┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Biff Byford - School Of Hard Knocks + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Rls Date..2020-05-03 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │ │║ Genre.....Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year......2020 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........11 ║ │ │║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │ │║ Url..http://www.byffbyford.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Biff Byford ║ │ │║ Album : School Of Hard Knocks ║ │ │║ Label : Silver Lining ║ │ │║ Cat.No : FO1550CD ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ When one resides outside a given nation or region of the ║ │ │║ world, it can sometimes be difficult to properly appreciate ║ │ │║ the cultural divides found within. While it may be obvious ║ │ │║ from the outside that Texas and New York are not exactly ║ │ │║ cut from the same cloth, it can be easy to assume a place ║ │ │║ like Japan is a monoculture. Yet, closer inspection reveals ║ │ │║ wide differences between Hokkaido, Tokyo, Osaka, and ║ │ │║ Kyushu. Such is also the case for our friends the Britons. ║ │ │║ An average American may assume England to be a large-scale ║ │ │║ replica of London. However, there remains historically a ║ │ │║ culture unique to Northern England, of Yorkshiremen and ║ │ │║ others, and in the world of heavy metal, one man reigns as ║ │ │║ the icon to all Northern Englishmen: legendary Saxon front ║ │ │║ man ôBiffö Byford. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ To the first wave of British heavy metal, vocalists such as ║ │ │║ Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, and Ian Gillan led that ║ │ │║ particular charge. However, just when things in 1980 were ║ │ │║ looking dismally disco-riffic for the world of rock and ║ │ │║ metal in the UK, the next generation said, ôonce more unto ║ │ │║ the breach,ö and were driven by men such as Bruce ║ │ │║ Dickinson, Rob Halford, and Biff Byford. This became the ║ │ │║ New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and as such, Biff has a ║ │ │║ place in the ôbook of heavy metalö (read it!) as a founding ║ │ │║ godfather of the movement. Northern England historically ║ │ │║ has a darker, rougher, tougher, older and grittier ║ │ │║ reputation, and BiffÆs Saxon truly embodied this, ║ │ │║ lyrically, complete with a glorious Northern accent. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In what is perhaps a parallel with BiffÆs dear Mot÷rhead ║ │ │║ mate , Biff is now autographically inspired to pen his ║ │ │║ memoirs with a debut solo album, entirely separate from the ║ │ │║ Saxon gig. It is clear that Biff wanted this record, ║ │ │║ entitled the ôSchool of Hard Knocks,ö to not only sound ║ │ │║ different from Saxon, but letÆs just get this out of the ║ │ │║ way right here: it sounds better. Granted, this is ║ │ │║ subjective, as all album reviews essentially are, however, ║ │ │║ the new album sounds modern. Polished. Contemporary. Clean. ║ │ │║ While Saxon albums like 2018Æs ôThunderboltö are naturally ║ │ │║ more modernized than ôDenim and Leather,ö they still carry ║ │ │║ a mix and production soaked in 1980s NWOBHM flavor. BiffÆs ║ │ │║ new solo album, on the other hand, is powered by a new band ║ │ │║ comprising Fredrik ┼kesson (Opeth) on guitars, Christian ║ │ │║ Lundqvist on drums and Gus Macricostas on bass. The ║ │ │║ musicianship and arrangements are absolutely 21st century, ║ │ │║ and it is heartwarming to see a nigh-on septuagenarian ║ │ │║ metal legend adopt such an evolution. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ From the fun and self-explanatory opening track ôWelcome to ║ │ │║ the Show,ö to the autobiographical title track ôThe School ║ │ │║ of Hard Rock,ö it is obvious the writing is a salute to the ║ │ │║ old, woven together quite nicely with modern production. ║ │ │║ The album embraces BiffÆs fondness for the old, the ║ │ │║ medieval, and the macabre with the Poe-inspired ôPit and ║ │ │║ the Pendulum,ö as well as its compelling nylon string and ║ │ │║ spoken word introduction, ôInquisitor.ö The aforementioned ║ │ │║ Poe homage is actually a prog metal dungeon crawl rife with ║ │ │║ Opeth influence, and it is breathtaking. It may be one of ║ │ │║ the cooler things to which Biff has ever put his name. The ║ │ │║ following track, ôWorlds Collide,ö is musically more like ║ │ │║ something from Symphony XÆs ôOdysseyö album, such as ║ │ │║ ôWickedö or ôKing of Terrors.ö ItÆs a beautiful modern ║ │ │║ metal tune complete with blistering Scandinavian guitar ║ │ │║ leads. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Just when we thought we were starting to understand ║ │ │║ everything there was to know about this album, Biff decides ║ │ │║ to completely reinvent Simon and GarfunkelÆs ôScarborough ║ │ │║ Fair.ö Yes, that Simon and Garfunkel. And itÆs brilliant. ║ │ │║ We are treated to BiffÆs smokey and well-aged vocal cords ║ │ │║ weaving a tale of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, all ║ │ │║ set to lovely steel string acoustic. In truth, it ║ │ │║ originates as a traditional folk-song of Yorkshire, and it ║ │ │║ is therefore understandable why Biff wanted to carry that ║ │ │║ particular banner for a day. Worry not, Byford ancestors, ║ │ │║ he carries it well. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The following song, ôPedal to the Metal,ö has the most ║ │ │║ Saxon feel of any track on the record, which frankly will ║ │ │║ hardly bad news for any Biff fans picking up the new ║ │ │║ record. Another rocker is found in ôHearts of Steel,ö and a ║ │ │║ polished ballad in ôThrow Down the Sword,ö and a feel-good ║ │ │║ bittersweet unplugged love song to close the album with ôMe ║ │ │║ and You.ö ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ They say you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, but this ║ │ │║ old dog named Biff is teaching us new tricks today with ║ │ │║ this new album. Although it seems like Biff Byford may have ║ │ │║ just done this album ôfor the hell of it,ö to prove it to ║ │ │║ himself and to check something off one of lifeÆs little ║ │ │║ list, he accidentally or intentionally put together a fun, ║ │ │║ solid, and exceedingly listenable musical adventure. To ║ │ │║ paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park seeing dinosaurs ║ │ │║ come to life, ôYou did it. You crazy son of a bitch, you ║ │ │║ did it.ö With this album, Biff may be our new favorite mad ║ │ │║ bastard of Lemmy-like proportion, and itÆs well-deserved. ║ │ │║ The record hits shelves on 21 February. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Musicians: ║ │ │║ Biff Byford / Vocals ║ │ │║ Fredrik ┼kesson / Guitars ║ │ │║ Christian Lundqvist / Drums ║ │ │║ Gus Macricostas / Bass ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 1. Welcome to the Show 5:22 │ │ 2. School of Hard Knocks 4:21 │ │ 3. Inquisitor 1:26 │ │ 4. The Pit and Pendulum 7:18 │ │ 5. Worlds Collide 4:38 │ │ 6. Scarborough Fair 5:08 │ │ 7. Pedal to the Metal 3:40 │ │ 8. Hearts of Steel 3:25 │ │ 9. Throw Down the Sword 7:02 │ │ 10. Me and You 4:17 │ │ 11. Black and White 5:18 │ │ │ │ │ │ Total Length : 00:51:55 │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