Former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley guested on he Friday NI Rocks Show this week (March 3rd) with the release of his latest album,Endure An Survive, on the same day. An excerpt from the transcription is available below; check out the audio here.

On the new album, the second in a trilogy:

Bayley - "This album is much, much darker because he has been subjected to brain-washing and they make him do really evil, horrible things in his sleep; that he thinks are nightmares or dreams that he is having, but it is actually something real that he has done. So, it’s a science fiction concept, but one of the ideas is colonisation; colonialism and the idea that you can go and just land on somebody’s country or continent or planet and say, because I am more powerful than you and I have better weapons, this is now mine. I feel it is something that could happen quite easily, as corporations gain power and there are private space missions, private space holidays and things. There will also be a darker side to that. What about people who want to pay - if we can find the technology to get to this new planet, why not make it our own?" 

About his aspirations now:

Bayley - "So really, what I aspire to is to go back to the venues that I like. Back to those places where it might be 100 or 1,000 people. Go to the places I like. That’s it really – to keep doing those 70 shows around Europe. Maybe by the end of the year it’s around 100 with all the other places we play – or 150 even. It’s to that – just to keep going. I think my voice has matured and I really feel that I’m at my peak now. The sound of my voice now is the best that it has been – for the whole range and the sounds that I can make, the expression that I can give. I can bring the lyrics to live and bring the song to live. Even if English isn’t your first language, you can kinda tell what I’m singing about. Really, I want to record as much as I can and keep up with my recording schedule; and write the best songs that I can. Search for a truth that is universal, that affects all of us; so when you hear the lyric and the song there is something about it that makes you think, yeah I understood that or that’s how I felt or yeah that’s true. Some truth in everything – I’m constantly searching for that wisdom and that truth for everybody, so that I can connect. That’s it – now I’m at a stage where I’m doing what I want, making the music that I want, playing in the venues that I want. I get to meet my fans regularly. I would just love to keep going like this for the next three or four years." 

About the Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper) fund-raiser:

Bayley - "I had a message through to say that Steve Grimmett is in trouble and that there’s an idea to do a song for him. I said, yeah, sign me up! This could be me. It could happen to me, it could happen to any of us! We’re not in major bands, we manage to have enough money to get by. If you have a major disaster in your life, it can just completely wipe you out. So I said sign me up. It is such a great name that has been established for so long, Grim Reaper, but even so, because of the nature of the music business and the record business, then you never get what you’re worth. The income that you’ve actually generated and made, you’ve had the tiniest slither of, while a lot of other people are living in big houses with great medical insurance. I signed up straight away and just wish him all the best. It could just as easily be me in that situation and I’d like to think that people would think fondly of me and help me." 

Bayley recently took part in a live stream on The Metal Voice with Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon to discuss his new album and tour. During the session, Blaze revealed the following Canadian tour dates:

August
16 - Montreal, QC - Piranha Bar
17 - Ottawa, ON - The Brass Monkey
18 - Quebec City, QC - L’Anti Bar
19 - Toronto, ON - The Rockpile
20 - London, ON - East Side Bar and Grill

Watch the session below:

Blaze recently released a video for “Endure And Survive”, the title track of his upcoming new album. The video, directed by Rich Pembridge, can be found below.

Endure And Survive (Infinite Entanglement Part II) is the sequel to his 2016 release, Infinite Entanglement   which was the first of a trilogy of releases following a sci-fi concept and storyline.

Endure And Survive is set for release on March 3rd via Blaze Bayley Recording and will be accompanied by a world tour totalling some 120 shows. The European leg of the tour takes place principally between February and June 2017. After a small number of summer shows, Blaze will then go to the United States and Canada during August-September. It’s also planned to take the tour to Latin America in 2018.

Throughout this world tour, Blaze will be backed by his main recording and touring musicians, picked from British metal band Absolva and including Chris Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass, backing vocals).

In addition to the established band members as above from Absolva, Endure And Survive also contains a talented array of collaborators; Luke Appleton (Iced Earth / Absolva) - backing vocals, Michelle Sciarrotta - nylon acoustic, backing vocals, voice actor, Jo Robinson - backing vocals, Mel Adams - backing vocals, Liz Owen - backing vocals, Thomas Zwijsen - nylon acoustic, Anne Bakker - violin, backing vocals, Corvin Bahn (Uli Jon Roth) - accordion, Aine Brewer - voice actor, Rob Toogood - voice actor, backing vocals.

