Silicon Messiah

Silicon Messiah

Track Listings

1. Ghost in the Machine

2. Evolution

3. Silicon Messiah

4. Born as a Stranger

5. Hunger

6. Brave

7. Identity

8. Reach for the Horizon

9. Launch

10. Stare at the Sun

Silicon Messiah,Blaze,Steamhammer Us [Spv],Heavy Metal,Pop,Rock

Average customer rating:

Blaze has chosen his path...

On Par With The Best Iron Maiden Albums

Great formula

Majestic debut

3.5 stars - a step in the right direction

Silicon Messiah
Blaze
Manufacturer: Steamhammer Us [Spv]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000089IZ8
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Tracks:

Ghost in the Machine
Evolution
Silicon Messiah
Born as a Stranger
Hunger
Brave
Identity
Reach for the Horizon
Launch
Stare at the Sun

Customer Reviews:

Blaze has chosen his path..........2006-06-13

...and it's silicon!!! This first solo album by Blaze Bayley is phenomenal. It's a solid, melodic and, above all, heavy album. I do not know anyone who would have foreseen such a great album as this, made by B L A Z E!!! Let's start with the opener, one of the best openers of all time, very heavy and it contain's a nice chorus. Evolution, Silicon Messiah, Identity and Reach Out For The Horizon are all songs with well made melodies, heavy used guitars and brilliant vocals!! Blaze sings magnificent on this album. Born As A Stranger is my favorite track on the album, it's a fast & heavy song, The Brave and The Launch are also adrenaline pumping tracks. The Hunger is a slow metal song, which sounds very good too, it's the least song on the album, but it still is great. The album-closer is a classic too, it's not a very fast song, but faster then average for sure, it's heavy, and a beautiful melody it has!
You see how I think about this Messiah...
Great album by B L A Z E !!!!!
Keep On Rocking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\m/

On Par With The Best Iron Maiden Albums.......2005-07-09

A concept album about the quest to attain immortality and massive power by downloading conciousness into a comuter and save the world, becoming its 'Silicon Messiah', and the horrible turns of events that follow, this first solo album by Blaze Bayley - vocalist for Iron Maiden's "X Factor" and "Virtual XI" albums - is a masterpiece from the first track to the last, rivalling anything Iron Maiden's ever done with any of their vocalists.

Personally I think Blaze's work with Maiden is vastly underrated, although I've noticed that even those who hated the above albums seemed impressed by "Silicon Messiah" and the subsequent albums, and it's not hard to see why. This is a disc that should go over well with all of heavy metal fandom, not just certain subgenres of it, because it's not an album that neatly falls into one category (power metal, thrash, death metal, whatever) and stays there. Blaze and band - Steve Wray and John Slater on Guitars, Jeff Singer on drums and Rob Naylor on bass, who succeeds in a particularly hard slot by having to live up to the legacy of Maiden's Steve Harris, considered by many the greatest bassist in metal history, are all incredible musicians, dare I say on level with Blaze's previous bandmates in the immortal Maiden? - seem to have drawn from influences all over the map - Helloween-style power metal, early seventies metal/proto-metal, stoner rock, classic 80s metal when all the top bands (Maiden, Judas Priest, Accept, etc.) shared traits but were so wonderfully distinct from one another, even influences as far out as industrial music and King Diamond can be heard, blended into a fresh, unique concoction.

Although this is a concept album, the songs can be taken as individual entries just as easily - the inspirational "The Launch" and "The Brave", the all-too-real-life "Evolution" - with its chillingly devastating outro effects, whose meaning can be interpreted by each individual listener; myself I'm thinking of a terrifying progression of the song material of Skyclad's "The Disenchanted Forest" (off the "Folkemon" CD) in the possibly not too distant future; the aptly named "The Hunger" with immense, march-like drumming; everything's great.

It's worth noting that although the band goes by Blaze's name, all the musicians had plentiful input on the songwriting and are given ample time to shine on the tracks themselves; this is truly a band effort, not really a solo album with backup players. I hope that this new domestic release has the same liner booklet as the Import version I got a few years ago; it goes along great with the whole album story.

