Two classic metal albums. Two different countries. Two very different moments in heavy metal.
Saxon’s “Denim and Leather” arrived in 1981 as one of the defining records of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, while Riot’s “Narita” had already appeared in 1979, bringing a raw American heavy metal sound with early speed-metal sparks.
Both have plenty of reasons to be sitting in your record collection.
But if you could buy only one, which one are you taking home?
Saxon – “Denim and Leather”
Released in October 5th, 1981, “Denim and Leather” was Saxon fourth studio album and the final record featuring the classic lineup of Biff Byford, Paul Quinn, Graham Oliver, Steve Dawson and Pete Gill.
It also completed an incredible run of three classic albums in just 17 months, following “Wheels of Steel” and “Strong Arm of the Law”.
The album reached No. 9 on the UK Albums Chart and earned Gold status in the UK.
And then there are the songs.
“Princess of the Night” sounds like it should be about some legendary woman, but the “Princess” is actually a powerful 90-ton steam locomotive. “And the Bands Played On” celebrates the 1980 Monsters of Rock festival at Donington, even name-checking Rainbow.
Meanwhile, “Midnight Rider” was inspired by Saxon 1980 North American tour.
The title track is perhaps the perfect summary of what Saxon represented at the time. “Denim and Leather” was a tribute to the fans, the growing NWOBHM movement and the metal subculture itself.
It was literally about the people wearing the uniform.
And there was one major lineup change waiting just around the corner. Pete Gill suffered a serious hand injury after the album release and eventually left the band, later joining Motörhead.
For the upcoming tour, Nigel Glockler reportedly had only a day and a half to learn the entire live set before playing his first hometown show in Brighton.
That’s one hell of a crash course.
Riot – “Narita”
Released in October 5th, 1979, “Narita” was Riot second studio album and another fascinating piece of early American heavy metal.
The album was named after Narita International Airport in Japan and Japan actually played a major role in its release story.
With American record labels rejecting the band, Riot financed the recording themselves. The album was initially released exclusively in Japan in June 1979 before becoming an import hit in the United States and receiving an American release later that year.
Then came the cover.
It’s difficult to describe “Narita” without mentioning its completely bizarre artwork. Riot half-human, half-baby-seal mascot Tior or Johnny appears as a sumo wrestler holding a huge executioner axe while an airplane flies overhead.
It’s the kind of album cover you probably never forget after seeing it once.
The music, thankfully, is much easier to take seriously.
The instrumental title track “Narita” is regarded as an early speed-metal landmark, while “Road Racin’” delivers another dose of heavy, driving Riot.
Both songs later appeared in the 2009 heavy metal video game Brütal Legend.
The album also has a fascinating place in Riot history. During a temporary hiatus in 1985, Mark Reale formed a short-lived band called “Narita”. Their three-song demo included an early version of what would eventually become Riot legendary “Thundersteel”.
“Narita” also represents an important chapter in the story of a band often described as one of the unluckiest in metal.
Two sides of classic metal
“Denim and Leather” is Saxon at the heart of the NWOBHM explosion anthems, motorcycles, festivals, leather, denim and a huge connection with the fans.
“Narita” takes us back even further, to Riot raw American sound and the early speed-metal energy that would become increasingly important to metal evolution.
One feels like the soundtrack to a packed British metal festival.
The other feels like discovering an obscure American metal record before everyone else knows about it.
Now imagine you’re standing in a record store with money for ONE album.
🤘 Which one are you taking home?
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