IRON MAIDEN Replacement Singers - Who Did it Better? Bruce Dickinson - Paul Di'Anno - Blaze Bayley

[@alkiviadisfelemegkas7075]

Bruce all day! There is a reason that he is considered a part of the holy trinity of heavy metal along with Dio and Halford

[@mustafa_ali_]

Bruce

[@toneyisaiah3556]

Not everyone can sing like Rob , Ronnie and Bruce.

[@nitro_001newman2]

There’s not just 3. There’s 4, and everyone knows it’s Geoff Tate.

[@roaringivory]

yes there is a reason. the media and ships that followng them. 'dickinson is a below average singer

[@jochenroeder669]

@@roaringivory bwahahahahaaaaaaa🤪

[@georgiiliev411]

I don't understand why people hate Blaze Bayley. This guy replaced one of the greatest singers in metal history and the pressure didn't break him. His solo career proves that this guy is a huge talent and his band is not Iron Maiden tribute :)

[@spill1t]

I agree. The only time I was ever able to see Maiden live was when Blaze was the frontman. He was amazing in 1995. Obviously you can't really compare him to Bruce who is, in my opinion, one of the top 10 ever singers within this genre. No small praise there. Blaze didn't try to emulate Bruce too much - he did his thing and it is still to this day the best concert I've ever been to. My only issue with X Factor (only, as I wasnt' a fan of the next one) as an album was that there wasn't much range or reach in songs... all too similar. I love the band's musicality though so I didn't mind listening to them do what they do so well. Thanks to Paul for helping Maiden become successful enough to attract Bruce. In my opinion they rank from top to least top (respect, always) Bruce, Blaze and then Paul.

[@robertfourhell2746]

No One can replace a legend of any Band, thats not fair I love Baileys old stuff before He join Maiden. I never hate him .

[@Image-X]

Hate is a strong word. It’s just that people love Bruce and Blaze couldn’t quite fill those shoes. He was not a bad singer by any means.

[@suzesiviter6083]

Its not because of Blazes talents, its obvious he is a great singer, but when you have had years of a legendary band fronting a legendary singer, even a legendary capable singer will never achieve the same fame, its a poisoned chalice.

[@suzesiviter6083]

@@spill1t Putting Blaze above Paul, tut tut, I would hack you down with a chainsaw, joking aside though, Paul was the original, the seed of Maiden and hence you cannot dis him without wraith from the gods of rock who will smite you down with fire and brimstone.

[@MO-ly1xu]

Blaze Bayley is a lot better singer than you could think during his career with Maiden. 1995-1998 was probably his worst years for him. When he was in his previous band wolfsbane, he was able to produce very strong, sustained screams up to C#6.

[@Adz2708]

Its a shame really, he was set up to fail, rather than adjust the style they expected him to “be” bruce, i rate all 3 vocalists that were used after signing, i view them as 3 different bands as apposed to competition

[@davidraynorsnow]

Blazes solo stuff is amazing especially the infinite entanglement trilogy

[@xtraflyr]

I couldn’t imagine the Killers album being sung by anyone but Paul. For the rest,of their catalog,it’s got to be Bruce!!

[@borizh]

Facs

[@XAMS]

@@borizh I actually prefer Bruce's live performance of Killers in the Maiden England live concert.

[@heinrichku6023]

There are a few songs on TNOTB I would love to hear from Paul (of course, the young version from '82). 22, Acacia Avenue would sound more authentic with him, I guess. "Beast" was kind of an transitional album from Street- to Epic-Metal

[@Rock4UNow]

Yes Agree 100% Paul brought a Rawness that Bruce didn't have but he was the perfect replacement.

[@borizh]

@@XAMS “gave me some bad dreams, this one”!! Ok, you’re right…. maybe killers should be given to Bruce.

[@anthonymills5487]

Paul without a doubt! There’s a feeling of early metal. Bruce made it more pop.

[@ironmainiac1783]

Dickinson’s solo albums were very well received. The problem was it was the 90s and everyone was listening to grunge.

[@sibokipgen]

Balls to Picasso Album was/is still is top-notch ❤️💕🤘

[@loriray7547]

I love Paul Di'anno's voice! I think "Killers" is their best album!

