Blaze Bayley's 'War Within Me' - Album Review

Bayley Cooke (better known as Blaze Bayley) is one of metal's true survivors. There are few adversities that he has not had to overcome during his lengthy career, which started in 1984 when he helped form Wolfsbane (a band that he is still a member of today), but he has always managed to pick himself up and dust himself down - no matter what was thrown at him. This is something that he alludes to in the sleeve notes of his latest album; but in many ways his career started off in a fairly typical way. Wolfsbane slowly gained respect and grew their reputation throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, but Bayley was catapulted into the spotlight in 1994 when he was picked to replace Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden. Bayley fronted Iron Maiden for six years, a tenure which produced two albums, but I think it is fair to say that he was never truly accepted by the band's fans - or even, perhaps, the band members themselves. In 1999 he left Iron Maiden, hearing that Dickinson was on his way back, and has been a solo performer ever since. While Wolfsbane reunited in 2007, and have toured sporadically since (and even released new music), I think it is fair to say that Bayley has been focusing on himself since leaving Iron Maiden. His solo career has been his main musical outlet ever since, but in true Bayley fashion the road has not been a smooth one. In my opinion, Bayley operates best with a consistent band behind him - but he has always had a bit of a problem keeping groups of musicians together. The original Blaze band only stuck around for a few years, and his partial rebirth with the main incarnation of the Blaze Bayley band also did not last. A few years of pick-up bands and a revolving door of musicians followed, but Bayley struck gold in around 2013 when he started working with the UK-based metal band Absolva. Despite being a strong band in their own right, Absolva act as Bayley's permanent backing band - and in Absolva's leader Christ Appleton, Bayley has found the perfect musical partner. The Absolva partnership has been fruitful for Bayley creatively too, as between 2016 and 2018 he released a trilogy of albums, Infinite Entanglement, that told a sci-fi story - and contained a number of themes that harked back to the original Blaze band albums of the early 2000s. The Infinite Entanglement albums contain some of the best songs of Bayley's career in my opinion, so the eventual follow-up was always going to be a treat. This treat was finally unveiled last month, with War Within Me being released onto his eager fanbase. Moving away from the dense concept of Infinite Entanglement, War Within Me is more of a back-to-basics heavy metal album - but everything that has made Bayley great over the years is present here. Bayley and Appleton have written another great collection of songs; and anyone who is in any way familiar with Bayley's lengthy solo career will find a lot to love here.

The album kicks off with its hard-hitting title track, which opens with a furious riff before a glorious guitar lead provides the first of the album's many hooks. Appleton is the perfect guitar foil for Bayley, as his hard-hitting, yet melodic, approach to the instrument fits Bayley's old-school approach to metal like a glove. He also has a knack for those Iron Maiden-esque rhythms and leads that Bayley has always incorporated into his music. Being in Iron Maiden certainly influenced Bayley's music going forward, and War Within Me is no different. There is a galloping rhythm throughout the album's title track that is very reminiscent of the classic Iron Maiden sound - but Bayley's solo work has always been much more vocal-focussed. This is because his voice is one of the richest in the genre, and he has not lost any of his power over the years. He might not have the biggest of ranges, but his tone is so distinct and he possesses a huge amount of vocal firepower. This is evident throughout War Within Me, with the song's booming chorus the perfect showcase for his talents. A slightly folky guitar solo from Appleton pulls everything together, and the song is another winner for Bayley. 303 follows, and sees Bayley doing his best Sabaton impression with a song about the Polish RAF 303 Squadron from World War II. The song is classic Bayley from a sound perspective however, with strong mid-paced grooves and playful guitar leads throughout - while Bayley belts out the historical lyrics with ease. It is not just Appleton that has given Bayley a boost over the past few years, as the Absolva rhythm section of bassist Karl Schramm and drummer Martin McNee are also a big part of his current sound. 303 is a great example of the rhythm section's impact on his sound, as the grooves throughout are so tight - their playing helping to really elevate the gallop, which allows Appleton to solo and riff to his heart's content. Warrior opens slowly, with some clean guitar melodies and some lower-key vocals from Bayley - but this mellow vibe does not last for long as the song soon explodes into another powerful mid-paced rocker. There is less of a galloping feel this time around, with the band instead going for a more straight ahead metal attack with twin lead guitar harmonies and a punchier drum groove. Despite the simpler grooves this time around, the song is still very catchy. To aid this, the chorus ups the pace a little, with Bayley's booming voice perfectly delivering the melodies, which helps the track to maintain the dynamic approach that began with the clean guitar opening.

