After four albums with Wolfsbane, two with
Iron Maiden and two in
Blaze, it apparently was the time for at double live album. I must admit that I think it a bid odd and very early when bands after just two albums releases a live record, but as mentioned
Blaze Bayley has had other experiences, which also can be heard on the album. Anyway I get a bit carried away when a live album functions, no matter when it is released.
And As Live As It Gets really does function well. The songs are really well put out there, tons of energy and a band that feeds on each other's power.
It is not very often that the fans are brought so much into the sound picture, but it sounds very cool and the crowd are really into it.
Blaze does a great job in making the fans involved and there is also time for some pretty funny episodes along the way.
What always can be discussed in connection with a live album is the choice of songs. Here goes a brief description of some of the best and a couple that in my opinion falls a bit through.
When we are talking
Blaze songs, the slow
Stare At The Sun sounds fantastic live, full of atmosphere.
The melodic up-tempo rocker
The Brave displays some great tight drums and some rather wild guitar lead stuff.
My favourite
Blaze song,
Born As A Stranger also works splendid. Lots of aggression, a monster tight bass, a monster groove in the rhythm and wild, enthusiastic fans.
Ghost In The Machine has some fitting raw vocals and some solid hard guitar riffing, it really works fantastic live.
I find Silicon Messiah the best of the
Blaze albums, and therefore it's pretty natural that the live songs I like the most are from the album. But the great
Kill & Destroy from Tenth Dimension sounds very powerful, and is one of the best working songs on the album, as well as the opener
Speed Of Light, which fires away with high intensity.
I miss, what I found to be the best song on Tenth Dimension,
Meant To Be, and
The Launch would also have been great to hear live. Perhaps they would have worked better than
Stranger To The Light,
which comes out a bit tame, and with too much sing along, and
Land Of The Blind that seems a bit stretched out and therefore becomes a bit dull.
As goes for the
Iron Maiden material, the songs are overall well played.
Futureal really rocks and even though I had anticipated a song
Blaze had been involved in writing,
Sign Of The Cross is huge.
Two Worlds Collide is not the best Maiden track, but it works OK.
Virus surprised me because it's not featured on a regular Maiden album, but it is a great song and it comes out very atmospheric.
Apart from that, a version of the Wolfsbane song
Steel and a
Led Zeppelin cover in
Dazed And Confused are fitted in.
The sound is very very good in all songs. The powerful drums are sounding really great, and the twin guitars are well balanced. The vocals have a soothing level of volume, and the grooving bass sounds very solid and is working well with the drums.
The guitars are very precisely played and
Blaze offers a varied and intense performance.
This is live album well above average that clearly has a lot to offer.
Written by
Tommy Wednesday, April 23, 2003
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