When Blaze has been "ejected" from Iron Maiden, I was one of Maiden's fan celebrating his departure. My first ever metal album has been Maiden's "The Number Of The Beast" and Bruce is the only singer for Maiden. I have seen Maiden with Blaze ... and sorry he hasn't the voice of Bruce. X-factor was a good album, but Virtual XI was for me a "big bad joke". And I though at that time that Blaze was the only responsible for it. Hell I was wrong !!!

After the end of the first song "Ghost In The Machine", it's clear that Blaze knows extremely well how to sing, especially when he sing like Blaze and not like Bruce. Second point : what a hell of a song. It's heavy, catchy and forget Maiden music style on that one. Here it is more heavy metal oriented (Metallica). Pure moment of pleasure. As I am not a fan of Blaze, I thought "Hey, that's the first song, things will not continue". Wrong Bet Again !!!
"Evolution" (second track), with its power metal riff "à la" Anthrax will explode your head, trust me. But this is just the beginning. "Silicon Messiah" (third track) starts "à la" X-Factor (remember "Man On The Edge", quiet logical as this song has been also written by Blaze) and once the riff-intro is over, a mixture of progressive and power metal riffs will destroy your last resistance. Chorus of that song is really basic, but the sound of the drum on this song is unbelievable. Second moment of pure pleasure. And the best is about to come!

Here comes the forth song "Born As A Stranger" and this time I am KO. Imagine the best ever song of Iron Maiden, with a fast tempo devastating your brain ... and this chorus that will stay in your mind forever, simple but effective. And this riff that flows from everywhere. I must be dreaming! This cannot be true. In just four songs, Blaze has "passed" through Iron Maiden, Fates Warning, Anthrax, and Metallica in a such ... easy way.
"The Hunger" starts like a ballad ... and is in fact a mid-tempo song. Heavy guitar mixed with prog elements.
Very interesting and again ... touch down (all members of the band deserve also very special congratulations).

"The Brave" is definitively killing me. Now those guys are playing a very fast song "à la" Trooper. Get lost !!!
Holy shit !!! This album is the mega, THE mega surprised of the year. I simply don't believe it. Power metal, mid-tempo songs, heavy, speed, prog metal : every corner of metal music is "visited" with this band. No cut & paste.
Bruce Dickinson warned us : "Blaze's album is a killer one". We thought Bruce was just polite. In fact, he was right.
When I think that I am waiting for the new Maiden since one year and since two weeks ... I am listening to Blaze.
This is the "biggest bad joke" I would ever imagine in my worst dreams. Congratulations MAN !!!