What are Iron Maiden‘s best songs from the Blaze Bayley era?
The era, which yielded The X Factor and Virtual XI, is, well… it’s not a fan-favorite. That doesn’t mean it should be overlooked, or that Bruce Dickinson‘s successor should shoulder the blame for the mixed results.
Steve Harris is the captain of the Iron Maiden ship and the creative shift was one the founder drove through his moodier compositions amid an incredibly difficult time in his personal life. Metal’s popularity was waning, an entirely new commercial rock trend had kneecapped ’80s acts and now Harris had to navigate another personnel change after Adrian Smith‘s 1990 departure.
Bayley’s deeper voice was a direct contrast to Dickinson’s operatic nature, and, as heard in his previous band Wolfsbane, worked quite well over uptempo material. While Virtual XI picked up the pace, it’s a misguided album that doesn’t make much creative use of an overbearing The Who influence.
Still, where Bayley’s name showed up on the writing credits, he faired rather well. Especially for someone stepping into such an imposing role.
Of course, there’s a well-known epic or two that he handled remarkably, proving his range and versatility as a singer.
READ MORE: How Did Iron Maiden Find Blaze Bayley to Replace Bruce Dickinson in the 1990s?
Below are some of the expected favorites as well as some deeper cuts, totaling six songs that represent the absolute best of the Blaze Bayley era of Iron Maiden.
“Futureal” (Virtual XI)
Writing Credits: Steve Harris, Blaze Bayley
With a total runtime clocking in under what amounts to an intro on a generous handful of Iron Maiden songs (2:55), “Futureal” is a crackling kickoff to an otherwise rocky album.
It immediately brings to mind some of the hard-chargers off Killers and brilliantly showcases that, with the right musical energy behind him, Bayley was indeed a great fit for this legendary band.
“Judgement Day” (The X Factor / Best of the B-Sides)
Writing Credits: Blaze Bayley / Janick Gers
It’s a shame this appeared as a B-side to the “Man on the Edge” single and didn’t make the proper album. Obviously, its racing speeds are a high contrast to the mostly plodding tempos that dominate the 71-minute debut with Blaze.
The singer teamed up with guitarist Janick Gers on multiple occasions during his brief but important stint in Iron Maiden and “Judgement Day” just may be the best of the bunch. Judge for yourself and listen to this hidden gem below.
“The Sign of the Cross” (The X Factor)
Writing credits: Steve Harris
The other incredible Blaze-era epic, “The Sign of the Cross” is the ideal opener to the dark, brooding The X Factor. It’s by far the moodiest album opener in the Maiden catalog with Gregorian chants giving way to a delicate drum march and intensifying, drifting rhythm with prickly strummed chords.
The remaining eight minutes embrace a cinematic arc, a quality that would come to dominate Harris’ lengthier songwriting excursions over the coming decades and albums. The bassist again turned to literature for inspiration, basing this track off the 1980 murdery mystery novel The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. The tale is set in an Italian monastery in 1327.
“The Sign of the Cross” has also been performed live with Bruce Dickinson over 200 times.
“Judgement of Heaven” (The X Factor)
Writing Credits: Steve Harris
With so much literature, film and history dominating Iron Maiden’s lyrics and storytelling, “Judgement of Heaven” is a rare glimpse at something intensely personal.
Iron Maiden’s members are notoriously private and, here, Steve Harris lays it all bare. Themes touch on grappling with depression and suicidal ideation as the subject looks for assistance from God. At the time, Harris was navigating a changing musical climate that was not favorable toward heavy metal. He also dealt with relationship issues ranging from a divorce to the departure of Bruce Dickinson and, before that, Adrian Smith.
There’s a nervous urgency to this cut off The X Factor that are constrained by gentler, sing-song moments that inspire hope.
“Man on the Edge” (The X Factor)
Writing Credits: Blaze Bayley / Janick Gers
The first single and the world’s taste of Blaze Bayley fronting Iron Maiden came via a co-write between Bruce Dickinson’s replacement and Gers. In other words, the two newest members were now leading the charge for a new Iron Maiden record!
“Man on the Edge,” which Bayley based off the 1993 movie Falling Down, featuring Michael Douglas.
The opening melody is a bit reminiscent of “The Evil That Men Do” and is a rock-steady track with a memorable sing-along hook and neat little bass fill before the chorus. It all sounded like this new era was going to be bursting with energy, setting up many fans for a letdown when faced with the overall direction of The X Factor.
“The Clansman” (Virtual XI)
Writing Credits: Steve Harris
The unquestioned fan-favorite, right? This epic has long been heralded by even the most ardent of Bayley-era doubters and is truly an all-time Maiden great.
Harris found inspiration in the classic Mel Gibson film Braveheart. Given how the band’s career was at the time, it’s rather reflective of the founding bassist’s own battles to keep Maiden going, no matter the cost and no matter the odds.
One overarching gripe about the Bayley era is that it sounds so distant from Iron Maiden’s hallmarks, very little of which is the singer’s fault at all. “The Clansman,” however, is textbook Maiden from every facet and further evidence that Blaze had a voice worthy of carving out its own legacy within the band.
How Many Songs Each Iron Maiden Member Has Written
Here’s a breakdown of Iron Maiden’s song-writing credits.
Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita