Saxon were one of the early leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal alongside Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, even outdistancing them at first. Emerging in 1977, the band found commercial success with their seminal sophomore effort, 1980's Wheels of Steel, which went platinum in the U.K. Strong Arm of the Law (1980), Denim and Leather (1981), and Power & the Glory (1983) also did well at home, with the latter outing cracking the Billboard 200. While their momentum slowed in the late '80s, Saxon persevered, recording and performing consistently into the 21st century, and ultimately attaining respectability from the heavy metal community. The veteran rockers released their 23rd studio album, Thunderbolt, in 2018. They also paid homage to their influences on a pair of covers albums before cracking the Top 20 of the U.K. charts with 2022's Carpe Diem. Hell, Fire and Damnation arrived two years later.