BLAZE BAYLEY – Endure and Survive

Endure And Survive is the second part of Blaze Bayley’s Infinite Entanglement trilogy; the final installment of which is slated to come out next March. That said, Endure is his 9^th solo album, but the album’s strength and diversity is likely to please new fans as well as the loyal. The album’s opening title cut and early numbers are classic driving Metal songs, with the band (members of U.K.’s Absolva) shining in the instrumental stretches and providing an exceptional framework for Blaze’s powerful vocals. There are Maiden-esque (always a compliment) moments—check out the final instrumental break in standout track “Dawn Of The Dead Son”—but not so many that the album feels in any way to be a derivative. Having recorded and toured with an iconic band can sometimes be an albatross around the neck for a Metal singer, but here Blaze, his band, and songwriting partners turn the experience into a set of wings instead of a weight.

The cut “Remember” is a bold risk, featuring nylon acoustic guitars, violin, accordion(!), and a harmony vocal chorus. It shouldn’t work on a Metal album but it does — a poignant break before the album kicks—and kicks hard—into next track Fight Back. Blaze shows great emotional range on the album; his voice pulling the listener along with the narrative thread of the story. Overall, this album is recommended.