1239. Blaze Bayley / Circle of Stone. 2024. 4/5

There are few harder worker and more genuine artists out there than Blaze Bayley. In a career that has spanned bands such as Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden, and then almost 25 years out there fronting his own band and then his own solo project, Blaze has fought adversity and snatches of ill fortune in continuing to produce albums and live shows that are more often than not hailed as fan favourites. Name any other artist who continues to host FREE meet and greets with his fans, before or after his gigs. In doing so, he makes a connection that few artists can truly say they have with their fan base, a man of the people, who has a vision for his music and a solid working relationship with the individuals in the band Absolva who continue to be his backing band and co-collaborators.
Much continues to be made of his connection with Iron Maiden, and the two albums where he replaced Bruce Dickinson in the 1990’s. Part of this is pursued by Bayley himself with his tours where he plays only those Maiden tracks, which for fans of those albums is terrific as the band itself rarely touches that era. But the conglomerate of work Blaze has produced since those years is incredible, in particular the three albums under his Blaze persona, and then the first couple as the solo artist under his own name.
In more recent years he produced a trilogy of albums in a concept story called the Infinite Entanglement trilogy, before riding through the covid outbreak with the “War Within Me” album in 2021. Having completed the tour to promote this album, Blaze and his band went back into the studio to write and record their next album. In March 2023, just two days after the conclusion of the recording of what became the “Circle of Stone” album, Blaze suffered a heart attack which required quadruple bypass open heart surgery. The release of the album was put on hold as Blaze put his recovery as his priority. During this convalescence Blaze turned 60, and in itself felt as though it could have been a marker on his music career. Somewhat amazingly, almost seven months to the day from his heart attack, Blaze was back on stage performing once again. This is not the resume of a man who gives up despite everything the world sometimes throws at him. And with the man once again able to carry out his craft live on stage, he has now released his new album almost a year after it was completed to show the world he is still here and still means business.

In discussing the writing of the album, Blaze has confirmed that the album can be split into two halves. He is quoted as saying “Side one comprises six unconnected songs that describe human frailty, resilience, courage, and gratitude. Can you look to yourself for answers? Can you fight against all the odds to take your future in your own hand, or do you accept the fate that other people tell you is what you deserve? Believe in yourself. You can survive the knocks, defeats and disappointments of your life and come back stronger. That is the hope we hold in our first six songs.”
“Mind Reader” kicks off the album on the right foot, uptempo with Blaze in fine voice with the kind of energy that he puts into his best songs. “Tears in Rain” follows straight on with a great guitar riff to kickstart the song and Blaze back into his best vocals. This is a great song both musically and lyrically, referencing the great Rutger Hauer monologue from the movie Blade Runner as his character Roy Batty meets his end. Perfectly sung by Blaze and excellently performed by the band. Great stuff. “Rage” follows and moves into a slower and darker musical tone without losing the energy provided by the opening tracks. This song again moves in a story line, referencing a Welsh folk tale of Prince Llewelyn who kills his dog Gelert believing he had killed his infant son, when he had in fact defended him from the attack of a wolf. Sombre stuff, but a good song nonetheless in a typical Blaze fashion. Indeed there are similar notes and tones of songs from Blaze’s early solo output here in these songs which adds a nostalgic feel to the album. Two other excellent songs follow in “The Year Beyond This Year” and “Ghost in the Bottle”, both looking to be positive about the future, but accepting that fate could always step in and create its own mayhem. The Appleton brothers Chris and Luke are excellent again on both these tracks, with their driving and harmony guitars providing the impetus that makes these songs so enjoyable. The opening to “Ghost in the Bottle” especially is excellent, and I really enjoy this song, but I must admit the potential to really let fly on this track is a missed opportunity.
“The Broken Man” closes out side one of the album and is one of those songs that... just don’t appeal to me. Sure, it’s heartfelt, it’s poignant, and it builds from Blaze’s almost unaccompanied vocals at the start to a crescendo of Appleton’s raining solo in the middle of the song and Blaze raising the stakes in his vocals by the end. I appreciate what they are doing with this song, it just isn’t what I came to the album for. I’m not knocking the quality of the track, just the fact that it doesn’t appeal to my tastes.
Blaze has described Side Two of the album as consisting of six interconnecting songs telling a story, which Blaze is quoted as saying is “the story of our forgotten tribe: a search for the truth in the heart of the circle of tall stones. Seeking the mystical portal, whilst the ancestors call to you in dreams, you have denied them. They demand vengeance and reckoning but you are a selfish, materialistic coward, and you have avoided the true path of your future. You must find a way to become selfless and courageous to lead our tribe back to the homeland of our ancestors.”
The bagpipe laden “The Call of the Ancestors” segues into the title track “Circle of Stone”, utilising a guest vocal from Niklas Stalvind and sitting in a mid tempo range throughout, which pleasingly speeds up once we reach the guitar solo break in the middle of the song, once again excellently accomplished by the Appleton brothers. It takes it time, but the song once it finds its mojo is another good one.
“Absence” further enhances the guitaring excellence, along with the other players from Absolva. The bass line through this song from Karl Schramm is terrific, and backed up by the superb drumming from Martin McNee helps make this one of the best songs on the album. “A Day of Reckoning” pulls back into the id-tempo range once again, allowing Blaze to powerfully pull his vocals over the top of the retentive drum beat and cast itself out, filling the speakers with his dulcet tones. You can feel the passion in Blaze during this song. Then we speed up again with “The Path of the Righteous Man”, another starring effort for the Absolva boys who really deliver this song musically quite brilliantly.
The album closes out with “Until We Meet Again”, a song that I both admire musically and dread inwardly. Here again is an instance of finishing off an album with a song that has the potential to leave you amiss after the excellent energy that comes through most of what comes before it. Blaze duets with Welsh singer Tammy-Rae Bois and is accompanied solely by acoustic guitar and the violin of Anne Bakker. Now, while the combination of these two voices is spectacular and eminently enjoyable, and indeed creates the concluding chapter to this six-part musical concept story that covers the second side of the album, I have reservations as always. Personally, I’m not a fan of slower emotionally charged song completing albums. Sometimes it works, mostly for me it is a forbearance. It is performed beautifully. I just am not a fan of the style of song or of it ending the album.

