The third Blaze-sung Maiden album: lyrically a fusion of Silicon Messiah and BNW, but musically rooted in BNW?

07-SMS:A1L

07-SMS:A1L

Educated Fool
Revisiting Silicon Messiah today, it’s intriguing to imagine what Iron Maiden might have explored, musically and lyrically, if Blaze Bayley had remained for a third album. The record is dark and dramatic yet full of melody. Adrian Smith has confirmed that several Brave New World tracks, The Nomad, Dream of Mirrors, The Mercenary, and Blood Brothers, were originally written during the Virtual XI era. Placed alongside the material from Silicon Messiah, these songs hint at an alternate vision of Maiden in 2000: not Bruce Dickinson’s return, but a continuation of Blaze’s darker, cyber-themed direction. With Blaze now announcing a European 25th Anniversary Tour for Silicon Messiah in 2026, I’m excited to see songs from this overlooked classic performed live and to reflect on what that third Blaze album might have been.

Which songs from Silicon Messiah would you have included alongside The Nomad, Dream of Mirrors, The Mercenary, and Blood Brothers for a third Blaze fronted album? What could the name of this album have been?
 

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1.The Mercenary (fitting opener)
2.Ghost In The Machine (less heavier)
3.Born As A Stranger
4.Blood Brothers
5.Silicon Messiah/The Thin Line Between Love And Hate (the first because is a title track; the second one's instrumental section is covered by Nomad)
6.Dream Of Mirrors
7.The Brave (it could be a Maiden song)
8.The Nomad
9.The Launch
10.Stare At The Sun

Title? Dream Of Mirrors sounds the coolest. Come to think of it, this collection of songs would have been a fitting and logical continuation of TXF & VXI styles and sound.
 
I liked this cool alternative reality - parallel universe fantasy :) And this is a good album, much better than Virtual 11. I just really can't imagine Nomad with Blaze. It's so Bruce-y and anti-Blaze-y.

Btw all the Blaze songs here are better than Mercenary.
 
naranja said:
It would never have been produced that well. Blaze would never have sounded that good. It would have been produced in Steve's home studio and all the songs would have pointless intros and repetition.
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And then when it sold 15 copies and they were unable to fill a shoebox they would have broken up
 
Starblind said:
I just really can't imagine Nomad with Blaze. It's so Bruce-y and anti-Blaze-y.
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The chorus is pure Bruce, yes, but the rest is from VXI book.
Starblind said:
Btw all the Blaze songs here are better than Mercenary.
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Not Ghost In The Machine or The Launch imo.
naranja said:
It would never have been produced that well. Blaze would never have sounded that good. It would have been produced in Steve's home studio and all the songs would have pointless intros and repetition.
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Yes. Why? The confidence of a 3rd album. Because of the production? Born As A Stranger and Launch with intros? Doubt it.
Spaldy said:
And 25 years later there would be folk on Maiden forums calling it a "misunderstood masterpiece"*.
*see TXF or VXI
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Well, TXF is at least a special album. This version of a potential 3rd album with Blaze would have been impactful methinks. Probably more popular than VXI and even TXF, who knows, especially give how liked are BNW and SM.
 
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Kalata said:
Well, TXF is at least a special album. This version of a potential 3rd album with Blaze would have been impactful methinks. Probably more popular than VXI and even TXF, who knows.
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Their popularity was rapidly declining the longer they continued down the path they were on. Performing in clubs promoting albums that barely dented the charts.

VXI wasn't even released in America because they were dropped by Capitol. A band of Maiden's calibre being let go by the record label? Unthinkable now but a reality then. Chances are EMI would have done the same had they put out another lacklustre album.

Nah, a third Blaze era album would have killed the band commercially.
 
Spaldy said:
Their popularity was rapidly declining the longer they continued down the path they were on. Performing in clubs promoting albums that barely dented the charts.

VXI wasn't even released in America because they were dropped by Capitol. A band of Maiden's calibre being let go by the record label? Unthinkable now but a reality then. Chances are EMI would have done the same had they put out another lacklustre album.

Nah, a third Blaze era album would have killed the band commercially.
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Third album with blaze would make them play in small venues for decades for sure. And Blaze solo wasnt great,only the 2 or 3 first albums. Then he changed to blaze bayley i dont know what happened but now he has a small band that is his support act and play twice in the same night
 
Jer said:
Not true, though it probably came out on a different label. I bought it in a record store as usual around its release date.
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They found a smaller label eventually but it was not released simultaneously as the rest of the world. Many fans there had to import copies.
 
Spaldy said:
They found a smaller label eventually but it was not released simultaneously as the rest of the world. Many fans there had to import copies.
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They were on the CMC International label I believe at the time. I do not recall having to import Virtual XI, I bought it on the day it came out in March and it was readily available in stores.
 
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Donner said:
They were on the CMC International label I believe at the time. I do not recall having to import Virtual XI, I bought it on the day it came out in March and it was readily available in stores.
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That's not how I remember events. I do recall Steve (or Rod) apologising to fans who couldn't purchase a copy.
 
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