RuneWalsh2112
Even though the great Saxon album streak didn't start until their second album "Wheels Of Steel", once the thunder struck it was almost certain to strike again. This is essentially what happened with the release of "Strong Arm Of The Law"!
Unlike its predecessor, "Strong Arm Of The Law" starts off with lesser known but equally essential heavy metal classics "Heavy Metal Thunder" and "To Hell And Back Again". I actually happen to prefer this album's intro more than any other one from Saxon. It's a bit unfortunate that the album begins to wind down towards its halfway point with the album's title track being a rather cozy but overall too mellow Saxon track. "Taking Your Chances" kicks things back into high gear once again and "20,000 ft." pushes the envelope even further, thus making this track one of my top 3 Saxon essentials.
The final three album tracks are unfortunately not as strong, with the low point being "Sixth Form Girls", but the record still holds together excellently. It's quite amazing to see Saxon release their three essential releases ("Wheels Of Steel" to "Denim and Leather") in a time span of less than 1,5 years but that's essentially what happened. "Strong Arm Of The Law" is highly recommended to fans of Heavy Metal!
***** star songs: Heavy Metal Thunder (4:21) To Hell And Back Again (4:45) Taking Your Chances (4:20) 20,000 ft. (3:17)
**** star songs: Strong Arm Of The Law (4:39) Hungry Years (5:18) Dallas 1 PM (6:29)
*** star songs: Sixth Form Girls (4:20)