Blaze (1999-2007)
Following Blaze Bayley's departure from Iron Maiden in 1999, he formed his own band, BLAZE, in March that year. Bayley recruited guitarist Steve Wray, guitarist John Slater, bassist Rob Naylor, and drummer Jeff Singer, and signed a deal with German label SPV, releasing the band's debut studio album in 2000, Silicon Messiah. The album was followed up by Tenth Dimension in 2002 and the band's first live album in 2003, As Live As It Gets.
After recording the live album, Jeff Singer announced he was leaving the band. Three months later, Rob Naylor was also leaving. Session drummer Phil Greenhouse and bassist Wayne Banks were hired for the rest of the Tenth Dimension tour until permanent replacements could be found. Guitarist Jason Banks was drafted in for a few gigs at the end of 2003 to cover for John Slater.
At the end of 2003, Blaze began writing material for their third studio album, Blood & Belief. Phil Greenhouse was replaced on drums by Jason Bowld for recording and Dave Knight for touring. The band began to tour for the album shortly after it was released in 2004, but were set back again by the news that John Slater could not perform a large section of the tour. Despite rejoining the band later in the year, Slater eventually left the band in September with Steve Wray to form the band Rise To Addiction. Bassist Wayne Banks and drummer Dave Knight left the band to join the Robin Gibb band in September 2004.
Blaze performed a number of shows in 2004 and 2005 with the lineup of Bayley, guitarist Oliver Palotai, guitarist Luca Princiotta, bassist Nick Douglas, and drummer Daniel Löble. The two guitarists were eventually kept on as full members. The band's lineup shifted once again when Löble quit to join German power metal band Helloween early in 2005 and when Douglas returned to another German heavy metal band, Doro. The two were replaced by unknown German musicians Daniel Schild and Christian Ammann respectively. With the new line up, Blaze began to work on a fourth studio album for a release in 2007, but in January that year it was announced the entire line-up had to part ways with Bayley due to serious financial matters. Following the lineup change, Bayley opted to rename the band under his name, Blaze Bayley.
Blaze Bayley Band (2007-2011)
In February 2007, Blaze Bayley Band (also known as BBB) added guitarists Nicolas Bermudez and Rich Newport, bassist Dave Bermudez, and drummer Rico Banderra to the band and recorded the live DVD album Alive in Poland, released later on that year. Bayley announced that Rich Newport had left the band to pursue a career as a guitar teacher later on that year, and Jay Walsh would replace him onstage for the remainder of the tour. Jay was made a full member of the band in November 2007. Bayley also announced the addition of drummer Lawrence Paterson, formerly of British metal bands Chokehold and Shadowkeep at the same time.
In July 2008, Blaze Bayley Band (BBB) released their debut studio album, The Man Who Would Not Die. The album also contained the band's first single, "Robot", despite only being available digitally. It is sometimes regarded as a mini-compilation as it includes many bonus tracks. The band recorded another DVD live at Z7, The Night That Will Not Die, which was released in March 2009. Blaze Bayley announced that the band started recording for their new album on 28 September 2009. A contest was run on the band's forum.The two first people who guessed the title of the new album received a free signed copy. The title was revealed to be Promise and Terror a few days later.
The 2nd album Promise and Terror was released on 1 February 2010. Professional reviews have generally been very positive about the album. The album was produced by Jason Edwards.
On 6 February 2010 BBB started their 2010 world tour in Dudley UK. They spent the next months playing the UK, France, Italy, Germany before leaving for the South American leg of the tour. They then returned to Europe later in the year.
In May 2010 Larry Paterson, the drummer for the band left due to personal and professional reasons, although none were specified. Their manager, Anna, announced her departure from the band. She claimed that the band's idea of where to go next and hers were not in the same direction.
Following the departure of Larry Paterson the Blaze Bayley Band engaged Claudio Tirincanti to continue the Promise and Terror tour.
On 10 July 2010 Blaze Blayley claimed live on stage that his current album was his best-selling as a solo-artist shedding some light on the recent changes in his line-up and management.
On 18 December 2010 they played a Big Bash at JB'S in Dudley Birmingham. Despite the snowy weather the band made it back from mainland Europe to play the show.
The BBB embarked on a short European tour in early 2011 and were supposed to follow that up in May 2011 with more dates in the UK, however on 29 March via his official channels, Blaze Bayley stated that he had to part ways with the band due to both health and financial reasons.
