This is the second of the mid eighties trio of albums which saw Saxon’s popularity start to drift away from the early NWOBHM onslaught. Along with Iron Maiden, they rode that wave to the top of the pile. The other two albums were Innocence Is No Excuse and Crusader.
I think the interference from the record company wanted the band to focus on the American market, which saw them soften their sound somewhat. The soft radio friendly songs on this album are Waiting For The Night (which was a single) You Ain’t No Angel and Northern Lady. They’re okay, but it’s not what Saxon are about.
There are a couple of good old Saxon crowd pleasers such as the title track and Battlecry, but the weak production lets them down. It would take the band some 15 years to climb back up the ladder to where they are today. Maybe the record company should have trusted them because they seemed to do alright with those early albums.
It’s okay, but not a classic.
7/10 from The Grooveman.
