Blaze Bayley
Tenth Dimension

After the success of the debut "Silicon Messiah," Blaze Bayley returns to the studio to give birth to the second episode of his solo career, titled "Tenth Dimension," released in 2002. The fresh and powerful heavy metal that was the sound of the first work is here reproduced through compositions that, however, do not reach the qualitative levels of "Silicon Messiah."

This second chapter of Bayley's solo career, although, as already mentioned, does not reach the compositional fullness of the first, is certainly not a work to be discarded. The impact of classic heavy metal confirms a vocalist who, along with his band of musicians, wanted to continue on a well-trodden path. The result, as one might understand from the start, lacks originality, but in light of the music contained in the CD, it's a flaw we can also consider venial.

In developing and conceiving "Tenth Dimension," Blaze Bayley succeeds in his intent to leave the Maiden experience behind. Moreover, on this topic, I want to open a small parenthesis: with Steve Harris's band, Bayley did not demonstrate his true vocal and compositional abilities. Bayley's timbre is not suited (naturally always in my way of listening) to the "progressive" heavy metal undertaken by the Maiden with "The X Factor," although the darkness of that album made it so Bayley's voice could somehow adapt to the context. In "Virtual XI," instead, sound and voice were indeed two different bodies...

Returning to talk about the album and apologizing for the tedious digression, the "ear immediately catches" the power of the guitars, which from the initial beats of "Kill And Destroy" will dominate in terms of the stylistic proposal. The same title track underscores what has already been said and, on the one hand, also highlights the real problem of the album, which makes it inferior to "Silicon Messiah": "Tenth Dimension," although composed of valid metal pieces produced and played with heart, does not have within it those two/three hits as they were "Ghost In The Machine", "Born As A Stranger", and "Stare At The Sun" for the debut album. Nevertheless, the listening remains enjoyable through aggressive songs and more "relaxing" episodes.

"Tenth Dimension" only confirms the excellent debut, despite the aforementioned limits. A listening still recommended to those who appreciated the vocalist with the long sideburns and to all those who want to delve into his solo career.

1. "Forgotten Future" (1:03)
2. "Kill And Destroy" (4:27)
3. "End Dream" (5:15)
4. "The Tenth Dimension" (6:18)
5. "Nothing Will Stop Me" (4:21)
6. "Leap Of Faith" (3:38)
7. "The Truth Revealed" (1:44)
8. "Meant To Be" (6:26)
9. "Land Of The Blind" (3:56)
10. "Stealing Time" (4:37)
11. "Speed Of Light" (4:43)
12. "Stranger To The Light" (6:33)