BLAZE: The Rankings (Completed... At Last)

Also, what’s so good about “The Path & The Way” that it warrants an 8/10? o_O :P
 
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Background Info:
Released: 7 July 2008
Label: Blaze Bayley
Producer: Blaze Bayley

Personnel:
Blaze Bayley (vocals)
Nico Bermudez (lead guitar)
Jay Walsh (rhythm guitar)
David Bermudez (bass)
Lawrence Paterson (drums)

Critical Reviews:
"This is not a perfect album. For one it is too long of a record. If it was cut down 10 minutes or so, it could have been a better disc as there is some filler here like "At the End of the Day". There is nothing original here, but if you were enamored with Blaze's style or the genre itself, this will be a treat. Some people will say that this was a triumph and a return to form. I don't think that this is his best effort ever but considering where he was personally, this is a great accomplishment no matter what. Having said that, like every disc that he has released during this decade it is better than what Iron Maiden have released during the same timeframe." ~The Metal Crypt

"Blaze's voice sounds a strong as ever and even though his voice may be an acquired taste for some, he has such a unique voice that its easily identifiable. You can really hear the desperation, anger and defiance in his voice throughout the album and the emotion he puts into his performance here is unlike anything I've heard from him before. This album simply grabs you by the throat right at the onset and really never lets go. No filler tracks whatsoever and you'd be hard pressed to find a better traditional sounding metal album than this one from 2008." ~MetalReviews

