SAXON were scheduled to perform at Metal Open Air, the biggest heavy metal festival ever organized in Brazil, but have chosen to drop off the bill. The three day event takes place in São Luís, Brazil, from April 20th to 22nd. The lineup consists of bands such as: ANTHRAX, BLIND GUARDIAN, MEGADETH, SYMPHONY X, and VENOM.

A message from Saxon states: "Saxon is sad to announce that they have to cancel the performance at Metal Open Air in Sao Luis Brazil due to a serious breach of contract by the promoters. Having waited since March the 15th for the fee to arrive, as of Friday 2 PM no money has arrived. No explanation has been given and Saxon feel being treated with little respect. We left in the situation today and the band with their bags packed and ready to leave but it is impossible to travel all the way with at least some of the fee!

We are really sorry for all our fans there but we are sure that you all can understand that people have to working in a professional way and fulfil their contractual obligations! We are trying to come back to Brazil next year on our world tour and do a special show for the people in that area."

Saxon's new Heavy Metal Thunder - Live: Eagles Over Wacken CD/DVD features highlights the NWOBHM icons Wacken shows in 2004, 2007 and 2009 comprising thirty songs, plus a live CD from Glasgow in 2011. Each set captures the Barnsley-bred British heavy metal legends delivering classic after classic, from 'Denim & Leather' to 'Metalhead' to 'Heavy Metal Thunder' to 'Princess Of The Night' to 'Crusader' in front of 75,000-plus loyal, ravenous fans, who have come to expect (and receive) the levels of performance Saxon have been delivering for 32 years.

You can pre-order the D2C/Direct To Consumer Box online at UDR Online Shop and Digitalstores.co.uk.

Strictly limited, this exclusive package contains the Best Of Wacken DVD, a double audio CD recorded live in Glasgow (2011) on the Call To Arms tour, plus the full and complete Saxon W:O:A performances from 2004/2007/2009 - each on a separate DVD and, a Saxon flag.

The real surprise is that 10 Golden Tickets are randomly included in the box sets, which will allow the 10 lucky winners to visit any Saxon concert in any city around the world (excluding festival appearances). Silver Tickets giving access to special online content are for the remaining boxes so there are no losers - only winners.

Saxon have issued the third Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken podcast detailing the release. Check out all three podcasts below:

Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken CD/DVD is due on the following release dates:

April 20th - Europe

April 23rd - UK

May 22nd - North America

Newly released footage from the package can be viewed below:

"When we first played Wacken, it was a small festival with a small stage in a small field, driven by nothing more than raw enthusiasm, which appealed very much to us," says Biff Byford, Saxon‘s venerable frontman. "It started as fans putting on a festival for fans, and now it‘s fair to say that it is to Heavy Metal what the Donington Festival used to be. That was the iconic heavy metal festival of the '80s, and Wacken is the iconic heavy metal festival of now."

"And when the eagle comes down at Wacken, when it opens up over the audience, it is always an electric moment for those there,“ adds Biff emphatically of the famous Saxon eagle, a ton or so of steel and lights, rescued from a storage space in the British home counties where it had lain dormant gathering rust. In many ways, the eagle‘s rebirth and Wacken‘s ascent are partners on the journey, as it was Wacken‘s organizers who offered to restore the mighty metal bird so as it could become a live centerpiece of both Wacken and Saxon‘s history.

And when it comes to heavy metal, Saxon's history is, indeed, rich. Rightly seen as one of the premier vanguards of heavy metal alongside the likes of IRON MAIDEN, Saxon were a major influence behind platinum-coated stars such as METALLICA and MEGADETH. Formed as SON OF A BITCH in 1976 (and becoming Saxon in 1978) they enjoyed tremendous commercial success in the UK during the ‘80s, with 8 UK top 40 albums, and have sold over 13 millions albums worldwide, while albums such as Wheels Of Steel, Strong Arm Of The Law, Denim & Leather and The Power & The Glory have become legendary staples of any self-respecting metal fan’s collection.

But it has always arguably been on stage where Saxon have excelled the most. There‘s no hiding once you hit the boards, and whether playing to 20000 people in Buenos Aires or 2000 people in Bolton, Byford, Carter, Glockler, Quinn and Scarratt source the same high-voltage energy reserves and deliver the same high-octane, blood and sweat-soaked show that makes Saxon a perennial touring favorite.

"We‘ve consistently tried to write, and perform songs which both us and our audience enjoy," says Biff, "and we‘ve worked very hard to maintain that link with our audience, because if you don‘t have that connection it can be very dangerous. We need them, and we need to be ready to deliver for them at every show, that‘s the challenge and it‘s one we gratefully accept and enjoy. If the audience are prepared to get crazy, then it‘s always going to be a strong show, and Wacken always delivers us a fantastic connection. You cannot fake that electricity, everyone wants that ‚charged‘ atmosphere and it is absolutely priceless...“

Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken is available in a variety of formats, including the Golden Ticket D2C/Direct To Consumer Box.

