“I agree that most cassettes and decks were crap, but the high end ones such as Nakamichi, Tandberg, Revox, Luxman etc. sound awesome and make great recordings. The other thing is you can get decent audiophile quality cassette players for a good price, and the cassettes are cheap.” –Boppin, August 13 2015
I recently purchased a couple cassettes from Drew Masters of M.E.A.T Magazine, from a band he was involved with at the time. A band I like a lot called Russian Blue. It’s a demo they recorded at Cherry Beach Sound studio in Toronto in November of 1991.
Even on my Technics RS-TR272 tape deck that badly needs a servicing, I can hear that it’s the best cassette I’ve ever played.
It’s loud. Much louder than any other cassettes. And it’s clear. Barely any hiss even on this machine. The dead spots between songs are quiet. I’ve never heard a tape like it.
The reasons for this are two-fold. One is that the cassette is a Sony Metal-SR 100, Type IV. Not top of the line but not a bad tape at all.
Second is that this tape comes direct from the desk of Cherry Beach Sound, a professional recording studio. Noise reduction set to “B”. Their recorders are far better than anything I’ve had access to in my life, and certainly superior to the stuff they make mass-produced commercial tapes with.
What can I say? Bop was right all along. Cassettes don’t have to sound like shit. I’ve been schooled.
Pandemics suck, but last year Max the Axe began working on a remedy. Three new songs — one cover, two originals — and a new EP called Oktoberfest Cheer! With this year’s Bavarian festival just around the corner, Max is ready to rock your beerhallen. It’s the second release with the same lineup: Mike Koutis (Max the Axe) – lead guitar, Eric Litwiller (Uncle Meat) – lead vocals, Mike Mitchell – lead bass and Dr. Dave Haslam — lead drums. It’s a much more punk rock affair than the last album Status Electric. Perhaps it’s even a concept record about intoxication!
Opening with the original “Pygmy Blow Dart”, Max sounds like Queens of the Stone Age jonesing for a smoke. Litwiller is in full Homme mode with the groove of the Axe behind him. “I think I’m going downtown, looking for some dope.” Ah, the quaint pre-legalization setting! By the end, the band is in a singalong, looking for some smoke. “Round and round, and round and round…” Hey guys…check the local dispensary! There’s one on every corner now. Great bass solo in the middle, right before Max rips on the six string. Fans of the last album will love it.
The Black Flag cover “Thirsty and Miserable” is outstanding, full-on punkfied Max. Definitely some influence from Lemmy’s version of “Thirsty and Miserable” too. This track kicks and Litwiller sounds legit. They could play it two or three times in a row and you wouldn’t get bored.
Finally the punk-inflected EP ends with the title track “Oktoberfest Cheer!”, a song destined to be a seasonal hit. Feather in cap, beer on tap…October is here so raise up that beer! You can picture the festhallen going mad for this October anthem. This is the clear hit, frantic and haggard as it may be. Adorned with festive accordion, it’s punk rock unlike any other. You can play it year after year…or in August. Don’t crush my smokes, don’t spill my beer!
The great thing about this EP is that it’s under 10 minutes in true punk fashion and perfect for repeat plays.
The summer of ’85 was going swimmingly. We were on summer holidays at the lake and I was still really into Quiet Riot. With their two albums (the only two I knew of!) on my Sanyo, and with boxes full of Transformers to play with, I was having a great summer.
Earlier that year, my dad bought for me a minibike from a school kid. It had a lawnmower engine but could get moving at a pretty good clip. The cottage was the best place for it, since it was all dirt roads and trails. I had a hockey helmet and that had to be good enough for head protection. I loved that bike, but it did not love me back. The chain had a habit of coming loose, and it was always hit or miss whether it would start or not.
Sometimes I’d ride the bike all the way down to Dead Man’s River, others I’d stick to the roads where it was easier going. I enjoyed the numb feeling in my hands from the vibrating frame after an afternoon riding. I also liked cleaning and painting details on it. But mostly I liked the feeling of getting it up to speed.
I was riding up and down our little road one afternoon the summer when I tried to accelerate, but the chain came off again. Usually it just fell fell off and the bike went dead, but this time it locked up and I went right over the handlebars. Worse, the chain had taken a chunk of flesh out of my left leg on the inner knee. The soft spot where the meat is. There was an inch-long gash packed with grease from the chain. My knees, elbows and wrists were all banged up and bleeding from the landing.
