Growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s in the West Yorkshire region of northern England, a young Biff Byford had to create his own childhood entertainment, often outside. So, he turned to his country’s past as a source of inspiration.

“I was always into history. When I was 10 or 12, I was into World War II, playing soldiers and such. Then we’d play in a small wooden castle we made or something and become knights on horses.”

Byford, a founding member and lead singer of classic heavy metal band Saxon, is talking from the band’s tour bus parked in Pittsburgh, where they’ll play a show later tonight. “There were no video games back then! It was all pretty much reenactments of real things.”

Since their earliest days, Saxon and Byford have always looked to historical figures and events as inspiration for their songs, and it’s particularly noticeable on their new record Hell, Fire and Damnation (Silver Lining Music).

There’s the French Revolution (“Madame Guillotine”), ancient dynasties (“Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice”), and the Battle of Hastings. That’s where the Normans under the leadership of William the Conqueror crushed…the Anglo-Saxons (“1066”).
“There’s even a couple of songs in there from your American history. You’re well represented!” Byford laughs. He’s referring to “Witches of Salem” and “There’s Something in Roswell,” covering the Salem witch trials and the purported New Mexico UFO crash/dead alien story of 1947.

And in true heavy metal fashion, standbys like the supernatural battle of good vs. evil, heroic sword forging and very fast cars are also topics.

One addresses more recent history that Byford himself—along with tens of thousands of other post-WWII English teenagers—could relate to.
“Pirates of the Airwaves” is a tribute to those real-life outlaw radio stations which broadcast to the UK from literal ships, anchored out in the water to avoid government interference. Its lyrics talk about a boy hidden under his bedcovers with a transistor radio waiting for the latest Rolling Stones song.

For Byford and those teens, it was the only way to hear some of the more raucous rock and roll of the day. As well as blues and R&B music that would never be hard on the traditional and staid “official” BBC radio station.

“That’s how we got to listen to the rock bands of the day like the Rolling Stones and the Kinks. The BBC banned a lot of that music because it was rebellious. Pirate stations were [wonderful],” Byford says.
He adds that the music consumption today presents a doubled-edged sword. The accessibility is incredible, but people’s short attention spans might mean they only hear one or two songs from an entire piece of work on an album.

All in all, Byford is genuinely excited about Hell, Fire and Damnation. “It’s a good record, this one. I think it’s really special!” he says. “People are loving it. And it’s got a lot of word of mouth. It’s a good feeling. And it means a bit of a new start in America for us!” Saxon’s current setlist features three tunes from the new album.

He also has praise for his tour partners. “Uriah Heep was a big influence on Saxon. I used to go watch them a lot in the early days,” he says.
Who might have thought that in 2024, three of the best metal albums from bands releasing new music would come from the still-thunderous and creative Saxon, Accept, and Judas Priest (who Saxon will be opening for on an upcoming European tour)?

Still, Byford knows that a portion of Saxon’s fan base don’t want to hear anything recorded post-‘80s, and neither terrestrial or satellite radio will touch the new tunes.

“Sometimes it’s disappointing when they only play the old stuff. But it’s okay. As long as they play Saxon, that’s what counts!” he offers. “It’s a slow process to get the new music out there, and that’s why we’re touring so much. To put people back on the Saxon train.”
Saxon formed in 1977 from the ashes of a previous lineup known as Son of a Bitch, Saxon was on the leading lines of the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) alongside Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and Def Leppard.

The genre emphasized faster rhythms, volume, dual guitars, song themes of partying, rocking, and the occult and appealed mostly to young, white, working-class males. And while bands often dressed flashy onstage, the dual combination of “denim and leather” became de facto uniforms for fans—and even the title of a defining song from Saxon themselves.

“I can see some Saxon fans out there now with their battle jackets on walking about!” Byford notes, staring out the tour bus window. “Some young guys, some older guys. You can definitely pick out the Saxon fans from the Uriah Heep fans!”
Byford says he’s always loved touring Texas, and back in the day they’d share bills in the Lone Star State with bands like Iron Maiden, Cheap Trick and Molly Hatchet. Their song about the Kennedy assassination, “Dallas 1PM” is a particular favorite within Texas borders.

“I’ve also been shopping in downtown Houston. Mostly for jeans!” Byford says. “But also T-shirts, and sometimes we’ll go to guitar shops. You can get them a little bit cheaper in America than the UK!”

And while Saxon would not reach the popularity of many of their contemporaries, they’ve consistently put out records and tour relentlessly since their 1979 self-titled debut.

Some of their better-known songs include “Heavy Metal Thunder,” “Rock & Roll Gypsy,” “And the Bands Played On,” “Wheels of Steel,” “Backs to the Wall,” “747 (Strangers in the Night)” “Motorcycle Man,” “Big Teaser” and “Back on the Streets.”

Byford is the sole original member left, but the current lineup includes classic-era drummer Nigel Glockler, bassist Nibbs Carter (since ’88), guitarist Doug Scarrett (since ’95) and new guitarist Brian Tatler (who Byford calls “an excellent riff writer”). Taler replaced original axe man Paul Quinn last year when he decided to mostly retire.

Asked what is the one thing about the music industry that he knows now he wish he could tell his 1977 self, Byford says it all comes down to the pen—which in some ways can actually be more damaging than the sword.

“I would say ‘Don’t sign so many contracts!’” he says. “We were keen to come to America in 1980 and we signed a few contracts to be able to do that. It bit us later on. But that’s how it goes when you’re struggling musician and get a chance to tour the world. You’ll basically do anything to make that happen. You make a deal with the devil.”
Finally, I can’t help but mention to Byford how cool it was that he got English actor Brian Blessed to open Hell, Fire and Damnation with a dramatic spoken word intro called “The Prophecy.”

UK audiences know the bushy bearded-and-booming-voiced Blessed mostly for his long career as a Shakespearian actor and in films. But in the United States , the now 87-year-old thespian is remembered best for one role: The lusty, laughing, club-wielding, metal winged, battle-armor wearing Prince Vultan from 1980’s over-the-top Flash Gordon movie.

“YES! He does have a wonderful voice, doesn’t he?” Byford chuckles. He then slips into a perfect impression of Blessed’s most-quoted line from the sci-fi extravaganza: “Gordon’s aliiive??”

Saxon plays at 7 pm on Wednesday, May 29, at the House of Blues, 1204 Caroline. For more information, call 888-402-5837 or visit HouseofBlues.com/Houston. Uriah Heep opens. $39.50-$59.50

For more on Saxon, visit Saxon747.com