bus was stopped by traffic police on their first American tour.
«Dallas 1 PM» closes the record with a theme about the assassination of President Kennedy, with a recorded excerpt from the era’s news within the music. Biff Byford is in very good form and turns even simple songs into hits. The reviews were very good: Sputnikmusic gave 4.5 out of 5, considering it one of the best albums of the NWOBHM movement.
«Strong Arm of the Law» is also considered among the records that influenced the thrash and speed metal that came later. Saxon never changed their sound and stayed faithful to this simple, honest metal, and that is why the whole scene respects them to this day.
See also: Saxon – Wheels of Steel and Saxon’s two founding guitarists reunite
