Blaze Bayley
The Man Who Would Not Die

Fifth release for the English singer, whom most will remember with Iron Maiden on albums such as "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI". In reality, this would be the first release under his full name since the previous albums were released under the name Blaze. Four years have passed since the last work "Blood And Belief", marked by personal and professional difficulties, so the new release predictably takes on an angry and dark tone.

It begins with the title track, energetic and powerful, highlighted by an excellent solo section; a stellar start, immediately a potential hit. After the good "Blackmailer" and "Smile Back At Death" (an epic piece inspired by the film "Gladiator", which perhaps gets a bit lost during the listening, also due to its over seven minutes duration), it is the turn of "While You Were Gone", a ballad with faster moments, featuring a poignant and dramatic interpretation by Blaze. After what is perhaps the best track of the entire work, it's the turn of the excellent "Samurai", the most Maiden-like piece of the set, with its bass intro and catchy chorus repeated over and over, a debatable solution on the record but of sure impact live. Further down the tracklist, the almost thrash of "Robot" (chosen as the leading single), the good ballad "At The End Of The Day", and the last four tracks stand out: "Waiting For My Life To Begin", "Voices From The Past", "The Truth Is One", and "Serpent Hearted Man". "Waiting For My Life To Begin" is a piece that features several tempo changes, starting with the contrast between the aggressive and fast riffing of the verses and the slowdown in the chorus; once again, the band's performance in the song's solo section stands out, featuring excellent breaks, leads, and solos. "Voices From The Past" is stylistically akin to the previous piece; again, excellent tempo changes, a great chorus, and a well-played and well-conceived instrumental section. "The Truth Is One" is slightly more driven, opened by an excellent drum break (which remotely recalls that of "Painkiller" by Judas Priest); a piece with a fairly dark cut that sees the pressure drop in conjunction with yet another great chorus of the album. It concludes splendidly with "Serpent Hearted Man", the most introspective track of the album, which seems a bit like a summary of the record, with its thrash-touching accelerations, slowed down and very catchy chorus, and the usual professionalism of the band members in the instrumental phase.

All in all, an excellent CD, practically perfect for Blaze's vocal cords, where he can unleash all the power on mid-low tones that he was unable to express with Iron Maiden. The musicians he has surrounded himself with are great professionals and are creators of an almost perfect performance. The variety within the work is also good, definitely a point in favor of the band, which could attract different types of listeners.