Blaze Bayley's 'Circle of Stone' - Album Review

Just when it seemed that the Wolfsbane and former Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley could not possibly suffer any more major setbacks, his well-publicised heart attack in March last year certainly proved that there are always more bumps in the road ahead. In many ways, there are few personalities in heavy metal more endearing or inspirational than Bayley. Most would have given up after just one of the many setbacks he has suffered throughout his career, particularly since launching himself as a solo artist following his departure from Iron Maiden in 1999, but he never gives in - always getting back up and pushing on. Trouble with record labels, bandmates, personal bereavements, and now his health - Bayley's spirit seems unbreakable. Many of his songs in recent years deal with the topic of overcoming adversity - and each such song of his feels more real and heartfelt than the last. His last solo album, 2021's War Within Me (which I reviewed here), perhaps dealt with such topics more than ever - with tracks like Pull Yourself Up, Warrior, and the title track all rallying cries for those struggling. It is an album which certainly seemed to resonate well with his fanbase, too, and the handful of shows I saw on the War Within Me touring cycle featured a significant amount of the album each night - and the songs were greeted as warmly as many of the pre-existing fan-favourites. Turning back to Bayley's health, though, his heart attack came out of nowhere. The news broke only a fortnight or so after I saw him live in London - and he had seemed so typically full of life and energy. There were no clues of what was to come, but come it did - and throughout much of last year Bayley was out of action, recovering from the major heart surgery which followed. His return to the stage towards the end of last year was met with much celebration, then, and it seems that he is back in rude health - and looking his best for many a year. Hopefully Bayley will keep on rocking for years to come now, and the recent news that a new solo album, Circle of Stone, was imminent was welcomed. His first album since War Within Me, not including Wolfsbane's Genius (which I reviewed here) from 2022, Circle of Stone is very typical of Bayley's recent working class, but ultimately epic, brand of heavy metal. Interviews with Bayley revealed that it was recorded and finalised just before his heart attack, so there is no reflection on that here - apart from in the liner notes. Perhaps that will come on his next album, but instead we have six stand-alone tracks and mini concept suite about regaining one's ancestry. The themes explored here are very typical for Bayley, so the album feels like a natural continuation from War Within Me. As has been the case for his past four solo albums, too, Circle of Stone was written and recorded with the British metal band Absolva - although this is the first time that rhythm guitarist Luke Appleton has been fully involved in the process. Whilst his brother Chris Appleton still wrote the bulk of the material with Bayley, Luke made some significant writing contributions here, too, with bassist Karl Schramm and drummer Martin McNee rounding out the unit.

The first part of the album is punchier than the second half and kicks off with the heavy Mind Reader. Musically it reminds me somewhat of Iron Maiden's Futureal due to its opening melodic guitar line and its pretty fast pace. It is also a short song, so it really races by - with Bayley's deep, rich voice sounding as good as ever. The chorus is perhaps not as frantic as Futureal's, but instead it goes for a more cinematic approach - typical of Bayley's modern style. The verses are faster, though, with big, ringing chords forming a great backing for Bayley's voice - before the big chorus utilises the opening guitar melody as its basis. It is very much the sort of song which should be expected from Bayley at this point, but as soon as it starts it is recognisably him. Despite his style being very much traditional heavy metal, Bayley's solo career has a distinct style which is recognisable from the off - and Mind Reader opens the album in fine fashion with plenty of hooks and a harmony guitar solo. Tears in Rain is less Iron Maiden-esque, and goes for a more riff-heavy approach. Most of Bayley's solo albums are packed full of massive riffs, and this one is no different - with Tears in Rain driven by a very 1980s-esque riff, with the occasional scorching guitar lead adding colour. Bayley sings the verses with a slight effect on his voice, which creates a distant and atmospheric sound despite the overall traditional metal feel, but this effect is absent during the chorus which gives the song the impression of opening up - with the additional guitar leads thrown in during the chorus also ensuring that a bigger sound is created. There are grander songs in Bayley's catalogue, but it is always a joy to hear Bayley sing this sort of material - as his over-the-top and slightly thespian delivery can really make a song soar. Slowing things down, Rage acts as the album's first change of pace. With subtle violin courtesy of previous collaborator Anne Bakker, the song takes a while to really open up - and at first it seems as if it is going to be a murky ballad. Bayley's mournful vocals sit nicely against clean guitar melodies and the violin early on - but the rest of the band soon crash in and the track becomes a mid-paced, yet still mournful, rocker, with a big chorus and bluesy guitar solo. It is less foot-to-the-floor than the opening two cuts, but Bayley is no stranger to such songs. In fact, it could be argued that he operates at his best in more mid-paced environments which allow his booming voice to really breathe. Rage does this, and the song's chorus is another strong moment thanks to his conviction. Despite not as varied arrangement-wise as Rage, The Year Beyond This Year maintains more of a mid-paced feel - albeit with a much stronger focus on lead guitar melodies. In some ways, the song reminds me of the sort of material Bayley was writing with the musicians he was working with on 2008's The Man Who Would Not Die and 2010's Promise and Terror, although the production utilised here is more old-school and retro-sounding - meaning that there is less of a modern metal snarl here. The endless lead guitar melodies are welcome, though, and McNee lays into his double bass drums throughout - giving the song a heavy feel despite the more organic production. The chorus is another winner, though, and it might be my favourite on the album overall. It is extremely hooky, and it contains a number of classic Bayley tropes which always make his albums fun to listen to.

