“...this is one of the best metal records of recent times. Completely engaging and deftly handled; this is creative, different and daring. “The Redemption of William Black”, and by extension every record of the “Infinite Entanglement” trilogy, exhibits the very best of the heavy metal genre: it goes against the grain, stands alone and dares to be different. A triumph.”
“The Redemption of William Black (Infinite Entanglement Part III)” CD//DD track listing:
1. Redeemer 2. Are You Here 3. Immortal One 4. The First True Sign 5. Human Eyes 6. Prayers Of Light 7. 18 Days 8. Already Won 9. Life Goes On 10. The Dark Side Of Black 11. Eagle Spirit
The Review:
As noted in my review of “Infinite Entanglement Part 1 and Part 2” (Endure and Survive), Blaze Bayleyhas been on the form of his life these past couple of years. Now nearly twenty years into his solo career, the creative urge is still flowing through Blaze's veins. One album per year over a three year stretch is no mean feat; most brand new artists could not manage it. In fact, you would have to look back to the heady days of classic Motorheador Saxon to find this kind of output in metal. With Manchester's mighty men of metal, Absolva, still providing an immense musical bedrock, this is the concluding part in the Sci Fi Concept trilogy that is “Infinite Entanglement”; the story of William Black and his 1000 year journey from darkness to personal redemption.
Now, far be it from me to suggest that the tale is completely allegorical- but the vocal performances are so emotional, so heartfelt, that there could well be some element of personal experience within these high concept fantasy songs. Opener “Redeemer” continues the tale with voice-overs to set up the listener for the next developments. Blaze's distinctive tones come in after a minute or so while the track soars majestically out of the speakers. There is a blazing solo and several sing along sections, begging for a live airing.
The album continues with “Are You Here”, propelled by a kind of dark energy that lends a genuine air of uncertainty as to how things are going to conclude. The material is anthemic and it seems to have struck a balance between the relatively upbeat “Infinite Entanglement” and the much darker “Endure and Survive” album. The storming “Immortal One” follows, ratcheting up the tension in the story and exhibiting very nifty rhythm playing from Chris Appleton with Martin McNee and Karl Schramm playing very deftly indeed (the double pedal work is absolutely on point). In fact, McNees's performance throughout the record is fantastic- great phrasing and good use of the whole kit for varied sounds and textures throughout; just listen to “The First True Sign” for proof- a very catchy track, filled with operatic vocals, time changes and great melodies.
When Blaze slows things down, as on “Human Eyes”, the effect is fantastic- the more ballad orientated tracks on each of the trilogy lend an ebb and flow to the records and allow breathing room in between the songs where the pedal is placed firmly to the metal. “Human Eyes” stands as testimony to great song writing and Blaze really gives his all.
Fozzy's Chris Jericho crops up as a voice-over artist and backing vocalist on “Prayers of Light” and the song is a barn stormer- again, it is begging to be played live with its catchy hooks and riffs. The emotionally gruelling “18 Days” is rhythmically inventive with a very strong vocal melody through both verses and choruses- this one will get stuck in your head for days. Blaze duets with Liz Owen on this one and the contrast in voices works superbly- again highlighting the range of textures present on the record. Great song.
Owen crops up again via a writing credit for “Already Won”, which sounds like absolutely vintage Blaze; hard rock melodies, metal styling and big hooks. “Life Goes On” utilises acoustic guitars along within a pragmatic and wistful message. Once again, Blaze's vocal performance is fantastic. Gone are the rushed sounding takes present on 2012's “King of Meta”l and in their place are the performances of a man who is absolutely committed to his craft and taking the time to get things just right. Similarly, the instrumental section is truly a thing of joy- the band play sublimely.
The final two tracks of the record are the ones that have to tie up the story and finish the trilogy in fine style. Blaze and band rise to the challenge easily and “The Dark Side Black” fairly sprints out of the speakers and delivers a master-class in proper heavy metal, from the riffs and solos to the melodies and the rhythm section, it is a classic track and keeps the listener engaged ready for a very big finish. The big finish is positively massive- “Eagle Spirit” is nigh on nine minutes of majestic metal. Atmosphere, drama and pathos are all here; created both by the music, lyrics and vocals- with a grizzled and gritty voice over to set up the final part of the tale.
Blaze seems to have used no small amount of introspection to write the lyrics. When he sings “They said I was nothing but that is not true. How could I survive after all I've been through?!” I got the sense that Blaze was answering his own questions with defiance and conviction. Indeed, with these three records he has met critics and adversity head on and given a riposte so forceful that it is a coup de grace.
