British heavy metal legends Saxon
In the 80s they thrilled a generation of heavy metal fans with a string of hit albums and singles, and 35 years after forming in Barnsley rockers Saxon show no signs of slowing down.
Along with bands like Motorhead, Iron Maiden and Diamond Head, Saxon were forerunners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which swept all before by incorporating elements of punk, increasing the tempo and getting heavier than anything that came before it. While only two members of the original band remain, Saxon have never stopped touring and recording and have sold more than 13 million albums worldwide, still playing to huge audiences in the Japan and Europe, as well as the UK.
Now promoting studio album number 19, the Journal caught up with frontman Biff Byford ahead of the band's gig at the Oxford O2 Academy on December 13. Call to Arms has been hailed by the critics as a return to Saxon's roots, typified by the fan favourite long-player Denim and Leather from 1981.
Biff Byford said that after a fairly dark period in the 90s, Saxon were back to doing what they did best. "The last three albums have been fantastic," he said. "We just wanted to get back to our roots and capture some of that spirit. I don't want to just tour the old tracks, there's no fun in that. You need to be writing new songs to pull in a new audience, and keep your old audience.
"I think at the moment the metal scene is pretty good. In our case, we have a sort of heaviness mixed with melodies - although we're a metal band we do cross the line into hard rock. Loud and proud, screaming loud music, that's what metal is for us."
Fans seem to agree, with many of the group's Saxon burst onto the scene with - like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard - remaining incredibly popular 25 years later. Meanwhile, the look popularised by Saxon - long hair, denim jackets, leather and chains - has become synonymous with the genre.
"Obviously there's a huge legacy of music from that period," said Biff, who with guitarist Paul Quinn formed the band in 1975. "I just think the songs are strong. The bands that are still around today were all lucky enough to write some great songs that just endure down the ages."
And while they may not have played Oxford for a while, Saxon have happy memories of gigs in the city in the past, and what fans can expect of the upcoming show. "We used to play the New Theatre, and I remember that place being ripped to pieces in the 80s, so we've got some happy memories," recalled Biff.
"People coming to the gig will get our unique brand of music, and we're all characters within the band. You get the flavour of raw power of our music, that's what live music is all about. It's like an army on the march when we're touring, it's just a great thing to get to the town and fans come out to see you, it's just a great gathering of people."
Saxon play the O2 Academy in Oxford on Tuesday, December 13. For more information or tickets, visit www.o2academyoxford.co.uk/
