SURFACE (UK) - Race the Night (LP, Killerwatt, 1986)

RATING: 7/10

Short version:
Yet another one of the countless good NWOBHM bands that never really got anywhere, Surface shows themselves in quite a good form in "Race the Night", a very unusual debut live album that may not hit that hard, but definitely offers some nice songwriting and a vibrant, mostly very engaging hard/heavy repertoire. If you're into the more melodic, less frantic end of the NWOBHM spectrum such as Shy, Heavy Pettin or early Chrome Molly, this might be your thing - but really, give this one a listen even if you don't, as it's definitely one that can appeal to a large array of heavy rock palates.

Extended version:
(well, not that extensive anyway, but I think these persevering heavy rockers sure deserve the courtesy of a more careful review)

I must confess it took me quite a long while to give Surface's "Race the Night" LP a proper chance. I don't know, maybe the concept of a band's debut being a live album didn't appeal that much to me, or perhaps my previous knowing of the band as a not-skull-crushingly-heavy entity would always direct them to the end of my Must-Listen queue, in favor of more immediate and/or fast-and-furious propositions. But there you have it, I finally did it, and oh well, isn't it actually a pretty good record after all? I wouldn't go as far as calling it an underrated NWOBHM classic or anything, but it's indeed a good listen, with mostly nice songs that don't sound contrived or formulaic, and from a bunch of musicians that damn sure knew how to get the job done. 

Hailing from Birmingham (a pretty promising pedigree, as we all know), Surface originally came to be sometime in 1980, as something of a merge of now long-forgotten hopefuls Xenon and Good Grief, both group failing to get anywhere but the nearest pub under their original guises. From the onset, they seem to have set their sights into a more melodic, slighty more convoluted sound than most of their contemporaries, adopting a somewhat ambitious six-piece line-up from a very early stage. Similarly, and though Surface became something of a popular local live attraction quite early in the decade, they seem to have consciously opted to hone their skills to a high level before circulating any demo tapes. Their first 4-tracker (as listed by Malc McMillan in his mighty NWOBHM Encyclopedia) came out in 1984 (not 1981 as some sources state), and though originally being fairly well distributed in and around their geographical area, seems to have been deemed unrepresentative by the band members themselves in later years (maybe they felt the reaction from promoters and record labels wasn't the warmest, who knows). A second tape would make the rounds later that year (a live recording meant to shift hands as a souvenir for the loyal fans), and a proper new studio demo came out in 1985 - a more confident collection of songs, it seems, as Killerwatt Records (a label that were home to some reasonably high profile acts such as Angel Witch and The Babysitters at the time) agreed to offer them a contract before the year was out, to which they gladly signed the dotted line. I mean, the fact that they had recently managed to book a six-week tour of France without having a single slice of vinyl to call their own probably made quite an impression on the label's executives. The later demos from 1985 are now easier to locate, thanks to a CD reissue by the Divebomb label, but the early output from Surface is still quite elusive, and I'd definitely love to give these a listen, so if you happen to have it and feel like sharing it in a way or another, please kindly get in touch.

Now, your guess about why Surface's first (and only) LP came out as a live album is as good as mine, though I tend to think that the financial side of things had a lot to do with that decision. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that "Race the Night" was regarded by the band (and perhaps even the label) as kind of a pre-debut, something along the lines of Stampede's "The Bootleg Album" - a record meant to introduce them to the masses and create some anticipation towards their first 'proper' studio long-player, though Stampede were surely more explicit about that if it was indeed the case. Whatever the story, the band had suffered some minor reshuffling before the tracks were commited to tape (during a hometown gig at The Railway in Birmingham, a common haunt for the lads almost since their inception), with founding guitarist Mike Chesire giving way to Loz Rabone (no previous allegiances I'm aware of), the new axeman adapting quite well to his bandmantes Gez Finnegan (V), Mark Davies (G), Dean Field (K) and brothers Ian (B) and Jamie Hawkins (D). 

"Race the Night" is quite a solid package, with solid songwriting and almost not a filler in sight. The recording is pretty good, and the mixing (by Les Hunt, once a Demon stalwart and then the sitting producer in Killerwatt) is impeckable, with every instrument being given ample room to breathe. The opening duo of "Something" and "Race the Night" is quite impressive, with a remarkably lively delivery that are miles ahead of what most like-minded contemporaries could do at the time, and though we have to survive the somewhat insipid ballad "Take the Morning" right after that, everything moves quite smoothly from that point onwards. Songs like "Night Creature", "Paris" (despite the somewhat nonsensical lyrics) and "Hideaway" are all very good, and even slightly more dated efforts like "Band Girls" work quite well within the album's flow. If you're looking for comparisons, maybe Shy, Bronz and Wildfire (at their most melodic) would be the closest you can get, which is to say Surface's sound stands in the very frontier between hard rock and heavy metal, with generous doses of melody and pretty accessible (though never overtly saccharine of radio-friendly) arrangements. Nothing to make you bang your head until your neck gets sore, that's for sure, but those who are not that much into pop-tinged rock music won't have to hide it as a guilty pleasure, and the unmistakeable '80s vibe of the whole package is actually very enjoyable, adding to the LP's strength rather than diminishing it. Well done really, and quite a good surprise when I first pressed the 'play' button. 

Unfortunately, it seems obvious that "Race the Night" didn't shift as many copies as originally expected, and the strategy of putting a live record out before launching into a full-blown studio assault turned out to make them lose momentum, rather than building it. Credit to the lads, they clearly tried their best to keep things going, and when America's JDI label decided to reissue some Killerwatt releases in the USA in early 1988, the band had already metamorphosed themselves into Beneath the Surface - a somewhat pointless move when it come to name choices, but still a clear indication they wanted to take the opportunity to the fullest and start afresh under a new moniker. There was some serious talk about booking a tour in the USA to promote the "Beneath the Surface" LP (with new logo and front cover, but the exact same recordings and running order), but I suspect these good-spirited plans unfortunately never came to fruition, though I wouldn't be surprised to learn otherwise (these gentlemen were true rock fighters, you know). The repackaged live album seems to have reached pretty modest sales at most, but still served a good purpose as a means to invigorate the band, and Beneath the Surface kept things going until 1990 at the earliest, with signs of minor activity pointing to some form of existance even after that. Jamie Hawkins joined Starfighters in the late '80s, but he kept handling the drumsticks for Beneath the Surface whenever they graced a stage, and the line-up seems to have remained remarkably stable for such a long-running entity, left alone being a six-piece in the first place. Keeping the band on the road for a full decade without making loads of money out of it is no easy feat, you know, so immense respect to them for giving their collective rock and roll dream the best shot they possibly could.

