Battleaxe started out with the name Warrior and morphed into Battleaxe sometime in early 1980.  After playing around the area and honing their chops, they entered the recording studio to make a demo called "Burn This Town". In doing so, they garnered the attention of Roadrunner Records and the result was their first album, Burn This Town.  The record company asked the band for some concept ideas for the cover artwork, so the guys asked a friend and local artist Arthur Ball if he could come up with anything. He then produced the first Burn this Town cover artwork as it is now, but only as a rough proof drawing, and stated that, if it were approved by the record company, he would redraw the whole thing again to a much higher standard. However, when Roadrunner received the proof artwork for approval, they went ahead and pressed 2000 units for a worldwide release without the band's consent. The original Burn this Town cover artwork is one of the most talked-about album covers in heavy metal history. The graphic looked amateurish, and the band worried what it might do to their reputation. However, the music did the talking and the album sold well. The band began developing a reputation in the region as a solid heavy metal outfit.  A short time after finishing the recordings of the album Burn This Townat Guardian studios County Durham, Ian Thompson was badly injured from a skull fracture when attacked by a thug with an iron bar. Thompson's injuries were very bad and took a long time to heal but the band's momentum was still ongoing with the signing to Road Runner Records and was contracted to complete a second album by the end of the year. Ian McCormack ex Satan's drummer was asked to fill the drum position until Thomson had recovered, however, when Power from the Universe was released on both Road Runner and Music for Nations labels the band suddenly found themselves on another level as this album showed a more refined and mature Battleaxe and was voted as having one of the best heavy metal album openers of the time with "Chopper Attack". They continued on with the same line up to complete a BBC Radio One Session on the Tommy Vance Friday Rock show. A Nationwide tour supporting Saxon, and a Leeds Queens Hall Festival with Twisted Sister, Girlschool, Anvil, Spyder and Plus.

     Success seemed to be on their doorstep as they tore up venues throughout England. On the eve of a major appearance at Hammersmith Odeon London in support of Saxon on their Crusader tour, some A&R guys from Atlantic Records were showing interest. After the show, they wanted the band to organise a showcase for them. It was then, for still unknown reasons to the band and fans, that Steve Hardy quit and they had to pull out of what could have been a major signing.