Here is a quick review of the new Blaze album which I have had for about a week. I have gotten right into it already, it is a fast grower.
Alive - Good mid paced rockin opener with cool hooks. This along with the next track showcase Wray and Slater's ability to write some great riffs.
Ten Seconds - One of my favourite tracks, one of the rockiest and faster paced songs on the album, with some big riffing and big hooks. Kinda like Born As A Stranger, but shorter.
Blood And Belief - The same as on The Tenth Dimension, the title track, while good, proves to be one of the weaker songs on the album IMO, but it is still obvious as to why it was chosen as the album title. Kinda sums up some of the themes that popup throughout the album. Decent song, nothing special, but not shit. Better to be found.
Life And Death - The first of the slower paced songs, and it is a great one. Alot of the hooks on this album get stuck in ya head for days, and this song features one of them. It just makes you want to listen to it more. Some great lead guitar stuff on the album too, this song has some of it.
Tearing Yourself To Pieces - Another slowy, and another goody! This one also gets right in ya head. Kind of a slow heavy plodding song, but not at all in a bad way, it is great.
Hollow Head - The only lighter hearted song on the album, though it still manages to fit the theme, and is a great track. Probably another of the weaker ones, but it is upbeat with good riffs. I dig it.
Will To Win - This is their fast paced rocker that is from the same mould as The Brave, The Launch, Leap Of Faith, and Speed Of Light. LOF and SOL pissed me off on The Tenth Dimension, as neither are as good as the two from the debut, but Will To Win is a good song.
Regret - The slowest and most ballad like song on the album, and one of, if not the best song. Huge chorus, great hooks, good emotion, great song.
The Path And The Way - Another of the top few songs IMO. This album is really very personal, probably the most personal stuff Blaze has written. The only other song I can think of that compares is 2am from The X Factor (great song too!).
Soundtrack Of My Life - I didn't think much of this song at first, but then it hit me after a few listens, and now I love it. The only problem is, it is WAY too short IMO. Sure it is over five and a half minutes, but I think it would have worked REALLY well as a big epic. It just seems to finish too soon, like it deserves to be longer, it really is a great idea. That aside, the song still is great, I just don't think it filled its potential.
Overall a very solid album. The new drummer and bass player sound just as the old members, so that is good, as the band has a great sound. I think the album is exactly what the band needed, to put concepts and stuff aside and just do a straight out heavy metal album where the songs can be taken for what they are. There IS a strong theme throughout the songs, but they can be seperated without any loss, which is different to The Tenth Dimension. I think overall it is a better album than The Tenth Dimension. It is a little slower and simpler, less flashy, but is good for it. Blaze is in excellent form too I might add. It is really the slower songs on this album that do it for me. The first two fast songs, and the slower stuff is where its at, and that is over half the album, leaving the title track, Will To Win, and Hollow Head, which are all decent songs too.
My album of the year so far, recommended to everyone!
Alive - Good mid paced rockin opener with cool hooks. This along with the next track showcase Wray and Slater's ability to write some great riffs.
Ten Seconds - One of my favourite tracks, one of the rockiest and faster paced songs on the album, with some big riffing and big hooks. Kinda like Born As A Stranger, but shorter.
Blood And Belief - The same as on The Tenth Dimension, the title track, while good, proves to be one of the weaker songs on the album IMO, but it is still obvious as to why it was chosen as the album title. Kinda sums up some of the themes that popup throughout the album. Decent song, nothing special, but not shit. Better to be found.
Life And Death - The first of the slower paced songs, and it is a great one. Alot of the hooks on this album get stuck in ya head for days, and this song features one of them. It just makes you want to listen to it more. Some great lead guitar stuff on the album too, this song has some of it.
Tearing Yourself To Pieces - Another slowy, and another goody! This one also gets right in ya head. Kind of a slow heavy plodding song, but not at all in a bad way, it is great.
Hollow Head - The only lighter hearted song on the album, though it still manages to fit the theme, and is a great track. Probably another of the weaker ones, but it is upbeat with good riffs. I dig it.
Will To Win - This is their fast paced rocker that is from the same mould as The Brave, The Launch, Leap Of Faith, and Speed Of Light. LOF and SOL pissed me off on The Tenth Dimension, as neither are as good as the two from the debut, but Will To Win is a good song.
Regret - The slowest and most ballad like song on the album, and one of, if not the best song. Huge chorus, great hooks, good emotion, great song.
The Path And The Way - Another of the top few songs IMO. This album is really very personal, probably the most personal stuff Blaze has written. The only other song I can think of that compares is 2am from The X Factor (great song too!).
Soundtrack Of My Life - I didn't think much of this song at first, but then it hit me after a few listens, and now I love it. The only problem is, it is WAY too short IMO. Sure it is over five and a half minutes, but I think it would have worked REALLY well as a big epic. It just seems to finish too soon, like it deserves to be longer, it really is a great idea. That aside, the song still is great, I just don't think it filled its potential.
Overall a very solid album. The new drummer and bass player sound just as the old members, so that is good, as the band has a great sound. I think the album is exactly what the band needed, to put concepts and stuff aside and just do a straight out heavy metal album where the songs can be taken for what they are. There IS a strong theme throughout the songs, but they can be seperated without any loss, which is different to The Tenth Dimension. I think overall it is a better album than The Tenth Dimension. It is a little slower and simpler, less flashy, but is good for it. Blaze is in excellent form too I might add. It is really the slower songs on this album that do it for me. The first two fast songs, and the slower stuff is where its at, and that is over half the album, leaving the title track, Will To Win, and Hollow Head, which are all decent songs too.
My album of the year so far, recommended to everyone!
Me want.
