Biff Byford is one of the busiest men in metal. After 40+ years, 22 studio albums (with number 23 on the way later this year), and thousands of live shows around the world as the voice of Saxon, it’s a miracle he found time to put out a solo album. He’s talked about the idea of a solo album for years. Today, that idea becomes reality with his long awaited debut, School of Hard Knocks. People may be wondering, “What the heck can Biff do on his own that he hasn’t already done with Saxon?”. The answer is a lot.
There are a handful of songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Saxon album. “Worlds Collide” is powered by a crushing riff that’s designed for headbanging. “Hearts of Steel” displays power metal undertones reminiscent of Lionheart. “Pedal to the Metal” is a hard hitting ode to the autobahn. Biff is no stranger to songs about driving fast. With classics such as “Stallions of the Highway”, “Freeway Mad”, and “Wheels of Steel” under his belt, “Pedal to the Metal” is in good company.
Aside from these, Biff presents us with a variety of sounds and styles that wouldn’t fit under the Saxon umbrella. This is evident on the first two songs, “Welcome to the Show” and the title track. Both are fun, upbeat hard rockers. “Welcome to the Show” is a great opener which wouldn’t sound out of place as a theme song for WWE. “School of Hard Knocks” is a reflection on Biff’s early days as a young lad to fronting one of the greatest bands that ever was or will be.
There are also progressive moments. It’s no secret Biff was just as inspired by early prog as he was by early metal and hard rock. After all, Saxon did cover King Crimson’s “The Court of the Crimson King”. “The Pit and the Pendulum” is prime progressive metal, loaded with twists and turns. The solo, which I believe is played by Fredrik Åkesson of Opeth, is exceptional and one of the highlights of the album. Another progressive moment arrives in a reimagining of “Scarborough Fair”. Saxon and Garfunkel anyone? Biff’s voice soars on this beautiful rendition of the English folk standard. It begins gentle, then segues into overdrive without ruining the essence of the song. Next, there’s “Throw Down the Sword”. A mellow progressive ballad, “Throw Down the Sword” gives a serious Wishbone Ash vibe. It features battle/medieval themed lyrics and kicks off with that signature twin lead riffing that made Wishbone Ash so beloved. As the song goes on, the guitars maintain this folksy, native English style.
I warned earlier not all of these songs were Saxon friendly. It’s most certainly the case on the ballad following “Throw Down the Sword”, “Me and You”. This is Biff as we’ve never heard him before. “Me and You” is an acoustic love ballad that wouldn’t sound out of place over the loudspeakers at your local Target…but it’s still a good song! Biff even admits, “I know it’s not that heavy. It’s just a gentle song. Express your inner feelings. That’s why I wrote this song about me and you”. You probably never imagined Biff Byford singing over a saxophone, but here we are. There’s no reason this song shouldn’t be added to the rotations of every adult contemporary station in America.
No matter what style is being explored on School, there’s one thing that remains consistent and that’s the voice. Yes, we all love Saxon, but I don’t think Biff gets the credit he deserves as one of the most powerful and distinct voices in metal history. While many of his peers struggle to sing their classic songs tuned down a key or two from the original recording, Biff can still belt it out at ease, both onstage and off. He’s a force of nature and so is this album. School of Hard Knocks will satisfy the appetite of hungry Saxon fans worldwide. Now turn this album up and “Fill your heads with heavy metal thunder!”.
8 out of 10
Label: Silver Lining Music
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Saxon, Krokus, Wishbone Ash