### Iron Maiden: The X factor

#### 17/09/10 || revenant

Replacing Bruce Dickinson was always going to be a lose-lose situation for Iron Maiden. There were two options placed in front of the band: replace him with a similar sounding singer, or replace him with someone who sounds completely different. Here’s the rub: replace him with someone who sounds the same, all those whiny bitches out there complain he isn’t as good as Bruce. Replace him with someone different, all those whiny bitches out these complain that he doesn’t sound the same. Let’s face it, no matter who they chose, bitches were going to whine.

So with that in mind, why in the fuck did they choose Blaze fucken Bailey? I applaud the bravery of attempting to take the band in a new direction with a different sounding vocalist, but out of what was not doubt a host of wannabes, how the hell did Blaze get the gig? It defies logic. Blaze is a terrible singer with a non-existent range, awful sound, occasional phlegm gargling effect and no ability to sing something consistently. He is so bad, we named him the 8th worst metal singer of all time, a position which actually generous (he should have been much higher in my opinion). How did he get the job? Are there photos and blackmail involved? Because that’s the only way I could fathom this appalling decision.

I still remember the first track I heard from this album, “The Edge of Darkness”, when it was premiered on Australian radio. “Here it is” said the announcer… silence… the sound of a chopper… soft guitars, then… “what the fuck, this guy sounds nothing like Bruce, I don’t like this one bit”. I still remember recording it from the radio onto cassette (ah, the good old days) and playing it back to a mate just to watch his face contort with disgust. Of course, it wasn’t until listening to “The X Factor” in full that I really got a grip on how bad Blaze was.

Now I know it seems I’m focusing too heavily on Blaze’s performance with this review, but it seems that this album is one that has been forever tainted by his performance. It seems that even my fellow staffers were blinded by Blaze in nominating “The X Factor” for this list, a nomination which is completely wrong (the honour should have been bestowed upon “Vitual XI”). For you see musically, this is actually quite an incredible album. The Irons really cranked it up a gear in terms of song writing and performance for this album. “Sign of the Cross” is an incredibly powerful opener, an epic that ranks amongst Maiden’s best, and if you don’t believe me listen to the version on “Rock in Rio” to hear it’s full effect.

But the great tracks don’t stop there. There is not a single dud on this album. Not one. There are elements of the band trying new things with their song writing (“Fortunes of War” a great example), while all the classic Iron Maiden trademarks make their appearance as well (I love the twin guitar harmonies), but never do the band stray into mediocrity with this collection of songs. In terms of pure song writing, this album ranks next to “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” on quality. It’s the execution of the vocals that brings the album down, nothing more.

The more I listen to this album, the more it grows on me and the more baffled I become about the hate directed at it. This is easily Iron Maiden’s best output of the ‘90s, which turned out to be a rather dark decade for them. First there was “No Prayer for the Dying”, a pretty good album but one with few highs. Then “Fear of the Dark” came along with its lackluster production and flat performance. The only thing good to come from that album was the title track. Then came this album, which was followed by “Virtual XI”, easily their worst album. “The X Factor” stands head and shoulders above them all, of this there is no doubt.

At the end of the day, this is an album maligned purely because of the vocalist, which is a completely unfair judgment. I urge anyone who avoided this album because of Blaze, give it a go now. Surely, now that Bruce is back, the Blaze hate you harbored so much is gone. That’s how I got into this album. I bought this back in 2006, after Bruce had been back for two albums. Now that my own Blaze rage had gone, I found I really could appreciate the album for what it was. Sure, Blaze’s vocals are terrible, flat, inconsistent and downright shit, but musically this is a damn fine album.

And if you can’t go back, minus your Blaze rage, and enjoy this album, I guess you will be a whiny bitch for the rest of your life. Too bad, because this album is the shit when it comes to ‘90s Maiden.

- Information
- Released: 1995
- Label: EMI
- Website: www.ironmaiden.com
- Band
- Blaze “Rubbish” Bailey: vocals
- Dave “Legend” Murray: guitars
- Janick “Dancing Fool” Gers: guitars
- Steve “Legend” Harris: bass
- Nicko “Legend” McBrain: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Sign of the Cross
- 02. Lord of the Flies
- 03. Man on the Edge
- 04. Fortunes of War
- 05. Look for the Truth
- 06. The Aftermath
- 07. Judgement of Heaven
- 08. Blood on the World’s Hands
- 09. The Edge of Darkness
- 10. 2 A.M.
- 11. The Unbeliever