For a period that remains a point of contention among IRON MAIDEN fans, Blaze Bayley fronted the legendary metal band, stepping into the formidable shoes of Bruce Dickinson. While his vocal style and stage presence differed significantly, Bayley‘s tenure produced two albums, The X Factor and Virtual XI. However, his time with MAIDEN was cut short, culminating in his departure.
In a recent interview with Classic Rock, Steve Harris, IRON MAIDEN‘s founder and bassist, looked back on the band’s two albums with Bayley.
“Honestly, I thought some of the songs on those albums were among the best I’ve ever written,” Harris said. “But those songs were quite dark, probably because of where I was mentally at the time, without even realizing it.”
Bayley‘s vocals and stage presence didn’t match Dickinson‘s, and MAIDEN‘s popularity dipped during the alternative rock boom. Harris, however, embraced those challenges.
“We were up against it, fighting for our lives,” he said. “Being the underdog again, I enjoyed the challenge.”
Ultimately, a change was necessary. In January 1999, Harris made the difficult decision to part ways with Bayley.
“That’s the worst side of being in a band,” Harris said. “It’s not something I feel comfortable with. Never have done. Never will. But you’ve got to do what’s right for the band.”
He had a clear plan to move IRON MAIDEN forward by bringing Dickinson and Adrian Smith back into the band. But even with that clear plan, he had some doubts. “I was unsure about it for a while,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure they were coming back for the right reasons. So you just take it bit by bit.”
In 2000, MAIDEN unveiled Brave New World, featuring Dickinson and Smith back in the fold, creating a six-member band with three guitarists, as Janick Gers remained. Though Harris avoids the term ‘comeback,’ the album’s effect was precisely that.
“We made a really strong album, went out on tour, played Rock In Rio and all that kind of stuff ” Steve said. “I said: ‘This is great.’ And I knew then that we could just carry on as long as we want.”
While past tensions between Harris and Dickinson, rooted in the 80s, existed, their reunion was marked by maturity and experience.
“Bruce and me, we never had fights or anything like that,” he said. “There were times when he got on my nerves and I’m sure I got on his nerves. But that’s what it’s like when you’re in a band together for a long time. Certain characters will clash. But there’s a chemistry that works when everybody’s together. It just works. So why would you want to compromise that just for some bulls**t stuff that goes down?”
Source: metaladdicts.com