I will lay my cards on the table here, and let you know (for those that don’t already know) that I am a Blaze Bayley fan. Have been since his Maiden days, but more especially of those early Blaze albums such as “Silicon Messiah” and “Tenth Dimension” and “Blood & Belief”, and also “The Man Who Would Not Die”. For me they hold up against the Maiden albums of that era, albums where Blaze and his band went hard in the heavy metal genre and showed that he wasn’t just a one trick pony.
Since then? Well, the albums are still good, but they are mixed. I still like them all but some of the songs don’t quite reach that awesome level. One thing I do know is that I am always looking forward to a Blaze Bayley album. This one was no different.
This took a little time for me to really get into, more for the fact that I was listening to a number of new albums from different artists all at the same time. But one of the things I enjoyed immediately was the music. Chris Appleton, Karl Schramm and Martin McNee have been on Blaze albums for a decade now, but with Chris’s brother Luke Appleton returning from Iced Earth to be a part of the makeup now... that’s a terrific thing, and the brothers combine excellently here. The tracks that really make you sit up and take notice are the ones where they are prominent in the mix.
Blaze himself sounds amazing, and though this was recorded before his health troubles last year, he’s singing amazingly well for a 60 year old. You can’t help but admire a man who was basically held out to dry because he couldn’t sing Dickinson’s songs live while in Iron Maiden, and yet still come back and been able to amass this amazing collection of albums since. Like the other new albums I have reviewed on this podcast recently, this “Circle of Stones” is still growing on me day by day. Each time I listen to it I find more stuff I like, and getting to know the songs and words always helps. I really enjoyed “War Within Me” when it was released, I felt Blaze had found a platform for his moder day take on metal. At this stage, I think this album surpasses it. The band are on point, and Blaze knows where he is taking his vocals. Yeah, I’d probably drop a couple of the songs if I had the

1147. BLAZE / Tenth Dimension. 2002. 4.5/5

In many ways it is both strange that Blaze Bayley the artist has as low a profile as he does, both now and 20 years ago, and strange that he has such a high profile as he does. His first band Wolfsbane had had some minor success, but when Iron Maiden hired him as the replacement for Bruce Dickinson in 1994 over more high profile candidates such as ex-Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske there was a sense of ‘who is this guy?’ Those two Maiden albums with Blaze as vocalist still generate a mixed reaction from fans. And yet, on leaving the band with the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith, and forming his own band, he was able to syphon off enough of his Maiden persona to get good support gigs, and by the by write and record a pretty damn excellent debut album Silicon Messiah. Following the success of that album and tour, Blaze and the band, guitarists Steve Wray and John Slater, bass guitarist Rob Naylor and drummer Jeff Singer, moved into writing and recording the follow up. Hooking up with acclaimed producer Andy Sneap, Blaze came up with the story idea for what became the concept album. He had done a lot of research into quantum physics and read a number of published articles about the subject, including a link between quantum physics and paranormal phenomena, and most of the ideas he read about related to superstring theory, the idea that inspired the story of the album. It tells the tale of Professor Christopher Blane and his journey to find the tenth dimension and discover its true meaning. It became Tenth Dimension.
So while it has been established that the album has a story and that it is all interconnected, when it comes to music, if the songs themselves don’t reflect the same emotion and energy then none of it matters. Fortunately, the band has produced not only some excellent songs here they have created an atmosphere that enhances. The opening instrumental of “Forgotten Future” crashes into the opening track of “Kill and Destroy”, a perfect meshing of great riffs from Wray and Slater and Blaze’s awesome vocals that kick the song off from the start and drives it to its conclusion. It has been, and remains, one of Blaze’s best songs. It is the perfect tempo and riffage. “End Dream” then comes in with a slower tempo but retains the energy, while the title track is a beauty, filled with great vocals and suitably excellent dual guitar solos. It’s a great start to the album, and continues with “Leap of Faith” which also bounds along in that same great bouncing tempo.
Even when the album slows down in the middle, such as with the growing ascendance from quiet acoustic to faster heavier tones in “Nothing Will Stop Me”, and with the short acoustic “The Truth Revealed” into “Meant to Be”, the band perform it terrifically well. Other bands of the era may have looked to turn “Meant to Be” into a power ballad, but as a part of the story it most definitely isn’t a ballad. This is where Blaze’s vocals shine through, living proof to the doubters that he can most definitely sing when he isn’t expected to be singing at the same pitch as Bruce Dickinson.
“Speed of Light” once again showcases just how good Blaze and the band are when they go for the uptempo heavy rocking track, because this is another ripper on this album. It flies along and is where the band sounds at their best. And when listening to the album, it is the standout of the back half of the album, and definitely because of its pace and fire, whereas songs such as “Land of the Blind” and “Stealing Time” are lesser in comparison. Also, somewhat, is the closing track “Stranger to the Light”, which is the longest song on the album, and is dialled right back into the slower, crunching song as the finale to the story. Now, while I like the song, and you can understand why it is designed the way it is, it gets found out because of the excellence of the previous track, and that does tend to hold back the last third of the album compared to what comes at the front end.

When Blaze was with Iron Maiden, he was always going to be judged against Bruce Dickinson and the work he had done in the band. That meant that the songs he performed on and co-wrote would be judged against the best era of Iron Maiden, and he was never going to be able to win that competition. Beyond that though, on both his debut album and this album, Blaze found a great band with terrific musicians who wrote songs that not only better suited Blaze’s excellent vocals, but music that better suited the generation. I love the two albums Blaze sang on for Maiden, but the music led by Steve Harris had already begun to creep towards the progressive sound, with ten minute tracks that also had instrumental start and finishes and whose tempo was dragged right back from the golden era of Iron Maiden. That wasn’t something that Blaze could change, and in many ways it was he that felt the brunt of blame for it.
But here on Tenth Dimension, you get a much better idea of Blaze’s own ideas for his brand of heavy metal. All of the songs here range from 4-6 minutes, there is an excellent mixture of the fast tempo, high energy, guitar driven heavy metal tracks along with thoughtfully vocalled, mid-tempo songs that don’t lose themselves into becoming power ballads that euro metal bands may do. Having put together a terrific range of musicians who not only play well, but contributed to the writing of the music and shared a similar ideology, you can hear on both this album and the previous album that they are a great fit. Jeff Singer on drums is terrific, and the bass lines of Rob Naylor purr along beautifully throughout. The guitar riffing from Steve Wray and John Slater is quite remarkable, and their contributions to the writing of the songs is exceptional. Indeed, everything about this version of the band is brilliant, and having heard both of the first two albums, it continues to be a regret that this was their final act together. As was to become common place in Blaze’s first decade, management and money problems meant that all four other members of the band moved on following the tour to promote Tenth Dimension, and Blaze had to recruit a whole new assembly for his next album.