[@user-pj9vp4fg2i]

Agreed

[@laszlonothdurft1167]

Paul have the Energetic voice and live style but Dickinson got a level up for that much better.(in vocals and perfomrs) Yeah its a "killer" no puns intended but one of the great albums from them they give all of they have for these albums too.

[@vvvvel]

I don't think Bruce could've done a better job on that album./M\

[@happyhammer1]

Same. Don't get me wrong, I like Dickenson, but Paul almost had a punk rock vibe to him.

[@dfwm6660]

I've known paul for year's I've seen him hit some crazy high note..in a recording studio.. I'm still in contact with old band members. From battlezone..

[@ekrem1cisija]

Iron Maiden with Paul is actually REAL Iron Maiden for me - I can't stop listening !!! Thanks for video.

[@paisteplayer1040]

People always speak of Bruce's range, but seldom do they mention his incredible breath control, and he has it mastered.

[@chrismeadows4216]

Boy could hold a high note for as long as Ken with no training. He's good, no doubt.

[@suzesiviter6083]

Paul taught him that on the docks before he let him have his lead singer position, lol sorry sick sense of humour, I love Bruce really.

[@ultron374]

Blaze was singing out of his range so it put some strain on his voice, it was eventually worn out. In order to sing Bruce's era songs, Harris would need to tune down guitars- he was asked for it and refused. Blaze is barritone and Bruce is operatic tenor so letting barritone sing Bruce's songs in original key wasn't really good idea. If they wanted to fill Bruce shoes they shoud have had of replacing him e.g. with Michael Kisske - another tenor.

[@adinadamian5634]

It's interesting you mentioned Kiske, because he was asked in some interviews if he was ever considered as a singer for Iron Maiden after Bruce left the band in 1993, and he said there never was any talks with the band about it as he believed the British people would never accept a German singer. Kiske even joked that he was told that he was presented as the new Iron Maiden singer on TV (as I recall it), when none of that was real.

[@RoyBatty1986]

huge mistake didint tune down guitars, it was too obvious he was out of range, i mean, do au audition and sing the Trooper and in the the first 4 bars of voice you can tell if that singer can sing Iron Maiden songs, it´s pretty strange to me why they choose Blaze and didnt change the tonality of songs.

[@matejukic791]

If they choosed Kiske, would've been the same as in Judas Priest when they hired Ripper Owens.. Despite the fact he is really good singer, he is remembered only as a bad copy of Halford..plus, Maiden didnt wanted same aproach they had with Bruce..they wanted somebody angry, emotional, direct and as we all know that is Blaze so from that point of view Blaze was really Great fit..vocal adjustment is something different..this is something what Maiden failled to do and results were devastating for both parties..

[@TheChadTI]

Along with his terrible producing skills it's almost as if Arry (while a great bass player) doesn't have the best ears of that crew. (Shit, even Rod knew)

[@Ant-mo1gl]

I think Blaze was underrated in this video. He brought creativity contributing with songs, he performed well with his era songs, unfortunately previous maiden songs didn't fit him well. But most importantly he has generated great studio and live albums (in plural) after maiden. There is no doubt Bruce was and is the best maiden singer, but blaze contribution and work cannot be dismissed.

[@Xplisyt]

Bruce Dickinson, before even watching. I'll hear what you have to say, but he's THE Iron Maiden singer

[@giulianacr2638]

Yeah definitely! Bruce is the man!

[@ExodusAttacKGR]

10:27 thats a point a maiden fan will never admit :D i loved the punk metal sound they had with Di'Anno

[@heinrichku6023]

Paul brought such a unique street-quality to Maiden it makes the comparison hard. With "Twilight Zone", he showed that he could hit the high notes well. And in his calmer moments ("Strange World" for example), he had shown such fragility and melancholy, Dickinson needed years of maturation to compete with.

[@kenshinoriginal1]

Yeah only like 1 year or less.

[@jonasandersson3684]

Paul Di'Anno would be my choice. I like the rawness in his voice.

[@Rock4UNow]

Paul is my personal favorite. In my opinion he had a rawness the others didn't. No phoney Opera singing. I love Bruce to but he's a in different more refined Iron Maiden.

[@suzesiviter6083]

Exactly, I think the rawness brought excitement, almost made Maiden a bit Punkified on tracks like Running Free, Bruce just too well refined to make that the hit Paul made it.

