War Within Me

Few people represent passion and resilience as well as Blaze Bayley who deserves much attention and support. However, his Infinite Entanglement trilogy might have received too much acclaim since the project got weaker as time went by and didn't impress me much with its exchangeable heavy metal by the numbers. It's a relief that War Within Me showcases a more adventurous, creative and memorable side of the singer's long career. The final result sounds more variable, energetic and adventurous.

This album comes around with several highlights. Emotional power ballad ''Warrior'' for instance combines melodious musicianship with passionate vocals straight from the heart. Blaze Bayley has always had a talent for writing intense melodious and mellow songs and he shines on this tune once again.

''Pull Yourself Up'' is a simple but powerful heavy metal song with inspiring lyrics as Blaze Bayley knows how to overcome challenges and encourages his listeners to never give up in an authentic way. The guitar riffs are simple yet energetic and the rhythm section provides some galloping energy that should be quite efficient in a workout playlist.

The melodic, playful and almost progressive ''The Unstoppable Stephen Hawking'' pays an honourable tribute to an outstanding person and is easily the best part of the scientific trilogy that can be considered the heartpiece of this new album. This track here stands out in particular because it clocks in as the record's longest tune at six minutes and offers several smooth changes from slow over mid-paced to upper mid-paced passages firmly rooted in traditional heavy metal that offer much diversity without ever ending up sounding complicated or misplaced. The flow of this track makes it sound almost half as long as it actually is which is always a positive sign in my book.

Album closer ''Every Storm Ends'' is by far the calmest song but delivers a strong lyrical message about optimism in times of hardship and ends a strong record on a memorable note. This is once again heartfelt ballad territory where Blaze Bayley keeps excelling. His emotional, powerful and raw vocals work splendidly in the context of calm, peaceful and reduced musicianship that could also come from a commcercially successful rock band like Bon Jovi, Foreigner or Scorpions.

War Within Me might not be Blaze Bayley's greatest album since some songs are only of average quality and work in the context and flow of the album but fail to stand out on their own and leave a deeper mark. However, the final verdict for War Within Me is that this is the singer's greatest output in almost a decade. The musicianship offers genuine heavy metal with a few fitting variations while the dramatic and intense vocals complement the meaningful lyrics splendidly. The dynamic and organic production blends in perfectly as well. If you only know Blaze Bayley as the former singer of Iron Maiden, then you have missed out on some excellent music and should start your discovery right here with the very good War Within Me.

In the music world we find excellent examples of tenacity, of fighting musicians who managed to make their efforts bear fruit before any adversity. There's no doubt that Blaze Bayley is a unique case among many, as few have seen the need to rebuild their career after singing in one of the greatest bands in the history of heavy metal. Performing in arenas and stadiums and then going through small clubs should not be easy. But Bayley Alexander Cook (Blaze's real name) carries on with his enthusiasm intact. He's a steamroller live, singing even better over the years and backed by a solvent band.

We are facing a remarkable performance, it's the ever-known British heavy metal that combines the power of songs based on both riffs and guitar licks, as well as Bayley's vocal abilities. His voice bets on this combination of power, interpretation and melody that has been giving him such good results lately. The title track is proof of what I say since it has a frenetic rhythm that is a truly masterful exercise about how to riff using the right hand and muting the strings accompanied by a frenetic rhythmic base while the vocalist gives freedom to his particular timbral style. “303” continues with those same sensations, although it gets more melodic, highlighting both the effective two-vocals harmony that achieves in the chorus until appearing a small guitar solo.

Here we partially lower our foot on the accelerator. “Warrior” is a calm, beautiful and delicate ballad whose electric instruments appear after, so heavy metal arrives once again crowning it off as a lord song with all the letters of the word. “Pull Yourself Up” gains in cadence, heaviness and hammering with its catchy chorus; it's a positive and effective cut for the upcoming concerts and it gradually gains with the small filler solos that Chris adds to accentuate the tonic. The good heavy metal cultivation continues with fast and accurate riffs on “Witches Night”, which has another tremendous chorus where the vocalist and guitarist combine the respective timbres of their elements with beautiful and effective licks accompanying the vocal melody. The mind-blowing “18 Flights” is catchy from the first listen and it's an allegation to the life of a traveling rocker who faces the world in hard conditions while he takes the music wherever he can.

