

Internal strife also severely stunted the band's momentum toward the end of the '80s, yet Saxon somehow persevered, recording and performing consistently into the 21st century, and ultimately attaining a semblance of second-tier respectability from the loyal heavy metal community, particularly in mainland Europe. Saxon was one of the early leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, alongside Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, even outdistancing them at the onset, only to see their career slide into comparative obscurity within a few years due to a series of bad decisions and bad breaks.
