GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
I do not rate him that highly as a musician, but his work ethic highlights how little Maiden have done during the last decade. I take my hat off to Blaze.
I do not rate him that highly as a musician, but his work ethic highlights how little Maiden have done during the last decade. I take my hat off to Blaze.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
Maiden releases by decades: The studio albums are decreasing
1980 - 1989: 7 studio albums + 1 Live Album
1990 - 1999: 4 studio albums + 3 Live Albums + 2 compilations
2000 - 2009: 3 studio albums + 3 Live Albums + 3 compilations
2010 - 2019: 2 studio albums + 3 Live Albums + 1 compilation
2020 - ?: Can you guess the number? + 1 Live Album
It seems that Steve Harris burning ambition has gone out forever. Maybe they release the new album this year but I'm afraid it's going to be the last studio album.
1980 - 1989: 7 studio albums + 1 Live Album
1990 - 1999: 4 studio albums + 3 Live Albums + 2 compilations
2000 - 2009: 3 studio albums + 3 Live Albums + 3 compilations
2010 - 2019: 2 studio albums + 3 Live Albums + 1 compilation
2020 - ?: Can you guess the number? + 1 Live Album
It seems that Steve Harris burning ambition has gone out forever. Maybe they release the new album this year but I'm afraid it's going to be the last studio album.
ironmaidenlewes
Trooper
Nice summary!
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
I would not call it nice (it is not nice to see your favourite band living off past glories), I would call it accurate!
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
Good news is they do not feel the need to release pointless compilations anymore. They probably were not selling as well as they expected them to.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
They prefer remasters and bloody games as excuse to get out with a greatest hits tour
srfc
Ancient Mariner
No need for anyone to release compilations these days with Spotify and Youtube etc, catering for that market.
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
He has utterly put Maiden to shame during the pandemic. 1 good live album and a a decent studio album. He has also communicated more frequently with the fans without trying to flog a product.
Randalf
Ancient Mariner
As I wrote earlier, I admit being slightly skeptical about Blaze's more recent output... and he has been able to prove me wrong so far.
And yeah, I ordered War Within Me LP from his webshop.
Been listening to it a bit more while driving to/from work and yeah, it's quite a good record indeed! Nothing absolutely mindblowing, but above-average heavy metal record that makes you feel very good! Sometimes good enough is... good enough!
And yeah, I ordered War Within Me LP from his webshop.
Been listening to it a bit more while driving to/from work and yeah, it's quite a good record indeed! Nothing absolutely mindblowing, but above-average heavy metal record that makes you feel very good! Sometimes good enough is... good enough!
CA Bryers
Ancient Mariner
I can't argue too much in what's been said in the last couple of pages. Blaze is clearly hungrier than Maiden these days (let's not grab the low hanging fruit of a weight joke with that, please), probably because he has to. I imagine he lives off his albums and tours, and certainly doesn't have a padded bank account like the Maiden boys. And clearly he cares about his fans much more than the Maiden boys do because he's acutely aware of the relatively small number of them there are, so he does everything he can to hold onto them.
As someone said earlier, Maiden are in their final lap of their career. They don't have anything to prove, and they don't have any incentive to do anything that isn't going to make them money. That's why they're holding onto the alleged 2019 album, because there isn't any money in the album itself, but there is in the tour that will go with it. And to be honest, I've never felt like Maiden has ever been a "fan's band" that has a good relationship with their fans. They don't, and for that reason they have no incentive to release the new album like so many other bands have during the pandemic. I'm sure they know it would be good PR, but they don't need good PR. This pandemic and the lack of pretty much anything apart from a so-so live album has proved they're a business in these final days, first and foremost. If they disappeared tomorrow, the boys would be just fine in retirement.
