Earlier this year, British heavy metal legends, Saxon, announced that guitarist Paul Quinn had decided to "step back from touring". Then, during the summer, it was revealed that Quinn would be touring with The Cards in support of their new album.

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto for Metal-Rules.com, Saxon leader, Biff Byford, discusses the band's upcoming 24th studio album, Hell, Fire, And Damnation (out January 19 via Silver Lining Music), and touches on his surprise when he found out Paul would be touring the UK with another band.

Says Biff (laughing), "It's a little bit surprising. I was talking to him yesterday... well, he's doing his thing. He said he didn't want to tour anymore, and they he went off to Japan with the band, which is a little bit crazy. But, you know, Paul is a little bit crazy, he's a bit on the nicer side of nuts, if you know what I mean. But that's what makes him great, really. But we have to stand by his decision. He'd been talking about it for a while, maybe stepping back, because it is intense when you're touring at a high level, and it's also intense when people are expecting you to come up with great guitar riffs all the time for the album, that's quite stressful as well. Yeah, a little bit odd that he went out on tour when he said he didn't want to tour anymore. But that's Paul, really."

Listen to the full interview below:

Hell, Fire And Damnation is an album which sees Saxon investigate all areas of history and mystery amidst ten of their most confident and thunderously powerful songs yet. Biff delivers his richest vocals in years, Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter on drums and bass respectively lay down the rhythmic law with bombastic power, and the guitars of Doug Scarratt and Brian Tatler are fresh and fiery, a perfect complement to each other, carrying an overall energy and fury which will have fans salivating. Musically, Saxon bring it all to the table. There's a furious tribute to actual heavy metal in the denim & leather coated super-sprint “Fire And Steel”, a wonderful nod to the NWOBHM's birth in the electric mid-pace “Pirates Of The Airwaves”, but maybe the true treasure amidst the jewels is “There's Something In Roswell”, with the sort of expansive groove and embrace which deserves arenas.

Produced by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Exodus, Accept and Priest guitarist) and Biff Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering, Hell, Fire And Damnation strides the perfect line between confident, current power, and gloriously irreverent flexing of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal muscle which Saxon co-created.

Hell, Fire And Damnation will be available in a variety of formats and pre-orders can be placed here.

Hell, Fire And Damnation tracklisting:

"The Prophecy"
"Hell, Fire And Damnation"
"Madame Guillotine"
"Fire And Steel"
"There’s Something In Roswell"
"Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice"
"Pirates Of The Airwaves"
"1066"
"Witches Of Salem"
"Super Charger"

"Hell, Fire And Damnation" video:

- Produced by Andy Sneap and Biff Byford
- Album mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap
- Vocals recorded by Seb Byford at Big Silver Barn, York, UK; Drums recorded by Jacky Lehmann at Lampes Posthotel Old Cinema Restaurant Der Krug (Germany); Guitars recorded at Big Silver Barn, York, UK

Saxon and Uriah Heep are joining forces for a US tour, taking place April - June, 2024. The trek, dubbed Hell, Fire & Chaos - The Best Of British Rock And Metal, will be in support of Saxon's Hell, Fire And Damnation album, and Uriah Heep's Chaos & Colour, released back in January.

Says Saxon: "We will be back in the USA April, May & June 2024 with our great friends Uriah Heep! Dates will be announced January 8th!"

Stay tuned for updates.

Saxon's Hell, Fire And Damnation World Tour (Part 1)

March
11 - OVO Hydro - Glasgow, UK
13 - First Direct Arena - Leeds, UK
15 - 3Arena - Dublin, Ireland
17 - BIC - Bournemouth, UK
19 - Resorts World Arena - Birmingham, UK
21 - OVO Arena Wembley - London, UK
24 - Festhalle - Frankfurt, Germany
25 - Olympiahalle - München, Germany
26 - Volksbank Messe - Balingen, Germany
27 - Westfalenhalle - Dortmund, Germany
29 - O2 Arena - Prague, Czech Republic
30 - Tauron Arena - Kraków, Poland

April
1 - Wiener Stadhalle - Vienna, Austria
2 - Roxy - Ulm, Germany
3 - St. Jakobshalle - Basel, Switzerland
5 - Halle Tony Garnier - Lyon, France
6 - Mediolanum Forum - Milan, Italy
8 - Zénith - Paris, France

June
13 - Sant Jordi Club - Barcelona, Spain
15 - Navarra Arena - Pamplona, Spain
17 - Palacio Vistalegre - Madrid, Spain

July
1 - Barclays Arena - Hamburg, Germany
2 - Max-Schmeling-Halle - Berlin, Germany
4 - Arena Nürnberger - Nürnberg, Germany
8 - Sap Arena - Mannheim, Germany
10 - Messehalle - Dresden, Germany

More dates to be announced. For tickets and more information, visit saxon747.com.