Blaze Bayley
Promise And Terror

For a musician, getting dismissed by the world's most famous heavy metal band is akin to a resounding blow to the teeth. Good old Blaze Bayley, since his (former) colleagues decided in '99, after just two albums, that it was time to let go, at least had the strength to not get discouraged, to roll up his sleeves, and to move forward, starting again practically from scratch. In an overly crowded context like that of metal, going around with the reputation of being "the wrong guy at the wrong time" isn't the easiest thing, but at some point, you realize you have to make peace with that. After a strong phase of his solo career under the name Blaze, with several solid albums like "Silicon Messiah" and "Tenth Dimension," not masterpieces but still more than enjoyable records, following yet another lineup change, good old Blaze decided to reset everything and "become a debutant" again, putting simply his name on the cover and surrounding himself with brand new musicians. After the excellent "The Man Who Would Not Die" from 2008, perhaps the best work done in over twenty years of career, the English singer tried again two years later with this "Promise And Terror." The album, written during a troubled period in the artist's private life, is influenced, both lyrically and musically, by the moment of difficulty, with darker-than-usual lyrics on one side and a greater heaviness in sound on the other. After ten years of total creative freedom, the style has been defined, showing an artist capable of moving from more intense moments to others more mellow and intimate, also thanks to the support of highly capable musicians, sometimes a bit cold and anonymous, but still good craftsmen of heavy metal. The initial "Watching the Night Sky" is great for starting the dance, while the pounding rhythms of "Madness And Sorrow" soon give way to "1633," one of the most interesting tracks of the bunch, dedicated to the figure of Galileo Galilei, and "City Of Bones," which lyrically draws inspiration from the Siege of Leningrad during World War II. With "Faceless", the album welcomes what would have once been the B side of the record, and with it, there's also a certain change of atmosphere, with lyrics becoming more personal, returning to deal with themes dear to Blaze like determination, strength, and facing life's challenges. The pair "Faceless" and "Time To Dare" seems to have been written specifically to keep up the tension during concerts, with choruses designed to be sung at the top of one's lungs. A completely different matter for the following tracks, which accompany the listener towards the concluding part of the album, ideally pieces of a single long track. During the mini-suite, acoustic parts alternate with heavier ones, up to the concluding "Comfortable In Darkness," a track that seals fifteen minutes of heavy (metal) and puts the final word on an album of notable quality, yet another offering from an artist worthy of far greater fame and consideration. After this "Promise And Terror," the Blaze Bayley Band effectively imploded, with Blaze intending to pursue his career as a full-fledged solo artist, free to hire different collaborators depending on the needs of the moment. So far, the choice doesn't seem to have been too convincing: frankly, it would be logical to expect that a singer be accompanied by stable musicians with whom to record and perform concerts, not by support groups contacted each time. Moreover, it's worth highlighting that the latest studio work, "The King Of Metal" from 2012, the first of this new phase, didn't quite convince, showing a clear drop in inspiration compared to better times. Regardless of what the future holds, there's no doubt that this "Promise And Terror" is a mature and complete album, definitely deserving of interest.

1. Watching The Night Sky
2. Madness And Sorrow
3. 1633
4. God Of Speed
5. City Of Bones
6. Faceless
7. Time To Dare
8. Surrounded By Sadness
9. The Trace Of Things That Have No Words
10. Letting Go Of the World
11. Comfortable In Darkness

• Blaze Bayley, vocals
• Nicolas Bermudez, guitar
• Jay Walsh, guitar
• David Bermudez, bass
• Larry Paterson, drums