I needed stitches so the next obvious thing to do would have been to go to the hospital. This is not what happened.
A neighbour helped me hobble home where my family frantically began fussing over me. The next minutes or hours are a blur. A lot of telling me I had to go to the hospital, a lot of screaming and refusing, my dad promising he would buy me a toy if I let him look at my leg. I would not let anyone near it.
Eventually, however, I conceded to remove my hands from my bleeding wound, though not to go to any damn hospital. I let my mom and dad mop up the blood and grease, and bandage my leg. I demanded my new toy, and knocked out hard to sleep.
The rest of the summer consisted of regular checking and cleaning of the wound, which didn’t fully heal for months. I was not allowed to swim for fear of infection, and I couldn’t run. I was regularly reminded that this wouldn’t have been the case of I had gone to the hospital. But I got my toy. My dad made sure, and my sister made sure I got the right one.
She returned with the Autobot named Swoop, a Dinobot that turned into a pterodactyl. He was one of the coolest toys of the entire G1 line, with plenty of accessories, die-cast parts and chromed plastic. He even had landing gear if you wanted to land him like an airplane. And he made me forget about the pain in my knee.
I can’t believe how stupidly stubborn I was. And you have to believe I was impossible if my parents couldn’t force me to go to a hospital. And that was pretty much it for me and the bike. The irony here is that I named the bike “Christine” after the car from the Stephen King novel that ultimately gets its owner killed. I regret that decision too!
SLASH’S SNAKEPIT – It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (1995 Geffen)
Somewhere in the multiverse is an alternate reality where Axl Rose did not reject Slash’s songs for the next Guns album. In that version of history, the new Guns N’ Roses was not titled Chinese Democracy; perhaps it was called Back and Forth Again. And it would have sounded a lot like It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere, the debut album by Slash’s Snakepit that we received in our reality’s year 1995.
As it went down, Axl said “no” to the songs Slash had finished, so Slash put them out as his first solo album. And then Axl wanted them back. In 1994, on the VHS The Making of Estranged: Part 4 of Trilogy, you can hear Guns working on one of these songs. In the background, the music that would eventually become Slash’s “Back and Forth Again” is playing with Axl whistling overtop. In the alternate reality, somebody’s listening to it right now as a Guns N’ Roses song. In ours, it will only be Slash’s Snakepit.
Although Slash was enthused about his new music, and was eager to make a raw bluesy rock n’ roll album, Axl had other plans. Who was right in the end? It’s hard not to see Axl’s point of view. Slash’s 14 songs had just one hit and 13 fillers. Most of the best GN’R tracks were not written by Slash; they were written by Izzy Stradlin. Left to his own devices, Slash’s batch of songs here lack memorable hooks.
Let’s start on a positive note at least — the lead single “Beggars & Hangers-On”. Written by Slash n’ Duff with lead singer Eric Dover, this is a song that any band from Skynyrd to the Crowes to Zeppelin to Guns N’ Roses would have been proud to play. Check out that riff — it’s as regal as the blues gets. Powerful and soulful aching vocals from Dover. The chorus roars, bright and bold, and you could only imagine what Axl could have done with it. Matt Sorum’s drums splash at all the right moments, in his trademark fashion. It’s a damn perfect song. And it made people really excited for the album that was to come, Guns or no Guns.
Well, there were some Guns. Slash had been working with Matt Sorum and the recently fired Gilby Clarke. On bass was Mike Inez from Alice in Chains. Though not in the Snakepit lineup, Slash also imported Dizzy Reed and Ted “Zig Zag” Andreadis from GN’R. With those players, it sure sounded like Guns. Only Dover really differentiates them. Dover…and the songs.
There are fragments of brilliance through the whole record. The acoustic intro to “Neither Can I” for example. The circular snaky riff to the manic “Be the Ball” (not to mention Slash’s lyrics, which seem to be his personal life philosophy). The boogie-woogie of instrumental “Jizz Da Pit”. The wicked Inez bass on on Gilby Clarke’s “Monkey Chow”. The Aerosmith vibe to “I Hate Everybody (But You)”.