[@Scaion]

I like Blaze, but he never had the range for Iron Maiden's music. His solo albums are really good. And Bruce Dickinson's The Chemical Wedding is one of the best albums ever recorded.

[@kentamplin]

👍

[@larrywelling1731]

I agree guy. Blaze didn't fit in iron maiden. But if you want judge the man as a singer. You need to listen to his solo music. He is alot better when he ain't trying to sound like Bruce

[@andrewmaplethorpe1125]

This is genuinely the first time I’ve heard Blaze singing Maiden material…. Based on what’s in this video he sounds flat to me…. What is immediately apparent is a lack of stage presence and charisma… might just be in these videos where he’s not on form but he has nowhere near the presence of Bruce, and not even Paul.

[@j_freed]

Yes, it’s amazing Bruce made some bizarre missteps in his solo career before getting back to just making a sort of William Blake and Mysticism influenced, crunchy modern dark metal music. And the production and overall musicianship is so incredible… I love Adrian Smith on that album and accident of birth, he’s just ripping it. Together, they and Roy etc. make Iron Maiden sound sloppy and repetitive by comparison. Very moody albums in a good way Iron Maiden seems to lack. Even tyranny of souls without Adrian is pretty good. Not the best of the three, but still essential.

[@j_freed]

@@larrywelling1731 - I like Blaze, but he should know better than to exceed his singing capabilities… part of it is on him.

[@aaronstielstra6055]

Di'Anno injects the energy of punk into his sound and no operatics. "Killers" forever.

[@PhilosopherOfFafoism]

Actually a really good call on DiAnno's similarity to Phil Lynott. Never compared the two but it makes good sense.

[@cooldesechable]

I was an Iron maiden fan since the beginning and when Paul quit we were sad... but I remember when I listened "The number of the beast" for the first time with Bruce, and wow, was the beginning of a new Era... so powerful

[@noggintube]

I was the same, I like Paul's slightly more raw, punk(ish) style and it suits those first albums perfectly, but Bruce is a great front man and took them to the next level.

[@ladyevil64]

Same here. My best friend and I had the first two albums, and we listened to them over and over. I always loved the more punk and haunting feeling of the first two albums. I feel that some people don't understand, because they have always had the Bruce Dickinson albums to compare to. I do love Bruce, but for my friends and I, he didn't/doesn't capture the essence of the first two albums when we see Maiden live. I'm glad I have the experience of sitting with the first two albums long before "Number of the Beast" came out. They had an overwhelming effect on me. 🤘💖

[@v8m3tal]

And lastly check "Iron Maiden Most Wanted 1995". This was on MTV studio, Blaze performs flawlessly "Man on the Edge" and "Wrathchild".

[@MaybeHarvey]

Blaze was spat on by someone in the crowd in the final clip which is why he and Steve are just staring someone and later start shouting at them. Gotta say Paul is the best in my opinion :)

[@dgddgd361]

Everyone from them have a his own peace of history of Iron Maiden. I love Bruce, but Paul is a real legend. I have a deep respect to this man, even in wheelchair hi is a metal head. This man is a real motivation for many people. 30 years ago i start listen Maiden with Di'anno. Blaze was great with X factor in 1995.

[@antmax]

Paul Di'Anno was great... BUT.. I don't think Iron Maiden would have lasted like it has. At the time Punk was big and I think Paul's raw and gritty style helped get them noticed. In the end Bruce has the versatility and effects to pull off a much broader range (almost operatic) and those epic classic Iron Maiden story driven songs which is why he is my favourite. I like Blaze, but Bruce typically sang the song from those Blaze albums better live in Rock in Rio. I'm glad we got to enjoy so much talent, regardless who was singing at the time. I think for the most part we would have been poorer without them. Iron Maiden are still playing and belting out great music.

[@suzesiviter6083]

Oh I dont know man, I'd like to think Paul would have equalied, with the different singing style I think Steve would have written different songs to match him.

[@sarty23]

Oh my God Blaze Baileys voice was great when it was in his own range and he stayed in tune. Hes really a little underrated in his own style. For Maiden Bruce was and is the best.

