Legal Weapon was an early Southern California punk band, initially composed of singer Kat Arthur, guitarist Brian Hansen, drummer Charlie Vartanian, bassist Patricia Morrison and guitarist Mike R. Livingston. The band's early full-length albums Death Of Innocence (for which their lineup included Steve Soto and Frank Agnew of the Adolescents) and Your Weapon were well-received, its later efforts less so. Kat Arthur, with her powerful voice, has been called "the Janis Joplin Of PUNK". In 1982 they released their debut album, Death Of Innocence (to many, their punk masterpiece) and there were no singles released from the album. The songwriting and musicianship had improved noticably since the No Sorrow 12'', which is impressive considering only about five months had elapsed between the release of the bands debut effort and the release of the much more ambitious "Death Of Innocence". Ten outbursts on it and most of the album's songs, though, are straight ahead, roaring punk rock, the sound Kat and Legal Weapon were best at. "This well-produced debut album by L.A.'s Legal Weapon presents a solid collection of hard rock numbers in the same general style as 45 Grave, but without the satanic Compositions like the kinetic rocker "Daddy's Gone Mad" utilize Kay Arthur's rather plaintive voice to good advantage, even though the highlight of Death of Innocence is probably the haunting "Wanna Be" - a ballad. This album definitely grows on you. - Steve Spinali (from Maximum Rock'n'Roll #2, September/October 1982) - Sad info at the end: Kat died at her home in Leimert Park early Sunday evening on 14. October 2018.