And just one further comment. Blaze’s first album was released at the same time as Iron Maiden’s reunion album Brave New World in 2000, while their follow up Dance of Death” came out in 2003. And I love both of those albums, because how couldn’t you? It’s Iron Maiden, as you expect them to be. But, and many will say I am either mad or blinded to be saying this, I have always felt that both Silicon Messiah and Tenth Dimension hold their own against both of those Iron Maiden albums on their own merits, because Blaze had progressed down a path that he was able to lead, rather than be a hired member. And that for me is the best part of Tenth Dimension – that a band of little-known performers with their slightly better known lead singer were able to come out and produce an album that loses nothing in comparison to a band with a massively greater profile.

1114. Blaze Bayley / War Within Me. 2021. 3.5/5

Since coming to prominence as the lead singer in the British band Wolfsbane, before going on to greater things with Iron Maiden in the mid-to-late 1990’s, Blaze Bayley has constructed his own career over the past 20+ years, dutifully curating his career to survive in times where the music business has changed so much. His production line of album releases, totalling 9 studio albums, 6 live albums and various other performances with other entities, as well as a hectic line of live shows only slowed by last year’s pandemic, has kept him at the forefront of the metal showcase. Now, Blaze has released his tenth studio album, one where he has obviously spent the year of the pandemic in an inward observation of himself given the album title, War Within Me.

Blaze and his band have got their own groove, one that has developed over the past decade especially through the album trilogy of the Infinite Entanglement series, and it comes across in spades in the opening track. The title track sets the scene for the album, opening with a great set of riffs and vocal work to set the album off on the right foot. This is followed by the excellent “303”, short sharp and sweet. It has a good sounding rhythm and back beat and is written about the story of the 303 squadron that fought in the Battle of Britain and then throughout World War II. Hey, the lyrics are no Dickinson/Smith combination, but the song is a good one.
“Warrior” and “Pull Yourself Up” are both songs from the same recording plane, with what sounds to me at least like Blaze has had some serious soul searching within himself and has dragged up some personal feelings about his own perceived weaknesses. Both musically and lyrically, “Warrior” comes across as the better song though somewhat cheesily, at least the song moves along enjoyably, whereas “Pull Yourself Up” overstates what Blaze is trying to put out there, and the staccato chorus tends to get boring after a while. “Witches Night” has similar pieces to it to some earlier Blaze songs, such as “Tenth Dimension” and “Identity”, and while I enjoy the song those similarities to those songs do haunt me every time I listen to it and has me singing the lyrics of those other songs over the top instead.
“18 Flights” is similar, in that it has those hints of Iron Maiden and Helloween in them especially in the guitar solo break, and as much as it would be preferable not to compare any of Blaze’s music to Iron Maiden, in this instance it is difficult to do. The fact that it is the music without the way the lyrics are being sung that shows similarities, rather than is the case in “Witches Night” perhaps allows it to escape from any further roasting. The second half of “18 Flights” in particular is excellent.

The trilogy of songs that follow this have their moments, and to be fair they are actually quite good and enjoyable to listen to. It’s just that... they feel as though they are missing a certain quality that could perhaps push them from being enjoyable songs into being GREAT songs! Blaze in his own way pays tribute to three trailblazers in “The Dream of Alan Turing”, “The Power of Nikola Tesla” and “The Unstoppable Stephen Hawking”, and those three songs are enjoyable but within the confines of the musical style that Blaze and his band has built for itself. And in many ways it is the rod that they have built for themselves. The basic song chords and rhythm does seem to become repeatable, and this does seem to create a similar feeling when listening to any of his last few albums. The solo sections do break out and create a more interesting part of each song (and Chris Appleton throughout is excellent), but if the basic structure of the songs is this similar then it makes it hard to find that growth and change that is preferable when listening to your favourite artists.
“Every Storm Ends” is the attempt at the epic closing track, the one that will invoke and evoke the kind of emotion that the track’s lyrics are looking to draw out. And sure, why not give it a go if you think it’s going to work. But I guess for me it doesn’t work because it is trying a bit too hard to be that specific kind of track, and sometimes by doing that it falls a bit flat. Yes, for me that’s what happens.

I don’t mind admitting I have a soft spot for Blaze. I thought the majority of his work with Iron Maiden was admirable and is still great listening. I then made sure I supported his career from the point that the two parties moved on, and continue to give albums such as Silicon Messiah, Tenth Dimension, Blood & Belief and The Man Who Would Not Die spins on regular occasions. But there is little doubt that the era since those albums does come at a price. While each album since then has some songs that are inspired, energetic and full of great riffs and vocals, there are just as many songs that seem to lack that inspiration in which to make them great rather than average. His work with Absolva the band and in particular Chris Appleton continues to bear fruit, but the pickings are probably not as great as previous years. And yet this is true of most bands. The trick is to make sur you don’t make the mistake of thinking another Silicon Messiah is just going to come around and get the most that you can from what the band is offering in the moment. On that scale of economy, much like the Infinite Entanglement trilogy, there is some great stuff here to like immensely, and some other stuff to bear through.

Rating: “Eighteen flights and fifteen shows, six countries away we go.” 3.5/5

1110. Blaze Bayley / Live in France. 2019. 4/5

Having completed his Infinite Entanglement trilogy with the release of The Redemption of William Black: Infinite Entanglement Part III I guess it was only fitting that Blaze Bayley and his band released a live album to showcase the work they have been doing over those three albums, and how those songs would hold up in a live environment. As a result we have Blaze belting out two discs worth of songs on this release Live in France.

