Wheels of Steel

There's a time and place for sickly sweet glam rock like Saxon's 1979 Big Teaser single. The place is the darkest fissures of Tartarus, and the time was certainly not 1980. This is when the true heavy metal arms race began: Every NWOBHM band imaginable began throwing wild haymakers like Angel Witch, Lightning to the Nations, Iron Maiden, and perhaps most relevantly, Ace of Spades. If Saxon wanted to remain competitive in the ensuing British artillery salvo, they'd have to focus. No more bringing a decent potluck like Saxon to the roast; they'd have to decide on their best recipe and perfect it.

And that, my friends, is Wheels of Steel. This is a pot of mouth-watering speed metal chilli con carne, one that you can slap in your freezer and reheat for the next few decades, and it'll be just as filling and satisfying every time. Guitar and drum tone is flawless, the classics are ceaseless, and the line between grizzled, streetwise crunch and broad commercial appeal has never been blurred quite so masterfully. Except Ace of Spades, probably.

As Saxon was consistently touring with Motörhead at the time, picking up some good habits should be considered doubtless. You could make a drinking game out of it, but to honor Saxon, drink a cup of Yorkshire tea every time this album sounds like Motörhead. The fried, overdriven bass passage at the end of 'Street Fighting Gang'? The blues change-up and barking chorus of 'Machine Gun'? The frantic glissando solo in 'Motorcycle Man'? And don't forget the phenomenally controlled shuffle beats that bolster 'Stand Up and Be Counted'. I hope you've brewed a lot of tea.

And speaking of keeping the kettle boiling, Pete Gill isn't the only bafflingly consistent member in Mk I Saxon. Frontman Biff Byford outdoes himself, his insistence on allowing his aggressive snarling delivery still retain melody bearing a cornucopia of fruit in the much celebrated '747 (Strangers in the Night)' power ballad, and the hardboiled ode to the road 'Freeway Mad'. Better still are his soulful, bluesy shouts inspired by and reminiscent of the paragons of 50's and 60's rock. So it looks like Biff got his wish after all: Wheels of Steel is a glorious cocktail of punk, rock 'n' roll, and prog rock, and mixed a lot more equitably than their self-titled debut.

But alas, although this album has every right to be placed on an altar in the NWOBHM pantheon, I would never call it perfect. 'Suzie Hold On' is a misguided harkening back to those dark times of Big Teaser, and similarly doe-eyed pop-rock like Priest's 'Evening Star'. Furthermore, just as any sophisticated Motörhead fan will urge first-time listeners to venture outside the all-devouring realm of Ace of Spades, I'd strongly recommend doing the same for Wheels of Steel. Listen and enjoy, but keep a lookout for other great Saxon albums; there are plenty to come, and in years you'd least expect them.