Blaze Bayley
The Man Who Would Not Die

Blaze Bayley
The Man Who Would Not Die

I was taken aback when I came across the cover of the new album by the former Iron Maiden. A sudden vision, during the usual afternoon post-work walk, which led me to curiously purchase the CD. I was convinced that this time (after the split from his solo band) Blaze Bayley would never get back up. I was sure he would raise the white flag and let himself go, retiring from the heavy scene to end up singing covers of the good old days in semi-empty venues. But no.

This British singer, undeservedly slandered by most almost as a matter of principle rather than real knowledge and objective vocal technique, is a tough nut to crack that rarely throws in the towel when faced with the difficulties ahead. His determination is truly priceless, and after yet another stop, we find him in the windows of specialized stores ready to start again with the fourth solo studio album "The Man Who Would Not Die". Honestly, I don't know if this album is a sort of concept (it seems a film with a similar title was released), or not. What is certain is that the title fits perfectly with the ability to restart of the badass artist in question. He is a kind of highlander: you have to take his head off to put him out of the music market. The blow with the Maiden wasn't enough for him, and the aforementioned split with his solo band "Blaze" after the release of the good "Blood & Beliefs" back in 2004 didn't help either. Even though all the musicians left our friend high and dry, he rolled up his sleeves, and after almost 4 years, he's ready to start again with a fiery line-up and the same energy as at the beginning.

The result is, as usual, of a high level, very high, and it is equally likely that, as always, few will pay attention to this genuine heavy metal flash. Let’s spend some lines to intrigue and not bore. Music as always massive, which sometimes recalls Iron Maiden ("Blackmailer" and "Smile Back At The Death") and sometimes veers towards a heavy, dark, and powerful rock interpreted with great tenor vocal conviction. An album that is not built at the table, but exudes passion and the desire to do ; of course, this peculiarity reflects positively, with a good number of high-quality and diverse tracks (like the hypnotic "A Crack In The System," the lightning "Robot," the hit "While You Were Gone," and the complex "Smile Back At Death"), and also negatively with an exaggeration in the number of tracks that inevitably tends to weigh everything down.

An abundant hour is excessive, I do not deny, and cutting a few tracks ("Voices From The Past" and the final and insipid "Serpent Hearted Man") would, in my opinion, have made the listening experience of the product even more pleasant. But Blaze is like that, and you have to accept him for his energy and desire to sing pure heavy metal without compromise. I am sure that over time he will win over quite a few hard rockers and lovers of a very muscular and dark metal. A CD that would be a shame not to listen to. I write positively about it, hoping without too much conviction that someone might want to give it a listen out of sheer curiosity. It may not be at the level of the old Iron Maiden, but certainly, it doesn't reach the depths of the latest. A good, excellent middle ground.          

3 and a half stars

1. The Man Who Would Not Die (4:35)
2. Blackmailer (4:43)
3. Smile Back At Death (7:38)
4. While You Were Gone (5:27)
5. Samurai (5:39)
6. A Crack In The System (5:53)
7. Robot (3:10)
8. At The End Of The Day (3:39)
9. Waiting For My Life To Begin (5:10)
10. Voices From The Past (5:55)
11. The Truth Is One (4:22)
12. Serpent Hearted Man (6:15)