I was certainly hesitant going into this album, not only for what I was going to hear but how it would be presented. Blaze has shown he loves playing live, and he carries just about everything he does well on stage, and his band has been pieced together for some time. I enjoyed the fact that the song list more or less covered the extent of the three albums that make up the trilogy as it fit with Blaze’s two previous live album releases, the first covering his first two solo albums and the second covering the albums in-between times. But this also concerned me because I wouldn’t get to hear those great songs from the first half of his solo career, the ones that had been so impressive to me at the time. I can always go back to those other live albums for that, but the fear for me was that if this album didn’t stand up it would be a relic if all it contained was songs from those three albums. Fortunately, I needn't have worried as despite the lack of older material this album is a beauty.
As mentioned, there are no less than six songs from Infinite Entanglement, four from Endure and Survive (Infinite Entanglement Part II) and five from The Redemption of William Black: Infinite Entanglement Part III. That’s fifteen of the total twenty tracks on the album from the Infinite Entanglement trilogy, and for the majority they sound better live than on the album. That in itself is not unusual as Blaze tends to be a dynamo on stage and brings out the best in everything he performs. The band sounds great and Blaze’s vocals are supreme. Of the other five songs, four are from his Iron Maiden days. The always brilliant “Futureal” is cracking once again, and comes in brilliantly after the opening of “Redeemer” segues beautifully into “Are You Here”. The always surprisingly good “Virus” closes out the first disc of this double set, while there is an absolutely scintillating version of “Man on the Edge” which almost steals the album by itself. The only downside is the choosing of “The Angel and the Gambler” as his fourth Maiden track. It really is one of the most average songs Maiden has ever done, and Blaze wasn’t even a co-writer of the song! There are so many other better songs he could have chosen to do, and this is a shame. Rounding this out is the title track from his first solo album, “Silicon Messiah” which always sounds great, but oh for just a few more tracks like “Ghost in the Machine”, “Kill and Destroy”, “Ten Seconds” and “The Man Who Would Not Die”. Next time perhaps.

Fans of Blaze Bayley will find this to be an excellent addition to their collection. In giving all of his trilogy songs a live atmosphere to be found in, Blaze has satisfactorily concluded this part of his career. What he moves onto now is anyone’s guess, though no doubt an extended tour with his Iron Maiden material (given his tenure in that band ended precisely 20 years ago this year) is likely. Those that have not heard any of Blaze’s solo material will still find this worthy of listening, but should then move back to his first few solo albums to discover his best stuff. As a live recording of this portion of his musical career, this does a more than adequate job.

Best songs: “Reedemer”, “Futureal”, “Are You Here”, “Man on the Edge”, “Endure and Survive”.

Rating:  “Do you think you deserve all the freedom you have?”  4/5

1032. Blaze Bayley / The Redemption of William Black: Infinite Entanglement Part III. 2018. 3.5/5

This is the second ‘trilogy’ of albums I have finished listening to over the past two weeks. The first was Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime trilogy story, which for me ended much the way it had started. When it comes to Blaze Bayley’s concluding chapter in his Infinite Entanglement trilogy, entitled The Redemption of William Black: Infinite Entanglement Part III, I have a similar feeling, in that I don’t think any part of the three albums has changed my mind over the whole concept of the story and the albums it entails. Indeed for some time I was concerned that it had in fact fallen backwards.

At my advancing age in listening to music in general and to heavy metal at the forefront of that, I have become less frantic in trying to devour every aspect of an album. In my youthful days in the 1980’s I spent hours poring over record covers and devouring lyrics to ensure I knew every single aspect of a song or an album, and was able to decipher this for anyone that would listen to me. The occasional concept albums that came my way found me even more diligent in this aspect. But old age has found I don’t have the time or devotion to go down that path anymore, and as my collections have moved from vinyl to disc to digital I don’t even have to know what the cover artwork is anymore. This becomes even truer as to the nature of the storyline that Blaze has set out over these three albums. I honestly haven’t taking in the lyrics enough to actually be able to work out what the story is he is telling. All I’m listening to are the songs, and picking up snatches of what is being said, and just wondering if I like it or not. My Past Self would be quite annoyed with my Present Self in this regard, suggesting I needed to take more time to envelope in the story. Past Self had much more time available to him to do such things that Present Self currently doesn’t have. One day I do intend to sit down and discover this storyline, but as yet I have not.

As to the songs themselves, I admit that after the first half a dozen listens to The Redemption of William Black: Infinite Entanglement Part III I felt disappointed. I couldn’t find much here that I truly enjoyed, that was jumping out at me and grabbing me, and at that time I felt this had some major flaws. Just allowing it to play through in the background while I did other stuff it felt like every song was the same, and that there was little to define these songs or this album from a lot of Blaze’s recent stuff. To be honest I was ready to cast it aside, and perhaps come back to it at a later time. Over the next half a dozen listens though I began to find my way into the narrative as such, and found the rhythm of the album, and then it became less of a chore and more of a pleasure to listen to. In the long run, I had to find the Blaze Bayley definition again. He has his own style that has been developed over recent albums where he now has no Blaze Bayley band to collaborate with, and instead he writes through his own thoughts while bouncing them off others he is close to at the time. In many ways it has brought a similarity to his music which can be off putting, especially for those that don’t enjoy his style. And that is the crux of this album. If you like Blaze’s style and substance, you will enjoy this album. If you do not then you won’t find anything here to win you over.

I’m glad that I stuck with this, and gave it time to win me over. It is not his best work, and there are few songs here I would consider putting on a greatest hits playlist of his work. That can be the problem with concept albums, the songs have to fit the story, not just win you over as songs themselves. Compared to other albums I have had on rotation over the past couple of weeks, this sits somewhere in the middle.

Rating:  The conclusion fits mostly with the first two parts.  3.5/5

975. Blaze Bayley / Endure and Survive (Infinite Entanglement Part II). 2017. 3.5/5

Taking on the second album in his Infinite Entanglement concept trilogy, Blaze Bayley returns in his quest to continue his relevance in the heavy metal field with Endure and Survive (Infinite Entanglement Part II). There is little doubt that Blaze has been a little bit hit and miss over recent releases. For me it has come from not having a solid backing band and writing conglomerate, but I could be completely mistaken. With the setting for his concept piece already in place and the same co-writers in place, it should have made the writing here a bit more solid.