As far as I know, only Laz Rabone tried his luck with other outfits after Beneath the Surface disbanded, lending his considerable guitar skills to Felony and Merciless, none of which seems to have got further than the demo stage. I don't have the CD reissue by Divebomb just yet, so I had no access to the liner notes on such release (this is going to be corrected very soon, I promise), so I'm not aware on any further activities from the musicians involved, though singer Gez Finnegan does have a handful of engineering work to his credit, most famously for Benediction's death metal classic "The Grand Leveller". I suppose they left the limelight without any regrets or hurt feelings, having given their heart and soul to the music as long as it made sense for them, and I sincerely hope they really enjoyed whatever activities they devoted themselves to after their persevering band had fulfilled its lifespan. All in all, a good one to have in your collection if you're a NWOBHM fan, and you may even score a coveted spot in your heart if you give it a few careful listens. Thanks for the music, lads, tonight I'll toast to your health while giving this one another spin. Cheers!

Thanks a ton to Discogs for Surface's picture sleeve scans

Gez Finnegan (V), Mark Davies (G), Laz Rabone (G), Dean Field (K), Ian Hawkins (B), Jamie Hawkins (D). All songs by Field, Finnegan, Hawkins, Hawkins, Davies and Chesire.

01. Intro / Someday 3:10
02. Race the Night 3:57
03. Take the Moment 6:45
04. Paris 4:08
05. It's No Good 3:50
06. Night Creature 4:06
07. Don't Cry 3:56
08. Hideaway 2:46
09. Bad Girls 3:59
10. Story Teller 7:25

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

DANIEL WEST & MODERN MUSIC (USA) - 4:01 P.M. (7'' single, Present, 1981)

RATING: 7/10

I'd really wish to have more information to share with you guys and girls about Daniel West & Modern Music, you know. Such a rare gem, and one that really did set some pulses racing among NWOBHM collectors not so long ago, though now we know it's not a record anyone should really tag as part of the multiverse in question. But alas, fact is I know very little, and any info that can be provided by you people out there in the collecting-world wilderness will be greatly appreciated. I'll drop a few lines about this humble "4:01 P.M." c/w "Strategy's Fashion" 7'' anyway, hoping to be able to add significant info and personnel here sometime in the future. The music is quite nice, you know, so it's well worth the effort. 

There's no picture sleeve in sight, and very little info on the labels to help us in our quest, but I'm sure you'll be sensible to the fact that anyone naming their band as Daniel West & Modern Music are not really trying to pass themselves as a heavy metal outfit at all. Any purist NWOBHM collectors can skip the read and go straight to the next entry if you like, as it's definitely an artifact from the US, with no connections to the British scene (apart from the music contents, that is) after all. In fact, Present Records turns out to be a very small imprint from a fellow named Fela Johnson (yeah, pun intented), an L.A. resident who did release some vinyl in a synthwave/minimal vein in the early 1980's - a material that is quite well regarded by those who enjoy/collect this kind of music, incidentally. As good fella Fela is credited as producer for the Daniel West & Modern Music 7'', the connection is beyond doubt, and more than enough to keep this one away from the NWOBHM wants lists. But we still have the music, you know, and it's very decent music indeed, I tell you.

"4:01 P.M." showcases an excellent, though very simple, riffing coupled with punkish, kinda snotty vocals that bring the track closer to power pop territory - but not your usual good-time poppy punkish fare, that's for sure, as the guitar work sound remarkably heavy and commanding throughout. The bass sounds great too, loud and unrelenting, keeping the energy flowing with sheer commitment to the cause. It definitely sounds British, you know, and those more accostumed with borderline NWOBHM acts such as Baseline, Tutch and Sidewinder will catch my drift on that one. It's probably just coincidence, you know, but still it puzzles me how some young dudes from California managed to sound like working-class geezers from the East End of London... Whatever the story, and though there's nothing too complicated going on, the track as a whole is surprisingly quirky for such a simple structure, so it may take you a couple listens to get used to what the song has to offer. I love it really, and most open-minded metal fans out there will probably be hooked after giving this one a fair chance, as it kicks some serious ass, plain and simple. As for flipside "Strategy's Fashion", it's a more typical, mid-tempo hard rocking number, with a distinctive glam feeling in the guitar melodies and vocal delivery overall. Another simple, but very effective main riff carries the song along with very little effort, and (though it's fair to say it sounds like a more lively Pretty Boy Floyd or Mott the Hoople rather than anything truly metallic) anyone who enjoys the NWOBHM aesthetic will probably find very little to complaint around here. Well done really, and I would definitely love to add a physical copy of this 7'' to my collection, if it weren't for it costing half my monthly salary at least.

The label says it's a 1981 release, and there's no reason to doubt it really, as the entirety of the Present Records' catalog (two EPs from Fela Johnson, and that's it) are from roughly the same period. There's definitely more to this partnership than we know at present, as no other groups ever got their songs pressed by the label, and Fela Johnson seemed to opt for a one-man-army mentality when recording his stuff, with little (if any) accompaniment from fellow (here comes the pun again) musicians. Maybe it was a project from the man himself, using the Daniel West name as a soubriquet and with no support from a proper band? Or perhaps there is a real Daniel West after all, someone who Fela Johnson decided to tutor and/or produce as a friendly gesture? There is, in fact, a certain Daniel West still doing the rounds in Southern California with a vast number of rock, jazz and experimental projects to his credit, his more recent claim to fame being a duo named LoveyDove. It would be a bit of a stretch in terms of age (as, by my calculations, he would be like 13/14 years old by the time this "4:01 P.M." piece of wax came out), but he claims in his biography to be doing the club circuit with bands since he was 11 (and he himself also admits to be highly influenced by British rock music, mind you), so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that he is our guy after all. Let's keep an eye on this one, hopeful for some interesting new developments in the not-too-distant future. 

Million thanks to Discogs for label scans!