The album artwork has been completed by Andreas Sandberg, with additional images from Christopher Steenstrup who is also working on a Blaze Bayley video game.

The album was recorded between October and December 2016 at Robannas Studios, Birmingham, produced by Blaze Bayley and Chris Appleton, mixed and engineered by Miguel Seco, mastered by Ade Emsley (Iron Maiden, Tank, Phil Campbell). As with the previous record the song-writing has been a collaboration between Blaze, Chris Appleton and Michelle Sciarrotta.

Endure And Survive tracklisting:

“Endure And Survive”
“Escape Velocity”
“Blood”
“Eating Lies”
“Destroyer”
“Dawn Of The Dead Son”
“Remember”
“Fight Back”
“The World Is Turning The Wrong Way”
“Together We Can Move The Sun”

“Endure And Survive” video:

Pre-orders for the new album are available now at blazebayley.net/webshop.

2014-2015 was a period of building momentum for Blaze, partly created by the highly popular release of the 15th anniversary edition of his debut solo record Silicon Messiah as well as his Soundtracks Of My Life 30 year compilation celebrating his career since he began singing with his first band Wolfsbane, before catapulting to worldwide fame with Iron Maiden.

2016 saw a significant renaissance with the remarkable plaudits given to the Infinite Entanglement album from fans and critics alike. The year was also notable for Blaze’s special guest performance with Disturbed at the UK’s premier festival Download when the warmth and recognition from the crowd was as crystal clear as it was predictable given Blaze’s reputation for connecting with audiences.

The European leg of the Endure And Survive tour is listed below:

March
4 - Manchester, UK - Sound Control
5 - Birmingham, UK - Roadhouse
9 - Cardiff, UK - Fuel
10 - Verviers, Belgium - Spirit of 66
11 - Paris, France - Le Petit Bain
12 - Deinze, Belgium - Café Elpee
18 - Luynes, France - Le Korigan
19 - Barcelona, Salamandra 2
21 - Oviedo, Spain - Franelroc
22 - Madrid, Spain - Club Moby Dick
23 - Lleida, Spain - Café Del Teatre
24 - Valencia, Spain - Sala Fussion
25 - Irun, Spain - Tunk
26 - Zaragoza, Spain - King Kong
30 - Vercelli, Italy - Officine Sonore
31 - Saint-Maurice, Switzerland - Manoir Pub

April
1 - Nancy (Pagney D-B), France - Chez Paulette
2 - Edinburgh, UK - Corn Exchange, Heavy Scotland festival
7 - Grenoble, France - L’Amperage
8 - Clermont-Ferrand (Mozac), France - Salle De L’Arlequin
9 - Renchen, Germany - Come Inn
13 - Krefeld, Germany - Kulturampe
14 - Leiden, Netherlands - Gebr De Nobel
15 - Grossefehn, Germany - Schlappohr  Rockkneipe
16 - Helmond, Netherlands - Muziekcafe
20 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi Galore
21 - Siegen, Germany - Vortex
22 - Balingen, Germany - Sonnenkeller
23 - Konstanz, Germany - Rockbar
26 - Ljublijana, Slovenia - Orto Bar
27 - Vienna, Austria - Viper Room
28 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Rock Café
29 - Brno, Czech Republic - Melodka
30 - Pilsen, Czech Republic - Serikovka

May
4 - Wroclaw, Poland - Liverpool Klub
5 - Tychy, Poland - Underground
6 - Stalowa Wola, Poland - Labirynt Club
7 - Olsztyn, Poland - Nowy Andergrant
9 - Kaunas, Lithuania - Klubas Lemmy
10 - Riga, Latvia - Nabaklab
11 - Tallinn, Estonia - The Tapper
12 - Helsinki, Finland - On The Rocks
13 - Mikkeli, Finland - Kulttuuritalo Tempo
14 - Tampere, Finland - Jack The Rooster
19 - Lappeenranta, Finland - Mobar
20 - Mantyharju, Finland - Bar Krouvi
21 - Mantyharju, Finland - Bar Krouvi (acoustic)
24 - Strangnas, Sweden - Garage
26 - Fosser, Norway - Oak Metal Club
27 - Falkenberg, Sweden - Downtown

July
28 - Belgrade, Serbia - Club Fest
29 - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Cinemas Sloga
30 - Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina - OKC Abrasevic

August
5 - Oxford, UK - Oxrox Alive

(Photo - Jelena Jakovljevic)