Solo career (2011 - present)
On 31 March 2011, Blaze announced that he would continue as a solo performer working with different musicians. The new official line-up for live gigs features the confirmed Claudio Tirincanti on the drums, old occasional touring member "Deputy Dave" Andrews on the guitar, and two Belgian musicians (Steve Deleu and Nick Meganck) respectively on the other guitar and the bass. Later in the year, it has been announced that the same musicians will tour also with former Judas Priest singer Tim "Ripper" Owens.
Alongside the reunion and new recordings of Wolfsbane, Bayley has played a two-week acoustic solo tour in the UK in Sept 2011 with fellow Wolfsbane guitarist Jase Edwards plus a few unplugged gigs in Italy with Andrea Neri on the guitar. Footage of the acoustic shows with Jase Edwards can be seen on the Official Blaze Bayley YouTube Page.
Then the singer hit the stages of some summer festivals and after that has been travelling to the USA in October/November 2011 for his first full US Headline tour since his days with Iron Maiden, supported by North-American musicians of the Canadian band Man the Destroyer plus American guitarist Rick Plester, of international fame, who will work with Bayley in the near future. Blaze will finish the Promise and Terror world tour in December 2011 before beginning to write new material.
On 19 August 2011 Blaze announced that recording of a live DVD filmed at his show in Antwerp, Belgium on 23 September 2011, in which he presented also the first new song with the renewed line-up, called "Black Country". In February Bayley 2012 he toured Russia with the other former Iron Maiden singer, Paul Di'Anno.
On 18 December 2011 the last show of the Promise and Terror world tour took place at De Rots In Antwerp Belgium. High Definition footage from the penulitmate UK show on 15 December is available on the Official Blaze Bayley YouTube channel.
On 26 December 2011 in a personal Christmas message on his website Blaze announced that his new album The King of Metal would be released on 8 March 2012. On the same day Blaze officially announced the first two legs of the King of Metal world tour on the official Blaze Bayley Facebook Page. The new line-up for the making of The King of Metal album (recorded between Italy and Holland, mixed by Tony Newton at Steve Harris home studio, Rick Plester in the Usa and Raoul Soentken in Holland) consists of 3 Italians: the confirmed drummer Claudio Tirincanti, bassist Lehmann (Matteo Grazzini), guitarist Andrea Neri. Other guitarist is young Dutch Thomas Zwijsen, who co-wrote most of the music of the new cd. The same line-up who recorded the album will be the next live band for Blaze Bayley in the King of Metal European Tour, which counts more than 60 gigs. The busy schedule of 2012 sees also an acoustic tour with Zwijsen (July), a North American tour (September), a few gigs with Wolfsbane (October), a second co-headlining tour with Paul Di'Anno in Eastern Europe, Australia and New Zealand (November), and the prosecution of the King of Metal Tour in Scandinavia (December).
Virus
Blaze Bayley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not state of the art, a serious state of the mind
The muggers, the backstabbers, the two faced elite
A menace to society, a social disease
Rape of the mind is a social disorder
The cynics, the apathy one-upmanship order
Gloating or sneering at life's disarray
Eating away at your own self esteem
Pouncing on every word that you might be saying
Rape of the mind is a social disorder
The cynics, the apathy one-upmanship order
Superficially smiling a shake of the hand
As soon as the back is turned treachery is planned
Rape of the mind is a social disorder
The cynics, the apathy one-upmanship order
Watching beginnings of social decay
Gloating or sneering... at life's disarray
When every good thing's laid to waste
By all the jealousy and hate
By all the acid wit and rapier lies
And every time you think you're safe
And when you go to turn away
You know they're sharpening all their paper knives
All in your mind
All in your head
Try to relate it
All in your mind
All in your head
Try to escape it
Without a conscience they destroy
And that's a thing that they enjoy
They're a sickness that's in all our minds
They want to sink the ship and leave
The way they laugh at you and me
You know it happens all the time
All in your mind
All in your head
Try to relate it
All in your mind
All in your head
Try to escape it
The rats in the cellar you know who you are
The rats in the cellar you know who you are
The rats in the cellar you know who you are
The rats in the cellar you know who you are
Or do you?
Or do you?
Or do you?
Or do you?
Watching beginnings of social decay....