Musicians unknown

01. 4:01 P.M. (D. West) 3:04
02. Strategy's Fashion (D.West) 2:41

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

IRON MAIDEN (UK) - Ed Hunter (2 CD, EMI, 1999)

RATING: 6/10

Ok, let's keep it simple on this one. Under usual circumstances, there would be close to zero reason to review "Ed Hunter" around here - it's mostly a video game, you see, and this sort of multimedia is of little interest for the purposes of this blog. Oh yeah, there's an accompanying 2-CD set as a soundtrack for the game, but there's very little in the way of new and/or unusual material on it, so it would hardly be a collectable for anyone but the most passionate fans of Iron Maiden. But timing is everything, you know, and the period when "Ed Hunter" hit the shops coincided with one of the most significant changes in line-up ever witnessed by metal, no less: out was Blaze Bayley (a man that, despite his genuine dedication and commendable character, never managed to be the singer the Beast really needed) and back in were not only Bruce Dickinson, but guitarist Adrian Smith as well - the outfit still keeping the services of Janick Gers in order to become a six-piece, three-guitar assault. To be frank, this seems an obvious solution now, over 25 years since it was first figured out, but it wasn't a safe bet back in early 1999: as it transpires, the name of Doogie White (who had already done well in a few auditions with the band a few years previously) was even considered for a short while, before Steve Harris asked Rod Smallwood (who still had a hand on Bruce Dickinson's solo career back then) whether or not Bruce would be willing to be back into the fore. 

It was little more than a passing idea at first, but it started to gain momentum when, after a conversation between Smallwood and Dickinson, the singer made clear that he would be willing to discuss the possibility. Let's face it: no matter how good his solo career was doing at the time (and "The Chemical Wedding" is a hell of a frickin' great record, your know), good old air raid siren Bruce would hardly ever get the crowds he once had alongside Maiden, and the chance to have a second bite at the cherry was surely one not to be turned down. After getting Harris and Dickinson in the same room, things pretty much fell into place, including the potentially difficult issue of bringing Adrian Smith back into the picture as well: the vocalist made clear it was a mandatory condition in order for him to sign the dotted line, but Steve Harris also felt it would be nice to have three guitarists, and Adrian himself admited he wouldn't feel comfortable if his return to the band meant that Janick Gers had to go. All things considered, turning into a six-piece was not only the right thing to do, but also a mostly natural move given the circumstances, while also creating an immediate feeling of excitement and renewal around the band. 

"Ed Hunter" was already comissioned by this juncture, having very little (if any) weight in the whole reunion thing, but the fact that it was hitting the shops offered Iron Maiden the perfect opportunity to spread the word around with a celebratory tour. It was very fortunate, and the jaunts to promote it were all a resounding success, but that doesn't mean one should see "Ed Hunter" as a more important release than it actually is. The tracklist was put together via a poll on the band's website, which is a charming move, but there's nothing nowhere near a surprise in the running order, and the only minor highlight here is a semi-new version of "Wrathchild", where the original 1981 recording is remixed with Bruce Dickinson singing instead of Paul Di'Anno. He does a good job out of it, that's for sure, but a classic is always a classic, and I can hardly imagine anyone playing this compilation on a weekly basis just because he likes Dickinson's version so much better, if you know what I mean. I personally never bothered about the game, and I never played it, so I have no idea of how good or bad it is (though some friend who are way more into the gaming world than I used to say it was a bit of a corker, so there you have it) - but, when it comes to music, we all have the original albums anyway, this package therefore being of interest only for those who really can't live without having every single item ever released by the band they love (nothing wrong about that, of course). If you don't fit the description, rest assured there's far more better purchases you can do with your hard earned cash.

Whatever turns the story took afterwards, fact is that any major changes need some transitional period to fully come to fruition, and the whole "Ed Hunter" thing, though mostly irrelevant in terms of music (the fact that there's zero prospect of any reissues in the foreseeable future is quite a giveaway on that matter), sure served an important purpose when it comes to make the Iron Maiden reunion into a tangible reality. By the time these honourable and talented gentlemen decided to put their minds into writing new music, everybody already knew that the three guitarists could work quite well together, and the collective feeling around the upcoming record was of genuine anticipation, with very little doubt that they could do things right and get their career back on track for good. After years of turmoil, the dreary '90s were fizzling out in a way more hopeful mood, and soon a new era of world domination would begin for the lads.

CD 1

01. Iron Maiden ("Live After Death" live vrs)
02. The Trooper
03. The Number of the Beast
04. Wrathchild
05. Futureal
06. Fear of the Dark
07. Be Quick or Be Dead
08. 2 Minutes to Midnight
09. Man on the Edge
10. Aces High
11. The Evil that Men Do
12. Wasted Years
13. Powerslave
14. Hallowed Be Thy Name
15. Wrathchild (1999 vrs)

CD 2

01. Run to the Hills
02. The Clansman
03. Phantom of the Opera
04. Killers
05. Stranger in a Strange Land
06. Tailgunner

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!

On a Wing and a Prayer (Compilation, UK, Teesbeat, 1985)

RATING - 7/10

This particular compilation isn't exactly a huge mystery among NWOBHM collectors, though it's still a nice find if you ever locate a copy for a reasonable price. The Teesbeat label was active for the best part of a decade at least, with a studio facility under the same name in Stockton-on-Trees and always showing a laudable disposition to help new bands from the North East of England to reach the vinyl stage - it was, for instance, where Black Rose released their first 7'' single way back in 1982. It seems they released a grand total of three LP compilation during the label's lifespan, this 1985's "On a Wing and a Prayer" being the second (the other two, 1984's "The New Bowery" and 1986's "Rumour Sets the Woods Alight", are hopefully appearing around here sooner rather than later), and it's nice to find out that Teesbeat always allowed the bands they picked to lay down at least two songs for their releases, which not only render the records more cohesive but also gives the hopefuls in question a more generous space to show whatever talent they had. Not that much going on when it comes to genuinely heavy music (and only one act that can be securely labeled as NWOBHM), but still a pretty interesting compilation if we're to be honest, and more than worthy of a proper review around here.

It seems that the LP came out with different inserts, depending on what bands were trying to sell it - an interesting move indeed, as it allowed the groups in question to use it more effectively as a promotional item. Some surviving copies have two, or even three sheets with information about the bands; with that said, it's unfortunate that I'm working with a copy that has no insert at all, as I would be really glad to offer some significant info about Trixter, the only bona fide NWOBHM outfit here featured. Still, let's try to put together the pieces of what little we know about them, always hoping to add new information when it surfaces. The group seems to have been short lived, but fact is that many important local scenesters seem to have had some level of involvement with the combo, most of all guitarist Miles Lofthouse, who also made the rounds with Millenium (as well as their brief re-christening as Tyrone-Power) and thrashers Major Threat. Though the origins of this particular family tree lie in a early 80s combo named Avarice, where Lofthouse first joined forces with Nigel Crooks (I was told once he was a drummer, but I can be wrong, so let me know if you happen to know better), it seems that Trixter was an offshoot from a post-Avarice project, whose name is not yet known and that seemingly recorded a demo or two before adopting the new Trixter guise. Guitarist Jeff Leighton probably took part on the recordings for "On a Wing and a Prayer" as well, and I believe the bass lines were played by Kiko Rivers, who would later record with the most recent incarnations of Black Rose. Have no idea on who was the singer though (maybe it was Nigel Crooks after all, and the band had another drummer, who knows?).

As for the pair of Trixter's originals here featured, "Burn So Bright" starts missing a drum beat, no less, which is quite uncomfortable first time around, But don't give up on them just yet, as this is a pretty interesting (though definitely quirky) heavy number with nice guitar arrangements and a lot of different (and creative) parts for its relatively short running time. The basslines give something of a new wave vibe to the whole thing though, and it takes more than a single listen to really get into what they're trying to reach here. In the end, this may not be the most accomplished of songs, but it's still engaging and enjoyable, and bonus points to the lads for trying to think outside the box and find their own, distinctive sound. "Fraulien", on the other hand, was obviously mispelled on the album cover (I'm not a scholar in German, you know, but I guess they meant to say "fraulein", you know), but does no wrong when the needle hit the grooves: it's a hard-hitting, catchy, full-blown heavy metal tune, and the most interesting track for metalheads when it comes to "On a Wing and a Prayer", hands down. Nothing too complicated going on (though the lead guitarist does a pretty good job with his virtuoso melodies during the instrumental section), but everything works quite well and hints of a band that could have really made it further in the business if given some encouragement and/or financial backing. Well done, lads. 

From the other five bands included, I'd say that Secret Garden's "Tsantsa" is the next best thing as far as us heavy metal enthusiasts are concerned: quite an energetic power pop tune indeed, with some psych rock intonations in places, most of all in the tension-building "shaking your head" chorus. There's also a very interesting solo section towards the end, with some near-metallic melodies that truly deserve a mention. Not NWOBHM by any stretch, but quite a nice song nonetheless, though it ends rather abruptly and leaves the impression that they could have had kept their good thing going a little longer. The other contribution from them, "Summer of Hate", is a mid-tempo number where the new wave influences are far more prominent, though it's still a power pop number for the most part. Not as good as the previous number, unfortunately, and you'll most likely forget it as soon as it's over, as there's nothing too out of the ordinary going on. I also enjoyed True North's "The Wintergarden" - despite a bombastic, deceptive intro, we're into indie rock / post punk territory here, with undeniable similarities to early The Cure and another pretty charming guitar solo halfway through. A good opening number for the LP, which is the exact opposite situation with their "Photographs of Jane", an indie rock ballad carried along by acoustic guitars and loud (though mostly not too intrusive) basslines. It's not a bad composition, but it sound a bit like a three-minute intro rather than a proper song, as you can't help expecting it to explode into a full-band arrangement and it just never happens. The compilers should have allowed the LP to close with "Fraulien" and insert this tune somewhere else in the running order, as it's hardly an exhilarating (or particularly impressive) way to finish proceedings, but there you have it.

Also of some interest for those who enjoy heavy music is The Outfit's "Hazy Down", an acoustic ballad with a contemplative (and somewhat grandiose, almost epic) vibe. It's mostly a voice-and-guitar kind of tune, with the full band appearances basically serving the purpose of enhancing the tension and/or emotion in particular parts. The result is somewhat intriguing, let's put it that way, and it could even pass as a semi-metal ballad under different circumstances, so give it a careful listen and perhaps you might enjoy it. "Listen" is pretty much the same formula, though it's a more typical new wave tune with prominent (sometimes nearly intrusive) keyboards, the semi-acoustic vibes being restricted to the chorus this time around. It lacks energy for the most part, and the doo-doo-doop-pah-pah-pah vocal arrangents halfway through are very annoying I'm afraid, so there's very little for us metal collectors to enjoy here, though it's by no means a disgraceful track at all.

The rest of the pack is of minimal (if any) interest for us metalheads, so let's be brief about them. Secret History offer us a Bossa-nova tinged, definitely pop-inclined new wave in both "Won't Let You" and "Peace of Mind" - the latter being quite an oddball actually, with the previous description augmented by some reggae/ska guitar arrangements overwhelmed under a heavy coating of keyboard/brass saccharine. That being said, I think "Won't Let You" is a decent song that mostly fulfill its promises, with a gifted female singer and very nice basslines throughout. As for The Restrictors, their "Peanuts" number is a rock/ska collision that strongly remind me of some similar attempts by The Clash, though with more busy vocal lines (and with a strong cockney accent going on) and instrumentation. The production values doesn't help, as it sounds like there's just too many people playing in the room - the kind of feeling you get when watching a rehearsal from a not very cohesive band, if you know what I mean. As for "Own Little World", it could have been a half-decent Oi! tune in a Cock Sparrer vein, if not for the strident (and very annoying) brass and mellotron arrangements all over the place. Punk/ska collectors may enjoy it, anyway.

Unfortunately, "On a Wing and a Prayer" turns out to be an apt album title, as none of these hopefuls ever managed to make it big. In fact, most musicians and bands involved simply vanished from the scene, with Trixter being one of the few instances where something can be said of their sophomore activities. It seems that the band didn't really last for long after their vinyl appearance, as Miles Lofthouse was recording a demo with Tyrone-Power even before the year was out, and both Nigel Crooks and Jeff Leighton were involved with an outfit named Bedlam later in the decade. Nigel would become a studio engineer and sound designer in later years, with a fair number of projects to his credit (he would produce a demo for Lofthouse's thrash project Major Threat, for instance) before his untimely passing in 2023 (RIP dude, and thanks for all the music). There are rumours of a third Trixter tune floating around, named "In the Heat of the Night", but it's actually the same "Burn So Bright" under a different name - a confusing development indeed, as it's how Nigel Crooks himself named the track on his Soundcloud account. Maybe it was originally called "In the Heat of the Night", and the "Burn So Bright" came as a last-minute decision from someone involved with the label? One can't be sure by now, but there are no other Trixter recordings floating around as far as I know, with this "On a Wing and a Prayer" being the only chance to listen to their considerable collective talents. Some may hesitate to buy a full LP by virtue of a band alone, but "On a Wing and a Prayer" won't cost you a lot more than you'd have to pay for an obscure 7'' single if it was the case, and most of the music is decent at least, so I would say you can do far worse than putting some hard earned cash on this one if you have the chance.

