'School of Hard Knocks' Review: Biff Byford gets historical in this deeply personal new rock masterpiece
As the incendiary, fire-breathing frontman of the legendary heavy metal band, Saxon, Biff Byford more than deserves his place in the pantheon of all-time great howling, shrieking, blood-and-thunder vocalists from the old school metal tradition. So obviously, we were quite interested in taking a listen to the 69-year-old vocalist's new debut solo album, called 'School Of Hard Knocks', which released worldwide on February 21, 2020, through Silver Lining Music. The album is deeply personal to Byford and he's also enlisted the help of some famous musician friends from the world of metal music (from bands like Opeth, Motorhead and Saxon, among others) to help him produce this chugging, clanging, steam engine-powered masterpiece of an LP.
According to Byford, “With this album, I’m singing about my past, of course, and about things I like, but mostly I wanted it to reflect me, my personality and my life.” Speaking about the variety on display in this album, he explained, “Song-wise it’s more diverse and not just focused on heavy metal. I wanted it to be a slice of the music I like, from metal, to rock ‘n’ roll. I’m a guy who’s just as happy listening to Metallica or Judy Garland, because as long as it’s great and entertains me, then what more do I need?”
As a working-class hero born and bred in the north of England, to his 40-plus years as the vocalist of the fabled band that ushered in the New Wave of British heavy metal, Byford has earned the right to be considered The Heavy Metal Bard Of The North. This debut solo album, 'School of Hard Knocks', authentically reflects the man and his personality, his loves and his musical versatility. The record also fulfills Byford’s long-standing desire to explore the genres of rock ‘n’ roll and progressive rock a shade more than he could dive into with metal pioneers Saxon. The resulting album is a personal journey highlighting his life and his passionate interests, from the history of the Middle Ages to growing up in the industrial North. Take a listen to the first single off the album, 'Welcome to the Show' to get a primer of what to expect from this hard-hitting rocker, who still sounds as great as he did back in the 1980s!
The second single and title track from the album, 'School of Hard Knocks' details the daily struggles and ongoing journey of a young Biff Byford while he was growing up in the uncaring backstreets of England and before he finally made a name for himself in the entertainment world. “The title track to the album is basically biographical about my early years,” says Byford. With lyrics like "I was trying to find my own feet / Rocking to my own beat," Byford poetically outlines the difficulties a struggling rockstar can face while attempting to make it in the bloodthirsty music industry. He also had to make some tough decisions along the way - "I lost a lot of friends, but I had to make a choice / To find another path, and hear my inner voice."
Check out the music video here, which also includes some famous friends like Fredrik Åkesson (Opeth) on guitars, Christian Lundqvist on drums and Gus Macricostas on bass (Byford also plays a spot of four-string thunder on this album, having started out as a bassist himself back in the day).
A masterfully constructed, classic-sounding, 11-track British hard rock album, 'School Of Hard Knocks' embraces a variety of musical genres. From the spoken-word introduction of ‘Inquisitor’ with its stoic, poetic take on the Spanish Inquisition to the progressive thrust of 'The Pit and the Pendulum,' this is one album that carries with it a whole range of moodscapes. Byford elaborated on his influences, saying: “I’m a big prog rock fan and was a huge fan of Yes back in the day, and being a bass player myself, the musicianship in bands like that really caught me. There’s a version of ‘Throw Down the Sword’ by Wishbone Ash, and the reason I did that was because it was the first song I ever heard that was anything to do with history in the sense of battles and war, and was really the thing which started me on the road to writing historically-driven songs.”
There are also some softer surprises on this LP. Believe it or not, the album also contains a romantic love song called 'Me And You', written for Byford's wife: “I wrote this song for our 25th anniversary, but I think it can be for anybody who’s in a relationship. We all have anniversaries and memories, not my usual style of song, but it’s always good to throw in a curveball!” The music video for the jangly acoustic guitar song also coincidentally released on Valentine's Day - who knew the metal legend was such a romantic person?
Another surprise on the album and a brilliant one at that is a fantastic arrangement (with Fredrik Åkesson's help) of the Yorkshire folk classic, 'Scarborough Fair', famously covered by Simon and Garfunkel. On the occasion of his solo album's release, Byford came out with a new music video for this slow-building gem of a track. “The new single Scarborough Fair is a Yorkshire Folk song about the town on the east coast of England,” explains Byford. “Apart from the song, Scarborough is also famous for its medieval market and takes its name from a Viking chief called Scar, I believe. We shot the video on a freezing early morning... Enjoy!”
'School Of Hard Knocks' features Biff Byford on vocals & bass, along with metal stalwarts Fredrik Åkesson (Opeth) on guitars, drummer Christian Lundqvist and bass player Gus Macricostas. The album also features guest appearances by Phil Campbell (Motörhead/Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons), Alex Holzwarth (Rhapsody of Fire and Turilli / Lione Rhapsody), Nick Barker (Voices), Dave Kemp (Wayward Sons) and Nibbs Carter (Saxon).
If you're an old-school rock fan, this one is a must-listen!