[@kentamplin]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ztevie.j]

Paul Dianno for me. He's not the best schooled with amazing range and vibrato. But... the rawness and unique voicing he had is something that really make maiden stand out at the time.

[@Elnont]

I think Bruce and Paul both suit there maiden era’s perfectly - that being said, despite Paul’s unique melancholy tone, Bruce is just another level. The range, the theatricality, the energy etc. there’s a reason Bruce Dickinson is generally regarded as one of the best metal singers. From what I gather, Bruce’s solo stuff was received VERY well, it was just that most people weren’t listening to metal in the 90s lol.

[@anfrankogezamartincic1161]

All three of them can sing really good, my favorite is Paun,because i like the first two albums better then the rest

[@BlackAdder1970]

Bruce above all! I must say I think Blaze sounds like a "Tweener" to Di'anno and Dickenson

[@SrTullioZ]

So nice you mentioned Andre Matos You should do a "Who did it better?" Andre Matos - Edu Falaschi - Fabio Lione, the three singers from Angra

[@garyluhrman5742]

Of course at this point Bruce is pretty much the voice of Iron Maiden but Paul sounded great for the earlier material. Many times, I take a quite a bit of heat when I defend Blaze but I have to tell you that when I saw Maiden fronted by Blaze in a club in NJ it was absolutely amazing. I cant say for sure at this point if the vocals sounded perfect or not but I can tell you that the energy was super high from both Blaze and the band as well as the audience. I will always remember that show as something special.

[@Martinjr1975]

Absolutely true, i saw them with Blaze in 1998, best performance i've ever been to...that rocked man !!!

[@danw4490]

Agreed! When I saw Blaze perform twice in Toronto, he killed it. He was absolutely incredible. He wasn't on Bruce's level, but the crowd went nuts for both of the concerts.

[@Kuyjac258]

I loved Blaze’s albums with Maiden and was absolutely gutted when Dickinson came back however if that didn’t happen we wouldn’t have had Blaze’s band Blaze. (Later renamed Blaze Bayley when the band changed) and Silicon Messiah is a superb album. I’ve only seen Maiden once and it was during the FXI tour and I absolutely loved it.

[@guillaumebillette4078]

One thing Bruce did that no other male metal singer did, he had bangs and wore them like a badass.

[@L0vac]

Blaze was forced to sing higher than what's natural to him; he's actually much better later with solo projects. Bruce is the best, but I like Di'Anno more

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Blaze was in the same boat as Gary Cherone. Forced to be someone they're not.

[@nickokaralis7439]

Definitely True!!

[@andregautron2821]

Have to agree with your blaze comment. Those were difficult shoes to fill. But i personally though he did ok all things considered. Agree his solo stuff afterwards were better especially his first three albums.

[@Nissardpertugiu]

In Wolfsbane he hits high stuff

[@ASoundofThunderBand]

Maiden did Blaze Bayley a huge disservice by not tuning the classic songs down to suit his voice. Check out any of the original material he sang and all of his solo material to hear his voice shine. And it's worth mentioning that Blaze is a real class act. If you had to choose one of these three guys to have a beer and a chat with, it should surely be Blaze.

[@michaellrakes5521]

Bruce obviously is their best singer and handled Blaze and Paul's tracks amazingly, but Paul by the Killers era was phenomenal and Blaze sounded awesome by Virtual XI, so each of their sophomore efforts

[@rebellemoermin6128]

Greetings from Sarajevo, I agree with everything said, just to add..🤗 even if it's not a topic... Man, you better watch what you say about Mr. Bruce Dickinson, because in addition to everything he did in music, he rose above all with his humanity when he came to my city during the war to support the tortured people of Sarajevo, and held a concert under siege, grenades and sniper fire, live as part of his solo album which is more than great, the documentary exists look at that ... Albums - his solo stuff I recommend to everyone, really good production, and playing, far enough from the sound of Maiden but still in Hard n 'Heavy style, just the other day I listened again to a song that surprised me again and I listened to it many times is '1000 points of lights', guitar and everything is wow !!! An amazing artist and man today is an honorary resident of my city and he got it a few years ago, after his return and meeting with Sarajevo, the survivors he met in the war, there was again a ceremony and a live concert ... A touching story, 'SCREAM FOR ME SARAJEVO !!!' thank you Bruce ...