Extra thanks to Discogs for picture and label scans

Side A

01. TRUE NORTH - The Wintergarden
02. SECRET GARDEN - Tsantsa
03. SECRET HISTORY - Won't Let You
04. TRIXTER - Burn So Bright
05. THE OUTFIT - Listen
06. THE RESTRICTORS - Peanuts

Side B

07. THE OUTFIT - Hazy Down
08. THE RESTRICTORS - Own Little World
09. SECRET GARDEN - Summer of Hate
10. SECRET HISTORY - Peace of Mind
11. TRIXTER - Fraulien
12. TRUE NORTH - Photographs of Jane

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!

IRON MAIDEN (UK) - Virtual XI (CD, EMI, 1998)

RATING: 5/10

I don't think there ever was a more difficult period for heavy metal as a genre (at least when you look above the underground) than the second half of the 1990's. The silly argument about metal being a 'dead' form of music was pretty much everywhere, and the scene as a whole was struggling, with many bands simply being unable to record new albums or book enough shows for a tour. To make matters even worse, most of the behemoths of the metal universe were having quite a bad time, and therefore unable to guide their followers out of the storm. Metallica were trying to be something else with their "Load"/"Reload" experimentations; Pantera, who had taken the world by storm earlier on the decade, were now clearly falling apart; Judas Priest, now without Rob Halford, tried to set a trend (building a bridge from traditional metal to the whole nu metal thing on "Jugulator" and "Demolition") and, perhaps for the first time in their career, failed miserably. Thrash metal luminaries like Slayer and Megadeth were far from their prime, and as for Iron Maiden, well... Let's say that things weren't very dandy on their camp either. After being initially well received by the fans, new singer Blaze Bayley was now clearly struggling to fill Bruce Dickinson's shoes, and the general consensus of opinion (no doubt reinforced by some less-than-flattering live bootlegs floating around) was rapidly turning against him. Though musically a worthy release, 1995's "The X Factor" sold poorly, and the fact they were forced to book smaller venues (most of all in the USA) for the promotional tour to be completed was a clear warning of danger on the horizon. The "Best of the Beast" compilation package probably helped to stabilize their finances in the short term, but it was pretty obvious that Iron Maiden needed to reconnect with their now-dwindling fanbase in order to improve record and ticket sales and, you know, stay on the road as a viable enterprise. Being Iron Maiden is not exactly cheap, you know.

The way I see it, "Virtual XI" was an honest attempt to properly address all these issues into the shape of a typical, easily-recognizable Iron Maiden album. A common criticism towards it is to label it as a disjointed, half-baked Maiden record, that fails mostly because it didn't receive a serious, highly focused treatment like "The X Factor" before it - and, though I don't disagree entirely with such diagnosis, I personally don't think this is the whole truth either, as any careful critic can easily read between the lines what the band (and their management) had in mind for this release. They wanted to keep some of the unique bleakness of "The X Factor" (as it obviously better fitted to Blaze's voice), but also channeling higher doses of their trademark upbeat, dynamic sound. They also wanted to keep touching more contemporary issues, such as the Malvinas War and the development of virtual reality, and would not give up on their newfound passion for longer, more intricate tracks - though also including a few more straightforward numbers to balance things up and keep all fans happy. Even the ill-advised idea to tie the album with the 1998's World Cup in France (that resulted in some cringeworthy photos and a pretty pointless retouching of the CD's cover art) makes a little more sense when viewed under this particular light. In a sense, I think they were trying to stay connected to the times they were living in, while also offering the metal community a 'normal' Maiden record everyone could relate to - something way more akin to what bands like Motörhead and Helloween (after some serious misfires) were doing at the time, rather than the previously mentioned luminaries that were trying to reinvent their own wheel. It's a pretty respectable approach if you ask me, and maybe "Virtual XI" could have been a way better album if some of the pressures upon it weren't present. The way things turn out to be, unfortunately, the record is quite a flop: in fact, it beats "No Prayer for the Dying" by a mile as the band's worst studio release up to that point, and I still think it's the nadir in the group's discography, making more recent minor disappointments like "The Final Frontier" sound like world-conquering monsters in comparison. Yeah, I'm sorry, but it's pretty bad.

What went wrong, you ask me? Well, I think that the biggest problem is that the songwriting simply wasn't there. I wouldn't say the songs are interchangeable, but still they bear a feeling of self-repeating that is too strong to be ignored: the melodies are tired, the song structures are predictable, the hooks are virtually nonexistent. You can listen to the whole 58-minutes-plus experience without getting a single moment of genuine surprise - a situation that gets even worse with the unimaginative, bland production applied to the whole thing, making all instrumental performances sound kinda stolid and lacking in energy and drive. As for the vocals, you can clearly hear how Blaze is genuinely stretching his pipes and working his ass off in order to do the right thing; the record is full of problems for sure, but Mr. Bayley's general performance is surely not one of those. Still, he's singing largely uninteresting lines to some truly unmemorable songs, so you'd be hard-pressed to find any real highlights on his performance here. It's not really his fault, but the record as a whole simply don't work, and his commendable hard work is far from enough to really get the thing off the ground.

Of the eight tracks here featured, I'd only pick "Futureal" and "The Clansman" as high spots - the first being a blood-pumping, fast-moving heavy rocker that works quite well as an opening number, and the latter a convoluted, epic tale of resistance and freedom inspired by the Braveheart movie that is genuinely good and easily (easily!) the best song on the entire package. It's no surprise that it survived into the band's live repertoire well into the 2000's, being featured in setlists in as late as 2019: this is a song crafted for the arenas, with many moments of deep emotional connection and a lot of oh-oh-ohs for the crowd to sing along to. Truly outstanding. From the other songs, maybe "The Educated Fool" (a rumination on themes of inadequacy and personal confusion explored throughout "The X Factor") is slightly better than the rest, and final ballad "Como Estais Amigos" is also not that bad, though the production surely missed the point on this one, making a sulky, ugly sound of what should have been passionate and reconciling.

Maybe "The Angel and the Gambler" is the song that better exemplifies what is wrong with "Virtual XI". The lyrics about addiction and the chance of redemption are nice, and the tune as a whole sounds like a then-modernized version of Thin Lizzy, which is quite a good thing if you ask me - but what the bloody hell was going on in Steve Harris' mind to make such a drudgy, bloated 10-minute mess out of it? The chorus could have been passable if not repeated far beyond reasoning, every overusing of it compounding the song's misery to a point that you simply can't take anymore. Add some aimless, overly-long solos and an over-simplistic, annoying keyboard (played by Steve Harris, who seemingly didn't master but the bare bones of the instrument) floating over the instrumentation, and what could have been a pretty nice 5-minute track becomes an embarassing misfire, a track you're very likely to skip nearly every time you bother to put the record in your stereo. "Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger" is also a failure, with confuse instrumental sections and a chorus that never seems to really connect with the rest of the track, whereas "When Two Worlds Collide" and "Lightning Strikes Twice" are Maiden's most worn out clichés stitched together in the resemblance of proper songs, poorly executed tricks of magic that won't fool anyone but the least demanding fan. 

Still, "Virtual XI"'s final undoing is not on individual tracks, but on the impression they cause when presented as a unity: far from simply showing Iron Maiden having a bad day on the office, they picture a band that came to a dead end, struggling to remain relevant and without any proper clue on what to do next. The immediate developments seemed to corroborate this eerie scenario, unfortunately: "Virtual XI" is still their lowest-charting studio record, and the tour to promote it was sometimes close to a nightmare, with cancelled dates in the USA and many complaints about the band's performances, most of all Blaze's singing - in at least two infamous situations (Santiago, Chile and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil) the shows were cut short after some hot-tempered reactions from the crowd. It was clear for everyone that things had to change, and Blaze Bayley would finally be shown the door in January 1999 - something unfortunate, that's for sure, but obviously necessary in order to get the band back on track. Credit where is due, the man never badmouthed his ex-bandmates, and always shown himself as honoured and blessed for having had the chance to be part of a metal giant like Iron Maiden. A class act, no doubt, and I really enjoy most of what he did on his post-Maiden career, so God bless him. Some inevitable changes were on the horizon, and the whole "Virtual XI" fiasco would soon be left behind by everyone involved, which is all perfectly understandable, I guess. You're well excused to sit this one out if you're not a particularly devoted Maiden fan, and most of us will buy a copy for completist purposes only, as it's a record that will hardly be revisited more than once in a blue moon.

Blaze Bayley (V), Dave Murray (G), Janick Gers (G), Steve Harris (B/K), Nicko McBrain (D).

01. Futureal (Harris/Bayley) 3:00
02. The Angel and the Gambler (Harris) 9:51
03. Lightning Strikes Twice (Murray/Harris) 4:49
04. The Clansman (Harris) 9:06
05. When Two Worlds Collide (Murray/Bayley/Harris) 6:13
06. The Educated Fool (Harris) 6:46
07. Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger (Harris) 8:11
08. Como Estais Amigos (Gers/Bayley) 5:26

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know! 

IRON MAIDEN (UK) - Best of the Beast (4-LP, EMI, 1996)

RATING: 6/10

OK, let's make this one as short and sweet as possible, so we can swiftly move to more interesting (or at least more relevant) Iron Maiden releases. Usually, I'm not really into reviewing best-of compilations, save from situations where there's a fair percentage of unreleased or otherwise rare material - and "Best of the Beast", apart from its historical significance as the first legitimate compilation released by the group, does indeed have a few brand-new recordings to talk about, which just about justifies a review around here. In fact, the timing of the release does say something about the tricky situation Maiden was trying to navigate through: it didn't celebrate any anniversary, there was no label change going on (and therefore no need to fulfill contract obligations with such a release), it was simply a case of, hmmm, putting some Maiden classic songs together in a package people would be willing to buy. To make money, if you want to put it bluntly. Now, I don't think there's anything wrong about using your own legacy as a cash cow on occasion (most of all when it is of such an immensely high standard), but the simple fact that Maiden needed to do it was clear indication that their new incarnation (with Blaze Bayley assuming vocal duties) wasn't exactly a resounding sucess in terms of shifted copies and ticket sales.

Accordingly, it was released on many different formats (so collectors would be tempted to buy multiple versions, of course), the most interesting by far being the 4-LP package: I don't have it anymore, but it's quite a thing of beauty, believe me -  and vinyl releases weren't that common an occurence back in 1996 as they are nowadays, so it's a good one to add to your collection if you can't live without it, though you better prepare to spend some stupid money on it. That's the tracklist I'll include on this post, as it has the most songs included - and there's also a minor diamond hidden among the nuggets, this being a live version of "Revelations" recorded live in Westfalenhallen, Germany during the tour to promote "Piece of Mind". It's unique to the 4-LP version, and it was never re-released anywhere, which immediately turns the package into a must-have for the most obsessive Maiden completists. For the rest of us, well, it's a pretty nice recording of an undisputed Maiden classic, so it's definitely a pleasant listen, but there's nothing too extraordinary on it to justify any sleepless nights if you don't have a copy. And oh yeah, there's also the demo recording of "Strange World" from 1978, that was previously unreleased up to that point - but it did appear on so many bootlegs through the years that you can hardly list it as a surprise, though it was obviously nice to be able to have an officially-sanctioned version of it at last.

Apart from that, the main focus of interest would obviously be the two new recordings with Blaze Bayley, a live rendition of "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" and a brand-new composition named "Virus". This particular tune would also be released as a single (in no less than three different versions, as the band really wanted the collectors to reach into their pockets, you know), but never appeared on any full-length album, being something of an oddity on Maiden's repertoire. It's not a bad song, mind you, but nothing too memorable either, a bitter tirade on sensationalistic media and the music press in general that switches from somber leanings to more lively tempos without a proper hook to put it all together. The lyricism is grumpy, the songwriting is kinda lacking, and the song as a whole don't show Iron Maiden in a particularly shiny light, I'm afraid. Not a song you will be willing to revisit on a weekly basis, and also something of a bad omen of things to come, though we're nowhere near the cringe-worthy territory of some tunes that would come next (more about that on the next review, I guess). That being said, I really like the live take to "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" (recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995): it was notoriously one of the few songs from Maiden's back catalogue that Blaze mastered right from the start, and he sings it so well that some can even try to make a case it's better than Dickinson himself, though I personally wouldn't quite go that far. Anyway, it's a good rendition for the song, and considering that Maiden will probably never release a full live package from the Blaze era (and, let's face it, understandably so), this recording (along with "The Aftermath", "Blood on the Worlds Hands", "The Evil that Men Do" and "Man on the Edge", all released as B-sides) will be your best chance to hear, in officially-released material, how he sounded upon a stage.