Pull Yourself Up slows things down somewhat - but only in a pace sense. This is not a ballad, but instead a more deliberately-paced metal track with slower riffing and a hard-hitting staccato rhythm that gives Bayley's voice plenty of space to shine. The slower pace also gives Appleton plenty of opportunity and space to operate, and the song is one of the best guitar pieces on the album as a result. The riffing might be pretty typical of his style, but there are lengthy guitar lead and solo sections here that really allow him to show off. Iron Maiden-esque twin guitar leads feature occasionally throughout, but it is the lengthy guitar solo that is possibly the song's highlight. Bayley has always allowed his bands to express themselves, and Appleton has injected a lot of his own style into Bayley's sound over the past few years. Pull Yourself Up is a great example of this, as the lengthy solos attest to, but there is still plenty of room for Bayley's booming voice - and the chorus is one that will certainly stick in the brain. Witches Night ups the pace, and harks back to 2008's The Man Who Would Not Die with its somewhat thrashier riffing and heavier overall approach. There is still plenty of melody to be found however, and Appleton takes every opportunity to throw in a lead or a solo - but on the whole this is a more aggressive piece that focuses more on riffs and Bayley's excellent vocals. I love how the song slows down a little for the choruses however, the staccato grooves that replaces the thrashier riffing providing a great contrast, and the song is one of the most dynamic and exciting as a result. This is the sort of song that is made to be heard live, and I hope that Bayley decides to include it in the setlists of his upcoming tour. In truth, the vast majority of this album would work well live - the back-to-basics heavy metal vibes here being perfect for the stage. 18 Flights, which tells the story of Bayley's 2019 South American tour is another real highlight for me with one of the album's best choruses. It is another really strong mid-paced rocker, with an opening riff that has a great snaking quality to it that sounds a bit different from Bayley's usual approach. As a result there is a great groove throughout the song, as there is less of an emphasis on guitar leads this time around - with big riffs and a powerful bass presence dominating. There are still great lead guitar moments, their relative scarcity only making them hit harder when they do rear their heads, and Appleton's solo is another soaring effort. This is a song that is all about its chorus though for me however, and it is a real melodic treat.

The back end of the album is dominated by a trilogy of songs about famous scientists. It kicks off with the punchy The Dream of Alan Turing, a fairly short song that has a very typical Bayley sound with Iron Maiden-esque guitar tones and plenty of space for his rich voice. While this mid-album concept seems a bit random thematically given the rest of the album has no link to it, the songs are still very strong. The Dream of Alan Turing has plenty of great Appleton guitar work despite its short length, with a shredded solo being a highlight of the song - but there is still plenty of strong vocal work from Bayley, including during the heavy choruses. The Power of Nikola Tesla ups the pace somewhat, and again returns to the somewhat thrashier approach taken on Witches Night - at least early on. The song is another fairly dynamic piece, with heavier sections sitting side-by-side with great melodic passages that are packed with soaring vocal melodies. Bayley sounds great throughout the album, but this song might contain his best vocal performance here. The chorus sees him soar like no other, and his vocal control and ability to hold a note so cleanly is really put to the test. He passes with flying colours of course, and the song is one of the album's highlights as a result. The trilogy comes to an end with The Unstoppable Stephen Hawking, which opens up slowly with some subtle harmony guitar melodies. Much like with Warrior however, this low-key opening does not last that long - as the song soon explodes into another powerful mid-paced metal anthem with a big vocal performance. There is much less going on from a guitar perspective this time around, despite a few catchy harmony guitar leads, with the music mainly acting as a bed for the vocals. When you have a voice like Bayley's however, this approach can really pay off sometimes, and it works well throughout The Unstoppable Stephen Hawking as it allows the song's story to really shine. The vocal melodies are enough to carry the song, and it is the sort of track that should prove to anyone who still doubts him that Bayley is a fantastic vocalist. The album comes to a close with Every Storm Ends, something of a powerful pseudo-ballad that builds up slowly - but ends with a powerful metal crescendo. The song opens with acoustic guitar melodies, and Bayley's rich voice atop them - which again really shows what a powerful singer he his. He possibly has one of the best-preserved voices for someone of his age, and the plentiful touring over the years has not diminished it in any way. He has clearly looked after himself, and Every Storm Ends is a real testament to his craft and ability. The song builds so naturally and powerfully over its duration, the heaviness gradually creeping in - and culminating in a piercing Appleton solo and a final rendition of the song's anthemic and earnest chorus. It is a great way to end a hard-hitting album, as it has a feel of a true album closer - but it also ties back to some of the themes found throughout the rest of the songs here. War Within Me feels like a great journey as a result, and is another really strong entry in Bayley's great solo catalogue. It may be less dense and complex than the Infinite Entanglement albums, but as a slab of old-school heavy metal it is a great listen - and one that all of his fans should instantly latch onto.

The self-released album was released on 9th April 2021.