"Given the circumstances the album was recorded in, it's unfair to expect another Silicon Messiah (but then, it's unfair to expect that from anyone), but I still have to say that I'm a bit disappointed by it. I don't blame it on Blaze or the band, and I'm sure they did the best they could, but I guess my expectations were just too high after hearing the two new tracks that were played live several years ago (!)." ~Perun (MaidenFans)

~~~ Diesel's Opinions ~~~​

Tracks:
  1. "The Man Who Would Not Die" - As far as title tracks go, this is decent enough, but there's a lot of stuff going on I don't like. I don't like the production, I don't like the main riff much, and I think Blaze's vocals aren't as good as on other releases. That said, I do like the final "I am the maaaaaan" and that bit where the drums stop and only the guitar remains, and honestly the lyrics are decent, but overall, this is definitely a bit of a drop from previous stuff. I'll be kind and give it a 7/10, but it's balancing on a ledge between that and a 6.
  2. "Blackmailer" - Same issues with the production, still not sold on the singing, and this time the lyrics aren't great either. Unmemorable song, with the exception of a piece of the instrumental. Otherwise I'm really just not a fan. 3/10
  3. "Smile Back At Death" - Sigh... I wish I liked this song more. The "let me go home!" bit is really awesome and the solo is fantastic, but the rest of the song is boring and the "gladiator protector" thing is outright terrible. So much potential wasted in a song that takes 7 minutes to do almost nothing. I can't give this more than a 4/10, and I'm going that high only because of the little good that is here.
  4. "While You Were Gone" - At last we've got a better song again. You can tell this is a very personal song for Blaze; the album was written after the death of his wife and this song deals with his loss in a pretty impressive way. Blaze's vocals are much better on this song, and while I don't particularly like the guitar here I do think it's a step up from most of the album. Blaze really sings with a passion and the way he holds the note twice when he sings "while you were goooooooone!!" is awesome. As a whole, I think it's good enough to get a 7/10. Do something different for that riff and it could be even higher.
  5. "Samurai" - Here we go! This is more like it. From the awesome bass intro to the very end, there's nothing bad about this song. Even the guitar is much better, with little oodles here and there that stand out. The chorus is great, Blaze sounds great, it's easily one of the album's best songs. I think it succeeds just enough to warrant a 9/10. Great song.
  6. "Crack In The System" - Aaaaaaand we're back to the bleh factor. "Crack In The System" is just a pointless song that tries so hard to be good but fails miserably on every front. Blaze's vocals aren't great and neither are the lyrics or music. The ending also goes on far too long and the sound bits are mixed in terribly. The only redeemable aspect of this song is the final spoken thing - "Come here illegally - goin' to jail" - and that's just because I find hilarious in this otherwise mess of a song. Well... I don't think mess is the right word. This song is obviously written like a normal song, it just bombs so bad. Ugh. "The Path & The Way" is still worse, but "Crack In The System" is deserving of the second 1/10 score in this discography run-through. Pointless.
  7. "Robot" - But the album does get better with the very next track. "Robot" is short but sweet, fast-paced and not wasting time like a lot of other songs here do. I'm not big on the riff and the verses are okay but the chorus... that's where this song hits its stride. I love that chorus so much. But a chorus isn't the sole part of the song, so I won't give it top marks, but I think it's worthy enough for a 7/10 rating, almost strong enough for an 8.
  8. "At the End of the Day" - THIS! THIS SONG!!! This is how it's done! It isn't too long, but it's epic in scope and holds more power than almost all of the other songs combined. Great lyrics, great performance, and the guitars are legitimately good. A 9/10 so strong it's almost a 10. More of this, please. Less of "Crack In The System".
  9. "Waiting for My Life to Begin" - Well I was waiting for this album to begin... to get good, that is. And... is it finally doing just that? This is the second 9/10 in a row. From the opening alarm clock and the build-up which culminates in a fantastic chorus, this song is really so much better than much of the album. Everything here sounds good - Blaze, the guitar... I like this song.
  10. "Voices From The Past" - Fucking CHRIST, is this album making a comeback at long last?? This song is great, the riff is good, Blaze is good, I love the chorus... it's another 9/10. Wow.
  11. "The Truth Is One" - Aaaaaand there it goes. Boring song. Everything just kinda blends together. I'll pass. 3/10
  12. "Serpent Hearted Man" - Buuuut the album ends on something of a high note. The verses aren't too great but everything else about "Serpent Hearted Man" is good. Great chorus, great instrumentation, great vocals... strong enough for the only 8/10 on the album.
Overall: This album definitely marked a low point in Blaze's history. While it does have a handful of good tracks, most of the album is downright boring, the production is pretty meh, and Blaze isn't singing as well as he was on previous albums. All that being said, the biggest flaw is the album's runtime - 12 songs is entirely too much, and pushing it past the hour mark is overkill. It really needed some trimming. I know that many consider this one of Blaze's best releases, but I don't. The Man Who Would Not Die is quite possibly the worst album he ever released. Thank god it gets better from here.
Rating: 60%
Best Songs: "Samurai", "At the End of the Day", "Waiting for My Life to Begin", "Voices From The Past"
 
Diesel 11 said:
@Number 6 (dunno if you've heard it before but now's as good a time as any!)
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Sorry, only bumped into this now.

So, I have heard a few of Blaze's stuff, and while I never really felt motivated enough to go through all of his solo discography, I admit he has some pretty good shit going on there. So yeah, I would really like to participate in this! I'll be going though the albums soon, but it might take me a while to digest everything at once and be able to vote properly. No need to wait for me though, I don't want to hold the game back, and I really don't know how long I'm gonna take. But I'll do my best to try and keep up! Bruce's game was fun, so I'd really like to participate in another one.
 