Indispensable album; recommended for All metal fans.

Great formula.......2004-09-13

I am not a huge fan of Iron Maiden, though I loved the very early work; so I cannot give a very strong opinion of Blaze in Maiden. To me, his work with Maiden sounded bland and without energy, but Maiden's work has never really appealed to me, too much repetition. This work, however, shows that maybe Blaze was a bit held down by the Steve Harris formula of Maiden. Though Blaze's voice is not in the same multi-octive singing category as Bruce Dickenson or Rob Halford, the songwriting and music are amazingly stellar, and far superior to to either Maiden or Judas Priest. This music has its roots in NWOBHM, with some power metal influences, the twin axe work sounds of Judas Priest, and the speed of the aforementioned with the occasional brooding evil grind of Saxon. You can also feel some of the more modern American influences in the music with the rhythm "heaviness" and modern subject matter of the writing. I really dig this music, and am ordering the three newer releases of Blaze, as they have all received great acclamation from the fanbase at Amazon. This IS heavy metal, guys. It mixes the best across the boundaries of styles, but don't take MY word for it; LISTEN!

Majestic debut.......2004-08-04

Blaze found some new guys that really know how to make a metal album. Also, producer Andy Sneap is a genius of this genre, and his production is flawless, the sound is crisp, bright, heavy and very tight.

His first solo album is very good, giving hope for the albums to come (TENTH DIMENSION and BLOOD AND BELIEF, bothof them better than this one). HIs guitarists, Wray and Slater, are typical British metal guitarists, like if they were already around the scene around 1980...They play with passion and a sense of melody seldom witnessed.

"Born As A Stranger" and "Stare At The Sun" are the highlights here, in my opinion. The last one is a masterpiece, with a lot of tempo changes.

Make no mistake, there is a lot of Maiden's influence here, mainly in the song structures, but Blaze added his own agressiveness, and the production is much, much better than the Maiden albums without Martin Birch.

3.5 stars - a step in the right direction.......2003-12-03

Silicon Messiah (2000.) Blaze's first release as a solo artist.

If you're a die-hard fan of heavy metal, chances are you've heard the name Blaze Bayley. For those of you who haven't, he replaced Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden - only to achieve less-than-stellar results. You either loved or hated his stuff in Maiden (though I could go either way.) Finally, Bayley left Maiden due to Dickinson's return. This was when he decided to start a solo career. How does the ex-Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden vocalist's first release as a solo artist, Silicon Messiah, measure up? Read on and see.

Ghost in the Machine - The opening track is similar to Blaze's Maiden days vocal wise, but the instrumentation is entirely modern-metal sounding. Not a bad opener by any means.

Evolution - This is another modern metal rocker, but it hints back at the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM.) Though it pales in comparison to recordings of that era, it ain't bad.

Silicon Messiah - The title track has a short but sweet piano intro - but after that it just becomes typical modern metal.

Born as a Stranger - Killer vocals and guitar riffs make this one my favorite track on the album. It's the perfect fusion of metal stylings, new and old alike.

Hunger - This track is slower than its predecessors, but no less heavy. It's amazing how well Blaze handles slower-paced tracks.

Brave - To put it simply, this one's ultra-fast and ultra-heavy (the best of both worlds!) It's one of the better tracks on here.

Identity - This one rocks hard, at a medium pace. There's not much else to say, but it is a good track overall.

Reach for the Horizon - Blaze slows things down again here, and serves up a gloomy hard rocker. Once again, it's a very good slower-paced tune.

Launch - This is an ultra-fast and ultra-heavy rocker, comparable to Blaze's better Iron Maiden recordings (and that's a very GOOD thing - Blaze could do good songs in Maiden when his head was on straight.)

Stare at the Sun - A seven-minute-plus, mid-paced ultra heavy rocker finishes off the album. This one contains what is arguably the album's finest guitar playing.