Worthy mention to three songs dedicated to three great figures in the history of science: "The Dream of Alan Turing" stands out for its fantastic guitar work that colors the vocal melodies throughout the whole song, which also complements the rhythms; "The Power of Nikola Tesla" is another marvel in that sense, with a terrific Chris Appleton as Blaze sings the chorus with passion; "The Unstoppable Stephen Hawkin" is the longest and most complex track with multiple tempos well carried out and interwoven. In short, three great songs were dedicated to three great scientific institutions that contributed to humanity. The album ends with “Every Storm Ends”, a song of improvement and positivism by someone whose life has not been easy, receiving a few obstacles along the way but overcoming everything.

He has produced great studio albums such as the remarkable debut Silicon Messiah, the impeccable Tenth Dimension, as well as the heartbreaking duo formed by The Man Who Would Not Die and Promise and Terror where he expresses the enormous pain suffered for the loss of his greatest love and yet using it as therapy without stopping his career. Or what about his recent trilogy combining heavy metal with science fiction and metaphysics dedicated to the character of William Black, taking up the story that began in the aforementioned Tenth Dimension. Nor should we ignore his alliance with the Absolva band and more specifically with guitarist, composer and producer Chris Appleton, drummer Martin McNee and bassist Karl Schramm as guest musicians for his solo project. These guys achieved good results with Blaze, being "War Within Me" the fourth release of this lineup. To finish my review, I must say that he still gives some records with a high bar mostly, and still have the ability to follow the right path.

Back in 2016 Blaze Bayley reinvented his solo outfit by beginning collaboration with the competent fellows of Absolva as his backing band, as well as the release of Infinite Entanglement. The album started a highly personal trilogy of albums, ended in 2018 with The Redemption of William Black. Three years later amid burning pandemic the man who would not die is ready to return with fresh music, taking once more to the proverbial skies with a collection of anthems to the glory of being alive.

A mere 42 minutes long, War Within Me hearkens to the classics of the illustrious heavy metal genre, obviously leaning on the Absolva line of Maiden worship, thick with melodic riffing and soaring, uplifting choruses. There are no real surprises here, just quality melodic heavy metal, filled with the joy of the craft that Bayley’s presence always brings. Ever since that fantastic Infinite Entanglement the man has become more vibrant with each consecutive release; aged like a fine wine, the man is a treasure.

Opening up on some mean ass riffage, War Within Me is a little angrier in the guitar tone than the previous few albums, presenting a slightly different approach. Chris Appleton continues to deliver the goods in terms of memorable riffs alongside a pumping rhythm section as well as some fantastic solos; Pull Yourself Up being an obvious highlight with its extended solo section, Appleton just letting it rip, melodic and punctual. Moving mostly away from the science fiction theme of the previous few albums, the lyrics still deal heavily in personal struggles and empowerment; standing tall in the face of struggles and defeat, as well as historical events and a triptych dedicated to a few of the greatest scientific minds of the past century (and a little further back).

Then there’s the show stopper 18 Flights - another highlight from Appleton as well - detailing a night on tour when an earthquake put an effective stop to one of the band’s sets, told in vivid detail by Bayley through melodic verses and pouring out his love for his fans. More focused in every respect, from the songwriting to the minute details, War Within Me is a rollicking affair full of great moments and memorable hooks, delivered by an inspired band having a blast throughout.

Fans disappointed in the latter day turn toward a simpler, straightforward style, rather than the the darker sound and crushing atmosphere of the early solo days will still find plenty to like here. The heavier tone definitely brings hints of Tenth Dimension (2002) and the guitar antics of Appleton keep tossing new hooks in solos throughout the album. War Within Me continues on the sound of the William Black trilogy and developing it in a more straightforward style; less driven by the narrative, and more by the great musicianship of a band that’s become tighter in the past half decade.

Most of the songs are fairly short, leaning on the heavy punch of Appleton’s melodic flair and Bayley’s own powerful charisma in soaring choruses, rather than expanding into epics. It’s a comfortable zone, but it’s delivered with passion and crafted with love. Over two decades since his departure from Maiden and debut solo album, Bayley still puts every bit of himself – his vulnerabilities, his strengths, his passion – into his art, continuing his streak of unleashing upon the world the best material of his illustrious career.

Standout tracks: War Within Me, The Unstoppable Stephen Hawking, Every Storm Ends