Blaze Bayley, good or bad?

[Black Bart]

I'll even go further: X-Factor is the best album that Maiden recorded in the 90's.

Well, I don't share your point of view here although I grant you that there are very good things on the 2 Maiden albums with Blaze.

I think being either more of a hard rock fan or a metal fan has something to do with liking TXF more than NPFTD and FOTD. It does not have to do with "heaviness" as much as with the overall mood (remember they took Helloween as an opening act in 1988 and My Dying Bride in 1995, that says a lot). Once again, I like 95% of what Maiden has ever released, but I would take "Hooks in You" and "From Here to Eternity" over "Blood on the World's Hand" and "The Aftermath" any day.

Curiously enough, Blaze was particularly good at singing in a band (Wolfsbane) that was more "hard rock" than "metal" oriented. Which doesn't change anything to the fact that his voice was not suited for the classic Maiden repertoire - a matter of song keys probably: Blaze has shown with his solo career that he COULD sing metal.

Anyway, I really don't understand why he was chosen over Doogie White in 1994 (possibly Maiden had a "no Welsh" policy or something ).

 

[StormTheTrooper]

Well, I don't share your point of view here although I grant you that there are very good things on the 2 Maiden albums with Blaze.

I think being either more of a hard rock fan or a metal fan has something to do with liking TXF more than NPFTD and FOTD. It does not have to do with "heaviness" as much as with the overall mood (remember they took Helloween as an opening act in 1988 and My Dying Bride in 1995, that says a lot). Once again, I like 95% of what Maiden has ever released, but I would take "Hooks in You" and "From Here to Eternity" over "Blood on the World's Hand" and "The Aftermath" any day.

Curiously enough, Blaze was particularly good at singing in a band (Wolfsbane) that was more "hard rock" than "metal" oriented. Which doesn't change anything to the fact that his voice was not suited for the classic Maiden repertoire - a matter of song keys probably: Blaze has shown with his solo career that he COULD sing metal.

Anyway, I really don't understand why he was chosen over Doogie White in 1994 (possibly Maiden had a "no Welsh" policy or something ).

Yes, the mood from NPFTD is completely different from TXF, i'll not disagree. I don't know, i just have a better feeling with the TXF compositions, both on lyrics and instumental. BTW, i just love The Aftermath. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand i also love NPFTD (specially Holy Smoke, Public Enema Number One and the title song). I think the only album that i don't like in Maiden is FOTD.