Blaze Bayley at Piranha Bar, May 12 2019

From the 94-99 era of Iron Maiden. 

Blaze Bayley was truly an interesting headliner, hailing from the United Kingdom, Blaze brought some flare to Montreal as he stepped on to the stage. 

Showcasing the Infinite Entanglement Series, along with a few classics from his back catalogue, Blaze sure knows how to please a crowd and get them energetic and moving. Singing along to shreddy guitar melodies and solos, it was almost, but not quite, an Iron Maiden concert in a small bar. I will always remember the fact that Blaze Bayley almost spat on me as he gave a aggressive stare, shouting aggressively i'm Blaze f*king Bayley! 

It caught me off guard, making me almost afraid of his menacing face, but I know it was all part of the show. 

They had a few technical problems during “Lord of the Flies” when the guitar cut out, but managed to save themselves, handling it professionally. Although, I don't know if it was because of stage antics and hijinks they were pulling off, but the chemestry of the band was definitely strong: they looked like they were having fun. 

The energy of the band was crazy: I’ve never seen such a highly energetic band who have been in the showbiz for a long time. They’ve still got it, especially during the maiden songs and earlier Blaze songs. However, due to repetitiveness around the middle of the show, I became tired and wanted something more aggressive and fast: my pleas were heard and it picked up again. 

Near the end of the show, I saw the art and appreciation that Blaze Bayley puts into his shows. You can forget the outside and focus what's happening in the music. Overall, I enjoyed the show and was wondering to myself what I could have seen if I was born to witness Blaze Bayley as the old iron maiden singer: well now I know.

Dissymmetry is a brand new up and coming power metal band, fronted by Agender Guitarist Ace Baldwin. They promised so much potential in this new slew of local bands that are up and coming in the montreal scene: seeing their launch show last month at Turbo Haus, I was generally impressed. 

Seeing them again for a second time, opening for Blaze Bayley, was exhilarating and fresh. Not only did Dissymmetry give us crunching, blistering guitar solos and headbaging riffs, but something new, fresh and original that has not been thrown on the table before. I really enjoyed a lot of their set, and they have so much potential as a band, so hopefully they follow it into their future. 

Thrash la Raine was an interesting and weird combination: I hadn’t heard french metal in a while, yet their sound was similar to a band like Tribunal. Their songs ranged in subject from the plains of Abraham in Quebec, to dragons: this band has it all. I honestly don't know if this is a side project of some other band, but it was fun and enjoyable to watch.

Second to last up was Fractal Cypher, who I was most looking forward too the most. Building up to the show, I listened to them excessively at the gym, which made me even more pumped to hear them live. Throughout their performance, I was in awe of how much technicality they had as a band. They were really tight and delivered a promising show. Their launch show was a few months ago, where I only managed to catch 4 songs before I had to go home, but this time I was in for the full ride. Honestly it was worth seeing Fractal Cypher in this venue alone, showcasing much of their two current albums 'The Human Paradox' and now recently released 'A Prelude to an impending outcome'. 

Set List: 

1. “From the above and to the stars”

2. “Final Abode”

3. “Grandeur of it all”

4. “Idle Words”

5. “Lost”

Phil Aveline - Host of Turn On The Darkness , Wednesday at 2 p.m.