Blaze Bayley | KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE

I have nothing but utmost respect and love for Blaze Bayley. This man, besides creating fantastic music, two albums with Maiden and afterwards all his opus, done everything diy in his career, all the ups and downs, heartbreaks and getting ups, making him an icon and a legend larger than life. This is his new studio full length album offering 10 songs of uplifting, inimitable and epic heavy melodic metal. Blaze´s voice sounds stronger than ever and this bunch of songs are maybe best he provided in more than last ten years or maybe fifteen. Some of the lyrics are historic like great 303, some are fantasy, but best part of Blaze´s music are lyrics and songs that pick you up whenever you are shattered on the floor and feel you can´t go anymore. When depression you battle threatens to finish you off and you feel end would be your final rest. Then comes Blaze and songs like Warrior, the title track or Pull Yourself Up and you say fuck you to the world and you get up, ready to fight new battle in this never ending war called daily life. This is a superb album and hats off and much love and respect to the legend!

9,5/10

Finally, the new studio album by Stage of Reality became reality! This Italian band plays some kind of melodic metal with some hard rock(less) and prog influences(more), but mainly it stays in metal waters not to become boring, as some prog bands are. I dont care much about prog bands, they may be playing with great skills, but I find their music lacking energy and usually avoid that kind of bands.

Stage Of Reality ART 600x600

Fortunately, that is not the case with this band. The album contains 10 songs and one cover. I will say something about the cover first, it features guest vocals by Amanda Sommerville of Avantasia, Epica plus more fame and it is nicely done. But I dont get one thing, why Amy Winehouse cover? Maybe I am the scene purist but I still dont think that Amy Winehouse and mainstream artists belong in metal underground, no matter how good covering their songs may sound.

Second guest on vocals is legendary Blaze Bayley of Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden fame, but mainly known for his excellent solo melodic but also dark metal albums. The song “Warlord” featuring Blaze is one of the highlights on this album and I would love to hear more Stage of Reality material heading that way stylewise. As for the other songs, some worked less and some more for me, I can not say that I liked the whole album equally. In my opinion the best song on this album is “Legitimate Rage” which hit my metal anthem button for sure. I would also love to hear a bit stronger vocals on the next album, because the vocals sounded a bit too mellow and weak on this album, they could have been done much better.

Not to bitch and whine, this is still a good album and I am sure the next one will be even better.

6,5/10