Certainly, this is the conclusion to the best trio of concept records I have ever heard, but more than that this is one of the best metal records of recent times. Completely engaging and deftly handled; this is creative, different and daring. “The Redemption of William Black”, and by extension every record of the “Infinite Entanglement” trilogy, exhibits the very best of the heavy metal genre: it goes against the grain, stands alone and dares to be different. A triumph.
“The Redemption of William Black (Infinite Entanglement Part III)”is available here
For anyone interested in melody and hooks, they will find them here. The guitar pyrotechnics are astonishing- really good solos- and the band as a whole sound very cohesive, live and tight. The UK's best kept secret in metal? Not for much longer. Absolva will soon reign!!
“Defiance “CD//DD track listing:
CD 1
1. Life on the Edge
2. Defiance
3. Rise Again
4. Fistful of Hate
5. Never Be the Same
6. Alarms
7. Connections
8. Midnight Screams
9. Life and Death
10. Eclipse
11. Who Dares Wins
12. Reflection
CD 2 (Bonus)
1. Harsh Reality
2. Hundred Years (Live)
3. Live for the Fight (Live)
4. Drum Solo (Live)
5. Code Red (Live)
6. Never A Good Day to Die (Acoustic)
7. It Is What It Is (Acoustic)
8. Never Back Down (Acoustic)
The Review:
Absolva return with studio album number four. This Manchester metal band are amongst the hardest working in the business- three of them are Blaze Bayley's band and have played on his latest albums, one plays with Iced Earthas well! Holding down two regular bands is enough of a feat on its own, but to produce this level of quality across the board... well, that is another proposition entirely.
For those who are unfamiliar, Absolva are a heavy metal band. Not thrash, not trad, not blackened sludge with ambient passages: heavy metal. I suppose that their sound is mid way between, say, Judas Priest, Accept, Alter Bridge and Metallica. “Defiance”follows up the rather excellent never “A Good Day To Die” and continues down that road- while being a little heavier and a little more rocking to my ears.
Opener “Life On The Edge” sets the tone- blazing guitars, superb clean vocals and a meaty production. The title track is just as good- catchy and anthemic with a strong refrain. Truthfully, Absolva would go down really well as a support for any of the aforementioned bands- and that is exactly the type of tour they need to push them over the edge from professional band into the rock start bracket. That these boys are not in the mainstream press and consciousness as much as they should be is ridiculous.
As the album's twelve tracks progress, the quality control is there- each track is different and brings hooks, melody and weight. The urgency of “Rise Again” is balanced by the strong hooks. The mid paced likes of “Fistful of Hate” sit alongside faster tracks such as “Never Be The Same” and melodic tracks such as “Alarms”, while the revved up charge of “Who Dares Wins” delivers a shot of adrenaline as a counterpoint to the more restrained fare.
For your money, you also get a bonus CD (or MP3s, I suppose) of acoustic versions from earlier albums and a selection of live versions. As a nice bonus, it's a winner- it encourages the listener to delve into the back catalogue and gives value for money.
For anyone interested in melody and hooks, they will find them here. The guitar pyrotechnics are astonishing- really good solos- and the band as a whole sound very cohesive, live and tight. The UK's best kept secret in metal? Not for much longer. Absolva will soon reign, after all Maiden and Saxon won't be around forever.
As many readers of the blog will know, Blaze Bayley has featured twice recently; first for a review of his two latest (superb) albums and again for an interesting and detailed interview about his creative process and touring plans. As Blazewas headlining the tenth anniversary of the independent SOS Festival in Manchester, I thought I would go along and complete our series of features with a live review. With a day ticket at only £10, and three days for only £15, the festival represents serious value for money. Unfortunately I could only make the middle date- so it was off to Manchester once family commitments were completed to catch as many bands as I could.
After I had bought my ticket and completed the interview with Blaze I was offered a press pass to complete some interviews to really get a flavour of the festival from both a fan and band perspective. Blaze's manager Mark Appleton is the head honcho at Rocksector Records and he and the team had put together a strong and cohesive bill for each day.
Housed this year at The Longfield Suite in Prestwich, Manchester, travel was easy; straight off the motorway and free parking! The venue itself was excellent- great sound, decent bar, good food, a selection of merch stalls... all boxes ticked. Even the toilets were clean. The atmosphere and vibe was friendly- clearly there were a lot of folks who knew each other, but that is not a bad thing; no trouble here, that was for sure.