Number 6 said:
Sorry, only bumped into this now.

So, I have heard a few of Blaze's stuff, and while I never really felt motivated enough to go through all of his solo discography, I admit he has some pretty good shit going on there. So yeah, I would really like to participate in this! I'll be going though the albums soon, but it might take me a while to digest everything at once and be able to vote properly. No need to wait for me though, I don't want to hold the game back, and I really don't know how long I'm gonna take. But I'll do my best to try and keep up! Bruce's game was fun, so I'd really like to participate in another one.
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Like I said in the first post, a month is just the minimum, if you need any extra time, you've got it. I want everyone interested to get a chance in participating, so we truly get some great results out of this. :)

So far the voting is insane, by the way, but songs have only between 2 and 7 votes thus far.
 
A positive quote from our midst, from around the time it came out:
Natalie said:
So for once I disagree slightly with Perun. I just listened to the entire album (several times). I really enjoyed the entire thing, even more than Silicon Messiah (although I haven't listened to that album in a while). Anyway, my favorites off it are the title track, While You Were Gone, Samurai, Waiting for my Life to Begin, Voices from the Past and The Truth is One. I'm not sure what it is about this album, but it just strikes me as really high-energy and full of great beats and riffs. Blaze himself sounds really good on it too. So, in my point of view at least, a clear 5/5 album.
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Diesel 11 said:
The Man Who Would Not Die is quite possibly the worst album he ever released. Thank god it gets better from here.
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Hmm if I remember well, The King of Metal sucks big time. I banned the whole thing from my mind. Looking "forward" listening to it again. Also I felt that Promise was disappointing compared to The Man, if I remember well.

The Man Who Would Not Die isn't as bad as you describe imo. Appreciating heavier music in general is not unimportant here. This particular album is more trashy, and more Gothenburg-style. The fast riffing is pretty cool. Besides the heaviness there are melodies and harmonies to be found in the riffs.

E.g. Blackmailer is fine. The instrumental part lifts the song up and the rest ranges from decent to fairly good.

I agree that the album is long. But that is not what this game is about. This is individual song judgement. And I hope that the rankings should not suffer from album length irritation. We can always listen to just a couple of songs in a row if we want to give it fresh judgement. And more than once. At least twice or more often. I haven't heard this album for more than 7 years. Certainly need to play the songs a few times to let them sink in again.
 
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Forostar said:
Hmm if I remember well, The King of Metal sucks big time. I banned the whole thing from my mind. Looking "forward" listening to it again.
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IMO TKOM is a flawed record but actually far better than what many say.

Forostar said:
Also I felt that Promise was disappointing compared to The Man, if I remember well.
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I think Promise and Terror was a surprisingly good album which was a great step-up from TMWWND.

The Man Who Would Not Die
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isn't as bad as you describe imo. Appreciating heavier music in general is not unimportant here. This particular album is more trashy, and more Gothenburg-style. The fast riffing is pretty cool. Besides the heaviness there are melodies and harmonies to be found in the riffs.
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I actually like the Gothenburg style, I just don’t like most of this album’s guitar. It just seems squished in.

I agree that the album is long. But that is not what this game is about. This is individual song judgement. And I hope that the rankings should not suffer from album length irritation. We can always listen to just a couple of songs in a row if we want to give it fresh judgement. And more than once. At least twice or more often. I haven't heard this album for more than 7 years. Certainly need to play the songs a few times to let them sink in again.
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You needn’t worry about that. I’ve heard these songs outside of album context too and they still aren’t very good. Reviewing the album as well is just something I threw in extra.

As I said, I realize that my opinion isn’t very popular among Blaze fans, but that doesn’t change anything. I just don’t like this album or its songs much.
 
Blaze_Bayley_-_Promise_And_Terror_artwork.jpg


Background Info:
Released: 1 February 2010
Label: Blaze Bayley
Producer: Blaze Bayley / Jase Edwards

Personnel:
Blaze Bayley (vocals)
Nico Bermudez (lead guitar)
Jay Walsh (rhythm guitar)
David Bermudez (bass)
Lawrence Paterson (drums)

Critical Reviews:
"Lyrically, Blaze borders on profundity throughout the whole album. Honestly, this guy may be at his best right now. Ironically, one of the complaints that his old band had about him, which resulted in some of the more questionable lyrical content from Blood & Belief, was that he wasn’t writing personal lyrics. This record shows that he certainly can write convincing, interesting lyrics which express his inner pain and the things that are going on for him." ~AngryMetalGuy

"It’s worth noting that in spite of the too-numerous-to-count line-up changes since the Blaze debut Bayley has managed to develop and refine a signature sound. A mark of his new band’s (as of The Man Who Would Not Die from 2008) talents and understanding of what’s required, and proof that we severely underestimated Blaze Bayley the singer / songwriter way back when." ~BraveWords

"My favorite Blaze Bayley album is easily Promise And Terror. The suite telling the tale of him going through his wife's passing is one of the most incredible things these ears have ever heard." ~TAC (MaidenFans)

