Blaze
As Live As It Gets

I really don't like the metalhead scene, and this is coming from someone who owns over 300 original CDs related to the genre. For heaven's sake, often those who have little knowledge of metal music and its various nuances spout an incredible amount of nonsense. How many times have I heard things like, "I didn't think you were a metalhead. So, do you listen to satanic and violent stuff???" As for the satanic factor, they refer to "The Number of The Beast" by Iron Maiden and their mascot Eddie without knowing that the Maiden are Catholic and that those lyrics are the result of a nightmare by Mr. Harris. They don't even know that there are extremely melodic bands that with solos and beer-laden choruses cheer for happy metal, hard rock, AOR, glam. I would laugh seeing their faces while listening to the trumpets and stadium choruses of Freedom Call, Trick or Treat, Edguy, Timeless Miracle, etc... I'd like to know how they would label bands like Gotthard, Pride Of Lions, Magnum, Journey, Angra, etc., as violent. But even the more classic metal and power metal, although they are two more powerful and pompous genres, strongly emphasize the melodic side and especially have normal lyrics that cheer for having fun, anger, talk about imaginative plots, fears that grip our lives, hopes, disappointments, epic futuristic concept albums, and some historical references, etc... The truth is that metal is NOT all the same. Metal brotherhood??? All nonsense. Try to see how a power metaller and a blackster respect each other. At best, total indifference, at worst mutual verbal insults, even heavy ones.

The metalhead scene annoys me because of its total victimization in the face of often unfounded accusations (here on debaser they often rain down a 1 on CDs never listened to) and exploits this fact greatly. The vast majority of metalheads are as obtuse and flexible as a reinforced concrete pillar. They have to dress a certain way, or else they are "posers." They have to spread their creed and continue to claim they are superior to those who prefer other musical genres because metal must be music suitable only for the elite and other nonsense. True metalheads, to avoid being humiliated with the disgraceful epithet of "poser," must listen to the usual bands (Maiden, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Judas Priest, Manowar, Megadeth, etc.), go to Gods Of Metal or Wacken, buy the t-shirts, and idolize these bands dead for decades even at the expense of simply appalling record releases. This is why in this extremely flexible and ductile context, the revolutionary figure of Blaze Bayley is viewed poorly by the metalhead masses. In their view, he dared to tarnish the sanctity of the Maiden by singing differently from Dickinson on two whole albums. Heaven forbid saying otherwise. If Dickinson is God, Blaze must necessarily be crap: it's logic. So it is written, and so it must be. Probably he should have ripped out his vocal cords himself and distorted his naturally deep and low voice timbre. Moreover, as a newly entered member, he should have composed decent songs given the steaming crap Harris produced (with the exception of 3-4 tracks) in the '95-'98 period. Hence, Bayley, as a scapegoat, leaves the band and the place to savior Dickinson for the planned commercial relaunch of the band. Almost none of the metalhead masses bothered to care about Blaze's solo career because finally the Maiden were back!!!

If Iron Maiden, instead of the fairly decent reheated minestrone "Brave New World" and the two dull works "Dance of Death" and "A Matter Of Life And Death," had released an album the caliber of "Silicon Messiah" (Bayley's first solo CD), "Tenth Dimension," or "Blood & Belief," there would probably be 200 reviews on debaser by now and many metalheads would talk passionately about a miracle and proof of God's existence. That didn't happen, and these three excellent works were bought by me and a few others...

Considering the fact that Blaze has often been accused of vocal incapacity live, I want to talk to you about his live titled "As Live As It Gets" released in 2003 under SPV records. Obviously, almost no one will know it because, for the average cool true metalhead, it is essential to download CDs of minor bands, but have in their collection Maiden CDs (strictly original because these are the emerging bands that need our financial support) such as "Live After Death" (CD and DVD 2008), "Live At Donington," "Rock In Rio" without forgetting essential duds like "A Real Live/Dead One" and all the inevitable best offs. How can one live without having at least 5 live photocopy versions of "Fear Of The Dark"???

In "As Live As It Gets," Bayley and his solid band deliver two hours of genuine metallic show, without edits and sparing no energy. Blaze demonstrates extraordinary charisma and unleashes his powerful voice on dark and low tones that enhance him. It begins with the up-tempo "Speed Of Light" which immediately clarifies to the listener the cohesion of a formation precise and essential in riff and rhythm section. The sound is at times dirty, not retouched at all by Sneap in the production phase, with Wray and Slater's riff raging wildly. There is no search for perfection, and Blaze, rather than attempting to approximate the photocopy version compared to the CD, successfully energizes a warm audience with a fierce, passionate, damn real and convincing interpretation. Just turn up the volume, and we're in a lively crowd sweating and moving to the compelling notes of Steel or the energetic "Kill And Destroy." No compromises in a tracklist that practically doesn't pause with powerful riffs combined with pleasant, but never gaudy, melodic lines. When the super ballad "Stare At the Sun" arrives (which screws all the "Brave New World," "Dance Of Death," and the like of recent times without lube), Bayley offers his best. The contented public sings with passion, accompanying a passionate execution of a piece with a successful crescendo: undoubtedly one of the best power ballads I've ever listened to and which live increases its value. I don't want to bore you with the complete description of the album as it moves on these coordinates with very good moments ("Silicon Messiah," "The Brave," "Born As A Stranger," "Tenth Dimension," "Land Of The Blind," and "Ghost In the Machine") without forgetting the maiden episodes of the past and the "bastardization" of "Dazed And Confused."

I would forcibly make all those obtuse people who insist on saying that Bayley is a mediocre singer listen to this CD. I highly recommend purchasing this live album and the three solo CDs of an underrated singer who was able to react to the truly ungrateful and undeserved Maiden period. Brothers of metal my ass

4 stars