Well, on to the music: I arrived just in time to watch Primitai after being given my press pass by the very hard working Heather, who was running interview slots and generally shepherding people around. Primitai delivered- new rhythm section in place- a tight and focused set which was not dissimilar to the energetic performance I watched the band turn in at High Voltage Festival in London, 2011. Front man Guy Miller worked the crowd with aplomb, a muscular vocal and physical presence. Three albums in, the band are back and revitalised. I spoke to Primitai'sTipton/Downing (or in this case Srjdan and Sergio) team about where the band have been and where they are headed to now, along with their thoughts on the day:
What's your experience been like of SOS Festival today?
Srdjan: Yeah, it's been excellent. We always appreciate playing a festival which gives bands a chance to play. There are some big guns headlining and it has been a great experience so far: really well run, really good sound guys and stage hands. It's world class!
With three albums under your belts, how do you choose the set list?!
Srdjan: When you have released an album you establish pretty quickly the sort of “hits” if you like. We throw in album tracks, sometimes. At a festival, we try to hand out the hits- I say that in inverted commas! We're an underground band.
Sergio: A good thing is most of the songs, the audience really liked, so...
Album number four, can you give us a glimmer of when it might get here?
Sergio: Well, one thing we have realised over the years is that you have to keep up the momentum. We have booked the mastering for January, so we have a pretty tight deadline. If all goes to plan it should be out in May next year.
Last time I saw you guys was at High Voltage in 2011.What are the difference between playing a big commercial festival like that and an underground festival like this?
Srdjan: It has been top notch here. This is no difference in terms of efficiency of running things. The sound was actually better here! The only difference was that it was bigger and we had to get taken to the stage in golf buggies.
Sergio: For me this has been the best time!
What are your touringplans for next year?
Sergio: We are going to try to get on bills like this a couple of times a month. It's hard to schedule a week long tour.
Any bands left to play with who you haven't? A wish list is fine!
Sergio: For me, Symphony X
Srdjan: The legends: Accept, Saxon, well we have already played with them but I'd love to do it again!
Highlight gigs of this year?
Srdjan: We did a headline gig in Reading where I grew up. A pretty full venue and the crowd were great. Coming back ten years later was great. SOS festival has been great too. Sergio: I really like festivals. I think for me, when we released the album the crowd was close- really close to us and I really liked it. After what the band had been through- we made the album!
Next up was Die No More, straight out of the metal Mecca of... Cumbria. I enjoyed their set hugely; turning is as they did a set of thrash/trad metal; mid-way between Priestand early Metallica/Testament. The band played hard and really won the crowd over, whose volume increased as their set went on. I must admit to never having heard the band prior to this gig, but I was impressed. Their closing self titled anthem was a festival highlight for me as the band got the crowd going and fully involved. Band's like Die No More are around in the UK underground- you just have to hear about them and a festival is the perfect way of doing so.
I caught up with bass player Martyn Simpson and lead guitarist Kev Smith after their set about the band's journey:
What has your experience been like!
KS: Hot. Hot and awesome!
MS: Very good crowd. Very receptive- a lot of fun.
KS: We played two years ago and we got a great response. This one was a great show. I think it got better as it went along.
Explain a bit about what the band is about, what genre you are operating in and what your inspiration is for doing it?
KS: A lot of people have labelled us thrash, but we are kind of between...
MS: Not everything is full tilt. There is a lot of stuff in between. With the EP we did there is a lot of melody and choruses.
KS: We got into the melodic side of it. Now we still have that thrash side, but we always had in the back of our mind to have catchy parts.
MS: It went away from “right we have a riff” to “How do we build around this?”
KS: We have the heavy side and the melodic edge.
What is next for the band?
KS: Well it's funny you should say that, because this is our last gig for a while! We have been at this for five years non stop and we need a break from the band. There have been times... how many times have holidays with family and this and that been put aside?!
MS: It's one of those never say never things. We're not going to stop playing music.
KS: We think we have written some great songs with the band and we don't want to lose that. We have built up over years of hard work. We just need some time to re-charge the batteries. We can count on one hand how many times we have cancelled a gig- really!
How did you move out of Cumbria to playing elsewhere?
KS: Well, Cumbria is one of the places where we least play! We went to Manchester a lot. We have been all over the place; Europe, down south, Wales, Scotland. If you can meet another band that likes you- we met Absolva. They took us under their wing and took us to Europe. Getting help like that is a massive boost.
MS: Great bunch of guys. Had a lot of good times.
Dream gigs: who would you play with?
KS: It could never happen for obvious reasons, but Pantera! I used to love that band and I still do.
MS: For me it would be Maiden!
Tough support gig there!
KS/MS: Oh yeah!
Are there any bands out there that you could recommend to readers of SLUDGELORD?