~~~ Diesel's Opinions ~~~​

Tracks:
  1. "Watching The Night Sky" - After the disappointing (in my opinion) The Man Who Would Not Die, Promise and Terror wastes no time whatsoever in proving that it's better than the predecessor in every way. "Watching The Night Sky" begins with a cool bit of guitar before Blaze and drums join right in. The production isn't perfect, but everything sounds better than on the previous album. Blaze steers a very nice verse which gets better with the pre-chorus and culminates in the true chorus, which is fantastic. "Watching The Night Sky" may not sound like a particularly gripping song, but by god, it most certainly is. A full head and shoulder over everything on the previous album. It's a very easy 10/10.
  2. "Madness and Sorrow" - A speedy second track, heavy but still lead by a melody. Blaze sounds great on here too, and while it's not as strong as the first song it's still a very good listen. As a whole, it's good enough for an 8/10, methinks.
  3. "1633" - A longer song, "1633" narrates the story of a scientist who comes to the conclusion that what was taught under The Church is false and that the sun is the center of the universe. This obviously results in some sweat, because the leaders consider those beliefs heretical. It tackles the subject very well, IMO, and the song remains interesting throughout its run. The best part is the "and so we turn" bit, which, I feel at least, is the chorus from "The Educated Fool" done right. Very good song, on its strength I'll give this an 8/10 too.
  4. "God of Speed" - The string of good songs continues with Track 4. A very strong song with a lot to love; the chorus and solo actually remind me of the Maiden version of "That Girl". It's almost I 9, but I don't quite like it just that much, so I'll give it a very high 8/10.
  5. "City of Bones" - A strong song that isn't quite outstanding, I like the way the title doesn't really steer the lyrics; the instead of describing the city of bones, the song describes what happens within the city. Good stuff, as I said, strong overall, but lacking a certain something. Still warrants an 8/10, though.
  6. "Faceless" - Another good song, I really like the idea it puts forth about people who have no enemies are likely also not people who stand up for their own beliefs. It's a very good topic that makes for interesting discussion. Otherwise... this is the fifth 8/10 in a row.
  7. "Time to Dare" - This is a song that starts out good but not great, but by the end it's unlocked that greatness. I really like this one, the middle part where it gets softer and then comes back to culminate in a fantastic chorus is quite amazing, and overall, I can't truthfully give it less than a 9/10. Great song.
  8. "Surrounded By Sadness" - The beginning of Blaze's personal tragedy suite, starting off with the concept of loss. The death of his wife was a particularly impacting moment in Blaze's life, understandably - no one wants to go through that. And this song... nailed it. Fuckin' nailed it. The acoustic first half is superb, and the song only gets better when the electricity hits the scene. Blaze is singing his heart out, and it succeeds beautifully. 10/10
  9. "The Trace of Things That Have No Words" - A heavy piece of music backs the second part of the suite, which tackles pain. And it does it very well. The verses are rather messy, but in a way that works - they accurately sum up the pain and desperation of one who has lost what he cherished. And the chorus - is awesome. Not quite a 10, but a very high 9/10.
  10. "Letting Go of the World" - We next move on to grief. "Letting Go of the World" is a very desperate song, and another very personal one for grief. I don't think it quite nailed everything, but it did a very good job nonetheless. The "fight - kill - fuck - eat" bit is cool but may have been better used in another song. I dunno. It is strong overall though, and I think another 9/10 isn't out of the question.
  11. "Comfortable In Darkness" - And the suite ends with acceptance. "Comfortable In Darkness" is the perfect ending to the album, opening soft, and hitting heavy as the runtime progresses. Excellent track. 10/10
Overall: A big step-up from the previous album. Whereas The Man Who Would Not Die is dark but that darkness makes it bleary, Promises and Terror uses the darkness to invoke feelings of loss, betrayal, personal tragedy. TMWWND is Blaze going back to work to move past; P&T is him letting the sadness flow over him and giving him time to accept what happened. At any rate, this album is pretty great overall. Long, but not overlong. Really good stuff within.
Rating: 80%
Best Songs: "Watching the Night Sky", "Surrounded By Sadness", "Comfortable In Darkness"
 
Diesel 11 said:
Silicon Messiah
Rating: 95%
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How did you calculate this? When I take the average song rating (without bonus tracks) this is the album score: 86%
You can't expect to say 95% while giving one song a 6 and one a 7, ignore that for the total album experience and come away with it dude: these songs are on this particular album, not anywhere else. Maybe you hear a lot of extra greatness in the non song material: the seconds of silence in between the songs? ;)

Diesel 11 said:
Tenth Dimension
Rating: 90%
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This difference is even bigger: album score by average song ranking: 76%

Diesel 11 said:
Blood & Belief
Rating: 75%
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Album score by average song ranking: 71%

Diesel 11 said:
The Man Who Would Not Die
Rating: 60%
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Album score by average song ranking: 63%

Diesel 11 said:
Promise and Terror
Rating: 80%
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Album score by average song ranking: 88% / Promise and Terror: only 10s, 9s and 8s. Diesel's highest rating of all Blaze albums.


In order:

Diesel's album ranking by using average song ranking as album ranking method:

1. Promise and Terror (88%)
2. Silicon Messiah (86%)
3. Tenth Dimension (76%)
4. Blood & Belief (71%)
5. The Man Who Would Not Die (63%)
 
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BLAZE - Blood and Belief

Alive - 6/10
Ten Seconds - 7/10
Blood and Belief -7/10
Life and Death -7/10
Tearing Yourself to Pieces - 6/10
Hollow Head - 5/10
Will to Win -7/10
Regret - 7/10
The Path & the Way - 5/10
Soundtrack of My Life - 8/10

Disappointing album for the most part. A shame as the first two albums from BLAZE were pretty good.
 
