Saxon guitarist Brian Tatler has confirmed that the band’s upcoming 25th studio album will be titled Gods of Thunder. Tatler revealed the album name to Neil Jones of TotalRock at the recent Maid Of Stone festival at Mote Park in Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom.
The announcement came alongside the first leg of Saxon’s “Gods of Thunder” world tour, covering the U.K. and Ireland. In connection with the tour, Saxon will revive its legendary 30-foot mechanized Eagle — originally built in the early 1980s — for all U.K. and Ireland shows, with the exception of Cardiff due to venue restrictions. Byford said: “We wanted to make the Gods Of Thunder U.K. and Ireland tour extra special. And what better way than to fly our beloved Saxon Eagle again… Get ready for take-off!”
The Eagle was constructed by Midlands-based company LSD using airport runway landing lights, debuting during pre-tour rehearsals as Saxon prepared to tour their 1981 album Denim and Leather. It subsequently loomed over the band’s massive arena shows throughout the decade and inspired the title of their acclaimed 1982 live album The Eagle Has Landed, which peaked at No. 5 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
Gods of Thunder was mixed by longtime Saxon collaborator Andy Sneap — who also serves as touring guitarist for Judas Priest — a detail confirmed in January 2026. Gods of Thunder follows Hell, Fire and Damnation, which was released in January 2024 via Silver Lining Music and was likewise produced and mixed by Sneap and Byford.
Byford’s path to completing the album included navigating a significant health challenge. After undergoing surgery for bowel cancer in early 2025 — which required the cancellation of 10 summer shows — Byford completed a short course of chemotherapy and announced in October 2025 that he had finished treatment. The cancer diagnosis followed a 2024 procedure to treat atrial flutter and a September 2019 heart attack that required emergency triple bypass surgery.
Tatler joined Saxon’s live and recording lineup in mid-2023 to fill in for longtime guitarist Paul Quinn, who stepped back from touring in early 2023. Tatler continues as a member of Diamond Head; Quinn remains the other surviving original member of Saxon alongside Byford. Saxon were formed in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and have sold approximately 23 million albums across a career that includes hard rock classics “Denim and Leather,” “Princess Of The Night,” “Wheels Of Steel” and “Power And Glory.”