MS: Hellion Rising from Newcastle. Groove based, but a lot of Sabbathin there. They are on it every gig.
KS: A Jokers Rage and Massive Wagons.
Thanks guys.
Next up were Pythia, who I missedmost ofdue to interviewing (from what I saw, they were professional and theatrical symphonic metal), so it was time for food and a patient wait for Northern Ireland's Screaming Eagles. Bearing in mind that Blaze Bayleywas headlining and Primitai and Die No More are at the, shall we say, start ofthe harder edge of the metal spectrum it was an excellent change of sound to hear these Norn Iron lads crank out some no frills hard rock. Coming on string with a mix of AC/DCand G 'n' R, these boys played an energetic set of world class sounding songs. From opener “Ready For The Fall” to the excerpt of “It's a Long Way To The Top”, they didn't put a foot wrong. Why they aren't up there with countrymen The Answerand the likes of Airbourne, I have no idea.
In between bands the festival has a second stage at the back of the hall, featuring acoustic acts only. What a great idea! I caught Gemma Fox and Bad Pollyannawho turned in entertaining short sets and kept the crowd's attention, armed with nothing more than acoustic guitar and voice. Credit to them.
Finally, the headliner was set to take the stage. Come 9.30pm, Blaze's side men (made up of members of Absolva) blasted into the title track from “Endure and Survive”. Blaze made a dramatic entrance, announcing his intentions to kill with metal in menacing style, before working the crowd with all the energy of a man who has fronted the greatest band in metal. From there, there was no let up; “Escape Velocity”, “Fight Back” and “Dark Energy” all featured. Blaze's era of Maiden was very well represented by “Futurereal”, “The Clansman”, “Man on the Edge” and “Lord of The Flies” (which closed the show). The band played the songs with bags of energy and quickened the tempos here and there to keep the momentum of the show going. Martin Mcnee played an engaging drum solo, while Karl Schramm handled bass parts very solidly indeed. Chris Appleton, the band's not so secret weapon shredded for all he was worth and was joined by brother Luke (also of Iced Earth) for the show's final songs.
Blaze himself was in full voice, entertaining the crowd and offering up some very heartfelt thank yous in between songs. Wolfsbane's“Manhunt” even made its way into the set. With thirty years of songs under his belt, the set list was very well paced and cherry picked much of the best of his work; “Silicon Messiah” was represented, but notable for its absence was anything from “The Man Who Would Not Die”(one of his finest records). Frankly, though, to nit pick about a set list for a one and a half hour headline show would be ridiculous. The set was a triumph and I did not hear one word of dissent from people after- all enthusiastically agreeing that that it had been a triumph. Blaze immediately came out to the merch booth after playing- not so much as a breather- and began signing records, taking photos with fans and generally being an all around nice guy.
To sum up then, for £10 I got to see four and a bit bands, two acoustic acts and had a great day out. I was actually very kindly placed on the guest list for all three days, but I just could not do the Friday or Sunday; it's my loss, as I would love to have soaked up more of what the festival had to offer. This was undoubtedly the best independent festival I have attended in the UK and represented absolutely superb value for money.
If you fancy a metal fest next year and you don't fancy paying silly money to get piss wet through in a field in the Midlands, then get yourself to Manchester and try out bands in a friendly setting for true fans. Highly recommended.
Following the recent review of “Infinite Entanglement” and “Endure and Survive”, I began thinking that it would be awesome to know a bit more about those albums and Blaze Bayley's plans for album number three in the cycle. The only problem... how to do it?! As it turns out, Blaze's management could not have been more accommodating. An email exchange, a request to interview and then one Friday night I found myself on Skype talking to Blaze himself! A metal legend, live and direct in my kitchen, via the medium of modern technology! What follows is a transcript of the interview, covering everything from recording to quantum physics. Enjoy
Congratulations on the success of the latest instalment of your Sci fi trilogy- “Endure and Survive” That and “Infinite Entanglement” are absolutely superb (“Endure and Survive” is my album of the year so far) and I cannot wait for the third and final part! Can you give us any idea of what is going to be on album number three and what is going to be in store for us on the next record?
Well the first one, “Infinite Entanglement”, was the beginning of a journey of 1000 years and it was the realisation that you are not in a specially designed space suit; you are actually a machine! Your consciousness has been downloaded into a machine body and the very question “are you human?” and to decide “are you human?” is big. The second album, “Endure and Survive”, is the end of the journey of 1000 years and the darkness of that endurance the things that happened to understand that you are just a cog in a machine, you were never meant to reach that new world. That new planet, that fresh start was never meant for you. It was an absolute lie and a seduction.
