SAXON drummer Nigel Glockler has offered the first musical insights into the band's upcoming 25th studio album in a revealing new interview, describing the sound as "a lot more groove-orientated, but it's very heavy." The album has been fully mixed by producer Andy Sneap -- one of metal's most sought-after studio minds, known for his work with JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH, ACCEPT, and TRIVIUM -- with a tentative release window of September or October 2026.
Glockler praised the collaborative atmosphere in the studio and highlighted the contributions of Brian Tatler, the legendary DIAMOND HEAD guitarist who has been recruited for upcoming SAXON live shows. Tatler's involvement is particularly notable given DIAMOND HEAD's foundational influence on thrash metal -- METALLICA famously covered their songs extensively in their early career -- and suggests the new SAXON material may carry an added edge of NWOBHM authenticity.
The news arrives alongside the uplifting revelation from frontman Biff Byford that his cancer scans show "everything is clear" six months after surgery for bowel cancer. Byford's health scare forced the cancellation of several 2025 summer shows and required chemotherapy treatment, but the 73-year-old vocalist has expressed gratitude for fan support and determination to return stronger than ever.
SAXON's track record across 25 studio albums is one of the most consistently productive in heavy metal history. From NWOBHM classics like "Wheels of Steel" and "Strong Arm of the Law" through the commercial heights of "Power & the Glory" and into the acclaimed modern trilogy of "Battering Ram," "Thunderbolt," and "Hell, Fire And Damnation," the Barnsley band has never stopped delivering. The new album, as the follow-up to 2024's "Hell, Fire And Damnation" -- itself a critically lauded return to form -- carries high expectations that Glockler's description suggests will be met with characteristic SAXON reliability.