Life hath no fury like a legend in full roar... and on February 4, Saxon will show just that to the world when they release their 23rd studio album, Carpe Diem, through Silver Lining Music, serving notice to anyone who ever felt otherwise that they remain both vanguards and masters of British metal.

In a new interview with Full In Bloom, Saxon frontman Biff Byford talks about the new album, his son Sebastian, his health, the Saxon/Ozzy (Blizzard Of Ozz) Tour, recording at Sound City, and Spinal Tap. Listen below.

On future tour plans, Biff reveals: "We're looking at touring in the US around April/May. We're maybe looking to buddy up, as you call it over there, with Uriah Heep. Different sort of era, but it's still great music, brilliant band Uriah Heep. So that would be a good package, I think. Hopefully the Covid, and the new variant won't be too severe, and we can get through it."

Comprised of 10 titanic tracks bristling with steel-clad riffery and proud intent, the Barnsely (UK) born band draw on a variety of ingredients from their career to forge what is their most dynamic release in many a year.

"It all starts with the riff,” says front man and co-founder Biff Byford, "if the riff speaks to me, then we’re on our way. It’s a very intense album, and that’s all down to the fact that the essence of a great metal song is the riff that starts it, and this album has loads of them."

Produced by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Exodus, Accept and Priest guitarist) at Backstage Recording Studios in Derbyshire with Byford and Sneap mixing and mastering, Carpe Diem strikes the ear as one of the most essential British metal statements of the last few years and not lacking in pace or bite, an album which will ignite the joy in stalwart supporters and attract a whole new legion to the Saxon fold.

“We want every album we make to go platinum,” says Biff defiantly. "We never make an album that we don’t expect to be fantastic because there are no laurels around here, and as a band, we’re always trying to do something a little bit new, a little bit daring. I love fast metal like “Princess of the Night” and “20,000 Feet”, and I try and bring that style of Saxon into the music now, but in a more modern style. We don’t sound like an old band on records because we’re not sitting back on our past success, we’re always trying to make a great album.”

The genesis of Carpe Diem’s fierce intensity lies in two extremely significant life events - “It’s been a difficult two years,” offers Biff with considerable understatement, “because I had the heart attack back in September 2019, so things went a bit pear-shaped for the band. And then Covid hit two or three months later, but luckily, we started writing and recording this album before Covid.  We did the drums in Germany and we did the guitars in various places. I was doing a lot of writing while I was in the hospital bed, and we spent quite a long time writing and arranging the ideas that we all had. I do think it’s a very intense album, and maybe some of that intensity comes from the frustration of not being able to do anything in the Covid period.”

Carpe Diem will be available in a variety of formats and pre-orders can be placed here.

Cover art by Paul R. Gregory.

Tracklisting:

"Carpe Diem (Seize The Day)"
"Age Of Steam"
"The Pilgrimage"
"Dambusters"
"Remember The Fallen"
"Super Nova"
"Lady In Gray"
"All For One"
"Black Is The Night"
"Living On the Limit"

"Carpe Diem (Seize The Day)" video:

Saxon lineup:

Biff Byford - Vocals
Paul Quinn - Guitar
Nigel Glockler - Drums
Doug Scarratt - Guitar
Nibbs Carter - Bass