BLAZE BAYLEY Really Wanted To Make Third Album With IRON MAIDEN

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) was recently interviewed by Malta's One News. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about his disappointment over the way he was fired from IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Blaze said: "I think what I look is that I thought I would get a chance to do a third album [with MAIDEN] with many of the song ideas that I'd written and collaborate with the guys. And what I did was I took those ideas and I made my first album, my solo album, which is [2000's] 'Silicon Messiah'. And though it's taken a very long time, now, with this trilogy that I'm doing [right now], the first 'Infinite Entanglement' [2016], this one, 'Endure And Survive' [2017], is the second album, it just seems to be taking off. The imagination of fans around the world seems to have been caught and people are really getting into the idea. And this is the first time for so many years I've been able to come to Malta, and I'd really love it if I could make it a part of my regular world tour."

Blaze's ninth solo album, "Endure And Survive", will be released on March 3 via Blaze Bayley Recording. The disc was recorded at Birmingham, England's Robannas Studios and said to be "an exciting and enthralling sequel" to his 2016 release "Infinite Entanglement", which was the first of a trilogy of releases following a sci-fi concept and storyline.

"Endure And Survive" will be accompanied by a world tour totalling some 120 shows. The European leg of the tour takes place principally between February and June 2017. After a small number of summer shows, Blaze will then go to the United States and Canada during August-September. It's also planned to take the tour to Latin America in 2018.

Throughout this world tour, Blaze will be backed by his main recording and touring musicians, picked from British metal band ABSOLVA and including Chris Appleton (guitar, backing vocals),Martin McNee (drums),Karl Schramm (bass, backing vocals).

In addition to the established bandmembers as above from ABSOLVA, "Endure And Survive" also contains a talented array of collaborators: Luke Appleton (ICED EARTH, ABSOLVA) on backing vocals; Michelle Sciarrotta on nylon acoustic, backing vocals, voice actor; Jo Robinson on backing vocals; Mel Adams on backing vocals; Liz Owen on backing vocals; Thomas Zwijsen on nylon acoustic, Anne Bakker on violin, backing vocals; Corvin Bahn (Uli Jon Roth) on accordion; Aine Brewer (voice actor); and Rob Toogood (voice actor) on backing vocals.

The spectacular album artwork has been completed by Andreas Sandberg, with additional images from Christopher Steenstrup who is also working on a Blaze Bayley video game.

"Endure And Survive" was recorded between October and December 2016, produced by Blaze Bayley and Chris Appleton, mixed and engineered by Miguel Seco, mastered by Ade Emsley (IRON MAIDEN, TANK, PHIL CAMPBELL). As with the previous record, the songwriting has been a collaboration between Blaze, Chris Appleton and Michelle Sciarrotta.

2014-2015 was a period of building momentum for Blaze, partly created by the highly popular release of the fifteenth anniversary edition of his debut solo record, "Silicon Messiah", as well as his "Soundtracks Of My Life" thirty-year compilation celebrating his career since he began singing with his first band WOLFSBANE, before catapulting to worldwide fame with IRON MAIDEN.

2016 saw a significant renaissance with the remarkable plaudits given to the "Infinite Entanglement" album from fans and critics alike. The year was also notable for Blaze's special guest performance with DISTURBED at the U.K.'s premier festival Download when the warmth and recognition from the crowd was as crystal clear as it was predictable given Blaze's reputation for connecting with audiences.