Overall, Blaze's solo debut is a good album. However, it sounds too much like a modern metal album as a whole, and not a classic metal album. I was hoping for something comparable to his Maiden and Wolfsbane stuff, hence the rating of only three stars. Still, the album isn't half bad, and I strongly recommend it to any fan of heavy metal who has an open mind. This was a good first effort by Mr. Bayley, and I am fairly confident he has found his place in the metal world at long last.

Silicon Messiah
Average customer rating:

Move over Maiden

Perfect metal album

NOT JUST THE BEST METAL RELEASE OF 2000, BUT A MASTER PIECE

A dramatic improvement over his time in Maiden...

I LOVE THIS CD, Nu-Metal done right!

Silicon Messiah
Blaze
Manufacturer: Steamhammer Europe
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004TD0U
Release Date: 2000-05-29

Tracks:

Ghost In The Machine
Evolution
Silicon Messiah
Born As A Stranger
The Hunger
The Brave
Identity
Reach For The Horizon
The Launch
Stare At The Sun

Album Description

Solo debut from the former frontman of Wolfsbane/ex-Iron Maiden vocalist. 10 tracks including 'Ghost In The Machine' and 'Evolution'. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Album Details

Ex- Wolfsbane and Ironmaiden Frontman. British Heavy Metal.

Customer Reviews:

Move over Maiden.......2003-09-18

This album is Brilliant! Buy it now. We play it all the time in the car.
My favourite songs are Identity, because it's like Metallica. Stare at the Sun because after the quiet intro it opens up into one of the best riffs I've ever heard and the Hunger is also brilliant.

10 out of 10!

Perfect metal album.......2003-02-16

This is THE perfect metal album. Great vocals, lyrics, music, you name it. The drummer here is amazing. I would like to find his work on other albums. Nothing like most of the double bass speed players or sloppy and plain like most other power bands. Blaze is a great singer. I am a huge Maiden fan and thought he handled his ouster with dignity. And what a way to come back onto the seen, "Sillicon Messiah". One of those rare occassions when I like it more every single time that I listen to it.

NOT JUST THE BEST METAL RELEASE OF 2000, BUT A MASTER PIECE.......2002-11-02

Any fan of metal can not fail to like this album a lot.
The Iron Maiden influence is plain to hear, but Blaze Bailey has really kicked on after his departure from the metal legends and produced an album far superior to any Maiden release since Seventh Son.
I am a long time Maiden fan and I was disappointed with their Blaze era releases. However now I see that it was obviously not due to Blaze Bailey, just weaker material than their glory days.
Blaze Bailey sounded good on those albums but now it seems as if he has been unleashed! Now able to sing to the maximum of his ability Blaze rips out the vocals on this album, but he also sings with a smooth and relaxing emotional subtelty during it's quieter moments.
The band he has put together is also impressive. Silicon Messiah sounds like great metal of old, but with a modern sound.
The album kicks off with a blast with "Ghost In The Machine" and after it there is nothing to disappoint at all. The weakest track in my opinion is "Reach For The Horizon", however this track is still not too bad and it follows after another of the albums best in "Identity", and is then followed by the ball tearing "The Launch" and the fantastic epic album closer "Stare At The Sun", which is one of my favorite metal tracks of all time.
It is so refreshing to hear metal of this quality being released.
It is the best album I have purchased in a long time, and I reckon it's a must have for all metal fans.
Five stars plus for this album.

A dramatic improvement over his time in Maiden..........2002-08-14

I love X Factor. I've listened to that Maiden a lot lately, and it's great. Silicon Messiah, however, blows it away. Blaze's voice has improved a lot and fits better with the music. Not a flat note at all in here, and there were a few in X Factor.

If you're not willing to pick this up because you didn't like X Factor and/or Virtual XI, you really have no excuse not to, except maybe the high price.

I LOVE THIS CD, Nu-Metal done right!.......2002-07-27

I must say that I hate nu-metal, but Blaze successfully mixes new style instrument work with older styles, and it comes out amazing! I bought this over a year ago and still listen to it almost constantly! Here's how the songs break down:

Ghost in the Machine- Rating: 5
I love this song. Very heavy, starts the story of technology destroying humanity.