[@esteeb67]

Paul - there's a tonal quality that he has that Bruce doesn't have. A clearer, less gothic, punky style that I love. If he had stayed Maiden would be a different band today. Bruce - there is no equal. I love his style, his rasp, his power, his range. His later solo stuff is even better than a lot of Maiden if you ask me. The perfect fit for this band, but that said those first two Dianno records are great. Blaze - Yes. He does not have the range that Bruce has and his performances on those 2 albums seem a little lackluster, but that may be because we were expecting someone to come out with a range like Bruce has in Run To The Hills. Listen to Blaze's solo stuff post Maiden. I will point you to Silicon Messiah, The Tenth Dimension, The Man Who Would Not Die, Promise & Terror. He still doesn't have the range or power that Dickinson has, but his voice fits here and doesn't sound like he is reaching.

[@MrClassicmetal]

Chemical Wedding is an _awesome_ album, high quality stuff! And as an added bonus Adrian Smith was right there in the band too!

[@Nissardpertugiu]

Paul Battlezone and killers band was better than maiden. Sharp heavy metal with range and melody to Hardcore screaming and growl too. No way bruce can do that . Bruce was really good but with maiden it became A stale caricatural over singing in clean operatic style with no warm tone and no blues , no agression , no texture .... There s more than just Jump on stage and moovr your arms out of necessity

[@CharlotteTheDeranged]

Bruce, for me he doesn't have any real competition. I guess it's raw talent right there. Not only his vocal technique has served him great over the years - honestly, his voice is aging like a good wine - but his tone is so strong and beautiful. He doesn't need to use any distortion, since his natural clean tone has volume in abundance. And that operatic vibrato

[@shannonyoung3465]

Bruce Dickinson - Hands down!!! His range, his delivery of the lyrics on ANY song he sings, the power he puts into his vocals & his stage presence!!! His solo stuff rocked as well. People just wanted their BD in Maiden. (BD is in my top 5 all time vocalists) I know a lot of the hardcore Maiden fan’s have an infinity for Paul Di’Anno, but for me, BD is the voice of Maiden. Blaze did a good job, but he’s no BD.

[@cafe.cedarbeard]

Bruce also did his solo things in the 90's. That's the deacade that killed music. Every band went through an identity crisis then. Had it been hip hop or grunge it may have done better.

[@danielcarlson800]

👍

[@McSorleyFan33]

Not me. If maiden ended after killers I’d have been happy with just having those two albums instead of two legendary albums followed by subpar albums. Even powerslave NOTB and NPFTD which are the only three with Bruce that I like are so subpar and neutered compared to the first two

[@duffalias]

The problema with blaze is the band doesn’t change the key to suit better to his voice. He sound better on his albums with Maiden then singing songs from Bruce and Paul

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

OMG FINALLY! It's about time someone said this.

[@ONoventista]

I cant agree more!

[@tomdurkin5149]

I really feel for Blaze. Many of the issues were things out of his control. I think the big mistake that was made whether it be Steve or management was the live set list choice. Blaze just didn't have the vocal range and the chops to cover the Bruce Era stuff effectively. Sounded great on the material that was written for him from the 2 albums they did with him though and as others have noted he's released some cracking material post Maiden. Really nice guy too! I will say this though, Blaze always did a great job of Afraid To Shoot Strangers live. Ralf Scheepers was also apparently a singer that auditioned and I think he'd have covered the Bruce Era stuff live really effectively. Check out Primal Fear's cover of 2 Minutes 2 Midnight as an example.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

I agree and feel the same way about Gary Cherone when he was in Van Halen.

[@Sabatonrex]

Mickael Kiske whas on that aoudition too

[@LeicaFleury]

@@Sabatonrex was he? I believe the band didn't want him because they wanted a british one and Kiske was still upset at the metal scene after his relationship with helloween turned sour. I'm not sure he auditioned.

[@sobornes239]

Steve Harris and the band didn't lower the songs tones to fit Bayley's voice. The singer logically struggled to sing. It would have been great to lower Aces High or The Trooper, to bring a sort Of darker tone.

[@chrisreid2988]

@@Sabatonrex Kiske was on lists of suspected replacements by various trade magazines when news of Bruce leaving came out

[@carlh429]

Bruce Dickinson took Iron Maiden into the stratosphere but Paul Di’Anno got them off the launch pad. For me the first two albums are the stuff of legend, raw power, grit and energy.