Starting off with the title track “Endure and Survive” Blaze sets sail on his conceptual journey on the right note, his vocals soaring above the fast paced chorus and dual melodic guitars plying their trade throughout. “Escape Velocity” continues along this path with pleasing effects. “Blood” too moves along driven by the double kick of the drums, but it is the almost ritual chanting of the lyrics that tends to hold up this song. It feels a bit staged rather than comfortably going along with the flow of the music, it comes across as stop start. As the middle of the song becomes the story telling part played by the characters involved, it just makes it hard to fully enjoy. However, it is the end of the song that proves to be the real mover, and shows where the direction should have been all along.
“Eating Lies” slows the album back to a lesser tempo, giving a different emphasis on the band and showing off Blaze’s vocals in different scenario. I still don’t know if I like this song or not. For the most part it doesn’t grab me, yet I do like Blaze coming through the quagmire into the emotive highs he can show, and once again the excellent guitaring by Chris Appleton is showcased in another solo spot that is worth rating the song on alone. “Destroyer” follows a similar path, in a way that is difficult to describe. There doesn’t seem to be much that is brilliant here, but a snatch of vocals and the majority of the guitar solos are terrific and make it worthwhile listening to. The best song on the album is “Dawn of the Dead Son”, one where all of the band are best utilised, and the music and vocalist come together in their best possible light. Its power metal guitar leanings give it the best sound of any song on the album, and Blaze also gives us the soar of his vocals that seem to be missing for the most part on this album. Great song.
The acoustic solitude of “Remember” is enjoyable enough, twinning together his frequent collaborators for another crack after their efforts on the preceding album. The song does have enough energy in the vocals to not make you completely lose your focus on what has come before it, but really it is only forgivable in the sense that it is a part of the story being told for the concept album itself. “Fight Back” brings the album back to life with its double kick and hard strumming rhythm, allowing Blaze to control the song with his vocals, and leave the open air for the excellent solo to chime in towards the end. “The World Is Turning the Wrong Way” chugs along more than gathering momentum, and while it is more than listenable it just feels like it is missing something. “Together We Can Move the Sun” is Blaze’s attempt at the epic closer, clocking in at over 8 minutes and combining the emphatic and soulful vocals mixed with the intrinsic guitar solo, before moving to the quiet and reflective take for the second half of the song. More’s the pity with the constant repeating of certain lyrics over and over, which just ends up becoming annoying rather than definitive. And of course, there is the spoken word element to close out the track, setting the story up for its conclusion to come in the third album of this concept trilogy.

As I have probably mentioned in the review for the preceding album, I am all for Blaze coming out with this concept idea and pursuing it in his own way and with his own style. As an artist it is great to see him still in the market place and making great music. But the trilogy idea is a difficult one to keep on track, especially if it tends to water down the style of music that you have garnered your fans with. Listening to this album for the past couple of weeks, I have found my enjoyment for it growing over that time. The problem is, when I have switched to another album to compare it with, such as Silicon Messiah or The Man Who Would Not Die there has been no comparison. They just metal up harder and faster, and it’s that style of Blaze’s music that I’ve always loved. It isn’t as prevalent now as it was. That will continue to be a stumbling block for me no matter how much I admire the man and his music.

Rating:  It's no The Empire Strikes Back.   3.5/5

950. Blaze / Silicon Messiah. 2000. 4.5/5

There was probably no one in the world of music, not even the man himself in a deep and unrequited part of his mind, that believed that Iron Maiden would be a long term proposition with lead singer Blaze Bayley at the helm of the band. They had had too much history, all of it majorly successful both in album quality and concert ticket sales, to believe that they could continue down the same path with a new lead singer who was not Bruce Dickinson. Yes, Blaze had come in with enthusiasm, he had contributed to the writing process, and he had sung the new songs well. The problem that arose very quickly was that the songs were vastly different from the band’s most successful era, something the fan base had great trouble getting behind. The other problem that came about was that the band were unwilling to make any rearrangements of the songs that they chose to play in the live environment, no doubt feeling as though it would be a hit to their credibility to do so. What it ended up achieving was making it very difficult for their lead singer to sing the older songs in the style that the band and fans had come to expect them. Anyone who saw the band live during this period, or has heard bootleg live albums of the period (as no official live album exists from this era of Iron Maiden) would have heard Blaze Bayley performing excellently on the songs from the two albums that he performed on, and also on some selected songs from the previous era (“Afraid to Shoot Strangers” for instance is one song that he did very well in the live environment), but with some of the Dickinson classics, such as “2 Minutes to Midnight” and “The Trooper” and “The Evil That Men Do”, he clearly struggled. This caused more problems for the band when on the world tour to promote the “Virtual XI” album, they were forced to reschedule and even cancel some shows due to issues that Blaze had with his voice and throat as a result of this constant pressure. Janick Gers was one who came out after this and suggested that these problems were caused by forcing him sings songs that were pitched well outside his natural range.
Blaze and Iron maiden had already begun planning for the follow up to “Virtual XI”, with songs such as “The Nomad”, “Dream of Mirrors” and “The Mercenary”, with Blaze having composed some lyrics for “Dream of Mirrors” and also working on some of his own contributions. All of this came to a head in January 1999, when Blaze was asked to forgo his position in Iron Maiden, who in his place brought in the only man who was capable of saving their reputation, Bruce Dickinson. It was an inauspicious and frankly disappointing way for Blaze’s tenure in the band to come to its conclusion.
On the back of this, after a short spell to come to terms with what had occurred, Bayley put into place the steps to start a solo career. However, it was still to be a band project of a similar build that he had just come from, rather than just he going out on his own, and that band and project would eventually be called BLAZE. He recruited two guitarists in Steve Wray and John Slater, bass guitarist Rob Naylor and drummer Jeff Singer. The question that must have been in his mind would have been 'will anyone be following what I'm doing' given the huge smothering of publicity Iron Maiden's returning superstars were garnering for their new release “Brave New World”. The answer to that question at the time was 'I am, Blaze'.