The remaining cuts are a mostly adequate selection of Maiden highlights from throughout their career thus far, with mostly obvious choices and very little in the way of surprises. The selected tracks run in a chronological order, the most recent cuts being followed by older classics straight into "The Soundhouse Tapes". It's a fine way to spend a few hours with Eddie and the boys if you don't feel like preparing a playlist yourself, and I guess it served its original purpose to keep Iron Maiden's name alive while they tried to figure out what to do next. But even the Iron Maiden camp don't seem to regard "Best of the Beast" as a particularly representative compilation, as it's been long out of print (unlike most recent best-of releases like "Edward the Great" and "From Fear to Eternity") and there seems to be precisely zero prospect for a reissue anytime in the future. 

The tracklist that follows refers to the 4-LP package. Tracks marked with a * were also included on the 2-CD version. Tracks marked with a ** appeared on the 2-CD and single CD/MD versions. All tracks taken from the standard album releases where they originally appeared, unless otherwise noted

Side A

01. Virus (previously unreleased studio track) ** / 02. Sign of the Cross * / 03. Afraid to Shoot Strangers (live 1995, previously unreleased) *

Side B

01. Man on the Edge ** / 02. Be Quick or Be Dead ** / 03. Fear of the Dark (live, 'A Real Live One' vrs) ** / 04. Holy Smoke * / 05. Bring Your Daughter... To the Slaughter **

Side C

01. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son / 02. Can I Play with Madness ** / 03. The Evil that Men Do ** / 04. The Clairvoyant **

Side D

01. Heaven Can Wait * / 02. Wasted Years ** / 03. 2 Minutes to Midnight ** / 04. Running Free (live, 'Live After Death' vrs) **

Side E

01. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (live, 'Live After Death' vrs) * / 02. Aces High ** / 03. Where Eagles Dare * / 04. The Trooper **

Side F

01. The Number of the Beast ** / 02. Revelations (live 1983, previously unreleased) / 03. The Prisoner / 04. Run to the Hills ** / 05. Hallowed Be Thy Name **

Side G

01. Wrathchild * / 02. Killers / 03. Remember Tomorrow / 04. Phantom of the Opera * / 05. Sanctuary *

Side H

01. Prowler (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs) / 02. Invasion (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs) / 03. Strange World (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs, previously unreleased) * / 04. Iron Maiden (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs) *

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know! 

IRON MAIDEN (UK) - The X Factor (CD, EMI, 1995)

RATING: 8/10

Ok, we have all heard the stories. Thousands of tapes from aspiring vocalists, hailing from nearly every corner of the Earth, all painstakingly heard, ranked and evaluated - some names annotated on a spreadsheet, most simply catalogued and shelved for the time being. Some candidates were stronger than others, of course. Michael Kiske. Steve Grimmett. Glynn Morgan. André Matos. James LaBrie. Who would be chosen to fill the vacant slot left by the mighty Bruce Dickinson and become the new singer for Iron Maiden? Now, I don't want to pretend I'm a scholar on Maiden's convoluted history (you can go straight to Stjepan Juras' books, for instance, if you want to learn the band's history in minute detail), but it still amazes me just how much fan-fiction and legend were added to this particular topic. Contrary to what many Maiden forum users may argue, André Matos (RIP) did not get an audition with Maiden (Rod Smallwood, in particular, loved his voice, but the singer himself admited to have called the process quits before the final stages), Michael Kiske was never even considered, and fanciful options such as Joey Belladonna, Tony Martin, Joe Lynn Turner and Tobias Sammet (a mere 16-year-old at the time, for God's sake) were never on the cards, not for a single moment. In fact, the strongest candidates (and who actually got as far as sharing a studio with Maiden) were way less bombastic - and, to be fair, far more credible: Damian Wilson, Doogie White, Russ North (now that would have kicked ass) and of course, eventual winner Blaze Bayley. It seems that good old Steve Harris had Blaze as his heart choice from the very beginning, but the whole process went along nonetheless, and Doogie White (then a relative unknown, not long before him joining Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow) seems to have been a strong second place - but, as we all know, it was Bayley who got the gig, a choice that started a difficult, sometimes quite tense and confusing, but still very important and interesting period in Maiden's career.

Now, there's one thing that Blaze Bayley would hint in later interviews that I really think should be highlighted. As for his understanding, the fact that he turned out to be chosen should be attributed, most of all, to the creative connection between him and the other guys, most of all Steve Harris. They sure ran through a lot of Maiden classics during the auditions (and I would definitely want to hear the tapes, if they do exist), but they also experimented with a few ideas here and there (most of all, a particular leftover from the Fear of the Dark sessions that would eventually become "Judgement Day"), and it seems that Blaze came with the most interesting input, clearly pointing to a different direction from what Iron Maiden was doing in the early '90s. And, though Steve Harris seems to have been somewhat biased towards Blaze from an early stage (to the point that he may have gravely overlooked the singer's inability to emulate Dickinson in some decisive moments from their repertoire), he deserves credit for having a strong (and, IMHO, quite commendable) vision about what Iron Maiden should do next. He didn't wanted a Dickinson clone, and he didn't wanted to churn out the old regular Maiden fare: he wanted something different, capable of giving the band something of a rehaul in terms of singing, attitude and songwriting. And they sure went somewhere else on "The X Factor", whether you're enamoured with it or not.

Oh well, let me make this clear: no, I don't simply think that "The X Factor" is a good album. In fact, I actually think it kicks serious ass. It's one of my favorite metal albums from the 1990s, and seriously one of the very best things Iron Maiden ever did IMO. But perhaps the most significant thing to say is that it is an important record, an effort that damn sure made a difference in the band's fortunes from that point onwards. When it comes to Iron Maiden, it's easily one of the most significant turning points in their career (perhaps second only to "The Number of the Beast"), and it went a long way into redefining the band's outlook and sound. After "The X Factor" was out, things would never be the same for the Beast, for good or bad - and, in a sense, we're still listening to the version of the band that came out of this particular period of soul-searching and creativity, nearly 30 years later.