Evolution- Rating: 3
This song could easily have been a 4 or higher if he didn't have the high pitched guitar part in the opening and the chorus. I love all the other stuff in it!

Silicon Messiah- Rating: 4.5
Amazing song. Very dark, I love it! The first softer song on the album.

Born As A Stranger- Rating: 4.5
Fast, upbeat, fun song! Easy to headbang to, great lyrics!

The Hunger- Rating: 4
A slower, darker song. The Hunger is very powerful and keeps you listening.

The Brave- Rating: 5
My favorite song on the cd. The Brave is simply unforgetable!

Identity- Rating: 3.5
I don't no why, even though I really liked Identity I never am able to listen to it. That is the big problem with this one.

Reach for the Horizon- Rating: 4
Pretty cool song that starts the second story about space travel.

The Launch- Rating: 4.5
The badass brother of Man on the Edge! The Launch is amazingly great, one of my favorite songs on the cd!

Stare at the Sun- Rating: 4.5
An end to the story, a man stuck in space with no way home. A soft song that fits the story very well. A great end to a great cd.

Silicon Messiah
Average customer rating:

A Metal Masterpiece

Hasn't left my CD player for weeks!

What metal should be...........

Silicon Messiah
Blaze
Manufacturer: Jvc Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00004W3Q0
Release Date: 2000-06-07

Tracks:

Ghost in the Machine
Evolution
Silicon Messiah
Born as a Stranger
Hunger
Brave
Identity
Reach for the Horizon
Launch
Stare at the Sun

Album Details

Japanese Version of Ex-Iron Maiden Member's New Project featuring a Bonus Track: The Day I Fell to Earth.

Customer Reviews:

A Metal Masterpiece.......2001-12-22

This album outshines most any metal album that I can think of. With it's ripping riffing (cute, eh?) and it's excellent vocals, lyrics and musicianship all around, it throws all other metal albums for a loop.
Done in a "classic" metal style, very guitar heavy with no Synth, lots of guitar solos, etc. Silicon Messiah rips into you from the first to the last. The track "Stare at the Sun" is honestly one of the best metal tunes ever written. It's beyond discription. Check these guys out for yourself.

Hasn't left my CD player for weeks!.......2000-08-08

In my humble opinion, Blaze (Bayley)'s album "Silicon Messiah" is a masterpiece, one of the best metal albums of all time. Exaggeration? Some of you may think so. I don't. His voice is amazing (which could lead to conspiracy theories: was Harris doing something "bad" to it when producing Bayley's albums with Maiden?), the band plays brilliantly, the lyrics are great too, and it's one of those albums which will be hard to take out of your CD player.

Totally refreshing... sounds both 'old' (in the classical sense, meaning it doesn't sound like 90s metal at all :) ) and new.

It really has a style of its own, so it's hard to compare to other bands... let me think... it doesn't sound like Maiden (both old and new) at all. Bruce Dickinson's "Chemical Wedding" is a bit closer to this one. Maybe also a little bit of Dio's "Strange Highways". Or... yes, that's it, Rage's "Ghosts".

I'm almost "afraid" to say this, but as much as I love Maiden, Bruce and "Brave New World", I think "Silicon Messiah" completely and absolutely outclasses it.

What metal should be..................2000-07-17

Silicon Messiah is one of the greatest albums in the history of heavy metal. It combines earth shattering guitar riffs with some of the most thought provoking lyrics the metal genre has ever experienced. Additionally, the vocal performance by Blaze Bayley is by far the best of his career.

Even many of those who were critics of his work with Iron Maiden will be swayed by this album when given a chance. Andy Sneap, producer, brings out the most from Blaze's deep and powerful voice. Something which bass player extraordinaire, Steve Harris, was unable to do while producing Blaze's two albums with Iron Maiden.

This album is packed with excellent songs. There is not a single weak track out of the bunch. Themes include the future of humanity as it expands into outer space, the evolution of computers into sentient life forms, human psychology, and alienation. The music is obviously influenced by diverse forms of metal. Many of the guitar riffs will remind one of ferocious thrash a la Iced Earth, while many of the solos remind me of Iron Maiden. All I can say is that it works very well!