As mentioned in the first part of this episode, from all reports Blaze had been working on material that he was hoping to have become a part of the follow up to “Virtual XI” when he was informed of the decision to move on without him. This material formed the basis of the beginnings of this album. It was always going to be an interesting direction as to what the material would sound like. Much of his two albums with Iron Maiden had been ponderous and somewhat sluggish, even while faster songs like "Futureal" seemed to suit Blaze's style better. As it turns out, the styles here are mixed in a similar way, and the similarly themed songs build together in a conceptual way to add to the progression of the album.
The album kicks off with the excellent "Ghost in the Machine", a heavy crunching track that combines a great heavy riff opening drum beat that drags you into the opening vocal. This is immediately a heavier opening than expected, and also it should be mentioned immediately the music suits Blaze’s vocals from the outset. The grumbling bassline gives the twin guitars the chance to riff over the top and the thumping drum beat emphasises Blaze’s superb vocal through the song. This is the first track that Blaze Bayley offers you post-Maiden, and you can't help but be impressed by it. I know that I was when I first heard it, and I still love it now. A great chorus and built-in crowd participation piece late in the song makes it a beauty. The way he changes from low to high vocal range through the song showcases the change up he is capable of producing. "Evolution" follows up with a more progressive output and a slower heavier undertone throughout, nicely transferring with tempo changes throughout. Blaze’s vocals are energetic and forthright during the song, driving the powered clash with the guitar solos in the middle of the track which retain the structured style of the track. This segues straight into title track
"Silicon Messiah", which combines the quiet, the heavy and the anthemic chorus all within the mainframe of the song. “Silicon Messiah” slightly channels the structure of those Maiden sings he had played on with the quiet guitar opening, but in a far shorter and stronger format. Once again the tempo changes within the song act as the boardwalks between verse and chorus as Blaze provides his anthemic finish to each chorus in his inimitable way. These opening three songs all carry a familiar style within, both thematically and structurally, and they offer a great atmospheric opening to the album.
"Born As a Stranger" is a slightly faster tempo and bounding with more energy, combined with great solos and soaring vocals from Blaze. It acts as a real kickstart to the middle of the album. The song is based on the Robert A. Heinlein novel Stranger in a Strange Land and was originally intended for Iron Maiden. Blaze began writing the track for the follow up to "Virtual XI”, but when he was given his release papers he instead repurposed the song for “Silicon Messiah”. This song especially showcases his vocals and HIS range, and remains one of his best songs in his career. This is followed by "The Hunger", which falls back into a mid tempo heavier riffing, though mixed with clear guitar along the way, allowing Blaze to change the mood of the song where necessary. His vocals dominate this song, once again in a way that showcases its strengths rather than having to contort them to how others want him to sing. The soloing of Wray and Slater in the middle of the track is emphatic and mood setting, blasting through the base tempo of the track to increase the energy, which the return of Blaze’s vocal also highlights.
In this light, "The Brave" is the fastest track on the album, moving along with triplet riffing and matching drumming, and is a pleasure because of it. It gets the album moving again in a faster and upbeat tempo, which Blaze matches by reaching the higher part of his register voice-wise, drawing on the anthemic qualities of his vocals to lead the song, and fortified by the great guitar solos through the middle of the song.
"Identity" could have done with a faster tempo, but still comes across as a winner because of Blaze's vocals. The song is inspired by the short story by Philip K. Dick called “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” which in turn inspired the movie “Blade Runner”. The heavy guitar riff is backed up beautifully along the way by the bassline underneath throughout which is a highlight of the song, it really gives the song its mood and injects it with its vitality. The band mixes up the structure once again here which provides the uniqueness that this album is harbouring as its own. Following on from this, "Reach for the Horizon" builds throughout from the moody to the meaningful, looking for the place in the song to drive to the next level. It is another solid song here, which perhaps is slightly let down by the struggle to find a real methodology in the song structure, missing several points along the way where it could have taken off but missed a trick instead. "The Launch" is the short sharp kick in the pants that is needed after "Reach for the Horizon", a speedy number laden with the flailing guitar riffs and a ripping bassline and drum beat, along with punchy vocals that make it a mood lifter. In the main, Blaze’s best songs are highlighted by a fast tempo with a uplifting vibe that allow him to riff along at pace, in his higher fun vocal range and taking the lead of the song. “The Launch” is that kind of track. Both songs have lyrics based on the movie “Gattaca”, continuing Blaze’s science fiction theme on this album.
The album concludes with "Stare at the Sun", which more or less defies everything I just mentioned about where Blaze sounds at their best. Because this track falls back into the quiet almost acoustic to start the song, before building to the rolling drum beat and guitar riff that takes the song back into the next level, and explodes into a ripping guitar riff backed superbly by the bassline again, and Blaze’s vocals take over to soar with power into the chorus. And my word, his vocals on this song are just superb – spine tingling in places. This is not just a truly amazing closing epic, it is an epic song period. When you want a song that is going to not only finish off the album on a high, but then encourage the listener to listen to the album all over again, that is a very difficult thing to do. Blaze and his band have hit a home run here on “Silicon Messiah”. Not only does the opening track drag you in, but the closing track also makes you want to start all over again. This is a ripping song full of emotive vocals from Blaze, amazing guitars and bass and drums from the band, and ends the album on a positive note.

Few of my friend group thought much of “The X Factor” and “Virtual XI” when they were released. Indeed, many didn’t even listen to them. Some still haven’t. I still bought those albums on their release dates, and while neither album is perfect, and both albums have their glaring deficiencies, many blamed Blaze for those rather than the main songwriter. Still, Blaze’s vocals didn’t work for a lot of people who only wanted the previous singer, and the band eventually came around to that thinking as well.
Now, as excited as I was for the release of “Brave New World”, as exposed in the episode I did for that album just a month or so ago on this podcast, I was also looking forward to seeing what Blaze Bayley would do next. The fact that he didn’t return to Wolfsbane – at least, not at that time – I took as good news. I was interested to know what direction Blaze was going to take his own music, now that he had had the experience of five years in a major band and being exposed to their songwriting processes, and with the chance to show his own version of heavy metal rather than being constrained within the Maiden methodology.
I did not hear this album until some months after its release, well after I had indulged and overindulged in “Brave New World”. I hadn’t even been aware that it had been released until the time I finally found it, which was probably a good thing as I had listened to little in that time except “Brave New World”. And so I got the album, and I put it on... and I had to check twice to make sure this was the album I thought it was. Because from that opening riff of “Ghost in the Machine”, this was already more than I could have hoped for. There have been half a dozen times in my life that I have heard the first 30 seconds of the opening track on an album, and thought I must have put on the wrong album. This was one of those times. Beyond that opening track, it took a few more listens to the album as a whole to take in everything that has been offered up here. What is impressive is that the album is a collaborative effort (at least on paper when it comes to song credits), and the result is an album that fits together well in every respect. The music really is quite excellent. The drumming of Jeff Singer, alongside the wonderful moody basslines of Rob Naylor, is just superb, the base of each track held together by the rhythm section on this album. Both John Slater and Steve Wray on guitars combine beautifully together, adapting to the changes of mood and character throughout. And most importantly all four help to create exactly what Blaze Bayley required with this album, a partnership that not only benefits the band itself, but gives Blaze the opportunity to shine in his own right, and not having to conform to the legacy that might be expected from another bands fans. Which is why this is such a terrific album.
I have had my CD out and playing in the Metal Cavern again this week, and I have loved every second of it. It has been great having this on at work, but at home is where I can truly enjoy the album as it is meant to be.
While it may be inevitable that people will discuss this album with Iron Maiden's “Brave New World”, given that both albums were released so close together, and that there would be a lot of talk about the relative good and bad of the decisions of the previous 18 months - no one is going to be crazy enough to compare this album in regards to quality and brilliance as Iron Maiden’s “Brave New World” ... or are they? I mean, comparatively, what are we looking at here? As much as I enjoy major portions of Blaze’s two efforts with Iron Maiden, this album buries both when it comes to quality and enjoyability. And whilst Maiden's album has some great songs on it, it also has two or three that are only average. Here we have a similar situation. Songs such as "Ghost in the Machine", "Silicon Messiah", “Born as a Stranger”, "The Brave", "Identity" and "Stare at the Sun" are excellent tracks and are comparable to the Maiden album. And even though I will always rate an Iron Maiden release more harshly than other albums because the expectation of greatness is always there, I really think Blaze and his band has done a wonderful job here, and produced an album that is not only excellent in its own right, but also sets up the band for greater success down the track as its own entity.