Part three has to tie up that story. I can't say too much about it, but what I can say is that I am in an absolute blind panic! I never expected anyone to like the second album better than the first one- so that's made it very difficult. I thought the first one was pretty good; I was only trying to make the second one, thinking 'If I could just get it the same standard as the first one then I would be happy....' then people were saying ' Oh, it's much better than part one!' and I thought 'Oh No!' because now the expectations are so high, not only from the fans but from me. My idea is that you have a play list of the three albums and you can listen to the three albums on one playlist start to finish in one story, just like you've listened to a really great, long album. That's the idea, so it has to be interesting, the story has to keep you, has to grip you, and you must be interested in what's going to happen to these people and what's motivated them.
At the moment we have, well, I'm looking at my wall and we have five titles that I am confident will turn into full songs of a good standard, so I am six short of what I really need. I have more musical ideas; we have bits and pieces we're working on. I am just waiting for that three in the morning bit of inspiration that catches you, or that thing that catches me when I am out shopping like 'What's that?! It's mine! I've got an idea and I've got to record it!' so that's it. I know the story, I know where I am going with the story, but musically the journey I want to take you on is different. It's a different path and it will only make sense I think in the context of the three albums. When you get to album three and you get to the end you will think 'oh well that was different, but of course it had to be that way and it makes sense.' I am hoping you will like it. It's a lot of work and it's a lot of nerves. We'll have to see what happens.
Of course. Thanks for that expansive answer. For what it's worth I do listen to the two albums back to back on my commute to work. I'll stick on “Infinite Entanglement” and then “Endure and Survive..”.
That's a long ride!
I live in Leeds (England) and it's a big city; the bus can take a long time! Or I listen to one album on the way there and one on the way back. It's really immersive as a listener to do that. Can you tell us a bit about the studio you are using for these records and the production?
It is a studio in Birmingham called Robanna's. It's completely independent. It is run by Rob, Rob Hoffman, and his sister Anna, I think. I started doing all my guest vocals there. It's a fully professional studio, using pro tools which is the only software I like to use. I would never go back to tape! I hate analogue and all of that. I like digital. In the modern world of computers and the hard drives that we have and the speed of the processors, you can actually make music and it sounds good and it can keep up with you- which it never could in the early days of the eighties and tape. You had to have so much patience and I just haven't got that! I started doing guest vocals there; bands and singer songwriters from around the world ask me to do vocals for them or feature on their album and I thought 'I've worked in a lot of studios, I've spent a lot of time travelling, this is (without traffic) twenty minutes from my house- I'm gonna record there!' And it makes so much sense: you get up, you go to work and at the end of the day, you come back home.
It just makes sense. When you spend perhaps six to nine months of the year away from home, to be able to get up, go to work and come back home after work makes sense. To meet a deadline, I'm not one of these arty farty types who say 'well it will be finished when I feel it's right...' No! It'll be finished on time because it will be right: because I call myself a singer, a songwriter a producer and after thirty years if I can't meet a deadline which I set myself? I shouldn't be doing it! So that's it. I own the record company I am actually the only artist on the record company so I am the boss telling myself what to do. If I can't meet it, I should be ashamed. I'm a working class man, I come from a working class family. That's it for me: the inspiration is important, the passion of the music is important.
The real place that music is formed is in the rehearsal room with the band full blast. We put these ideas together at home and then we take it into the rehearsal room and we start feeling those rhythms, those runs on the bass, the shapes of the chords and the rhythms in the riffs and that is when you know if it is gonna live or if it is going to be cast aside, or if it is going to need major surgery as it doesn't have a heart and you've got to give it one! That's what happens and that is how those first two albums. “Infinite Entanglement”; we had a lot more rehearsal time and a lot more distance from the recording and “Endure and Survive” was a lot more urgent but we had all the time that we needed and we beat the deadline by two days! The next one? I just don't know. I'm very nervous about it, but it's a studio that I like to go to because I know everybody there. I've known everybody there for a long time. You walk in and you feel at home.
Fantastic. Thank you very much. If we can keep with the same records, they are very immersive in terms of the story and themes kind of pull you in. What is it that makes physics and science fiction so appealing to you as a songwriter
Well, a lot of people have asked me this over the last few months...
Apologies!
I've had a think about it and it goes back to... as a boy I watched science fiction with my mother; Space 1999, Dr Who, Blake's Seven, Star Trek Original Series. We watched them together. I also had an interest in how things worked. Any toy that I had which had a battery or an electric motor, I used to take it to pieces to try to learn how it worked. I liked to learn how to fix my bicycle myself. My mother could take the gear box out of a transit van and fit it back on! I had this kind of background.
