Blaze Bayley: Soundtrack of a Life Dedicated to the Heavy Metal

Blaze Bayley is a name that needs no introduction, especially after its entry into one of the biggest metal bands in history, Iron Maiden, with which he recorded two albums, the band remained between 94-99, with the difficult task of occupying the post also one of the greatest vocalists of Heavy Metal, Bruce Dickinson.

With Dickinson's return, Blaze left the band, in mutual and amicable consent, leaving very good songs like "Futureal" and "Man on the Edge", and although at that time the band's formation have been challenged and sales results and positions in charts have been smaller than the band was used, these works grew with time, gaining more space between the fans.


Blaze went on a solo career and his self-titled band, plus new work with his band of origin, Wolfsbane, also collaborating with several artists, including the Brazilian project Soulspell, and casting work in partnership, building a consistent career and in October this year, will release "Soundtracks of My Life", compilation with 30 tracks, all remastered, including some acoustic and two unreleased, celebrating your 30 year career, a real soundtrack that illustrates all these years dedicated to Heavy Metal! We talked with the always friendly Blaze, who told us about this release and this important mark . Check it out!

Road to Metal: Blaze, first we would like to thank you for another opportunity to interview him! To start wanted you to talk the new release, the compilation "Soundtrack Of My Life" which will be released in october.

Blaze Bayley: Thank you for having me! The album is coming out on 31st of October but is already available now for pre-order on my webshop (www.blazebayley.net/webshop). We have almost sold 500 pre-orders which is, i think, a record since I left Iron Maiden.

RtM: This release marks your 30 year career, what can we expect for 2014 which closes this date so important?

BB: I am planning to tour in 2014 all over the world with this album. I start in January in South America and then it will be Europe and hopefully also Australia and America. I would also like to do many festivals in the summer. I have been through a lot in my career and this year, although i have been really busy, I also had time to look back and realised it was 30 years, so time to celebrate!

RtM: What would you think if one day Iron Maiden did a special concert with former members as guests? Have you thought? You, Dickinson and Di'Anno Together on Stage?

BB: I don't expect it to happen but if it would, it would be great. I loved my time in Iron Maiden and working with Steve Harris so it would be a pleasure to be on stage with them again.

RtM: "Soundtrack Of My Life" will have two new compositions, on which you recorded with renowned guitarist Rick Plester, we can start to consider a successor to "King Of Metal"?

BB: Rick and I were touring in the USA and we got on really well. He has become a good friend of mine and we started talking about writing together. It is always a risk, writing with artists you haven't written with before, because you don't know if they work the same way as you and if they are any good. Rick and I managed to write the 2 new songs in a short amount of time and I think they are really good. I have started writing a story for my next studio album but that won't be released until 2015. I want to take my time and if these two new songs are doing well with the fans, then I would definetly want to write with Rick for the next album!

RtM: And the Blaze Bayley, the music fan? What do you listen to at home? What new bands that catch your attention? And which more strange album we would find in your private collection?

BB: I don't really have much time to go and see other bands as weekends are normally booked. A few weeks ago I managed to go see my friends from Sabaton in Belgium. I really like them as artists and friends. I have some country albums on my phone so that would be the strangest i guess.

RtM: Speaking a bit about the excellent EP "Russian Holiday", you always made it clear he would like to release something acoustic, and "Russian Holiday" had a great job, so it generated acoustic tour, which will continue this year and in 2014. In relation to this project, we can expect more releases in this format?

BB: I am not planning any new releases at the moment, but when the time is right, i would love to do more. It is a project that I love doing but I have to stay focussed on the heavy metal shows because that is what matters most.

RtM: Always heard and saw many comments and rumors that several members of the Iron Maiden do not have a good relationship with each other, and that the band has been together only due to larger forces, such as business, the legion of fans, and that fact alone,in solo career, they would not have been so successful. What you think about, and if you come to feel that there really is something between some members at this time you were in the band?

BB: I haven't noticed anything from that whilst I was in the band. There will always be arguments and things you don't agree with, but the band got on well.

RtM: And your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing in your time off? Do you like Movies, TV Series? And Football?

BB: I really enjoy riding my motorcycle or working on it. When it is a sunny day, I call my friends and we ride all day. I also like spending time with my wife and young daughter who is now 2 years old. 

RtM: If you were asked to re-record an Iron Maiden's album, which of it would you like to re-record with your vocals?

BB: I like both albums as they are but it would be great if I can re-record both. I feel that my voice has grown a lot in the last few years so it would be interesting to hear that on the albums.

RtM: Talking about this acoustic tour, you will return to Brazil in december, and one of the shows will be in Santo Angêlo/RS, where the Road to Metal will cover exclusively, what can we expect from these new shows? In terms of setlist will have some surprise?