[@donaldcampbell9483]

I'd love to see Maiden with all 3. That would be an incredible show.

[@alphonsusvdstraeten4121]

Paul is Paul and Bruce is Bruce Both are great in their own segment... It is hard to say who is the best

[@EDGECRUSHER555]

3 completely different singers, Bruce has the better range, which totally suits the bands requirements. I have seen all three live, they sing their own material very well, Blaze really struggled with Bruce's songs, Bruce is easily the better performer, such a great personality

[@i_am_well]

Ken , just to add. This footage were Blaze does not give his best is from Chile (96). He was pissed with some guys spitting on him . That’s why the attitude and the lack of technique. It was pure rage. It does not to what you said but is something to consider.

[@gabor222]

You should have include "Strange World" when reviewing Di'Anno to be fair. He shows so much more of his capabilities on that song compared to the other songs. Also you should have review Blaze with those songs that were written with him and which suit his range better (as many early songs were just better with Paul than with Bruce because it was written for his personality). So basically You compared Paul at his average but not at his best performances to Bruce in his own territory then Blaze in Bruce's songs instead of X-factor-era where he contributed the most. Technicaly Bruce would win anyway if that was a competition, but all three singers had things that they were the best in.

[@kentamplin]

Noted!

[@EpictheEpicest]

That whole section he plays of Paul "screaming" in his falsetto is from the end of Strange World...

[@carlosguazzini5127]

@@EpictheEpicest nope, he is singing remember tomorrow

[@Nissardpertugiu]

What people overlook is Paul with Battlezone and Killers . His range increased and you have U turn of styles vocals . He also went heavier while maiden and bruce went Lighter and cleaner

[@Mr_Zx]

All of them are simply fantastic in there own way

[@lorrainebennett7528]

I loved Paul and Bruce, saw them both live. Paul was more gritty, Bruce more melodic. And Bruce flew Ed Force 1, how cool was that!

[@cosmevitomonteiro4378]

I like your channel very much ...really ...I am glad to write here. You're an artist who was in front of a stage ..in studio ...is part of rock music... So knows it all ...God bless you and your family and friends

[@gilbertocruz1683]

I love Paul Di'Anno's aggressiveness, almost punk attitude...that's the Maiden I heard and loved first...good memories...heep on rockin' Ken Tamplin...

[@ZoeyPaigeLunaPhD]

Plus Killers is their best album

[@why-why-whywhywhy]

@@ZoeyPaigeLunaPhD - Nah!!! *Killers* would be the band’s 2nd best album, thus far. Immediately following their iconic self-titled debut.

[@RunDub]

Yeah, there's a grittiness to the first two albums that vanished in the Bruce era. I've always liked Di'Anno for that. Is Bruce the "better" singer? Sure. But... those Di'Anno era albums have a quality that Bruce just doesn't possess, and I think they're all the better for it. There's a raw, almost sleazy, feel to them, like they belong in a poorly lit dive bar. Bruce's stuff belongs in arenas. Neither is "better" or "worse," they're apples and oranges. Both shine in their own ways.

[@MagicaTactics]

What these guys need to do at maiden is to get all the old gang together and do one massive chronological show. Have Dianno come out first, then dickinson and then blaze and back to dickinson again and perhaps finish with all three in some new track... that would be the best send off ever!

[@ayronmeyden560]

Halloween conducted a reunion of all 3 singers, they recorded a live LP and gave world tour concerts with all3 singers Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske and AndiDerris. MaybeIron Maiden should make a world tour with Bruce, Paul and Blaze. It would be very interesting and amazing!!

[@Doyledeth]

Technically Blaze has more vocal range, but Bruce knows how to use his Better. Love both singers.

[@patricklarsh7063]

I still listen to Paul - Maiden but Bruce blew my mind

[@GrandeProjects]

Paul was raw and great on those first 2 albums but Bruce was brought the whole package to the band

[@jwhines2]

I love Dickenson’s scream at the end of Flight of Icarus. Bruce is an epic singer. Maiden rocks! 🤘

[@stevenbolstridge596]

I personally think Bruce’s solo stuff is awesome. Definitely a different vibe than Maiden, but I love it just as much!