Quantum Physics, in the end, is how things work. When you look inside the engine of your car, the spark, the small tiny spark is what keeps everything going. This little explosion ignites the petrol. It goes down to something so small: how does it all work?! That's the interest I have: how does it work? Why are we even on this planet? How are we going through space so fast around this giant ball of fire?! An invisible force controls us- you can measure it but you can't see it, you can't touch it. You are a part of it. It acts upon you. You don't act upon it. It is an invisible force and it is the most amazing thing to have this thought in my mind.
That leads me on to my belief in telepathy. Years ago in the eighties, in the scientific community, if you said you were investigating and interested in the merits of telepathy, you would be ostracised, man, you would never get a job. Now, it's becoming almost a legitimate area for research as technology can get rid of all the fake results, all the dummy results. In my story, “Infinite Entanglement”, telepathy plays a big part in that story and it's coming down to this: if two electrons are paired, they always know- instantaneously- what the other one is doing, where it is and how it is. If two electrons can do that- and that is proved scientifically beyond doubt- then, if we're made of electrons, why wouldn't you, telepathically, be connected to the love of your life? Why wouldn''t you feel what that person you love intensely, why wouldn't you know what they are doing. That is the entanglement of two people far across the universe still being connected, entangled and the seeming infinity that there will never be a way for those two people to be physically close.
Fantastic and interesting stuff! A real quick question for you now: will there be a vinyl release of Endure and Survive. If so, when?
Yes! The test pressings have come back and they are all great. The mastering has been done by Ade who did the Maiden remasters. He has his own quirky way of doing things and he basically rebuilds the records for mastering. He did this amazing job where he did this special master for the vinyl. It's just awesome. Our first vinyl for “Infinite Entanglement”, there was a problem with the mastering so by the time we had sorted it, they had so much work on- because vinyl is now becoming more popular- we had missed that Christmas thing, but this one, you will be able to pre-order the “Endure and Survive” Vinyl. It will be just the same as the “Infinite Entanglement” vinyl with two discs, all the art work, big and beautiful! It's coming out very very soon. There will be an announcement by or before October and everybody will, if they want it, will be able to get it before Christmas. It'll be on my web shop.
Brilliant. I'm looking forward to it myself. I've got “Infinite Entanglement” on vinyl and I want to complete the set.
On a more personal note this time: I think it is fantastic that you play in places that are maybe more out of the ordinary for touring bands. Specifically, I want to mention Grimsby. It's my home town and I lived there until, well, I was old enough to move out! I ended up in Leeds, but I have lived down South as well. When I was growing up in Grimsby, Humberside, me and my friends that were into metal there would have found it absolutely unbelievable that any metal band would play there at all. There were no gigs. I know that now Grimsby has this venue, Yardbirds, can you tell me a bit about what it is like to play at Yardbirds and similar venues and what your love for it is?
Well, this is the story of being independent really. Blaze Bayley Recordingsis independent. All the licences I did years ago have all come back to me. All my CDs, everything I have done since Iron Maiden- apart from one live album- I own. It's all on my web shop. My fans buy from me directly and support me. Even though I am the record company, I'm tiny.
It's the same with venues. Yardbirds is a completely independent venue run by enthusiasts and they really don't care who you are: if they like you and you do well, if you play well; they will have you back. That's the same story as all the independent venues throughout the UK, the rest of Europe and the USA. Maybe 90% of the places I play are independent. You will almost never see Blaze Bayley at an O2 or somewhere like that. I always go to independent places. We work in a kind of partnership; we do our best. For me, there is absolutely no prestige attached to a particular city or venue. For me all the prestige is attached to the fan who bought the album and bought the ticket. Where are they? That's where I want to go! I don't want to go to London and everyone has to travel to see me, I want to go to where my fans are. Sometimes I go to London and play to my fans who are from London, but that's it. It's not just about the capital cities and all of that. I go to towns and if it's an independent venue run by independent people then I try to support them as much as they support me by having me at their venue.
Yardbirds is one of the best venues in the UK, from an independent point of view. You always get the most fantastic sound, great PA, great equipment and you are always treated very, very well. They can really show one or two venues around how it's done! We're always treated very well and I have been going there for years. It's fantastic and I always look forward to going there, no matter what day of the week it is. It will always be on my tour schedule; it's a phone call ' Can we come back?' 'Yep, OK what day do you want?' 'We're doing a tour...' Bang, it's done! It might already even be booked for next year! It's the independent venue for me; I really don't care about playing the Albert Hall. My goal- my dream- is to sell out Yardbirds and be able to play two nights there. To me, that is a huge success.