Strictly limited, this exclusive package contains the Best Of Wacken DVD, plus the full and complete Saxon W:O:A performances from 2004/2007/2009 each on a separate DVD, plus a Saxon flag.

The real surprise is that 10 Golden Tickets are randomly included in the box sets, which will allow the lucky winners to visit any Saxon concert in any city around the world (excluding festival appearances).

Silver Tickets giving access to special online content are for the remaining boxes so there are no losers - only winners.

Best Of W:O:A 2009, ‘07, ‘04

'Battalions Of Steel'

'Heavy Metal Thunder'

'Metalhead'

'Let Me Feel Your Power'

'To Hell And Back Again'

'If I Was You'

'Killing Ground'

'Unleashed The Beast'

'Dogs Of War'

'Rock‘n Roll Gipsy

'Travellers In Time'

'The Eagle Has Landed'

'747 (Strangers In The Night)'

'Dallas 1 p.m.'

'Witchfinder'

'Solid Ball Of Rock'

'20.000 Feet '

'Red Star Falling'

'Rock The Nations'

'The Power And The Glory'

'Stallions Of The Highway'

'Live To Rock'

'And The Bands Played On'

'Princess Of The Night'

'I‘ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)'

'Attila The Hun

'Denim And Leather'

'Ashes To Ashes'

'Crusader'

'Wheels Of Steel'

Glasgow Live, April 14th, 2011

'Hybrid (Intro)'

'Hammer Of The Gods'

'Heavy Metal Thunder'

'Back In 79'

'Never Surrender'

'I‘ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)'

'Dallas 1 p.m.'

'Call To Arms'

'Solid Ball Of Rock'

'Demon Sweeney Todd'

'And The Bands Played On'

'Man And Machine'

'Play It Loud'

'When Doomsday Comes (Hybrid Theory)'

'To Hell And Back Again'

'Motorcycle Man'

'Denim And Leather'

'Princess Of The Night '

'Crusader'

'747 (Strangers In The Night)'

'The Eagle Has Landed'

'20,000 Feet'

'Strong Arm Of The Law'

'Wheels Of Steel'

W:O:A 2009 - Fan‘S Choice Setlist - Full Show

'Battalions Of Steel'

'Let Me Feel Your Power'

'Lion Heart'

'Strong Arm Of The Law'

'Killing Ground'

'Metalhead'

'Wheels Of Steel'

'Unleash The Beast'

'Dogs Of War'

'Rock ‘n‘ Roll Gipsy'

'Rock The Nations'

'Motorcycle Man'

'Forever Free'

'Solid Ball Of Rock'

'Crusader'

'The Power And The Glory'

'Princess Of The Night'

'Heavy Metal Thunder'

'Live To Rock'

'747 (Strangers In The Night)'

'Stallions Of The Highway'

'Denim And Leather'

W:O:A 2007 - Ful Show

'Heavy Metal Thunder'

'Let Me Feel Your Power'

'Dogs Of War'

'If I Was You'

'747 (Strangers In The Night)'

'To Hell And Back Again'

'Motorcycle Man'

'Red Star Falling'

'Witchfinder'

'Solid Ball Of Rock'

'20,000 Feet'

'And The Bands Played On'

'Princess Of The Night'

'I‘ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)'

'Attila The Hun'

'Denim And Leather'

'Ashes To Ashes'

'Crusader'

'Wheels Of Steel'

'Strong Arm Of The Law'

W:O:A 2004 - Full Show

'Heavy Metal Thunder'

'Dogs Of War'

'Backs To The Wall'

'Solid Ball Of Rock'

'20,000 Feet'

'Travellers In Time'

'Dragon‘s Lair'

Drum solo

'The Eagle Has Landed'

'Rock Is Our Life'

'Motorcycle Man'

'Strong Arm Of The Law'

'Princess Of The Night'

'747 (Strangers In The Night)'

'And The Bands Played On'

'Crusader'

'Wheels Of Steel'

'Denim And Leather'

'Forever Free'

'Dallas 1 p.m.'

Formats

1. 2 CD + DVD Digipack (CD rack size)

- DVD: Best Of W:O:A (2004/2007/2009)
- CD: Glasgow Live, April 14th, 2011

2. DVD (Amaray)

- Best Of W:O:A (2004/2007/2009)

3. 2 CD (2 audio CD Jewel Case)

- W:O:A 2009 - Fan‘s Choice Setlist

4. 3 VINYL LP 12” Gatefold

- W:O:A 2009 - Fan‘s Choice Setlist

5. D2C limited to 1000 copies

- Digipack - Best of DVD
- DVD - W:O:A 2009 - Fan‘s Choice Setlist

(full show - video)

- DVD - W:O:A 2007 (full show - video)
- DVD - W:O:A 2004 (full show - video)
- 10 golden tickets - personalized - any show, any city,

life long (excluding festival appearances)

- Saxon flag & more

6. Digital

- also available as digital downloads in various versions