And it’s a long album. 70 minutes of solid rock without a lot of variation. Which is one reason why Slash’s 14 songs wouldn’t have cut it for Guns in 1995. Appetite for Destruction had a variety of different songs on it, even if all shared a go-for-the-throat ferocity. Slash did get the straightforward live sounding rock album he desired. The guitars sound absolutely thick and offer a hint of what Slash and Gilby would have sounded like together on an original Guns studio album (like naturals).
It’s just a damn shame Slash’s solo debut is so disappointing. It bears witness that Axl might not have been wrong. You could make a hell of a GN’R album* out of the best tracks its members came up with. But this isn’t it.
METALLICA – “Enter Sandman” (Remastered 2021 German CD singles – 5″ Maxi CD and 3″ Pockit-CD)
The Black Album box set is coming! Batten down your wallet because it looks absolutely incredible. Yet on the 14 CDs and 6 DVDs, you won’t find the specific live tracks released only in Germany on the new set of “Enter Sandman” CD singles. (There is also a glow-in-the-dark vinyl single, but it is missing the live tracks.) All the discs maintain the style and design of Metallica’s original 1991-1992 singles. This is an appetiser for what is to come, including two of the newly remastered Metallica tracks. Proceeds went to German charity.
“Enter Sandman” and “Sad But True” are the two remastered studio cuts included. The remastering sounds good and the tracks are not brickwalled. Fans will be pleased to know that Metallica opted out of the Loudness Wars this time. Good thumping bass, nice and prominent. Crisp, clear, and loud enough. “Sad But True” is really punchy.
The live tracks are all taken from Frankfurt or Stuttgart, shows not included in the box set. The 5″ Maxi-CD and 3″ Pockit-CD each contain two exclusives. Just like in the days of old, you have to buy both formats to get all the tracks.
“Through the Never” is one of the thrashiest songs from the Black era, and the very dry recording here is evidence of non-tampering. Tasty wah-wah from Kirk Hammett. “Damage, Inc.” brings thrash the old school way, Metallica as frantic as ever, barely holding it all together, but making the heads bang no matter what. By the end it’s a total steamroller.
The teeny little 3″ CD is no less mighty. “Of Wolf and Man” is choppy and heavy. Hunting relentlessly like the titular wolf, Metallica are out for blood. What’s really wild is the long jammy section at the end which contains a surprise. Finally the Budgie cover of “Breadfan” ends the whole series of tracks with an explosive go-for-the-throat attitude. Sloppy but foot on the gas the whole way.
What’s better than a wicked set of Metallica CD singles, including a 3″? What could beat that? How about if both discs were pressed in black plastic? Would that do anything for ya? These limited singles are sure to be collectible for their exclusive tracks and unique traits. Try the German Amazon site for international shipping. Contrary to a report in Bravewords, these singles do ship worldwide.
I was down in the dumps on Friday night because of the crash-and-burn that was my attempt to play LeBrain Train re-runs. (Yeah, that’s not happening anymore.) Uncle Meat saw my mood and recommended we watch this Sea of Tranquillity episode together virtually.
Everybody knows Born Again is my favourite album of all time. I also like Down to Earth quite a bit. What do the Hudson Valley Squares featuring special guest Martin Popoff think? It’s a riveting hour of love and critique. You have the Meat Man to thank for bringing this to our attention.
Out of the wild blue yonder, Iron Maiden have returned with a new album to allow us to temporarily escape from our pandemic woes. Once again, it is a 2 CD monster, boasting 82 minutes of music. With only 10 songs, you can do the math and figure out that most are long-bombers. The tunes recall all sorts of flavours of Iron Maiden, from Seventh Son to Virtual XI and the Dickinson reunion era. New influences emerge as well, on this beefy but steadfast Maiden album. Maiden turned a corner on The X Factor, incorporating quieter atmospheric sections with the riffing, and Senjustu utilizes this technique on many of the tunes. Senjutsu might be the most Blaze-era-like of the Dickinson albums.
This time Maiden have gone for a Samurai motif with the album artwork, and this is reflected in the opening title track “Senjutsu” (Smith/Harris). Only the second time, after The Final Frontier, that Maiden have opened with a title track. It actually has a similar vibe at first to that opener, with stomping drums (which tie into the lyrics). Nicko McBrain is a superstar on this album. Then Bruce Dickinson heralds his own return with an exotic melody and still powerful lungs. Range be damned, he goes for it on every song. “Senjutsu” is a varied track that relies mostly on a pounding rhythm and is a little different from typical Maiden.
Onto a short 5:00 firecracker, “Stratego” (Gers/Harris) is like a Brave New World song. To the point, steady gallop, heavy on melody. Heavy keyboard backing, which is consistent on Senjutsu. An album highlight if only because there are so few short songs, but strong regardless.
First single “The Writing On the Wall” (Smith/Dickinson) opens with a western motif, a new side to Iron Maiden. It’s a little drawn out for a single, and takes a few listens to digest. You could almost say it’s closer to Led Maiden. In the latter half, Adrian Smith rips out one of those solos that is almost a song unto itself.
Long bomber “Lost In A Lost World” (Harris) unfortunately recalls Spinal Tap’s “Clam Caravan” at the outset. At the 2:00 mark it drops the Tap and gets to the riff, which is a kicker. The song meanders a bit, perhaps a little too much, recalling some the Blaze-era’s musical excesses.
“Days of Future Past” (Smith/Dickinson) sounds like reunion-era Maiden, hooky and wailing. It’s the shortest tune at only four minutes and wastes no time getting to the point. The effective Smith riff forms the bones of the song, in the tradition of something like “Wicker Man”.
The closer on disc one is called “The Time Machine” (Gers/Harris) and is not based on the movie, nor is it typical Iron Maiden, at least until the gallop returns. The vocal melody is quite different and keyboards are prominent. This track could work really well live for those times they want to get the crowd bouncing.
The sound of seagulls and crashing ocean set the stage for “Darkest Hour” (Smith/Dickinson). Dark, understated, and brilliantly performed by Bruce. Summoning all the panache he can muster. The chorus goes full power, and Smith’s solo is something else, a mini composition. Then Dave Murray comes in with a complementary one, as good as any the duo did in the 80s.
Senjutsu might be defined by its closing trio of songs, all in excess of 10 minutes and all written by Steve Harris. Indeosyncratic Harris songs, and if you know Iron Maiden then you know what to expect. Bass intros, soft keyboards, gentle guitar and bashing riffs!
“Death of the Celts” sounds like a sequel to “The Clansman” from Virtual XI (both songs written by Harris). It lacks the unforgettable cry of “freedom!” but instead has a glorious long instrumental section, and some incredible guitar solo work from Janick Gers, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith in a single row.
A different kind of dark bass intro brings us “The Parchment”, then WHAM! A riff blasts you in the face. It’s a little exotic and a lot Iron Maiden. Think “To Tame a Land” without the Kwisatz Haderach. Of the Steve epics on this album, “The Parchment” might be the most perfect. It is definitely the longest. A big part of its being is a series of great Janick guitar solos, but also a sense of tension.
Finally, “Hell On Earth” is a remarkable closer, as the music goes on and on for a while before Bruce starts singing. But that music is awesome — textured, powerful, and memorable. Then Bruce delivers a melody a little left of center, and the song becomes another Maiden classic to be enjoyed years from now, every single time. So much packed into 11 minutes. The Maiden March, some wicked Murray soloing, riffs and more. The total package. It fades out, and that’s the album.
Janick Gers really shines on this album, as his solos repeatedly jump out of the speakers on tracks like “Stratego”, “The Parchment” and “Death of the Celts”. Sadly there are no Dave Murray co-writes this time. Dickinson continues to impress, as he staves off the ravages of time better than many of his contemporaries. Nicko is a relentless machine, and Adrian and Steve turn in performances as good as the ones they are famous for.
Senjustu, the surprise album that we didn’t see coming, is Iron Maiden doing what they do. There are a few twists and turns, but this is the album we would have expected from them if we knew they were making one! There are fans who miss the old days and wish Maiden would put out an old fashioned heavy metal album one more time. They tried that once with No Prayer for the Dying and it didn’t work. Maiden have been a metal band with a foot in progressive rock for a long time now, and they show no interest in abandoning this direction. Long songs with Maidenesque writing and structure is what you will get. And most of us will just be grateful for it.
It’s also been enlightening to look at the last 18 months of shows, and the feedback of viewers and my fellow co-hosts. Harrison the Mad Metal Man went to the trouble of graphing everyone’s picks for favourite episodes — 11 lists total. Have a look at the stats and click to zoom in for details.
It’s rewarding to see that most of the shows were on somebody’s favourite list. Even some of the shows I thought were not very good. Even one of the early shows, pre-Nigel Tufnel Top Ten, made a list thanks to Harrison. The very first Tufnel list show was Rush, which showed up on three lists. This must be heartwarming for Uncle Meat, who was the originator of that Nigel Tufnel Top Ten list idea.
In the beginning I was resistant to doing list shows. “I hate lists!” I complained. (Because they’re hard — I could do five Rush lists in one night, all different.) But Meat persisted, and came up with the Tufnel gimmick. The concept, based on everyone’s favourite scene in This Is Spinal Tap, is that we call it a “top ten” but we really go to 11. The gimmick appealed to me, and when we actually went live that day, the Meat Man and I had some great lists. We also had a Rush list from Michael Morwood making it a nice tight three. The next week we did Kiss and brought more people in. The ability to bring in participants this way really appealed to me and the show began to take off.
That Rush list show could definitely use a re-visit….
Votes for favourite shows are clustered on the latter half. The votes focus mostly on shows from late November 2020 onwards. At that point streams starting getting a lot longer with more guests. What do you think is the ideal time for a live show? I think two hours is prime, but we’re a talkative bunch and most of the later shows clocked in over three hours. Viewers seem to like a variety of guests with a lot of conflicting opinions, but keeping it to two hours is impossible!
Another interesting thing about these statistics is the way the interview shows break down. Most of us decided to choose only one show per celebrity — so even though Andy Curran appeared three times, we only picked one each. So it might appear bizarre that some great, great interviews got no votes: Brent Jensen’s first visit, and Andy’s first and third did not make any lists. Only because each of those guys did one show that was far and above some of the best stuff we’ve ever done!
Overall there were six shows tied for first place:
One Hit Wonders. Probably due to Max the Axe’s hilarious appearance that night.
Andy Curran/Mike Fraser double header. A magical moment when the two guys got to talk to each other while I just sat back and smiled.
Paul Laine. Truly a special interview and special moment for John Snow and I.
Top Spielberg Films. A recent show. The velvety voice of Erik Woods had a lot to do with this! But it was also truly a great set of lists.
Top Animated Films. Another recent show (with Woods!) and one I went into with barely any knowledge of animated films at all.
It’s very pleasing to see those last two shows on so many lists. It proves we were doing quality work right to the end. I have no doubt the final episode would have made lists too if we could do it again!
Mostly, Harrison’s graph tells me yet again that it wasn’t for nothing. It meant something to people, and it was consistent if not growing. We didn’t do a handful of great shows. We did a series of consistently great episodes. Peaks and valleys, yes, but lots of peaks.
I sound like a broken record at the end of every summer. It’s tough to keep the spirits up at this time of year. It’s likely I’ve taken my last swim of 2021. Next time we get to the lake, the sun will be down by the time we arrive. And then will come the day it is covered with snow, and empty for the winter slumber.
Music helps – music always, always helps. So does writing. But it is an annual challenge.
When I was a kid, the end of August would signal the start of the “sad times”. The back-to-school ads. Reminders that I was going to have to spend another year with a bunch of bullies again. Then the colder weather started to roll in. Our family would take two weeks of vacation in August but back then, they were two cold, rainy weeks. (Not like today.) You had to start dressing in long pants and sweat shirts.
Shopping for notebooks and new school clothes. Realizing that a few weeks of warm freedom were about to be replaced by 10 months of misery. I hated Labour Day weekend. Back to the “hell hole” as my sister would say. These feelings stick with me today. I can’t flip the calendar from August to September without them.
Even though I’m not in school anymore, the heavy heart returns. I now know that I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and it’s something I need to fight every fall.
Last year was a success! I avoided the seasonal depression. I spent my summer making lots of videos, to take me back there in my mind when I needed it. I also had the show, the LeBrain Train, to look forward to every weekend. This year is different. The videos and photos don’t have the same impact two years in a row, and since May the LeBrain Train has become more of a burden than a joy. I need something new to keep my spirits up this winter, and I don’t yet know what that is. It is true that we have a long September ahead, warm but shorter days. I hope this mitigating factor helps. I think what I really need is some new creative spark to keep me looking forward. Last year it was the LeBrain Train but the burnout factor has ensured that I need something fresh that I can look forward to from September to May.
What used to cheer me up at this time of year?
As a kid I used to be excited for a new season of the Pepsi Power Hour which hasn’t existed in 30 years. I don’t watch a lot of TV these days, but fortunately Marvel has constant content forthcoming on Disney+. We have a new Iron Maiden album to look forward to, but the idea of new music from my favourite bands doesn’t have the same excitement factor as when I was 15 years old. Yes I’m happy there is a new Iron Maiden coming, but compared to the sheer expectation of Seventh Son coming out in ’88? No chills.
It feels like…work? Like I haven’t finished digesting The Book of Souls and here comes another one. I can’t remember how half that album goes, and now we have a new one to get to know. It’s not like in the old days when I felt literally starved of Iron Maiden because I’d played all their albums over and over and over. Now, there are so many that you don’t necessarily even play them all in a year.
Back then, getting a new Iron Maiden album felt just as amazing as a new Star Wars or Marvel movie today. Something you have been anticipating for a while. Music videos were like movie trailers. We’d watch repeatedly, we’d pause, and we’d slo-mo trying to glimpse details. Costumes, instruments, stage sets, all of it.
When I was working at the Record Store, I still didn’t know that this seasonal depression thing was real and not just me. It often came and went in spurts. I used to call them a “big blue funk”. 2003 was a very “funky” year for me. I’d been dumped (twice) by my Radio Station Girl, and even with a new Iron Maiden in my back pocket (Dance of Death, and also a new Deep Purple called Bananas) I still felt like I needed to do something to help me get through the winter. And there was something I used to do to pick myself up back then, especially if I had my heart broke. Yes, broken hearts are for assholes, but I chose to get new holes. On September 3, I went to Stigmata in Guelph and got my nose pierced.
It was my third visit to the tattoo studio that year. After Radio Station Girl dumped me, I got my lip pierced at Stigmata. A couple months later I got my tragus pierced — that piece of cartilage at the opening of your ear. A friend of mine named Lois Sarah had just started piercing there and if I remember the details correctly, I was a guinea pig. It’s fun to go back and read my notes!
Lois asked if I was ready. I said yes, and she asked me to take a deep breath and exhale….
I said, “Wow, I didn’t feel a thing.”
Lois said, “That’s because it’s not through yet.”
I felt the needle go through at least 3 distinct layers of cartilage. Each one hurt more than the last. On the last layer, I said, “FUCK” and both my legs shot out.
Lois did a great job and it’s the one piercing that I do still have.
But September 3 2003 was just my nose, nothing too painful. It was Labour Day weekend once more, and I decided to go for it. Normally I went to get a piercing with a “wingman” but this was my first time going alone. I distinctly remember wearing my Iron Bitchface T-shirt. An uber-cool looking guy with a massive afro shot me an approving glance, so I felt good from the get-go.
I was led to the back room, but not before washing up my hands with disinfectant gel. I sat down in the Very Big Chair, as I liked to call it, and Lois prepared the goods. She marked my nostril with a dot and got the position right where I wanted it. Then she applied some iodine to the area, both inside and out. She tested out the position of the receiving tube, and finally asked me to take a deep breath. As I exhaled, the needle went in no problem. Almost no pain at all. I’ve been pinched harder. (By your mom.)
The rest of the year still sucked, nose ring or not. It was the year of working with the Dandy, a manchild that drove me slowly mad as he sucked up to the big-wigs. Work was miserable and not getting any better. But at least I was proactive, and did something that I thought would help. Something that helped in the past.
I’ve been there and done that with piercings, and though I like the look of them, I don’t enjoy the upkeep. I prefer to spend my money on something more permanent, like a tattoo. That’s something to consider, but I think I need to look elsewhere for a bright spot this winter. Maybe I will find my joy in the live show once again, but I can’t count on it. Truth be told, I haven’t been feeling it as much since May. I remember telling a viewer that I was struggling and he suggested back then that I take a break. But I didn’t feel like I could take that break until the end of the summer. And here we are.
So now I search for some new slant on my creative outlet to revitalize me. Something to look forward to regularly. I was very lucky during the winter of 2020-2021. I hope I can pull it off again!
BLAZE BAYLEY – Alive In Poland (2007 Metal Mind Productions)
Blaze Bayley had the honour of fronting Iron Maiden for two albums, and he’s not about to let you forget it. Six of the 15 tracks on the double Alive In Poland are Maiden. No fault there, if you were in Maiden you’d play those songs too, and probably more of them. What Blaze did with his selection is quite adventurous. Two of them were never played live by Iron Maiden — ever.
It’s no mercy, high octane, pedal to the metal from the get-go. “Speed of Light” requires no description beyond the title. It is what it says! Throw some wicked Maiden-esque guitar harmonies on top. Blaze is in great voice, full power, and with passionate delivery. That goes for the entire show.
“The Brave” is borderline thrash but still with a Maiden-y flavour never too far away. From there Blaze goes into a cranked-up version of “Futureal”, way faster than Maiden played it. The double bass parts are insane. It almost goes off the rails but stays intact. The guitar harmonies somehow sound richer than the original.
One of the fun aspects of this live album is that Blaze was very talkative on stage that night. Before “Alive”, he goes off on a great rant about a record label who advised him, “Don’t go out on tour Blaze, it doesn’t sell CDs.” Thankfully he didn’t listen and this album is the fruit of his hard work. “Alive” is a brilliant track, slowing it does to a mean groove like something out of the early 1990s. From rhythm to riff, this thing just grinds along with an irresistible beat. Dig those dissonant chords.
Wolfbane’s “Steel” is retitled “Tough As Steel”, but it’s the same track, only heavier! Like Grim Reaper, Accept and Loudness rolled into one. That rolls right into Maiden’s “Man On the Edge”. Trying to get the festival crowd going, Blaze blasts ’em. “Fucking wake up! The gig has started, we have your money now and we don’t give a shit!” That gets them up, and Blaze plays a pretty faithful version of the Maiden single. No bassist sounds like Steve Harris, but Blaze’s bassist David Bermudez is able to play the challenging part. Another lesser known Maiden single, “Virus“, is a total surprise. This is the full length version with the long intro. Not one of Maiden’s finest songs, “Virus” is much better live. It has more life and Blaze really bites into the lyrics.
Disc 2 continues the spree of Maiden songs. “Two Worlds Collide” was one of the better tunes from Virtual XI and one that Maiden only played on that tour. “Look For the Truth” from The X Factor, on the other hand, has never been played live. A shame that is, since the “Oh, oh, oh” refrain works best live.
Back to originals, “Kill and Destroy” is as heavy as it gets. Post-Maiden, Blaze was unafraid to take things heavier. Yet there’s still a melodic edge. Changing pace, “Silicon Messiah” from Blaze’s first solo album is a prescient warning about technology, delivered with pure gusto and intent. Choppy of riff, loaded with brilliant performances. Into the brutally heavy “Tenth Dimension”, Blaze is still not letting up one iota. He just keeps going at 11 the whole way.
A more direct arrangement of Maiden’s “Sign of the Cross” is the first sign of weakness in the voice of mighty Bayley. He falters at the quiet intro, but recovers when bellowing the verses and chorus. As the penultimate track, “Sign of the Cross” sets up “Born As A Stranger”, the wicked closer. Good enough to be a Maiden tune itself, it’s a great track to go out on. A solid banger, especially the outro.
Alive In Poland certainly isn’t Blaze’s only great live album. The Andy Sneap-produced As Live As It Gets is also highly rated, where you’ll hear “Dazed and Confused” instead of “Look For the Truth”. Both have their strengths, but Alive In Poland has a number of tracks that are not on the prior live album. Buying one doesn’t make the other redundant.
I recently purchased a couple cassettes from Drew Masters of M.E.A.T Magazine, from a band he was involved with at the time. A band I like a lot called Russian Blue. It’s a demo they recorded at Cherry Beach Sound studio in Toronto in November of 1991.
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