Forostar said:
How did you calculate this?
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I didn’t. The song ratings don’t apply when I put together the album ratings. I do calculate the averages and use them as something of a guide, but ultimately the entire album and the parts of the album are separate.

As you said, Silicon Messiah does have a 6 and a 7, but it’s one of those cases where the sum is greater than the parts. Yes, individually some songs aren’t as good, but the album is such a great listen overall that it gets a very high rating for me.

If that makes sense. :)
 
BLAZE BAYLEY - The Man Who Would Not Die

The Man Who Would Not Die - 8/10
Blackmailer - 7/10
Smile Back at Death - 7/10
While You Were Gone - 9/10
Samurai - 7/10
Crack in the System - 6/10
Robot - 6/10
At the End of the Day - 8/10
Waiting for My Life to Begin - 7/10
Voices from the Past - 7/10
The Truth Is One - 6/10
Serpent Hearted Man - 7/10
 
BLAZE - Tenth Dimension

  • Forgotten Future - An intro that, if nothing else, sets the mood well for the album. As a separate entity, it's not very interesting at all. 5/10.
  • Kill and Destroy - A proper album opener; bangin' riff, driving rhythm and great chorus. The verses are a a bit weak, the solos are definite highlights. All in all: 8/10.
  • End Dream - I just love this song. The slow, sludgy groove in the verses really conveys the feeling of being in a nightmare where you try to run, but your legs won't move. The chorus is amazing too. Almost perfect, 9/10.
  • The Tenth Dimension - This might be my favourite Blaze song. Everything, from the main riff and the little bass lick leading into the first verse, to the pre-chorus/chorus and solos, is absolutely perfect. I get the same feeling as with "Stare at the Sun", that if you removed just one of the parts, it wouldn't be the same. Brilliant stuff! 10/10.
  • Nothing Will Stop Me - From the amazing tracks we get a pretty average one. Boring tune that feels like drags on for too long. 5/10.
  • Leap of Faith - Muuuuch better! This is like an upgraded version of "The Launch" from the debut, and a much stronger song in every way. A simple but very catchy chorus will follow you for a while! 8/10.
  • The Truth Revealed - A great little interlude of sorts with some nice acoustic guitars and atmospheric licks. I like how it feels like part 2 of a trilogy of songs that sorta flow together, starting with "Leap of Faith" and continuing into the next one. 8/10.
  • Meant to Be - This used to be one of my favourite songs on the album, and while I still think the first couple of minutes are some of the best music/lyrics Blaze has ever put out, the song dips a bit once the strings and female chanting starts. I just feel like it dominates too much of the song's second half. Great solo though. Still, an 8/10.
  • Land of the Blind - I really like the main riff! Simple yet very heavy and catchy. Unfortunately, the rest of the song isn't as strong. 7/10.
  • Stealing Time - This tune is a bit strange. Nothing too memorable about it, but nothing particular bad either. 7/10.
  • Speed of Light - Another highlight! Great riff, nice harmonies, amazing chorus and, once again, some very fine solos indeed. This track is an absolute monster live, and the studio version is simply brilliant too. 10/10.
  • Stranger to the Light - this one is a bit like "The Hunger" from the previous album, but a little bit stronger in my opinion. I really enjoy the doomy feel, and the callback to the title track, kinda like Bruce's "The Alchemist", is a nice touch too. Great way to end the album. 8/10.

Been away for a few days, so better get going with this :p Tenth Dimension remains my favourite album from Blaze, just edging out the debut for now. I have a thing for concept albums, and I think this one is done very well. The production is a little less dry compared to Silicon, which I feel is an improvement. Unfortunately, the band would start falling apart during the supporting tour, which definitely is a shame, as they shared an amazing chemistry, but I'm glad we got this gem :)
 
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BLAZE BAYLEY - Promise and Terror

Watching the Night Sky - 6/10
Madness and Sorrow - 7/10
1633 - 6/10
God of Speed - 6/10
City of Bones - 6/10
Faceless - 5/10
Time to Dare - 6/10
Surrounded By Sadness - 5/10
The Trace of Things That Have No Words - 6/10
Letting Go of the World - 6/10
Comfortable in Darkness - 6/10

A step down from the previous album. Quite repetitive in places.
 
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