BB: We still need to decide the setlist but we will change it up a bit from this January. We try to find a good balance between Iron Maiden songs and songs from my own career. It will be crazy as always in Brazil!

RtM: Blaze was an honor to interview you again! send a message for your fans of Road to Metal and Brazil! Thank you again!

BB: I would like to thank all my fans in Brazil for all their support and kind words they have given me over the years! I can't wait to see you in December and January!

Interview by: Renato Sanson / Carlos Garcia

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Venus Attack: Qualidade, Criatividade e Diversidade

A banda gaúcha Venus Attack, na estrada desde 2009, é formada por músicos experientes e competentes, que somam em seus currículos trabalhos em diversas áreas e estilos musicais, e souberam aplicar muito bem essa experiência adquirida através dos anos, juntando a suas inspirações e influências, e, como a banda mesmo explica em entrevista recente para o Road, banhando tudo no Heavy Metal e Rock Pesado em geral, que é a sua base, resultando no ótimo debut "Venus Attack 1".

Há um bom tempo a banda vem se dedicando na composição deste trabalho, sempre tendo em mente a proposta inicial, de procurar uma identidade própria, não forçando a se encaixar em um rótulo, o que significaria limitar-se artisticamente. Certo que algumas bandas confundem "diversidade", com "atirar em todas as direções", e, felizmente, com a VA isto não ocorre.

André, Daniel, Mike e Renato: A invasão já começou!

A dedicação e a forma de trabalhar, pois não se deram um prazo para lançar o primeiro trabalho (o baixista Daniel contou que chegou a gravar sua partes 4 vezes, sempre buscando melhorar a ideia inicial), a fim de ir amadurecendo a sonoridade da banda, buscando uma uniformidade e uma identidade, produziu excelentes resultados, que podem ser conferidos por todos, agora que o álbum está pronto e disponível.

Composto por 9 faixas (mais uma música escondida), "Venus Attack 1" mostra bastante das várias inspirações dos músicos no seu decorrer, onde encontramos uma sonoridade tendo como pilar o Rock Pesado/Metal, sendo moderno e criativo,  podendo facilmente ser identificados elementos de Jazz/Fusion, Modern Hard Rock e até Rock Alternativo e Pop, porém, de forma alguma, essa fusão de influências resulta em algo complexo e chato, ou numa sonoridade feita para outros músicos ouvirem, pois o álbum é cativante e dinâmico, com melodias e refrãos grudentos.

"Looking For The Meaning", que abre o álbum, e já era conhecida do público, mostra de cara a competência e , parodiando o Tite, "filósofo" e técnico de futebol  gaúcho, a "inventividade" da banda, com um som pesado e moderno, num clima tenso, com variações bem dinâmicas (com direito a uma citação ao Slayer ali pela metade);

"Hear Me Pray", começa bem introspectiva, seguindo a linha da letra (temos que destacar também o belo trabalho nas letras), com melodias cativantes e um refrão bem marcante; 

"Broken Conscience", começa com um riff arrastado e pesado, variando depois para uma parte mais melodiosa, e um solo igualmente melodioso e inspirado de André, além de grande interpretação de Mike;

"Stray Bullet", é uma faixa enérgica, com um riff cativante, uma faixa bem Metal, daquelas próprias para abrir, ou fechar um show,  lembrando-me aquelas tradicionais faixas de "abertura" do Dio, como "We Rock" ou "Stand Up And Shout". O álbum fecha com a interessante "Epilogue", uma peça de piano e voz, muito bem interpretada, emendando com a "hidden track", uma cover de uma banda dos anos 80, que não é de Metal, a qual ficou bem legal, pra você saber qual é, vai ter que ouvir o disco! 

Concluindo, com essas faixas que citei, você já pode ter uma noção desse dinamismo do álbum, da criatividade e competência dos músicos, e que a identidade que a banda buscou desde seu início, tomou forma em "Venus Attack 1", e tende a evoluir cada vez mais, pois com certeza eles não vão parar por aqui, a invasão apenas começou! 

Leia aqui entrevista com a banda

Texto/edição: Carlos Garcia

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Hate Handles: Adiantando Novo Trabalho, Banda Disponibiliza Três Faixas

A banda gaúcha de Death/Thrash Metal HATE HANDLES disponibilizou três músicas do álbum "Die In Hands of Believers", que está sendo gravado no Estúdio Nitro, com produção da Hate Handles e Roger Fingle (Blood Tears, Seduced by Suicide).