It is genuinely heart-warming to hear that, because not too many people say they are looking forward to going to Grimsby! Next time you play I will try to drive across and see you play there. I wanted to come in March, but we have a daughter who was only three months old at the time (she is six months now) and I couldn't get the time, the evening, to go. Next time I will try to drive across and show a little home town pride!
Blaze we are actually past the twenty minute mark now, have you got time for one more? (*Blaze's management allotted me twenty minutes for the interview)
Yeah. Yeah, you can have another couple!
In that case, I will cut to the chase: you are headlining the tenth anniversary of the SOS Festival in Manchester on Saturday 15th July. I'm going, I'm very much looking forward to it. Can you give us a glimmer of what to expect in the set list?
We're going to have a lot of “Endure and Survive” in the set list, a couple of Maiden ones and a Wolfsbane one as well. I'm really looking forward to the gig. It's the second time they have had the festival in the new venue but it is the first time I've been there. The acoustics and everything are loads better. All the facilities, so they tell me- they just might be trying to get me there!- but they tell me: the venue itself, the facilities, the acoustics are miles ahead of the old venue. I am very excited about it. It is gonna be one of the last UK gigs (this year). It's a big day for me and we have been all around Europe. It's going to be a kind of homecoming. We hope we play well and don't make too many mistakes.
There is going to be a free meet and greet afterwards and we hope to be meeting people and signing things. There has been the reissues of “The X Factor” and “Virtual XI”on vinyl and I have been signing those. People say: “Are you OK signing it?” Well, why not?! I sang on it and it's my songs which I sang on are on there and both albums sold over a million copies! Why wouldn't I be proud as anything to sign an album that I am on, that I wrote songs on and that has sold over a million copies? So if you have bought those albums or bought that vinyl, bring it and I'll sign it for you!
That's brilliant- no charging for meet and greets. That's nice.
The meet and greet is free. People have done enough. People have bought the ticket and got away from the telly! I don't think you can ask any more. In this world, I’m a tiny underground cult artist! In the music business I don't sell thousands and thousands or millions of records. I'm doing my own thing, I'm independent and I am very happy doing it! Why would I need or want to say to somebody that you can meet me but it'll cost you £35. It's not part of it for me, it's not me. It's not why I do it. For me, one of the reasons I am not part of that big machine is because when I was in Wolfsbane and even sometimes in Iron Maiden, I saw such a lack of respect for the fans that supported the band and some of the things that they were asked to buy as fans... their loyalty was put to the test again and again and never rewarded. I thought 'if I ever get my own thing together, that's it: the fan is number one.' That is what we try and do.
With everything we do, we try to do the best quality that we possibly can. We try to make our albums and our artwork just as good everybody else; as Disturbed, Iron Maiden, Sabaton... We do the best that we possibly can and give the best value that we possibly can. We feel that if a fan has bought the album, bought a ticket and come to the gig then you should be saying thank you and you should be grateful that someone who had a choice about what music they listen to has decided that your music is actually worthy of their support and that's how I feel about my fans. I am lucky to have any support at all. People who charge for their meet and greets- some give great value and you get a lot of stuff and a proper photo and its right for them. For me, it's not.
It's a nice ethos and a nice way of going about things. It's a great way of doing things and a great way to say thanks and for the fans to get something signed. We have now gone to nearly half an hour so I won't take up any more of your time! I really appreciate you doing the interview.
OK mate, I hope to see you at SOS and all the best to your little daughter.
I can't wait- one week to go! Thanks for that Blaze. I really appreciate it. All the best for your next record. You are a gent.
As I reflect incredulously upon 2017 so far, it continues to confound my expectations that TERR0Rexists at all, let alone being able to reflect upon six months worth of albums.
2017 is like any other, we predict this year’s releases will not top the last, but invariably we are proven wrong, there have been highlights and disappointments, shocks and surprises, and as we approach July, we’ll continue to separate the good, from the bad and the ugly.But today we reflect upon the 16 most popular records at TERR0R so far in 2017.
This list does not reflect the contributors own tastes, rather they are articles that have received the most clicks, therefore by virtue of that, you could argue they’re the most popular (it’s a pretty loose hypotheses I know, but we wanted the list to reflect your tastes not ours).The fact that the albums cover a variety of genres is indicative of how the site has grown and is central to the philosophy we promote, which is to review albums we like, not solely on the basis of genre.
The results of this chart as ever are compiled based on page views alone.For more information on the bands, click the artwork.We have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication is highlighted in red).Thanks for reading.