As someone said earlier, Maiden are in their final lap of their career. They don't have anything to prove, and they don't have any incentive to do anything that isn't going to make them money. That's why they're holding onto the alleged 2019 album, because there isn't any money in the album itself, but there is in the tour that will go with it. And to be honest, I've never felt like Maiden has ever been a "fan's band" that has a good relationship with their fans. They don't, and for that reason they have no incentive to release the new album like so many other bands have during the pandemic. I'm sure they know it would be good PR, but they don't need good PR. This pandemic and the lack of pretty much anything apart from a so-so live album has proved they're a business in these final days, first and foremost. If they disappeared tomorrow, the boys would be just fine in retirement.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
I honestly am howling laughing at a lot of these comments comparing Blaze to Maiden. I loved Blaze when the band first came out, two great albums and then the cracks began to show with losing Jeff Singer over playing Maiden covers, and the "pity me, pity me" lyrics of Blood and Belief, then losing the rest of his band. The next two albums are solid, and I particularly like Promise and Terror, but everything since then has been laughable.
Are people honestly telling me they would listen to those z-list albums if there was anyone but Blaze Bayley singing on them? Really bottom tier cliche metal that are incomparable to Silicon Messiah and especially Tenth Dimension.
I'd rather Maiden release good albums once in a blue moon, than disappear up their own arsehole like Blaze has done, I don't need the ego massaging of a live stream of Steve telling me that his life depends on the fans, or Janick and Dave doing a cockney knees up version of Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger featuring Thomas Zwijsen.
Are people honestly telling me they would listen to those z-list albums if there was anyone but Blaze Bayley singing on them? Really bottom tier cliche metal that are incomparable to Silicon Messiah and especially Tenth Dimension.
I'd rather Maiden release good albums once in a blue moon, than disappear up their own arsehole like Blaze has done, I don't need the ego massaging of a live stream of Steve telling me that his life depends on the fans, or Janick and Dave doing a cockney knees up version of Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger featuring Thomas Zwijsen.
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
I agree with most of what you are saying about quality. Blaze has never matched that on a musical front with the possible two exceptions of Silicon Messiah and Tenth Dimension. The albums he has released since have not been groundbreaking but they have been solid. But hey that is my opinion. I wouldn't call them z-list though. You haven't heard some of the music that my students produce! (sorry that was mean)
My main gripe with Maiden these days is the complete transformation into a cabaret and product orientated band. It pains me to say that as they are the band that got me into music and the reason I am playing and teaching music 25 years later. I resect that it is the end of their career and they want to take it easy. But come on, they along with other bands around the world have shown that the fans are not at the top of the priority list. What about some archive releases? More rare footage of concerts that they have in their archives? They pulled some out for Download Festival. What not make the whole show available? They know they have a massive fanbase, many of which of hardcore fans. The fans would love it. I just feel that this type of thing would have continued the engagement with fans at a low cost to them. The stuff is there. Why not just release it?
I used to not whinge about things like this but seeing Blaze appears for interviews recently has made me realise how silent and inactive Maiden have been during this pandemic. They are not silent about flogging beer, games and book tours. They have been silent in releasing the things that people love them most for: the music. Ok they released a live album but it is not the greatest. They could have made a better album by releasing songs from multiple venues when you could have caught Bruce at his best (2018).
srfc
Ancient Mariner
There's the rub, there's a generation of spotify and youtube fans now who've never bought an album in their lives, but they do drink beer, play computer games and read books.
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
It's a bitter pill to swallow.
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
And there are a couple of generations of old farts who still buy albums and in several formats.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
And me, who uses both streaming and physical releases to listen to music.
I suppose it’s possible that the band is banking on keeping archive material to themselves for as long as they are still around to release new studio and live material. When they hang up their coats, perhaps that’s when rare live shit and songs written, recorded, but never released see the light of day. Something to keep the legacy alive even when the band has disappeared.
I suppose it’s possible that the band is banking on keeping archive material to themselves for as long as they are still around to release new studio and live material. When they hang up their coats, perhaps that’s when rare live shit and songs written, recorded, but never released see the light of day. Something to keep the legacy alive even when the band has disappeared.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
A generation I proudly belong to! I think the writing was on the wall for our old ways as soon as the single ceased to be a going concern for Maiden.
TheTalisman
Ancient Mariner
I think playing Maiden covers was just a very small part in him deciding to leave, the same with other band members:
Singer then took other gigs within the music industry and later joined Paradise Lost (and is currently playing with my Dying Bride).
Naylor left Blaze and became an airline captain. But if things had worked out for Blaze, they would have stayed longer, the same for Wray and Slater.
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