https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBanU-AHMqg
'Sign of the Cross' always blows me away, one of their best in my book. It's a shame though, as much as I love 'The X Factor" and "Virtual XI' I just can't enjoy them as much as the reunion albums. If they had better production and Bruce on vocals, I would just be in awe of them.
Again, just to clarify, the Blaze albums are phenomenal, I'm just not a huge fan of his vocals and the production.
I agree about SOC and the quality of the Blaze albums and their production. However, I actually think Blaze is underrated as a singer. Sure, he's not in Bruce Dickinson's league, but his voice is good and certainly passionate. And I can see why Steve picked him given the type of music he was going for on
The X Factor. Unfortunately, Blaze was not as well suited for traditional Maiden material, which is why he isn't as good (though still good, in my opinion) on
Virtual XI. And he really had trouble on the old stuff live because it was simply out of his range. I give the guy credit, though. He came into one of the biggest metal bands in the world to replace one of the most beloved singers in the genre, and damned if he didn't do his best and sing his heart out the whole time he was there, even while taking a massive amount of hate from the fans.
On the topic of Blaze, has anyone heard any of his solo albums? I have the first
two and what I've noticed is that, with lines written by him specifically for his voice, he comes into his own as a singer. I would recommend his first album,
Silicon Messiah. It isn't a masterpiece, but it's a solid album that really displays Blaze's talent. And it includes one song that I would regard as great in the closer Stare at the Sun. Not a must-buy, but worth looking into if you're one of those freaks who likes Blaze.
Edit: Just remembered I actually also have his third solo album, but I've only heard it once. Not as good as the first two IMO.