SAXON legend Biff Byford has revealed surgeons stopped his heart during a medical procedure, forcing him to deeply contemplate his own mortality.
The result of a his heart condition, his recovery and his period of rumination was the new album from the English heavy metal legends, Carpe Diem.
“It was after my solo album came out, when I had the heart problem,” Byford, 71, told Hot Metal‘s in-house podcast, White Line Fever.
“I had some time off because I had to learn to sing again for one thing.
“…because they cut your chest open, don’t they, and stop your heart and all sorts of weird things when you have that operation.
“I used that time to think about things, you know, like life and mortality and all that sort of stuff. So I think seize the day is the perfect title really.”
Asked what conclusions he reached about those eternal topics, Byford answered: “To tell you the truth, the only conclusion is to just carry on.
“That’s the conclusion you come to.
“Because if you just curl up and let yourself get too down, too depressed … it’s just not good for you.
“So you have to try and stay with a positive attitude. I know it’s difficult, very difficult. I know how difficult that is, believe me.
“But try and put the darker thoughts to one side when you think about the future.
“Whether you have 60 years in front of you or whether you have, like, a few years, I think you have to think towards moving on – you know?”
Hear Biff on White Line Fever HERE
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