Description

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS is legendary Saxon frontman Biff Byford’ s first ever solo album. An aural Byford storybook highlighting his life and passionate interests, School of Hard Knocks is in all senses a classic, masterfullyconstructed old school British hard rock album. The English North is everything you saw in Game of Thrones and more. It is the true heart of England, the region where its soul resides, and Biff Byford has earned the right to be considered its true heavy metal bard.Biff takes on not just tales and stories from his heart and soul, but also investigates the Middle Ages and Medieval history amongst other subjects. From the spoken word introduction of ‘Inquisitor’ with its stoic, poetic take on the Spanish Inquisition to the autobiographical, oldschool ‘Wheels of Steel’ era thrust of ‘Welcome to the Show’ and ‘School of Hard Knocks’, you’ ll get to know Byford supremely well over the 11 tracks which comprise the album. There is also a wonderful version of the Simon & Garfunkel classic ‘Scarborough Fair’, with Byford and Fredrik Aringkesson from Opeth creating a new arrangement which gives the legend new life.School of Hard Knocks was produced by Biff Byford, recorded by Jacky Lehmann at Brighton Electric Studios in Brighton UK and mixed at Queen Street Studios in Stockholm Sweden by Mats Valentin. The album features guest appearances by Phil C&bell MotoumlrheadPhil C&bell & The Bastard Sons, Alex Holzwarth Rhapsody of Fire and Turilli Lione Rhapsody, Nick Barker Voices, Dave Kemp Wayward Sons and Nibbs Carter Saxon.On School of Hard Knocks, Byford worked with Fredrik Aringkesson Opeth on guitars, Christian Lundqvist on drums and Gus Macricostas on bass Biff himself played a spot of four string thunder too.