SAXON set to release 24th album 'Hell, Fire And Damnation' in January of 2024

Published November 23 2023 at 08:54

Official statement on upcoming album 'Hell, Fire And Damnation' from SAXON:

"Biff Byford, lead singer and founder-member reminisces when asked about the title: "I've had that saying in my head since I was a small boy because my dad used to say it when he was upset," Biff smiles. "He used to say, 'Hell, fire, and damnation, what's tha' been doing now?!' when I was 'messing up his cabbage patch' or carving things into the kitchen table. It was a very 'Yorkshire' saying back in the day." The title track unleashed today is a superlative British Heavy Metal classic exploring the juxtaposition between good and evil. "There's so much music out there about hell and the devil and the occult that I just thought it's about time somebody wrote one about the battle just between good and evil!" explains Biff. "You can't sing about the devil without singing about the good guy either, and the song basically says 'make your choice'. We all have to make the choice, are we evil or are we good? The song's about that fight."

'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 AND mixed and mastered by Sneap. 2024 promises to be a great year for Saxon, with the European tour alongside Judas Priest and Uriah Heep kicking-off in the UK in March, plus the arrival of the heavy metal masterpiece 'Hell, Fire And Damnation'."

'Hell, Fire and Damnation' is Saxon's first studio effort to feature DIAMOND HEAD guitarist Brian Tatler, who has been performing live with Saxon since Paul Quinn stepped away from touring duties in the spring of 2023.

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

Here is the official video for the title track off the new album: