Circle of Stone

The ultimate warrior of underdogs strikes again, presenting his new (and already) 11th solo album Circle of Stone to the world. Blaze Bayley's previous record War Within Me received generally favourable reviews and served as a swift kick in the butt of this very reviewer here, commanding me to dig deeper into the man's solo career. Considering that I've always had a soft spot for Iron Maiden's The X Factor, it actually shouldn't have been such a surprise that I'd come to love what this man has offered the world in later years with a band tailor-made to support his strengths.

A strange observation about Circle of Stone first: while pretty great overall, this record is definitely back-loaded. It's not like the first couple of songs are weak, but the writing doesn't seem as vivid and feels a little uneven at times, with the verses sounding more like tools to push their respective choruses into the spotlight. Opener “Mind Reader” is still mostly a hit because it's a short but to-the-point rocker with a blistering and incredibly catchy chorus utilizing some gorgeous harmonies, but the verses aren't quite up there. I'd also love to have the drums a bit higher in the general mix as they're seriously lacking in oomph - a peculiar gripe that's already been present on the previous album.

Setbacks aside, the true magic of this record begins with the utterly amazing power-ballad “The Broken Man”. Reflecting on both his own past and being a charming tribute to his supporters throughout the years, Blaze's heartfelt delivery of the chorus-line “You all walk with me through the storm...” oozes honesty - expect to get a serious case of goosebumps all over your skin! The subsequent pair of songs - the bagpipe-powered instrumental “The Call of the Ancestors” followed by the ballsy twin guitar attack title track - are highlights as well, with fantastic lead harmonies peppered all over by the great Appleton brothers who've already proven to be a reliable and admirably skilled backbone for Blaze's solo band in quite some years. I could do without the addition of guest vocalist Niklas Stålvind (Wolf) though, whose nasal voice struggles to find a place in the mix and really doesn't add anything to the already great compound of ass-kicking ingredients.

Even after these bangers, Blaze does not let up, as the whole band manages to maintain this high level of quality until the very last note. Most notably “A Day of Reckoning” is an epic crawler of a song that features some classic doom metal reminiscence with another chorus of the highest caliber, while “The Path of the Righteous Man” is a certified killer heavy/speed/total fucking earworm-metal hybrid that won't leave your head for months to come.

Closing the CD with “Until We Meet Again” was also a wise choice, as Blaze's stripped-down duet with Tammy-Rae Bois is once again a grand tearjerker of a ballad (with violin-virtuoso Anne Bakker returning to the fold to provide some strings-wizardry to the sweet acoustic guitar licks) which is another testament to the growth and longevity of Blaze's voice and his unrelenting will to stay on top of his game, despite the many hardships he's had to battle in his life. Backed by a sublime pack of musicians providing a fertile ground for even more top-shelf future releases and by loyal fans all over the world, the future looks brighter than ever. Until we meet again, Mr. Bayley (seriously, go see them live)!

Highlights: Mind Reader, The Broken Man, Circle of Stone, A Day of Reckoning, The Path of the Righteous Man, Until We Meet Again

originally written for http://antichristmagazine.com

Blaze Bayley’s post-Iron Maiden career has been one of ups and downs, though artistically certainly more ups than downs. He has consistently been able to find musicians who provide him with music that appears to be tailor-made for his deep voice, the last decade or so finding those partners in the full line-up of UK-based heavy metal band Absolva. Every release Bayley wrote with guitarist Chris Appleton has simply been excellent, and ‘Circle of Stone’ – though having slightly more of a hard rock vibe than 2021’s ‘War Within Me’ and the preceding ‘Infinite Entanglement’ trilogy – is no different.

While the stylistic shift on ‘Circle of Stone’ is subtle to the point that some casual listeners might not even notice, the focus is on relatively concise, simple songs that contain a little more space than the somewhat more contemporary power metal sound of the ‘Infinite Entanglement’ albums. What has remained the same is the fact that Chris Appleton, this time helped by his brother Luke, wrote songs specifically to suit Bayley’s vocals, which sound as stately and convincing as they ever have. Bayley’s voice is also what makes all of his solo releases sound like works of the same band, despite the earliest ones sounding notably more modern.

To be fair, it is actually in the shorter, uncomplicated songs where ‘Circle of Stones’ excels. Opening track ‘Mind Reader’ doesn’t even hit the three-minute mark, but is exactly as long as it should be, whereas ‘The Path of the Righteous Man’ combines an NWOBHM-style main riff with a more propulsive chorus, followed by a more groovy, almost Sabbath-esque riff. Different as all of those sections may be, they fit together very neatly. ‘Absence’ is more on the power metal end of the scale, and it works really well at that. ‘Tears in Rain’ is another elegant heavy/power metal track that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but simply impresses with a bunch of good melodies.

Fortunately, Bayley and his companions largely avoid the pitfalls of becoming too comfortable with their own style. While ‘Rage’ later turns into a mid-tempo heavy metal track with a mean groove, it starts out sounding like it will be a dark semi-ballad from the same ilk as ‘Silicon Messiah’. The intense power metal track ‘The Year Beyond this Year’ – one of the album’s absolute highlights – and the title track surprisingly start with brief a capella sections. There are also two ballads, which generally aren’t Bayley’s forte, but ‘Broken Man’ is fairly enjoyable mostly due to the spirited vocal performance and excellent guitar solo.

Sure, ‘Circle of Stone’ isn’t perfect. The production is a little flat and Bayley’s lyrics tend to profit from having a concept or at least a theme to work with rather than the loose collection of songs that is ‘Circle of Stone’. But overall, Bayley is in a position that many of his peers could envy. The Appleton brothers know exactly how to make him sound best, while there clearly is a lot of heart and soul in the songs. Sometimes, it is justified to question the motivations of veteran rockers, but nearly everything Bayley has done since his departure from Iron Maiden has a sincerity that is simply admirable.

Recommended tracks: ‘The Year Beyond this Year’, ‘The Path of the Righteous Man’, ‘A Day of Reckoning’

Originally written for my Kevy Metal weblog

In spring 2023, iconic British heavy metal singer Blaze Bayley suffered a heart attack and both his career as well as his life seemed to be hanging in the balance. However, Blaze Bayley was well taken care of and has once again shown his remarkably resilient fighting spirit. One year later, he is already back with eleventh regular studio album Circle of Stone and is touring the world throughout the entire calendar year.

His backing band consists of the four members of heavy metal band Absolva who have been collaborating with the charismatic British singer for many years. This excellent chemistry delivers in spades. The musicianship is tight, melodic and focused throughout the record. The mid-paced drum play is energetic and gets to the point without any complex experimentations. The bass guitar play is vibrant and forms the solid backbone of this release. The guitar play finds the perfect balance between dynamic rhythm parts and uplifting melodic passages. The organic, timeless and warm production fits in accurately.

The songwriting blends in perfectly as well. This album crosses the finish line with eleven tracks and a total running time of forty-four minutes. The material varies from an instrumental song clocking in at below two minutes over numerous energetic single candidates around the three- or four-minute mark to power ballads going to almost six minutes. These examples prove the songwriting's clear approach while also underlining its detailed variations.

The reason why most people listen to this record is of course Blaze Bayley's vocal performance and the veteran only seems to be getting better with age as he delivers one of the finest jobs in his long career. He sounds concentrated, powerful and uplifting in the shorter and heavier songs while offering a dramatic, emotional and epic side in the longer tunes. This balance works splendidly throughout the record that never sounds boring, predictable and repetitive. Instead, Circle of Stone sounds effortless, engaging and entertaining throughout.

Several highlights deserve to be mentioned. For instance, dynamic opener ''Mind Reader'' clocks in at below three minutes and starts this record with a bang. ''Rage'' starts like a soulful ballad before erupting into a pumping heavy metal anthem while staying perfectly concise in under four minutes. ''The Broken Man'' is a power ballad focusing on the singer's emotional side and will send enjoyable shivers down the spines of his fans. Atmospheric, folkloristic and mysterious instrumental tune ''The Call of the Ancestors'' offers an inspired break at the right time in the middle of the record. Title track ''Circle of Stone'' combines Blaze Bayley's charismatic performance with energetic guest vocals by Swedish heavy metal vocalist Niklas Stålvind. Closing power ballad ''Until We Meet Again'' impresses with personal lyrics on the pulse of time and excellent additional female lead vocals by skilled youngster Tammy-Rae Bois.

As you can read, Blaze Bayley's Circle of Stone underlines the singer's unbroken passion for heavy metal and focuses on its versatile songwriting that still sounds engaging, fresh and surprising in this day and age. Any genre fan should pick this record up as it doesn't need to hide behind similar contemporary genre outputs such as Bruce Dickinson's The Mandrake Project.