Have you ever seen a heavy metal band getting so far lost in a haze of duelling guitars and drum solos that you say to yourself "How Spinal Tap"?

The exaggerated posturing, the amps cranked up to 11, screamed vocals, a hint of homoerotic contact; we've all seen a band like this before.

The question is, where did the makers of the hallowed 'rockumentary' find inspiration.

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Rumour has it that we need look no further than Saxon, a Yorkshire spawned group of some renown in the world of metal.

While their back catalogue undoubtedly has enough material for any willing satirist (one can only ponder the thematic diversity of "Rock is Our Life" "We Came Here to Rock" and "This Town Rocks") their career has also given rise to a great deal of success and an unexpected longevity.

Since the formation of Saxon in the late 70's (from the embers of the provocatively named Son of A Bitch) no less than 20 albums have seen the light of day on 11 different labels.

Founder member and lead vocalist Biff Byford

Although the bands' commercial peak was highest in the early 80's with albums such as "Strong Arm of the Law" and "The Eagle Has Landed" a quick glance at the band's tour schedule reveals an enduring appeal - in September 2002 alone, they played dates in Russia, France and Spain.

Spinal Tap comparisons aside (and with a history including nearly a dozen one-time members those are anything but inescapable) Saxon are a local export who have been recording and playing with varying degrees of success for more than 20 years both home and abroad.

An achievement which is not to be taken lightly.