Written: 10th February 2024
Blaze Bayley is a man of integrity, endurance and ambition. Whether with Wolfsbane, Iron Maiden or as a solo artist, he has always been one of the most likeable characters on the heavy metal scene, giving generously of his time to fans and establishing a connection with them that many artists fail to achieve. In March 2023, just two days after the conclusion of the recording of Circle of Stone – his eleventh solo album overall – he suffered a heart attack which required quadruple bypass open heart surgery. It is a mark of the man that he returned to the stage with his solo band and subsequently Wolfsbane just a few months later, seemingly stronger than ever.
With the album held in abeyance as Blaze recovered, Circle of Stone is the follow up to 2021’s War Within Me – one of the best albums of his entire career. Drawing once again on the skills of Absolva as his band (having worked with Blaze for ten years now: Chris Appleton on lead guitar, Luke Appleton on power guitar, Martin McNee on drums, Karl Schramm on bass), Blaze steps into 2024 with vigour. Undiminished is his long held tenacity to make the most of every moment he is singing, interacting with fans or simply valuing life.
Blaze has been clear to point out that conceptually, Circle of Stone is an album of two halves. “Side one comprises six unconnected songs that describe human frailty, resilience, courage, and gratitude. Can you look to yourself for answers? Can you fight against all the odds to take your future in your own hand, or do you accept the fate that other people tell you is what you deserve? Believe in yourself. You can survive the knocks, defeats and disappointments of your life and come back stronger. That is the hope we hold in our first six songs.”
Circle of Stone begins with the up-tempo Mind Reader (reminiscent of songs such as Futureal or The Dream of Alan Turing) and from the first moments, Blaze is in fine voice. A paean to the levels of fortitude that reside within the human spirit, Mind Reader sums up Blaze’s attitude to life, exploring both the strength and gentleness of which we are capable. It also shows that no matter what others may think about us, they do not know what resides within our own souls. They can knock me down / But I won’t stay down / If they read my mind / They will find / I am ferocious / I am resolved / To become / Unbeatable. An exciting opener that is sure to find a place in the setlist, and become a live favourite, Mind Reader blasts through its less than three-minutes running time with a raging determination, led by the twin guitars of Chris and Luke Appleton.
Tears in Rain steps up the heavy metal attack with chugging riffs and an iron-willed vocal by Blaze. As they look back on life, with reference to the iconic Blade Runner monologue, it tackles the emotions of those who have felt their lives are disposable or undervalued by themselves or by those in more privileged positions. The end of my life is near / My memories are so clear / We are the ones / They made to fight and die / But not worthy of life / All of these moments / Will just disappear / Lost in time / Just like Tears in Rain. Another short song (just over three minutes), Tears In Rain keeps energy levels high at the start of the album, with Karl Schramm’s inventive bass work and another soaring guitar solo from Chris.
The opening minute of Rage, the second single from the album, effectively changes the atmosphere and pace of the album. With sombre and subdued guitar accompanied by Anne Bakker’s (the Dutch instrumentalist that Blaze has worked with previously) mournful but darkly poetic violin, the song creates a tense and uneasy atmosphere, while showing just how haunting Blaze’s quieter vocals can be. Bursting to life after just over minute, Blaze screams the song’s title. Tormenting me each night / Shadows of the truth again / Trembling and filled with hate / Red mist blinded me / Blinded me with rage. Rage successfully retells the well-known Welsh folk tale of Prince Llewelyn and his faithful hound Gelert. In the story, Prince Llewelyn mistakenly kills Gelert believing he had killed his infant son, when he had in fact defended him from the attack of a wolf. It warns of the dangers of assuming the worst about situations we may encounter and how some actions cannot be undone.
As the first six songs continue with The Year Beyond This Year and Ghost In The Bottle (which opens with a infectious and commanding riff that will have listeners headbanging in appreciation), it is evident there is a wonderful flow to the album and Blaze has produced a collection of songs that show just how much he and his band understand the value of provocative but concise songwriting – no song on the album feels too long and there is an impressive consistency throughout. The Broken Man – the longest song on the album - closes the first side with one of the most poignant tracks Blaze has ever produced. With differing musical sections, it meritoriously builds throughout its first three and a half minutes, adding layer upon layer of instrumentation until an emotive solo draws the band together. The Broken Man reflects on the fact that our lives are a combination of our actions (both positive and negative) but also the support we receive from others that we may not recognise for what it is at the time. I learned my lessons / And you know I still am learning / How to make everything count / When I look back / I see and angry young man / Chasing things that are all useless now. There is a raw honesty in the vocal that exposes Blaze’s innermost feelings and this adds a pure authenticity to The Broken Man.
Side Two of Circle of Stone consists of six interconnecting songs telling a tale that Blaze describes as, “the story of our forgotten tribe: a search for the truth in the heart of the circle of tall stones. Seeking the mystical portal, whilst the ancestors call to you in dreams, you have denied them. They demand vengeance and reckoning but you are a selfish, materialistic coward, and you have avoided the true path of your future. You must find a way to become selfless and courageous to lead our tribe back to the homeland of our ancestors.”
Vicky Kennerley’s spectacular bagpipes herald The Call of the Ancestors – a short instrumental that invigoratingly draws the listener into the second half of the album. The Call of the Ancestors (featuring Niklas Stalvind of Swedish metal band Wolf, who also appears on A Day of Reckoning and Circle of Stone) leads into the album’s title track. Presenting a rich tapestry of themes including ancestral heritage, the search for identity, a connection to the spiritual world and the quest for truth, Circle of Stone contemplates the larger context of time, history and suggests our lives are part of a much larger story. The circles of stone and the high mountain peaks / As I wander this great land / I see them all and I wonder if I belong / A portal that connects the dreamworld to me. As with many songs on this album, the title track is driven by zestful and striking guitar riffs. Circle of Stone and Absence - another strident and irresistible track – further evidence that Blaze and his band know how to make songs memorable and stand up to repeated listens. Imposing and stirring throughout the album’s length, his fellow songwriters instinctively know how to create tracks which synchronise perfectly with the vocal abilities of their frontman.
A Day of Reckoning examines the courage needed to face challenges of life and looking back to the trials and tribulations of the tribe with our protagonist’s connection to them through his visions. Facing the future / Facing the unknown / They carry on, they survive / All they had was courage and hope / And the hate that burned inside. Drummer Martin McNee – as he does across the twelve songs on Circle of Stone – contributes just what is required to the song. Always an effective but never invasive presence, his considered technique allows each track the space to breathe. On A Day of Reckoning and The Path of the Righteous Man, he contributes elements which evoke preparation for battle and the intrinsic elements of willpower, respectively.
Ending the album with Until We Meet Again, Blaze duets with Welsh singer Tammy-Rae Bois. Accompanied solely by acoustic guitar and the astonishing violin of Anne Bakker, the two voices combine majestically giving Circle of Stone (and the six-song cycle) an emotional conclusion, with our protagonist grateful for the journey on which he embarked.
Circle of Stone encapsulate Blaze’s ability to look back on his life and learn from everything he has encountered and endured. Backed by a band with which he is supremely comfortable, Circle of Stone can be counted amongst the best solo albums he has produced and fans of all eras of his career in any band will find something of interest. We do not have many rock stars (or indeed people) with the attitude, gratitude for life and wish to inspire others like Blaze Bayley. Individuals such as he, inspire us all to be better people.
Circle of Stone is released on 23rd February 2024 and available to buy on Vinyl LP & CD via www.blazebayley.net
Watch the videos for Rage and Circle of Stone below.
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