The song “Virus” by Blaze Bayley speaks about the presence of an evil virus that is affecting the human race. The song does not refer to a physical virus but a social virus that is responsible for the social decay that is taking place in the world. It talks about the menace to society that is caused by the malicious actions of certain individuals such as the muggers, the backstabbers, and the two-faced elite who are responsible for the social disorder that is taking place in society. The term “Rape of the mind” is used to describe the social disorder which makes it clear that the virus is not physical but psychological.
The song goes on to describe how the virus is eating away at the self-esteem of individuals and causing them to pounce on every word that one might say. The cynics, the apathy order, and the one-upmanship order are all responsible for the social decay that is taking place. The song also highlights the superficiality of those who pretend to be friendly but who are secretly planning treachery. The rats in the cellar refer to those who are responsible for the virus and who are enjoying the destruction that they are causing to society.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an evil virus that's threatening mankind
There is a malevolent force that poses a danger to humanity.
Not state of the art, a serious state of the mind
It's not advanced technology, but a serious condition of the human psyche.
The muggers, the backstabbers, the two faced elite
The robbers, the traitors, the hypocritical upper class.
A menace to society, a social disease
They are a danger to the human community, a social illness.
Rape of the mind is a social disorder
Mental violation is a societal problem.
The cynics, the apathy one-upmanship order
The pessimists, the indifference and the need to outdo one another.
Watching beginnings of social decay
Observing the start of societal deterioration.
Gloating or sneering at life's disarray
Taking pleasure or showing contempt towards the chaotic nature of life.
Eating away at your own self esteem
Gradually destroying your own sense of worth.
Pouncing on every word that you might be saying
Attacking every word that comes out of your mouth.
Superficially smiling a shake of the hand
Fake smiling while shaking hands.
As soon as the back is turned treachery is planned
Scheming as soon as the person turns their back.
When every good thing's laid to waste
When every positive thing is ruined.
By all the jealousy and hate
Due to all the envy and animosity.
By all the acid wit and rapier lies
Via all the sharp and venomous remarks and deceitful tales.
And every time you think you're safe
And each occasion when you believe you're secure.
And when you go to turn away
And when you try to leave the situation.
You know they're sharpening all their paper knives
You know they are preparing to cut you down through words.
Without a conscience they destroy
They demolish without any moral sense.
And that's a thing that they enjoy
And that's something they derive pleasure from.
They're a sickness that's in all our minds
They are an illness that prevails in every mind.
They want to sink the ship and leave
They desire to ruin everything and depart.
The way they laugh at you and me
The way they mock and ridicule us.
You know it happens all the time
You know it occurs frequently.
The rats in the cellar you know who you are
The individuals who cause destruction and chaos are aware of themselves.
Or do you?
Or maybe they have no self-awareness?
Contributed by Nolan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stratos Vr
There are a lot you can tell about Blaze. He's a great singer, composer and of course performer. But the best of them all is that he is an AMAZING human being! Keep it up man, cheers to the guys also! 🤟🔥💪🎤🥁🎸🙏
Chiara Caniati Carlucci
Totally agree with your great comment! …Blaze is the King (...of my heart...) Staysafe,brother! \m/
Charlie Mckeever
Most definitely 👍🎸🎤🔉👏👏
Charlie Mckeever
😁🤘
Rodrigo Soto
Yup! He has a beautiful heart.
Charlie Mckeever
Cazador Nocturno well it's the only goals we are gonna see for a while my friend ⚽️😣😣
05-032 Mendicant Bias
Damn! The speech at the beginning really hits me! All of my love and respect to you, Mr. Bayley, you’re a great singer. Blaze Maiden era is awesome!
OCM SEP
Sensacional Blaze, te adoramos no Brasil
Dhouglas Grando
conheci pessoalmente Blaze Bayley em um bar aqui da cidade, fato ocorrido em videira SC dia 24/06/2016, cara se apresentou grandiosamente, bebeu cerveja com a galera, jogou sinuca, tirou foto com os fãs, autografou discos, um artista super talentoso e acessível ao seu publico, pessoa admirável, a cidade toda parou pra ver de perto o talento do cara, e ele retribuiu de forma grandiosa, acho em particular; excepcional a passagem de Blaze Bayley pelo Iron Maiden
Rodrigo Ferreira
Queria muito conhecer este baita vocalista,foi a uma hora e meia de distancia daqui onde moro