928. Blaze Bayley / Infinite Entanglement. 2016. 3.5/5

Despite my admiration for much of Blaze Bayley's work, this album slipped me by on the release date, and for some weeks afterwards. Despite following him on social media and often checking in to the website and other such platforms, I just didn't realise that Infinite Entanglement was in fact the name of his new album, and that the fact its name was emblazoned around the place meant it had actually been released to the public. Such is the world I guess when an artist doesn't have the publicity machines of those backed by major labels.

Once I had obtained the album, the next surprise in store was that it was a concept album, centering on Blaze's previously explored passions of sci-fi and the future and other such stuff. Well, that's not a bad thing. I like concept albums as a rule, or albums with a common theme running through them, but as I am sure I have mentioned in previous reviews, this enjoyment is also directly related to how accessible the songs are. Or in layman's terms, are the songs any good? Throwing in a range of songs in different styles can often plug up the flow of an album. On a concept album, it can be used to help tell the story. The danger is that the mix in styles will still affect the listening audience in an adverse way.
The story revolves around the first manned trip to the outer planets, and how that person's life expectancy is extended to allow the trip, and how it affects him along the way, to the point where he begins questioning everything that is happening around him. It is purported to be the first album of a trilogy in this story, which will interest some and not affect others. I admit that the concept is intriguing enough to remain interesting, but the telling of the story has to have the right accompaniment to make it work. The spoken interaction between or at the end of songs can be a distraction to those who just want an album full of songs, but as a part of the story process they are a necessity.
The songs themselves are of a mixture as mentioned previously, and some probably work better than others. The opening stanza of "Infinite Entanglement", "A Thousand Years" and "Human" all come at you with the speed and energy that you come to expect of Blaze's work - but it isn't quite as belligerent as it could be. The vocals are just a bit to much in the front of the mix, and the bottom end doesn't sound like it is there enough to give these songs the real boost they deserve. It's a small complaint, and no doubt these songs will sound much fuller and complete in a live environment, but even after twiddling with volume and bass controls I am left a little underwhelmed where I should be not even thinking about that kind of stuff.
"What Will Come" will surely be a heated discussion point amongst fans. Dominated by the acoustic guitar of his frequent collaborator Thomas Zwijsen and the violin of Anne Bakker, there is no other accompaniment to Blaze's vocals on this song. It's a bold statement, and really Blaze performs this wonderfully, and the musicianship of Thomas and Anne is not in question. However - does the song suit the album? Or the story at this point? Or do you just love this kind of song or find it is a barrier to the best parts? It's the barrier that is raised for me. I'm not against the style of song or the fact that it sounds terrific, but I want more grunt and more speed.
"Stars Are Burning" and "Solar Wind" return the album to that train-rattling kind of momentum that Blaze has through most of his releases. This is followed by "The Dreams of William Black", which combines a narrative with some vocals, and a stilted kind of music background that certainly forms a part of the wider story being told and is important in that context, but which cannot be suggested as a stand alone piece. The second half of the album comes home with mixed metaphors musically. Each song has its strong parts, emphasised by Blaze's vocals, or the double kick of Martin McNee's drums, or the solid riffing from bass guitarist Karl Schramm or the solo work of guitarist Chris Appleton. In each case though - for me personally - parts of each of those songs just don't mesh with the rest, leaving me feeling that they are unfinished or intangible. "Independence" should be a triumph but is left hanging with the up and down mood of the song. "A Work of Anger" just should be harder and faster, but instead feels a little sludgy. Blaze's band here sound great, apart from the stated fact that the bass feels lost amongst the majority of the album.

In my heart I feel as though this was a missed opportunity, to really bring the best and heaviest parts of his earlier solo albums to this project and really blow people away. That hasn't happened inn the long run, and the quest for the concept trilogy has become the driving force. I can continue to listen to and enjoy this album as it is without any qualms, and yet I still long to have heard something a bit more aggressive to have come across. Perhaps on the next installment?

Rating:   "Tough times never last though people always do"   3.5/5

822. Blaze Bayley / The Man Who Would Not Die. 2008, 3.5/5

Motoring his way well out of his Iron Maiden years, Blaze Bayley has been... well... blazing his own path since his split with the metal giants back in 1999. Perhaps his most important values to have come in his music since is that it all basically distances itself from anything he did in his two previous bands, Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden. Each of his solo band albums have become progressively more diverse from those bands' style of music, and he has forged his own way and style which is to be highly commended. The fact that he has consistently produced good albums and great songs helps that immensely.

