Heavy Maytal - Iron Maiden's "The X-Factor"

 I have never given the Blaze Bayley albums a chance. I have a few of these songs live when Bruce has sung them, so here we go. The opening track is "Sign of the Cross." It works well enough; it's obvious Blaze lacks Bruce's range, though his voice has a lower baritone grit that works for this song. I will find out how it holds up for the bulk of the album. It does sound like Nicko is just kind of dialing it in on this song. There is an interesting shift in the darker gallop this song goes to. But something is off even when i listen to just the instrumental sections, you can tell it's Iron Maiden, but it doesn't sound fully like them, this is due to the fact that Martin Birch is not behind the console. Nigel Green does seem like he is great with drum tones, though there is an interesting space in the mix created by how the guitars sit in different places. 

The beginning of "Lord of the Flies" makes me think of 80s Dire Straits. The new singer did give them the chance to experiment more. If they only got a better drum sound. Blaze's approach is more rock n roll on this one. His style of singing also makes the chorus not punch enough. It could almost be any bar band on a Saturday night playing originals, with the clever guitar interplay the most redeeming thing here. "Man on the Edge" is likea more rock n roll take on "Gangland." Things get darker on "Fortunes of War." the guitar parts also show improvement. The anthem power ballad "Look For the Truth" finds Blaze doing pretty well, and the whole song actually working. 

The clean guitar intro seems to be a pattern with this album. The Aftermath" finds its groove after one of these intros. "The Judgement of Heaven' finds the vocals sitting a little awkwardly atop everything. There are some tradmark guitar passages, but it sounds more likea band influenced by Iron Maiden than the actual band. "Blood on the World's Hands " has a suitable bass intro that leads to something that sounds more like the band with a lurking tension to it; it's one of the better songs so far. Blaze is inconsistent because he sounds good on this one.

It's not surprising that The Edge of Darkness" carries more sonic shadows. It reminds me of "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" but carries an epic gallop. This lineup is capable of pulling off good songs; I don't think the mix is doing them any favors. Another acoustic intro for "2AM", which gives Blaze enough room to really sing. He does not have Bruce's swagger, but works well on this one. Though not sure about how the drums are pushed forward for the guitar solo. "The Unbeliever" opens with some intersting guitar riffs, not sure about the interplay between the vocals and the drums though. Not the album's most focused song. 

"Justice of the Peace" is more like what you want from an Iron Maiden song, as it balances the bombast and melody with high-energy drive. "I Live My Way' seems pretty basic, but it works. They close the album with more of a rocker, picking up the pace for "Judgement Day," which feels like it's more obligatory than playing to Blaze's strengths. At the end of the day, aside from Blaze, these guys are Iron Maiden, so their chops alone make it more worthwhile than anticipated 

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