Ghost in the Bottle is similar, but the approach is more old-school again - with plenty of nods to Bayley's time with Iron Maiden evident here. The guitar playing of the Appleton brothers here is very much from the classic Iron Maiden songbook, whilst the rhythm section takes more of a groove-based approach here and leaves lots of the more modern metal tropes behind - despite some double bass drum flurries here and there. The chorus is another strong moment, although I do not think that it is as strong as the chorus in the previous song. As the two songs are quite similar, Ghost in the Bottle perhaps suffers a little from following The Year Beyond This Year as it allows for close comparisons - but there is still plenty to love about the track, with the folky guitar melodies in particular standing out. Broken Man is the last of the stand-alone songs and it changes the pace again, going for much more of a ballad approach. The song opens with a simple clean guitar melody over which Bayley sings with his usual gusto. Despite the slower guitar melodies and the lack of a big arrangement, especially early on, Bayley does not really rein it in vocally. He sometimes sings ballads in a semi-whispered way, but this one he tends to approach in his typical manner - with the chorus in particular featuring a strident vocal performance. The rhythm section do join in after the first chorus, but they remain very low key - and the song only really shifts properly towards the end, when, during the guitar solo, a heaviness creeps in, giving the track a bit more punch. The last chorus section is therefore heavier, but the track still feels slow and mournful - and it overall is a great showcase for Bayley vocally. The concept suite then kicks off with The Call of the Ancestors, which features bagpipes from Vicky Kennerley. The song is a short instrumental which features folky bagpipe melodies and the occasional guitar harmony. It sets an atmospheric tone, though, and it does not feel cheesy - as sometimes bagpipes can do when used in a metal context. The piece essentially acts as an extended introduction to the album's title track - which also acted as the first single. It is a great folky metal anthem with another excellent chorus, big guitar melodies, and guest vocals from Niklas Stålvind (Wolf; The Doomsday Kingdom) - who's snarling voice contrasts nicely with Bayley's richer approach. Bayley sings most of the song, but Stålvind takes part of each verse and duets with Bayley in the chorus - and the two play off each other well. They are different enough singers to create a fun contrast, and the rollocking folk metal anthem feels like a great backing for their duet. The chorus rivals The Year Beyond This Year for being the album's best due to their tight harmonies - and the lengthy guitar solo section is packed full of memorable licks and the occasional more bluesy flourish.

Absence is more of a typical Bayley metal anthem, with a driving, flourish throughout and less of a reliance of big guitar leads. The song does open with some melodic leads, though, but in general this is more of a riffy piece - which whips up a strong pace from the off. As such, the piece feels heavier overall than the previous track. The title track was chunky and more mid-paced, but this one moves at higher speeds, with plenty of double bass drumming from McNee and guitar riffing which might feel thrashy if the production was different. Its feel very typical of Bayley's solo career on the whole - but it perhaps lacks the big chorus to really take it to the next level and make it one of the album's best. A Day of Reckoning opens slowly, with chiming clean guitars, a moody atmosphere, and some of Bayley's more mournful vocals. The track is not really another ballad, though, and instead it is a muscular mid-paced track which retains something of a mournful approach despite the crunching riffing throughout. Like the previous song, there is less of a focus on big guitar melodies here, despite a few popping up when required, with the track generally being much more focused on punchy power chords and more of a kick from the rhythm section. Like the previous song, too, I do not feel that the track is as hooky as could be. The chorus is fairly memorable, but for some reason it does not stick with me as much as I feel it should. Perhaps it is just that it does not stand up to some of the great chorus efforts found elsewhere on the album - but thankfully the next track returns to a more anthemic feel. The Path of the Righteous Man really feels like a big return to Bayley's best following a couple of somewhat weaker pieces - and again the song somewhat feels like a hark back to the style of Bayley's late 2000s/early 2010s releases, which were arguably his heaviest work. The production here is less heavy overall, but the riffing feels quite furious here - and the focus on guitar leads is also welcome. It is just a song that has a bit of everything - with a furious guitar solo section bringing the best out of the Appleton brothers and the guitar leads throughout elevating the track above the two which preceded it. The chorus is another real winner, too, and it really goes all out - possibly being the album's most epic moment. Bayley has lost none of his vocal power over the years, and hearing his delivery makes me wonder why there are still people out there who dismiss his talents based on him, essentially, not being Bruce Dickinson. The album then comes to a close with a ballad Until We Meet Again - with additional vocals from Tammy-Rae Bois and some more violin from Bakker. The song is a true ballad, with acoustic guitars and the violin all that backs the voices of Bayley and Bois - with the latter adding some lovely harmonies. Despite the song being a ballad, though, it is not just slow and mournful. There are parts which are surprisingly up-tempo and pacy, which allows Bayley to really let rip, but there are other sections which are suitably slow to create more of a typical ballad feel. He has ended his albums with slower songs before, and I think the approach works pretty well - with this acoustic piece a nice antidote to the heaviness which came before, and it particularly contrasts well with the previous track. The album ends on a high, then, and overall Circle of Stone is another strong release from Bayley. I do not think that it is as strong as War Within Me, but there is still plenty here to enjoy - and Bayley sounds as fired up and hungry as ever.

The self-released album was released on 23rd February 2024. Below is Bayley's promotional video for Circle of Stone.