BIFF BYFORD Says He Was Surprised To See PAUL QUINN Back On Tour So Soon After Quitting SAXON

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked if he was surprised to see the band's original guitarist Paul Quinn touring with his classic rock power trio THE CARDS so soon after announcing he was stepping back from touring activities with SAXON. Biff laughed and said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a little bit surprising. When I do talk to him — and I was talking to him yesterday — well, he's doing his thing. He said he didn't want to tour anymore, and then he went off to Japan with the band, which is a little bit crazy. But Paul is a little bit crazy. He is a bit on 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."

Biff continued: "He'd been talking about it for a while, maybe stepping back. 'Cause 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 quite stressful as well. So, yeah, [it was] 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."

Byford also talked about his working relationship with Quinn's replacement, DIAMOND HEAD guitarist Brian Tatler. Biff said: "He's great, actually, Brian. He's a legend as well, isn't he? He's sort of up there with Paul Quinn, I suppose. Especially with METALLICA covering some of [DIAMOND HEAD's] songs, he's a bit of a riffmeister. So I suppose we're replacing one riffmeister with another riffmeister. So, I think that works really well. But it's nice working with him. He's a pretty cool guy, and he's got some great ideas. I don't think DIAMOND HEAD heard the riff of [SAXON's new song] 'Madame Guillotine' [from the upcoming album 'Hell, Fire And Damnation']. I think that was a fairly new riff. I think maybe they heard the riff that he had for [the] 'Hell, Fire And Damnation' [title track], but I don't think DIAMOND HEAD would have written a song like 'Hell, Fire And Damnation', if you know what I mean. It would have been a different title, different lyrics, different melody. So, it's good working with him. He wants to write great music. That's what's great about Brian. He really cares about writing a great song, which is great."

As previously reported, SAXON and URIAH HEEP will join forces for a U.S. tour next spring. The complete details for the "Hell, Fire & Chaos" trek, which will take place in April, May and June 2024, will be announced on January 8.

SAXON's 24th studio album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", will be released on January 19, 2024 via Silver Lining Music.

Produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) and 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.

2024 promises to be a great year for SAXON, with the European tour alongside JUDAS PRIEST and URIAH HEEP kicking off in the U.K. in March.

When Quinn first announced that he was stepping back from touring with the band in March, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

Brian has already joined fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, drummer Nigel Glockler, bassist Timothy "Nibbs" Carter and Byford for several European shows but will continue to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".