The Blaze albums are among their least popular albums, but they (especially The X Factor) also have a small contingent of ardent defenders. Plus a lot of the criticism of those albums, historically and still today, has been very toxic. Blaze took a lot of personal abuse for "ruining" Iron Maiden.
None of that is the fault of anyone like you who dislikes those albums but isn't toxic about it, but the general atmosphere has led to a bit of wagon circling and touchiness among supporters of Blaze and those albums. And, yes, a hope that people who are new to the band will see what we do in those albums.
The same thing goes on to a lesser extent with the six reunion albums, which are generally held in higher regard, but still receive their share of negativity, some of it toxic (Janick, also, has apparently "ruined" Iron Maiden). So if you're critical of those, yeah, you'll get some pushback there, too. But on the other side, if you like those albums, I'll be thrilled and I'll be interested in seeing what your favorites are.
It's also just sort of in the nature of things that if you praise the songs and albums that are popularly praised, people have less to discuss. I think the comments you made about the 80s albums that got the most chatter were about Powerslave, where you praised a part of the album that some people, myself included, don't think is all that great. I think if you'd come out of the 80s albums and said, "these are great, and my favorite songs are Innocent Exile, Gangland, Sun and Steel, Losfer Words and Deja Vu," that would've generated some additional discussion because those would be unusual choices.