[@mark_beastpriest5539]

I'm a Paul Di'anno fan myself. Sure, Bruce is more talented, and their best selling albums all feature Bruce. But there was something magical about Paul. A great frontman, great stage presence and punky vocal style I loved.

[@RahulSharma-bu8lw]

Blaze Bayley did great job . 2 A.M still my favorite .

[@rhoadsmatheson2246]

Bruce Dickinson.. Hallowed Be Thy Name 🤟 Just that song alone does it for me! Thanks Ken!!

[@Dunetigger]

Bruce all the way!!! when you here the name Iron Maiden, you instantly think of Bruce !!!

[@alickman]

You did Blaze really dirty by having him sing only Bruce songs. X-Factor and Virtual XI showcased Blaze's vocal depth the overall different sound that Maiden rarely used.

[@emptysoul4455]

Totally agree, I’m sure Paul wouldn’t stand a chance singing the Bruce era of Maiden. Honestly it should’ve been them singing songs from each of their eras or all singing the same songs.

[@bassnhockey]

I’d agree with that. I’d even argue it would be doing blaze dirtier to show Bruce at rio singing lord of the flies. Really showed how large the level difference was between the the two.

[@MrValonievs]

Thing is, they did Bailey an injustice by forcing him to sing songs that were not written for his register. When Bailey sang the songs written for Bruce it was a pathetic showing, but when he got to sing the songs that were written for him, he excelled and he was a powerhouse.

[@danw4490]

Amazing. Come on, Bruce is in a league of his own and still is even today.

[@matejukic791]

As a Maiden fan for 22 years by now and writter of the upcomming book about Blaze era in Maiden i can confirm to you Harris wanted only Blaze but under massive pressure from management he had to make that audition..but in Harris mind, result was obvios.. Furthermore, Blaze did asked for tuning down for Bruces songs and even other Maiden members tried to convince Harris but he refused..He Said Maiden fans knows their sound and If they did that, everything would've been even worse..totally wrong call Arry.. Finally, Harris wanted third album with Blaze but under massive pressure from manager Rod Smallwood and rest of the members, he had to let him go..in general, Blaze era was unique oportunity for something New, Perhaps different but still powerfull, Still Maiden and potentially better in the long run but sadly, its ruined by the string of poor decision from Harris and despite the fact Blaze was Harris preffered choice from the outset, all problems Blaze had rested on his shoulders..period..and as a vocal teacher, you should've been aware of this..

[@ajd36]

No one does it better than Bruce but Paul's voice was perfect for Iron Maiden at that time and not enough people comment on the beautiful richness of tone of Blaze's voice.

[@AcousticBeerd]

It's not fair to Blaze to clip him singing Bruce's era songs. It will always turn to a "who can sing higher" race. All the other singers were singing their own stuff. Blaze did a great job on songs like "The Lord of the Flies", for example.

[@johnnygalvan5202]

I like Bruce up to Powerslave, yet my favorite Iron Maiden record was and is always Killers. My attraction to that record was that the band over all - with Paul - was this "punk rock" feel or tone mixed with Iron Maiden's budding heavy metal song writing (which Bruce complimented and solidified it best over Paul). If you allowed me to choose out of all the records in your Maiden collection I will always pick Killers and put it on your turn table...... every time.

[@mattw4461]

I'm kind of surprised that Maiden didn't tune down a half step (or even maybe a whole step) for Blaze. I don't think it would have taken anything away from the songs and he wouldn't have had to strain his voice.

[@daskraut]

paul: rough, aggressive voice - a great singer who was perfect for what they did on those 2 albums. it's sad that after maiden he never had the success he deserved. bruce: can go up really high with his great vocal range, no further comment needed. blaze: replacing a tenor with a baritone is a stupid idea and harris oughta have known fucking better!

[@alexandreb.6323]

Sign of the cross with Blaze is a masterpiece. 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@deathguy5263]

Can we get a video on Paul’s unique singing style and vocal analysis! I’ve been checking back everyday to see if you have one. Paul is one of my favourite singers of all time and his style is perhaps the most unique I’ve heard in metal. Rock on Ken!

