Only Heavy Metal

British heavy metal legends SAXON are putting the finishing touches on a cover album titled "Inspirations".

Singer Biff Byford broke the news of the project's completion in a video message on Tuesday (November 17). He said (see video below): "I wanna tell you about a project we're getting really excited about. We're just finishing it; I'm just finishing the vocals off now. It's gonna be a cover album.

"Somebody had the idea of doing something a bit of fun, because our new SAXON album has been put back till next year," he explained. "So, yeah, we're gonna call it 'Inspirations', and it's a collection of songs that inspired us and influenced us to go down the rock and roll highway, looking for fame and fortune. So, yeah, there's some big songs on there, there's some surprises, some really difficult songs to play and to sing. But we like doing it."

British heavy metal legends SAXON will release a covers album, "Inspirations", on March 19, 2021 via Silver Lining Music. The 11-track effort contains some of the superb classic rock songs that influenced Biff Byford and the rest of the band.

Saxon, the seminal British Heavy Metal Heroes hailing from Barnsley, UK, release Carpe Diem on February 4th 2022 through Silver Lining Music.

Ten titanic tracks bristling with steel-clad riffery and proud intent, Carpe Diem is the statement to remind heavy metal fans worldwide who the true masters of British Metal are.

Saxon, those seminal British Heavy Metal Heroes hailing from Barnsley, UK, will release Carpe Diem on February 4th 2022 through Silver Lining Music. Ten titanic tracks bristling with still-clad riffery and proud intent, Carpe Diem is the statement which reminds heavy metal fans worldwide who the true masters of British Metal are, drawing on a variety of ingredients from their career to forge what is Saxon’s most dynamic release in many a year.

"It all starts with the riff,” says frontman and co-founder Biff Byford, "if the riff speaks to me, then we’re on our way. It’s a very intense album, and that’s all down to the fact that the essence of a great metal song is the riff that starts it, and this album has loads of them."

From the title track’s roll-back attack to the incessant speed and power of “Super Nova”, this is Saxon at their purest and most definitive, aggressively parading the pure metal flag and imploring fans old and new to gather and celebrate the very best of both Saxon and the genre itself. “All for One” has the stomp and pure power of a “Princess of the Night” while “The Pilgrimage” is classic “Crusader”-era Saxon. Produced by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Exodus, Accept and Richie Faulkner) at Backstage Recording Studios in Derbyshire with Byford with Sneap mixing and mastering, Carpe Diem strikes the ear as one of the most essential British Metal statements of the last few years, one which will ignite the joy in stalwart supporters and attract a whole new legion to the Saxon fold.

“I love that sort of fast metal. I love Princess of the Night and 20,000 FT and I try and bring that style of Saxon into the music now but in a bit more modern style” affirms Byford “but it’s the same five guys playing it and singing it, so I think we don’t really sound like an old band on records because we’re not really sitting back on our past success. We’re always trying to make a great album.”

“We want every album we make to go platinum,” says Byford defiantly. "We never make an album that we don’t expect to be fantastic because there are no laurels around here, only a commitment to the best songs and riffs we can write.” Saxon have certainly made sure to Seize the Day; be sure you join them.

British Heavy Metal legends, Saxon, return with a second ‘deep dish’ serving of the inspirations which have fed their immensely successful 40+ year career. Whether unveiling a sensational take on The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s “The Faith Healer” (in the process showing the direct lineage from teenage turntables to international glory), getting feral with The Animal’s “We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, letting loose a high-octane take on Alice Cooper’s “From The Inside”, or laying down a ferocious tribute to KISS’ “Detroit Rock City”, More Inspirations is a joyous trip into the sounds which galvanized the Barnsley boys and continue to get spun on home stereos and tour buses.

Produced by vocalist/co-founder Biff Byford, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann, More Inspirations also includes enthusiastic takes on Alice Cooper, Rainbow, ZZ Top and Cream, as well as a thunderous “Razamanaz” by Nazareth, a tasty take on The Who’s “Substitute”, and a thick groove take on Uriah Heep’s “Gypsy”. Whether this is your first dance with such classic songs, or you’ve come to see where Saxon were born, More Inspirations delivers the goods and then some.