SAXON strong arm of the law CAL120
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Artist = SAXON
Title = strong arm of the law
Label = CARRERE
Catalog# = CAL120
Barcode = none
Release = UK
Year = 1980
RPM = 33rpm
Disc Size = 12"
Number of Discs = 1
Mono/Stereo = stereo
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The Long Arm of the NWOBHM: Saxon’s ‘Strong Arm Of The Law’ (CAL 120)
Today’s entry focuses on a relentless heavy metal classic that helped define a movement. We are looking at the 1980 UK pressing of Strong Arm Of The Law by Saxon, released on the Carrere label with the catalog number CAL 120.
Released in late 1980, astonishingly just months after their breakthrough Wheels of Steel album, this record cements Saxon’s place at the forefront of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. It captures the band in a state of creative overdrive, delivering a collection of songs that are faster, heavier, and arguably more consistent than its predecessor.
The album opens with the ferocious Heavy Metal Thunder, a song that effectively named the sound of the era with its blistering speed and power. The title track, Strong Arm Of The Law, offers a driving, rebellious groove, while 20,000 Ft keeps the energy high. The album also takes a darker, narrative turn with Dallas 1 PM, a dramatic retelling of the JFK assassination featuring a distinctive heavy riff.
CAL 120 is a high-quality release housed in a gatefold sleeve, which was standard for the initial UK pressings. It stands as an essential pillar of the NWOBHM genre, capturing Biff Byford and the band at their absolute peak of confidence and aggression.