Building on the progress that had been furthered on the previous album, The Man Who Would Not Die gallops out of the speakers at a blinding speed from the second you press the play button, surprising and delighting you in the same instant. The title track "The Man Who Would Not Die" is off before you know it, careering at a rate of knots that brings a smile to the face. Blaze is in great form here. This passes into "Blackmailer" and "Smile back at Death" which both continue the excellent start to this album. The new band assembled for this release all sound great, and given that there is apparently a great contribution from all members on this album it sounds as if they all have something invested in the outcome.
"While You Were Gone" slows the tempo down at the start of the song, before busting out through the middle section with gusto, and then heading into another ball tearer in "Samurai". This along with the opening track are probably my favourite two songs on the album. "A Crack in the System" and "Robot" follow, and are both good songs, if just a touch repetitive, both vocally and riff wise. Vocally, Blaze also sings these two just a little... robotically, as well, and with the same riff pretty much dominating throughout each of the songs, it can sometimes be too much.
"At the End of the Day" is probably the Blaze Bayley equivalent of a power ballad. Certainly it's not really a ballad as such, but its slowed down tempo and vocal style entices you to start thinking that it is. This problem is solved as we jump straight into "Waiting For My Life to Begin", fast-riffing out of the slow tempo of the previous song into speedy guitar picking here. The song also sounds better as the over-dominant double kick isn't in evidence, allowing the guitars to be the focus of attention and play their part . Great stuff. "Voices From the Past" again gives the guitars full reign during their solo break in the middle of the song, providing the highlight of the track. "The Truth is One" keeps the quick tempo running, while "Serpent Hearted Man" would have benefitted from this kind of tempo, as it is a good song, but just doesn't quite have the right feel about the music to make it the closer the album deserves.
If there is one minor flaw with the album, I guess you could argue that it does have a very familiar and similar sound most of the way through. This can lead to the album feeling as though it is a little too long, also due to the fact that the average song length is longer than a three and a half minute radio tune. At a couple of ticks over the hour mark, if you aren't a huge fan of the band you could certainly begin to feel it may outstay its welcome. It's a small detail, and not meant to be a criticism of the work as a whole, just as a pointer towards why some do not enjoy this all the way through. And yes, the double kick drum seems to be a constant throughout, and this also seems to include indulging in a similar rhythm riff for most of the album... sure, it wouldn't be hard to try and be picky if you were of a mind to do so. Thus it is important to note that these things are a part of the album. However, when you are in the album, these slight deficiencies melt away, leaving you with what is a very listenable and enjoyable range of songs.

This was to be the final album of Blaze Bayley as a band entity, before he became a true solo artists, and brought in session musicians or bands to help him record and perform. To be honest, this has perhaps hurt his future material, without collaborators around him that he trusts to bounce ideas off. Still, there is plenty here to like and enjoy, and admire the tenacity of the man who has built a career beyond the high profile bands he was once a part of.

Rating:  I have a noose around my neck, it is spun from my hopes and dreams.  3.5/5

591. Blaze Bayley / The King of Metal. 2012. 3/5

Given Blaze's track record in the early 2000's with his initial releases after leaving Iron Maiden, he has had plenty of credits in the bank with me. The albums Silicon Messiah and Tenth Dimension and Blood & Belief were all super albums that at least matched what Iron Maiden were putting out at the same time. The last two albums have been good without the spectacular nature of the afore-mentioned albums, and so perhaps Blaze has been eating into those credits.
Still, given that he has come out and named this album The King of Metal he has either put himself under enormous pressure to match the title, or he has succeeded.

As much as I would have liked to be able to report that this was indeed a return to the best that Blaze can produce, it isn't in me to do so. That isn't to say that this is a bad album - it just isn't a great album. No doubt that one of the things about not having a stable band line-up is that you can't co-create an album, and have a vision of this album and future albums. When you only have hired hands, they can't always be involved in the creative process. In this case, I think that has affected the content of the album.

I think the songs vary in great degree from the good heavy material that Blaze has become known for ("The King of Metal", "The Black Country" and "The Rainbow Fades to Black"), to the very ordinary slower ballad like material ("One More Step" and the closer "Beginning") to the confused 'not really sure what this song should be like' material ("Fighter").

I admire Blaze for the way he is continuing his career, and doing so in a cost effective way so that he can get to all his fans all over the world. To be honest, I think that to stretch himself in the future he needs to find himself a collaborator, much in the way Bruce Dickinson and Roy Z worked in the late 1990's together. Someone to help filter the good material he is still coming up with, from the filler that just isn't up to standard.
The King of Metal doesn't quite come up to the standard of his previous material, but it is a damn sight better than the stuff that was recorded on the new Wolfsbane album that came out at about the same time. Stick with your own stuff Blaze, and steer clear of that rubbish!

551. Blaze Bayley / Promise and Terror. 2010. 3/5

With such a solid volume of work behind the band in the past decade, there was some honest anticipation towards this new release from Blaze Bayley.
What I discovered on the first few listens to the album was that it seems quite flat. In many ways, there is little to differentiate between each song, and the power and intensity just doesn't seem to be prevalent. Yes, the songs do start to sound the same, and even after many listens I have trouble distinguishing between the songs.

To be fair to this album in comparison to those he has released up to this point, it had a lot to live up to. Where this release falls down is that it doesn’t maintain the rage for heavy metal like Blood & Belief in particular does. It doesn’t contain anything unexpected or new. The riffs and melodies are all very similar, without the hook to grab you from the outset. No doubt Blaze had a lot on his mind when he was producing this album, and though it is often good to have a general theme running through an album, you need a change in the tone.
Best for me are the openers "Watching the Night Sky" and "Madness and Sorrow".

It is not a bad album, but it is for all intents and purposes an average album. Perhaps the plateau has been reached. I like the album and have no problem listening to it more than a month after first getting it, but how long that lasts for I can't say.

139. B L A Z E / Blood & Belief. 2004. 4.5/5.

Blaze Bayley's third release for his own band continues their trek toward the top of the modern metal genre, with a heavy and headbanging addition to his discography.

This band has progressed in the metal genre with each album, and here is their best so far. Full of great heavy riffs and drumming, and backed by the excellent lyrics and vocals. The songs are perfectly balanced for Blaze's vocals, something that is apparent was not considered a lot in his days in Iron Maiden.
Driven by the powerful Alive, Ten Seconds, Blood And Belief, Life And Death, Will To Win and Soundtrack To My Life, this album exceeds all before it, and is a blue print for how metal in the new millenium should be heading. The fact that it is at least as good as Maiden's recent releases is also a triumph for Blaze himself.

In my opinion, Gamma Ray have been the leaders of innovation and pushing the future of heavy metal in the past fifteen years. This album proves that B L A Z E are now one of those bands following the path that they have 'blazed' for them.

Rating : An extremely impressive addition to this band's stable. Their ability to continue to follow up solid albums is a testament to their hard work. 4.5/5.

79. B L A Z E / As Live As It Gets. 2003. 4.5/5.

Though this was not my first taste of B LA Z E (I had a couple of songs off their debut album, Silicon Messiah), it was the first lengthy listen I had had of the band, and of most of their songs. And it is a worthy first listen.

This was recorded on the Tenth Dimension tour, and is a veritable best-of the band's two albums released to that point, as well as some Iron Maiden songs from Blaze Bayley's era, and a Wolfsbane song as well!

The band are excellent, and the live versions of all these songs are awesome. Blaze sings his stuff fantastically well. The whole double album is a tribute to a band that have found a niche in the metal market, and filled it admirably.

Rating : Great live album, that would also act as a great starting point for the unindoctrinated. 4.5/5.