Sobre o disco, o guitarrista Maicon Dorigatti comentou: "Musicalmente estas 3 músicas são uma amostra que trazem todos os pontos rítmicos e melódicos que abordamos. Ideologicamente apresentam nossos ideais que vão contra a repressão religiosa e política. O trabalho fala por si mesmo, mas enfatizamos que cada riff foi concebido com o intuito de passar uma energia, inquietação, ou transformação em cada ouvinte! Cada compasso foi longamente pensado e estruturado para soar com toda agressividade e musicalidade que a Hate Handles tem a oferecer e agregar ao cenário metal."

Para conferir as faixas "Keep The Disease", "Deceived" e "Bring You Back", acesse a página da HATE HANDLES no SoundCloud em http://soundcloud.com/hate-handles

Edição: Carlos Garcia

Fonte: Metal Brasil

Links relacionados:

http://www.facebook.com/HateHandles
http://www.youtube.com/hatehandlesthrash
http://twitter.com/HateHandles
http://soundcloud.com/hate-handles

WildeStarr: Synonym For Power and Melody!

The history of WildeStarr, we can say that began in 2003, when Dave Starr, original bassist of Vicious Rumors, was recording the bass for the Chastain's CD "In An Outrage", and the sound engineer was the vocalist and keyboardist London Wilde, your long time friend, and during these works, they talked about the possibility of putting up a band, a desire to Dave that was not fully realized as a musician in other bands wich he was part.


In 2007, the duo released the single "Generation Next", and in 2009 the debut "Arrival". Receiving a good reception and positive reviews, especially in Japanese land. In 2012, now with the drumer, vocalist and multi-instrumentist Josh Foster, released their second album, "The Tell Tale Heart," based on the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, receiving even more compliments and having a bigger and better distribution, which has enabled the band to further open frontiers with a Metal full of riffs, great melodies and superb vocal. 
We talked to Dave Starr, who told us a bit more about the band, how has also become a great guitarist, the time besides Vicious Rumors and more!

RtM: Dave, for readers and Metal fans, especially here in Brazil, whose  do not know WildeStarr yet, would you make a brief presentation of the band and talk about what they can expect in terms of sound.

Dave Starr: Thanks Carlos, it’s an honor to be here with you!  WildeStarr is about power, melody, and aggression… In all the right combinations. Classic Judas Priest comes to mind, with a modern edge. 

RtM: You said that over the years as bassist in Vicious Rumors, felt that something was missing, mainly because your ideas are not very leveraged. If you had more space for your ideas, and could also contribute as a guitarist in VR could feel accomplished musically, or just with the WildeStarr you could feel totally free and accomplished? 

DS: VR was a great band, and I am very proud of that part of my career. I did not get a lot of my song ideas across, and it was frustrating at times. Some of my ideas were better than the songs that made it to the albums, but that’s the way it went. Mark, Carl, and Geoff became the dominant song writers, and that put me on the outside.

For the most part, I think they did a great job.   Obviously, in WildeStarr… I don’t have the problems I had with VR. On our CD’s, I play all the guitars and bass myself and write all the music.  It’s much more rewarding now. WildeStarr is the best music, the best band I have ever been a part of!

RtM: And how was the transition from bass to guitar? Have you ever practiced, sought to take lessons?

DS: I was never a serious guitar player until 8 years ago at age 44, that’s when I quit drinking and changed my life, and began my new career as a guitarist! It was not easy at first, but I worked very hard at it, and got very good very fast.  I never took any lessons. When we recorded the ARRIVAL CD, I had only been playing guitar for a few years. I shocked a lot of people, it sounds like I have been playing for 20 years.

RtM: And what are your main inspirations as a guitarist and songwriter? London cites her "Holy Trinity", which are Halford, Geoff Tate and Dio (I believe the version for "Neon Knights" from "A Tell Tale Heart 'was her idea!), And what is your holy trinity of guitar?

DS: Actually, "Neon Knights" was my idea, but it does not really matter. I came up with the idea, and London loved it. We never even thought about it much, it just seems so right for us, and I think the song turned out great! Holy Trinity on guitar… that’s a good question! Glen Tipton, KK Downing, and Gary Moore. Of course, there are many others who have influenced me over the years like Ace Frehley, Michael Schenker,  all the Thin Lizzy guys, etc.

RtM: And the songwriting process in WildeStarr? Tell us a bit how it works.

DS: First, I will write the music on the guitar. Usually, I sit on the couch in the living room and watch TV (football or movies) while I play the guitar. That’s how I write our songs! When I have a good song idea, I will show it to London. She will record a basic guitar track so she can work on lyrics and melodies. I don’t do much of the lyric writing; London does almost all of it. I wrote the lyrics and melody for the chorus part on “Immortal” from the new CD, that was about it for me. I wrote a few lyrical things like that on the ARRIVAL CD, but I would say London does about 95% of the lyrics and melodies.

