British heavy metal legends SAXON have completed recording their new album, "Thunderbolt", for a tentative early 2018 release. Singer Biff Byford tells Myglobamind: "I finished doing the vocals on September 20th, and Andy Sneap is mixing it at the moment. It sounds really good. There are no big surprises on the CD. We haven't turned into Lady Gaga. [Laughs] I like Lady Gaga, as it's a bit of a compliment. We haven't changed into a different kind of band."

The follow-up to 2015's "Battering Ram", "Thunderbolt" will feature the song "They Played Rock And Roll", written about and dedicated to MOTÖRHEAD. Byford previously said that he gave the track that title because "that's what Lemmy used to say every night [from the stage]." He added: "It's basically about early MOTÖRHEAD — '79/'80 MOTÖRHEAD, like around 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith', 'cause that's the tour we were on, that one. So, yeah, it's about the band, really, and their music."

According to Biff, "They Played Rock And Roll" will be musically similar to Lemmy and Co. He explained: "I asked Nibbs [Carter, SAXON bassist] to write me some music that was like MOTÖRHEAD, and he did. So it sounds very MOTÖRHEAD-ish, but not MOTÖRHEAD, if you know what I mean."

Regarding the "Thunderbolt" album title, Byford said: "'Thunderbolt' is about Greek gods, so I read up on Greek mythology. There's not really that much. Homer had some writings… I made most of it up, but it's based on Zeus and Poseidon and Hades, so it's got a bit of good and a bit of evil in it, so it's pretty cool. Obviously Zeus's sign was a thunderbolt and his sign was an eagle holding a lightning bolt."

British heavy metal legends SAXON have been forced to postpone all their previously announced 2019 shows as frontman Biff Byford needs undergo a medical procedure. Byford has been diagnosed with a heart condition that requires immediate surgery and his post-op recovery period will last into 2020.

Biff Byford has confirmed that SAXON has commenced work on its 23rd studio album.

The singer checked in via video message on his Twitter account — his first since undergoing an emergency triple bypass surgery last month.

"I want to thank everybody for the brilliant messages you've sent," he said. "Brilliant. Thank you very much. [It's] cheered me up. Some of the funny ones were great.

"I'm feeling okay," he continued. "I'm really sore obviously from the operation and [my] breathing is still a bit dodgy sometimes, but apart from that, I'm getting better and better every day. So I go for walks every day a little bit longer, so that should be good.