Let's listen to "Sign of the Cross", for instance. Easily the most daring and unexpected opening number Iron Maiden ever employed on an album, it's also one of the very best: it takes its time to create a remarkably somber atmosphere, then launches into a rollercoaster ride of changing tempos and guitar patterns, without ever losing its sense of storytelling or its grip on the listener's attention. It's over 11 minutes long, and it works like a beast, every second of it. And when you are as big as Iron Maiden, and you open your first record with a new singer with such a convoluted, uncompromising track, you're also making a statement of sorts, you know. We mean business, they're saying, and we don't feel like churning out straight-to-the-point, 4-minute-long, easy-to-understand verse-chorus tunes anymore. No, we're going to tell you some stories from now on, and we're gonna take our time doing that. 

I mean, of course they would write plenty of short-and-sweet hard-hitters in the years to come - even "The X Factor" has at least one, the intense and engaging "Man on the Edge". But the band's records would no longer be centered around its shorter cuts: quite the opposite, actually, as the group's creative ambitions (and the listener's expectations, and their heated discussions as well) would consistently shift towards the longer, often very cinematic tunes that graced every Maiden album from then on. In "The X Factor" (which, clocking in at around 70 minutes, is quite a long record), no less than three songs move beyond the 7-minute mark, and "The Edge of Darkness" gets pretty close as well - something rivaled only by "Somewhere in Time" previously, a record widely regarded as the more progressive-inclined done by the group until then. After the two final albums with Dickinson (both filled with tracks that mostly kept far away from the 5-minute mark), it was quite a change, and a road the band would never move away from on later releases - in fact, they would only venture deeper and deeper into that territory, as subsequent reviews will surely demonstrate.

"The X Factor" is a dark album. It sure reflects Harris' state of mind, having to deal with a divorce while handling the difficult task to find a new singer for his platinum-selling band - but it also hints to something else, something that seems to work in an intelectual level, so to speak. I mean, just give a close listen to his basslines: apart from a few songs like "Blood On the World's Hands" and "The Unbeliever", gone are the flamboyant, fast and technically challenging parts, substituted by a markedly more simple, let's-work-for-the-music approach. It's almost as the musician gives way to the songwriter, if you know what I mean: rather than being one of the most influential bass players to ever grace a stage, regardless of genres, Steve Harris seems to decide he wants to be acknowledged as a guy who can write great songs, and all his focus and vision will be devoted to such a cause from now on. 

In "The X Factor", this stance take shape as a handful of really thoughtful, quite somber tunes, showing a new-found interest for atmosphere (the intro to "Fortunes of War" and some main sections of "Sign of the Cross" being good examples) as well as a penchant for serious, world-conscious lyrics. Even when good old Steve allows himself to write some more fantasy-driven verses (like in "The Unbeliever" and, in a sense, "Judgement of Heaven") he's more inquisitive than ever before, basically questioning the deep meaning of everything around him. I always enjoyed his lyricism, and it got more and more interesting to me as time went on - culminating in deep pieces of honestly moving poetry like "Hell on Earth" and "Lost in a Lost World", to mention his most recent input (all right, more on that later, I'll try to control myself from now on). And then the presence of someone like Blaze Bayley really starts to click: his deep register works truly well throughout the record, and his songwriting input is way more down-to-earth than Dickinson ever was up to this point - or can you imagine Iron Maiden writing a song like "2 A.M." in the '80s? Me neither. You have every right to dislike the results, but you can't deny that Blaze brings something new to Maiden's picture - something that was undeniably in tune with the creative avenues Steve Harris wanted to explore.

Some (well, many actually) complaint about the record's production - even myself, for a while, felt it was below par for Maiden standard. But my opinion has changed a lot through the years: today, I really like the dry sound of the drums and the thinly distorted guitars, as they help to paint a cold, eerie sonic picture that suits perfectly well with the album's contents. "The X Factor" is like staring to the dark corners of Iron Maiden's castle, an unique experience that is quite rewarding if you allow it to take its time. My personal favorites here would be the aforementioned "Sign of the Cross", "Lord of the Flies" (some very nice riffing and a powerful vocal performance from Blaze), "The Aftermath", "Judgement of Heaven" and "The Unbeliever" - a song that is often overlooked, but that I consider to be the first of many worthy collaborations between Harris and Janick Gers through the years. Maybe "Look for the Truth" is a bit too simplistic for its own good, and "2 A.M." (perhaps for appearing quite late in the running order) sound a bit tired and redundant when compared to the strongest cuts here featured; apart from that, though, "The X Factor" is quite a cohesive, coherent record, devoted to its vision and that never slides away from its path. I really like it, you know, and I suggest you to give it a careful listen next time around, as there's definitely a lot of interesting stuff going on within its grooves.

Unfortunately, the record didn't exactly signaled a period of newfound success and recognition for the group. The world tour supporting it ("The X Factour", how clever of them) was something of a difficult affair, with canceled dates and many gigs (most of all in the USA) rescheduled to smaller venues, as they simply couldn't sell as much tickets as before. Besides, it didn't take long (the very first bootlegs from the tour, that is) for people to realise that Blaze, while doing a mostly good job with his own songs, simply couldn't do justice to many Maiden classics, as his range and register had very little to do with Bruce Dickinson's trademark high belting. Album sales were the lowest since "Killers", and you didn't needed to be a genius to understand that Iron Maiden were facing the risk of a serious decline in popularity. Some may argue that the right option was to double the bet and move the band more radically towards Blaze Bayley's characteristics - that is to say, drop some classics from the setlist and further invest in Maiden's darker tone in a new album. Iron Maiden decided to do a bit of the opposite, trying to recapture some of their usual magic while not completely turning their backs to the new features Bayley had to offer. It could have worked, but it turned out to be something of a disaster, a cautionary tale on how you simply can't please all the people all of the time. A subject to be further discussed in the next instalments of the series, that's for sure.

Blaze Bayley (V), Dave Murray (G), Janick Gers (G), Steve Harris (B), Nicko McBrain (D).

01. Sign of the Cross (Harris) 11:16
02. Lord of the Flies (Harris/Gers) 5:02
03. Man on the Edge (Bayley/Gers) 4:03
04. Fortunes of War (Harris) 7:25
05. Look for the Truth (Bayley/Gers/Harris) 5:10
06. The Aftermath (Harris/Bayley/Gers) 6:20
07. Judgement of Heaven (Harris) 5:10
08. Blood on the Worlds Hands (Harris) 6:00
09. The Edge of Darkness (Harris/Bayley/Gers) 6:39
10. 2 A.M. (Bayley/Gers/Harris) 5:37
11. The Unbeliever (Harris/Gers) 8:05

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!