Once we have a basic song format down, we show it do Josh and he will work on drum parts. From there, we begin the recording process. Usually, I start with the rhythm guitars, then bass, then lead guitars, etc.

RtM: Basically  London take care of lyrical content and you create the music. 

DS: As I said earlier, London does almost all the lyric writing in WildeStarr. She does a great job! I come up with a few things here and there, but for the most part… I stick to the guitar and bass and leave the lyrics up to her.

RtM: Tell us about the creation and production of the debut "Arrival" where you ended up recording all the guitars and basses, and we can also say, that was the beginning of a new era for you, since in addition to be working on something your also was already free of their problems with certain substances that have plagued his health. 

DS: I quit drinking in 2005, that’s when I got serious on the guitar. I got very good… very fast! It was not my intention to play all the guitars and bass myself, but that’s the way it happened. I am glad I did it this way, and on the new CD as well. I have very high standards, and its not easy for me to find other musicians who have the same vision and focus that I do.  I did audition other people, but for one reason or another, it never worked out. 

Its a lot of work for one guy do, playing the parts of 3 different musicians… but in the long run, it has worked out better for me and the band. I don’t have to rely on someone else who will just let me down. I take a tremendous amount of pride in what we do, and its nice to make all this amazing music with just London, Josh, and myself.

RtM: "Arrival" was well received, but now with "A Tell Tale Heart," the WildeStarr comes calling more attention and garnering more fans. The impact so far has met your expectations? What you expect and projects in the short term for the band?

DS: With the “ARRIVAL” CD, we did not have a record deal, and we did our own mail order, and had a network of small companies that stocked the CD around the world. It was a hell of a lot of work, but we also learned a lot from that experience. Now, with the new CD…. We have record deals, distribution, and things are much better. Of course nothing is ever perfect, but overall the record labels have done a good job for us with “A Tell Tale Heart”.  Right now, we are writing songs for the next (3rd) CD.

RtM: What about the beautiful cover of "A Tell Tale Heart", tell us about the concept of it and who created it.

 DS: London came up with that. It combines many elements of pain and beauty. She does all of our art work for the CD’s, and also directs our video’s and does the band photos! She is a busy lady!! And she still finds the time to be an amazing singer!!

RtM: In "A Tell Tale Heart", I felt that the influences of Judas Priest and Queensryche are more obvious, especially as the voice of London, however, about  the WildeStarr songs, I'd say the strength are striking riffs, powerful songs, as well as classic Judas Priest , and those climates of the songs, remember me the Queensryche’s classic  albums, also featured, including the well placed keyboard melodies. Do you believe that  in this album you could get what was searching in terms of identity for WildeStarr? 

DS: I think the new CD was a step forward for us, though ARRIVAL was/is a great CD. On “A tell tale Heart”, I think we have matured as a band and as song writers. Judas Priest is definitely the biggest influence on us, that is the one band that London and I agree on.  We both love PRIEST! Having said that, I don’t think that we really sound like them, but you can hear the influence for sure.

RtM: For live shows, who else will be on stage with you and London? And how is the agenda of WildeStarr, you are getting many calls? 

DS: Right now, we are not touring or playing LIVE. I would like to at some point, but only if the situation is right for London and I. I would like to get back to Japan and Europe, and places I have never been to like South America.

RtM: And Dave, and over the years alongside the Laaz Rockit and Vicious Rumors, Chastain and others what can you tell us about this background purchased alongside these bands, and what most unusual or distant places you played? 

DS: Laaz Rockit, was not a great band. But, that’s where I got my first real start playing big shows and doing a bit of touring, recording, etc. We did a 3 song EP, but it came out really terrible. 

I was only in the band for 18 months. VR was a big step up, I was in that band for almost 12 years. We did lots great CD’s and tours, videos, etc. It was an amazing ride for the most part. We toured all over the world several times. The band never got as big as it should have, but that’s the way it goes. 

CHASTAIN, I really was just in that band as a session musician playing bass on the last CD that came out in 2004. It was nice to work with David Chastain, he is a really great guy.

RtM: And the Brazilian Metal scenario? I know you have followed, including having plans to Mario Pastore sing a duet with London. 

DS: I met Mario through our Japanese label, Hydrant Music.  I heard some of his music, and really liked it a lot. I contacted him and we have now become great friends over the last year.  The plan is for Mario to sing a duet with London on the next WildeStarr CD. He also asked me to play guitar on the next PASTORE CD. This was a big honor for me! Right now, I have been working on a few songs ideas for Mario to listen to. I think there will be good things in the future for both WildeStarr and PASTORE!

RtM: Dave, thanks for your attention, I leave this final lines for you send a message to the fans! 

DS: Thanks to all of our friends in Brazil, we love you!! I hope we can get down there to play sometime soon!

By: Carlos Garcia to Road to Metal

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