16). Brutus – “Burst” (1455)
Straddling the line between hardcore punk and a post-rock/metal riff fest, Brutus pounds, hurls, and howls at volumes so loud and levels so intense that it’s impossible to look away. Harmonies, hooks, and sing-a-longs are part of the Brutus recipe, but it’s the sheer intensity that will have heads turning, bopping, and banging.
15). Toke – “Orange” (1458)
Toke seamlessly blends the precise amount of head crushing, belly thumping riffs with greasy, bluesy lead breaks and melody. This band has struck a balance between tried and true classic archetypes within this genre and has pushed the envelope in so many forms of noticeable nuance.
14). Mutoid Man – “War Moans” (1529)
“War Moans” is fast, heavy and vocally arresting, it is an album that is certain to leave you breathless.
13). Spidergawd – “IV” (1568)
“IV” is eight tracks that follow the verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula and does so with licks, vocals, lyrics and melodies that are sharp, fast, and poignant. As far as that’s concerned, there’s absolutely nothing to complain about
12). Bathsheba – “Servus” (1603)
The biggest strength of the album is its tactful and haunting use of atmosphere. This is achieved through the skilful use of dynamic contrast, organically unfolding transitions and changes in the timbre of the music, particularly in the playing of guitarist Dwight Goossens. Tracks such as “Manifest” and “Demon” see Goossens change from chilling, ambient clean tones to rich, roaring fuzz tones that could satisfy even the hardest to please doom fans.
11). Sleep – “The Clarity” (1681)
“This track sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a huge robotic entity slowly trudging through space. ‘The Clarity’ is exactly what every Sleep fan wanted to hear after being dormant for such a long time. If these guys can pull an album out of the bag in the near future with anything remotely close to the calibre of power involved in this, then we are in for a serious slab of mind-altering, heavy doom.”
10). DOOL – “Here Now, There Then” (1698)
It is rare that an album is able to make one completely forget about their real world surroundings and bring them somewhere else entirely.“Here Now, There Then” is an otherworldly brew of eeriness, effective hooks and nefarious rock and roll.It is the soundtrack of a lost soul stumbling upon something evil and long forgotten, only to find it wide awake and waiting.
9). Unearthly Trance – “Stalking The Ghost” (1780)
8). Pallbearer – “Heartless” (1921)
“Heartless” is an incredible achievement from Pallbearer, a set of huge songs that consolidate the best elements of their previous releases while moving into fresh sonic territory. This is the album that should see the band make the transition into stadium-bothering all-time greats, and deservedly so.
7). Widows – “Oh Deer God” (2075)
The strongest part of “Oh Deer God” are the bloated, swaggering riffs that invade every one of the album’s seven tracks. The riffs loom over the music like a giant surveying a small village, resolve in just the right way, and give the album a raw, beefy strength that makes it so enjoyable. At just under half an hour total, “Oh Deer God” is a brief, but delightful venture into where vaporous desert rock meets viscous sludge metal.
6). Sepultura – “Machine Messiah” (2196)
Will this convert early-Sepultura-only fans? Unlikely. Will it convert Cavalera only Sepultura fans? I doubt it, as those people have made their decision and won't entertain that a Sepultura can exist without the Cavalera brothers. However, this is yet another high quality entry into the Sepultura discography and is one of the best records the band has made.
5). Dopelord – “Children of the Haze” (2516)
“Children of the Haze” is defined by loose grooves, ghoulish riffing and a very vintage sense of wickedness. Dopelord prove that, unlike many other stoner metal bands, they are not content to just create the same song several times over and call it an album.
Both “Infinite Entanglement” and “Endure and Survive” are the best work of his entire career, better than Wolfsbane, better than his tenure with Maiden and better than his past solo work. Blaze's fire is burning brighter than ever
3). Dead Witches – “Ouija” (3528)
This is another perfectly fuzzed out slab of doom from a band that doesn’t seem to know any other way.
2). Soen – “Lykaia” (3565)
On Soen’s third full length record their own explorative hunger is satisfied in the most delicious of ways, resulting in their most dynamically versatile but free flowing release to date.An explorative and colourful record, there is a lot to take in with this record, many dimensions in which to get lost in. Repeat listens bear gorgeous fruits.
1). Telekinetic Yeti – “Abominable” (4181)
All in all, the recording has a huge sound and the production is absolutely amazing. It has everything you could ever want and I would rate it as a perfect 10. The album is truly remarkable and is sure to go down in history as one of rock’s greatest debuts. These guys are definitely heavyweight contenders to find their place at the top of the scene
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