Saxon
Wheels Of Steel

THE REVIEW

Biff Byford - Vocals
Paul Quinn - Guitar
Graham Oliver - Guitar
Steve Dawson - Bass
Pete Gill - Drums

I am aware that "Wheels Of Steel" has already been reviewed on this site, but given the unconditional love I have for Saxon and the album in question, I felt almost compelled to draft a review myself. I'll state right away that when I find myself reviewing albums of this caliber, objective analysis might just go to hell to make room for a heartfelt declaration of love, so try to understand me.

England, 1980, a crucial, very important year, the start of a decade that will be decidedly prolific not only for Heavy Metal but for all music in general. 1980 is also the year in which a certain musical movement known as the N.W.O.B.H.M. (literally translated: New Wave of British Heavy Metal) began to break into the scene. More than a genre, I would call it a real trend, a school if you will, as the English bands that were part of it had decidedly different sounds amongst themselves; it was not the sound that united all these groups but only the desire to experiment with something more aggressive and heavier than the Hard Rock of the '70s. In practice, they were trying to leave behind the Blues influences that were still typical of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and even the very early Judas Priest. The latter in particular, Judas, who initially offered a Rock n Roll mixed with Hard Rock, towards the end of the '70s (1978) released Stained Class, which in my opinion is one of the very first albums that can be considered Heavy Metal in the strict sense. Even Black Sabbath, who are normally classified as Heavy Metal, were actually a Hard Rock band at the beginning, certainly much more distorted and gloomy than the others, but in 1970 it was still too early to talk about 'METAL', which is why I consider Sabbath with Ozzy only as 'Influential' for the birth of Heavy Metal, which is very different from actually being it. But going back to the NWOBHM, even if bands like Judas Priest, Motorhead, Black Sabbath do not belong to this movement because they were born much earlier; their 3 albums respectively British Steel, Ace Of Spades, and Heaven And Hell (all born in '80) fall greatly into the movement, precisely because they represent that greater hardening of the sounds that previously had much less. Ultimately, if in the '70s there was talk of Hard n Heavy (as a boundary and slow evolution), between the end of these years and the beginning of the next decade, Heavy Metal begins to be talked about in the pure sense of the term. Not only power, but speed and rhythms, in general, are also increased, thanks in part to the first contact with Punk (especially Hardcore); contact that will be resumed and extreme a few years later with the birth of Thrash Metal.

Mentioning other bands of the movement including Tank, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Venom, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Angel Witch, one cannot fail to talk about Byff Byford's band, of that 'God' of the voice that I will probably never stop praising. In 1980, Saxon was already emerging from their first self-titled full-length (1979), which despite its street and fun attitude (you can notice a certain Ac/Dc influence) still doesn't manage to make one scream at the miracle.

With "Wheels Of Steel" things change, the 'Stallions Of The Highway' (their nickname), succeed in creating the impossible. "Wheels Of Steel" is one of the most beautiful, divine, exciting albums of the entire genre, indeed, perhaps my favorite when it comes to Classic Metal. It sounds so powerful, so Heavy, and so damn streetwise that listening to it you will almost feel projected onto a highway typical of the deserts of Arizona or California, with Canyons on the horizon under a scorching and blinding sun on board a roaring Chopper in Easy Rider style. The purest and most genuine incarnation of Metal, which could never and will never be surpassed, with that decidedly inimitable attitude. Enough talk, engine roars introduce us to Motorcycle Man: powerful, engaging, an anthem for every damned respectable Biker. Euphoric and spectacular, especially in the chorus, which is truly impossible not to sing. A chilling riff introduces us to another gem, Stand Up And Be Counted, a ride with impressive grit. 747 Strangers In The Night moves, and it is still a must for them in live shows, as it is very epic, beautiful, started by a melodically tasteful solo accompanied by an extremely simple but effective riff. Byff's voice is something indescribably sublime, powerful and melodic at the same time. The guitar riffs of the duo Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver manage to be extremely genuine and effective, despite their simplicity of execution. Another gem is the Title Track, another example of perfection, almost entirely played on the same riff which, however, manages not to bore for an instant, perhaps also thanks to the chorus, which as usual captures you like few others: SHE'S GOT WHEELS....WHEELS OF STEEL!! 

The wonderful Freeway Mad describes the thrill of racing like a madman down the highway aboard one's motorcycle, and towards the end of the track, you hear police sirens probably chasing the crazy racer. But for me, the pinnacle of the album is reached with See The Light Shining, which, probably along with the first 3 tracks, contends for the title of the most thrilling song on the album. Byff Byford sings: WHEN I'M DYING, WHEN I'M DYING, THERE AIN'T NO USE IN CRYING, I'M GONNA KEEP ON LIVING TILL THE LIGHT! It seems almost an anthem to hope, of a constant battle for achieving victory and therefore the light. The second half of the song is markedly different from the first, and perhaps even more beautiful, as it features a truly exceptional riff accompanied by a: NOW I CAN SEE THE LIGHT SHINING! As if symbolizing the achievement of life's goal, the entire song evokes in me the image of the highway I described above. And when it seems that the album might have sudden drops, nothing could be more wrong, because Street Fighting Gang has a frantic rhythm that inevitably leads to uncontrollable Headbanging. Suzie Hold On instead is the only track I consider a bit 'Filler', but not so much for its extremely paced rhythm compared to the rest, but for its somewhat too catchy and radio-friendly flavor that would make one think of a filler. The concluding Machine Gun once again picks up the grit and exceptional genuineness of the album; a better conclusion could not be expected.

I admit it, I let myself be carried away by verbosity, compromising the ability to synthesize, but I continue to consider this masterpiece as an absolute Must that anyone who calls themselves a Metal enthusiast MUST have listened to. Unfortunately, Iron Maiden from the sales point of view literally crushed the entire NWOBHM, gaining all the fame for themselves and leading people to underestimate, often unknowingly, both works of the caliber of "Wheels Of Steel" and Saxon themselves.

The history of Heavy Metal also passes through here...