SAXON Frontman Biff Byford - "I Think The Dark Ages For Us Were The End Of The Eighties"
February 20, 2009, 15 years ago
Jeffrey Easton from Metalexiles.com spoke with SAXON frontman Biff Byford recently about a number of topics including their new album, Into The Labyrinth. A few excerpts from the chat follow:
Metal Exiles: First off, congratulations on the longevity of Saxon. How hard has it been to keep Saxon going for over 30 years now?
Biff Byford: "Its been a roller coaster ride, I think the dark ages for us were the end of the eighties when a lot of bands split but we got over this, our fans stayed loyal and we came through by guts and determination."
Metal Exiles: When you came out of the woodwork for the jump-start of the NWOBM era, did you know what impact your music would have?
Biff: "No we were just trying to write good rock songs and get a deal, but there was a feeling in the band that we could succeed and lets face it we had to come through, the alternative was to fail."
Metal Exiles: You did a remake of Coming Home (originally on Killing Ground) for the new record. Why did you decide to remake the song like this?
Biff: "We were messing around doing unplugged songs for a possible future project and we were into the blues thing in our youth, john lee hooker, howling wolf, etc, so we did this version on a dobro and a tambourine and it worked great. It gives me a chance to sing in a different style and we just put it on as an extra piece to see what people thought."
Metal Exiles: Where does this record stack up with the rest of your catalog in your opinion?
Biff: "I think it’s up there with some of our best."
To read the entire interview head to this location.
