Review by Richard Henry for MPM
Quick jaunt up the road for this one, Blaze hitting the Limelight and celebrating the release of his new album ,Circle of Stone, as always a few Maiden songs as well.
Absolva
Basically, I think these guys are sort of billed as Blaze’s backing band which is a bit of a disservice as they are actually really good in their own right, these guys have been putting out quality metal albums since 2012, Fire in the Sky is a great track, now I thought they sounded more like a power metal band than a straight metal band in the most part, great melodies and great playing, some really strong tracks and choruses that will absolutely stick in your head, I am going to be totally honest, I hadn’t listened to them before seeing them tonight even though they have been about for over a decade and I am 100% going to remedy that right away, definitely go check them out!
Blaze Bayley
Alive – From “Blood and Belief”, that’s a way to kick off a set, that’s a sledgehammer of a riff banging you right from the off on this one, almost grungy in style as well as the vocal, the that sort of dissonate riff part comes in and I start thinking like a later Vicious Rumors style sort of song, great solo and then back into it again, banging track to start with!
Ten Seconds – From the same album, really nice sort of arpeggiated riff and a great bassline right in behind it as well, then the drums come in, again it’s just a heavy straight-ahead track, and i am sure i will say it again, I much would rather hear Blaze do his own stuff and just leave the Maiden songs out, bar Bruces solo stuff when did maiden ever do anything this heavy, really catchy chorus as well, class track!
Ghost in the Bottle – Off to the new album “Circle of Stone”, again i just get massive power metal vibes, but you see when it goes to that half time part just as it hits the chorus, that is just massive and you really hear the texture in Blazes voice, he’s got serious depth in there, love that muted guitar line in there, another blinder!
Warrior – “War Within Me”, almost minstrel type guitar line and Blaze has a great soaring vocal, the chorus on this will absolutely stick in your head, great little guitar part comes in after the chorus that develops into the solo, great second solo and melody line that takes this one out!
War Within Me – Well I mean that’s a riff isn’t it, almost like a thrash metal riff, from the album of the same name, I am loving the vibe of this one, Blaze blasting through the vocals, there is a really cool build up into the chorus part, there is a melody in the middle of this is just so sort of uplifting, great track yet again, the band is totally on form tonight as is Blaze!
Pull Yourself Up – Another from the same album as the last two, this has more a mid-tempo sort of headbanging feel to it, much lower vocal in the chorus, that chorus is right there for you to sing back at the band and then the guitar part after is just full of melody, literally, little bits of playing around it but its deliberate, really great sort of grinding along track, loved it!
The Call of the Ancestors – It all went a bit Scottish on this one, from the new album, it’s the intro to the next track!
Circle of Stone – This song so reminds me of something else and i cannot put my finger on what it is, I love that melody line in between the vocals on the second verse, then that sort of gallop tempo to the chorus part, again I so prefer Blazes own stuff, it suits him so much better (and by the way, I think the same about Bruces solo stuff as well), he just has more time to let his voice do what it does in the register he is comfortable with and it shows, also again the band is top class tonight as well!
Rage – Back to the new album again, great intro where yet again you really get to hear the man’s pipes in all their glory before the band kick in on this, the riff on the verse is just nasty a really grinding along and then it builds into the pre chorus and chorus parts, and that chorus when it goes half time and the vocals climb up is just class, great guitar playing from the guys a solid one two from the both of them and they have been note perfect all night, love that drop after the solo and then the buildup as the song rounds out!
A Day of Reckoning – Still on the new album, a sort of folky guitar intro over a wistful vocal from Blaze, then when it comes in on the verse Blaze is wailing over it, i really love that riff and then the harmony guitar part as well, great combination, and that sort of snare build up into the chorus part, it’s an absolute headbanger of a track, I really like that melody part just before the solo proper, really builds that whole part of the song up, this is a beautiful well put together track!
The Path of the Righteous Man – Still on the new album, I immediately thought of like Accept the way that riff kicks in, especially the verse, for some reason it really put me in that vibe, I love the way they build up the next part with the drums, the riff and the melody guitar, and then the riff part after the chorus is just class, another blinder of a solo comes up, the Appleton’s are quite a team up there, this actually might be my favorite song of the entire evening!
Lightning Strikes Twice – First of the Maiden tracks for tonight, now I have to say, I never liked this song, and to make a point, the music was written by the rest of Maiden, Blazes vocal was good as it is on this tonight, I just could never get into this track and the same can be said tonight, the band and Blaze are great on it and it sounds really good but I just can’t have this one at all!
Mind Reader – This is the first track off his new album “Circle of Stone”, quite a way into the set, now this one really screams Maiden with the way the start of it is lined up with the melody guitars, great solo on this over a really rock n roll riff, then a really nice harmony guitar part, again I much prefer Blazes own stuff and this one yet again, great chorus and a really catchy song!
Stare at the Sun – From “Silicone Messiah”, really melancholic intro to this one, lovely guitar melody line over a clean guitar part, really deep nearly like a crooning vocal to this, but still, you can hear the depth of the guy’s voice, love it when the band kick in properly on this, great chorus part to this with the descending chords, I think the thing i get is that he sounds so string and at home on his stuff and it suits him so well, that the maiden songs just don’t seem as good to be honest, I think his own stuff is actually much better!
2.AM – See the thing about this one, is that you hear the depth of Blazes voice and that is something that you hear more on this, I think some of the tracks Maiden did, really didn’t suit Blaze, you listen to his solo stuff and he is big and round sounding, this one live has the same experience, it’s actually a really cool track to hear live, again I suppose you are never going to experience this one with Maiden so seeing it like this tonight is really an experience
Every Storm Ends – From the War Within Me album, the guy has a great set of pipes, bringing it down for this one, it has a great build up to the chorus, really cool hearing it like this instead of the album version of it, and again all eyes on Blaze, loved this version though!!
Man on the Edge – First of the Maiden one two punch, and I have to admit, this one grat4ed on me when I first heard it and it sort of does the same now, more so how many times can you sing the same line over again, the band sounds great as does Blaze, obviously it gets a good reaction as most people are well onto the Maiden songs, good energy from the stage and from the crowd on this one!
Futureal – I have to admit, this one is a song that whatever you think of the Blaze albums, it’s one of the good tracks, even as much as Maiden have done it with Bruce, the band are solid on this and it’s good to hear it with the original voice of the song, good few are singing back the chorus on this one and it’s clear that everyone knows this track, good closer for the set!
I think my problem was I saw some of the other setlists and saw Sign of the Cross and The Clansman which are definitely two of the stronger tracks from the Blaze albums so pity they didn’t make it to the Irish setlists, honestly, I much preferred Blaze doing his own songs than the Maiden stuff, solid set and great band, definitely worth seeing them on tour!
Photography by Darren McVeigh for MPM
