BLAZE BAYLEY: Silicon Messiah (MELODIC METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Blaze Bayley's first album under his own name, 'Silicon Messiah' comes after a five-year stint with British legend Iron Maiden. The dismissal was quite brutal, as Bruce Dickinson's return had obviously been planned for quite some time. Despite this setback, Bayley didn't stand still. He started writing as soon as he left, then surrounded himself with a very solid team of British musicians, including guitarists Steve Wray and John Slater, who formed a formidable pair.

Although it could have gone unnoticed, 'Silicon Messiah' proves to be a huge surprise in terms of the quality of its writing and interpretation, and a gigantic slap in the face, as the Heavy Metal of Blaze Bayley and his band is powerful and incisive. The singer is far more at ease vocally than with Iron Maiden, and the music developed throughout the ten tracks is modern, melodic and perfectly produced, Andy Sneap (Machine Head, Kreator) having done a remarkable job. Wray and Slater complement each other well, and the rhythm section adds to the power of the whole.

In the end, there's not much to throw away from this unexpected album, starting with the power hits 'Ghost In The Machine', a nugget of melodic power heavy with an instant, unifying chorus, and the fearsome 'Born As A Stranger', made for the stage, slowly building in intensity with another devastating chorus. The album also includes a number of modern heavy metal tracks. These include 'Evolution', a very dark, incisive track, 'Identity' and the formidable eponymous title track with its sweet, superbly sung introduction.

Blaze Bayley doesn't forget his roots, of course, with two excellent fast, melodic tracks that are typical of Iron Maiden: 'The brave' and especially 'The Launch', with its unstoppable melody reminiscent of the more accomplished 'Futureal' from 'Virtual XI'. Finally, Blaze Bayley teaches a lesson to those who thought him incapable of singing long, epic, melodic songs with 'The Hunger', a very good mid-tempo and above all 'Stare At The Sun', beautiful and moving, especially lyrically, with a fine build-up to another excellent chorus.

In one album, Blaze Bayley proves that he does indeed have a future on the Heavy Metal scene. The bad tongues can't help but shut up after listening to this devastatingly melodic record. Blaze Bayley has taken his revenge, and has pleased those who have always believed in him and his abilities. - Official website

BLAZE BAYLEY

SILICON MESSIAH

SPV STEAMHAMMER

MELODIC METAL