[@kentamplin]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@x-Gingerbeard-x]

@@kentamplin I agree with above suggestion too, there is ALWAYS reactions to Bruce, but NEVER to Paul... which is sad, because those first two albums are what made Maiden huge in the first place.

[@joemighty1463]

Paul is my spirit animal, true destructive force and rawness.Makes me wanna go and destroy some shit :D

[@liyaandinnamay2501]

Bruce is absolutely beats all of them. His command of the voice is phenomenal. He brought Iron Maiden to the next level with his spectacular charisma, raw energy and crazy range. I'm transfixed by his limitless abilities and versatility. Bruce is the league of his own. Paul and Blaze are rough around the edges.They're both pretty good but Bruce is beyond comparison.🎸💖🤘💞👍🏻🥰❤🎸 Thanks, Ken, for the analysis. You're on fire🔥

[@stinkylomax8917]

I´ll go with Bruce all time. He did indeed put his mark on the band, he dominated the "metal-scene" in Maidens "hey-days" like few artists done. In my book he was no lesser than Dio or Hallford... taking his rightfull place as a metal-king when performing live. I agree concerning the tone regarding Blaze vs Bruce, but the fact that Bruce is the "benchmark" here says quite a lot. Bruce Dickinson made himself immortal, and even though they do/did a great work, i can´t say that about Paul or Blaze.

[@robstehlik3037]

Seriously how is this even a discussion? Bruce IS Iron Maiden!

[@sabbathtribute]

Dickinson gets the nod for technical prowess. But Maiden were at their best overall first three albums , particularly first 2, with Paul. And while Paul didn't have the range Bruce did, I preferred Paul's approach. He wasn't dramatic. He just got it done. Straight ahead, raw, no nonsense vocals

[@giulianacr2638]

Bruce improved as the years went by in many areas, that shows how his technique is really good. Even now that he is older he sounds really decent and can crush others easily with his powerful voice.l

[@adamcarlo3319]

Make sure to pick up they're new album Senjutsu coming out on September 3rd.

[@j_freed]

I think Bruce hit his best era about 15 or so years ago, when Maiden played those shows in Sweden you can find on KZbin. Live al Ullevi. He was still in his 40s, that’s the best time of life for some singers. I saw them them, they were incredible…

[@easterworshipper5579]

imo bruce was at his zenith as a solo artist. accident of birth and chemical wedding eclipse anything maiden ever did.

[@tylerhackner9731]

He’s always been pretty powerful imo 🔥🔥🤘🏼🤘🏼 even in his older years

[@cafe.cedarbeard]

And he recovered from throat cancer, still wailing.

[@PrcBox13]

Blaze was also great, I like Blaze's stuff, he's solo career is great..

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

His solo stuff is dang good

[@machine-madedog5059]

'Silicon Messiah' was/is one of the best metal albums of the '00s easily

[@cyb3rnoob532]

@@machine-madedog5059 I love the new album "War Within Me"

[@marcodaoho4441]

Paul was the bomb , he was amazing live , Bruce to me sounds like grampa Simpson , wailling and always over the top , Bruce brought them to the dungeons and dragons era Paul was more rock and roll , pity he didn't get more time with them

[@korvkioskshelvete]

Blazes voice is made for the Blaze era albums. ”The X-Factor” is my favorite Maiden album and Blazes voice fits better for songs like Sign of the Cross.

[@lonnielampe4765]

I agree Bruce does ok Blaze does it better. His voice fits the song better.

[@ajd36]

Always liked that album even though it is very dark. Blaze's voice is really nice on songs like the Aftermath & Fortunes of War. Another deceptively impressive moment is near the end of 'Edge of Darkness' ('Here I am, the knife in my hand...). If you don't already know why, try singing along to those few lines.

[@TerminatorZXY]

I have to disagree, Blaze does "his own" songs better than Bruce, Sign of the Cross is the only song Bruce does well imo, but even Blaze is a bit better here. Problem with Blaze era was because most the songs written over there were very boring (Angel and the Gambler Zzzzzz) and that the production is complete garbage. Bruce does a very meh job at all others and even butchers some Blaze songs (no hate), BUT it's still nice to see him play them live.

[@TheIsemgrim]

it has to be bruce. but i also love paul and blaze. i grew up with blaze being the lead singer. the first concert i went to was right after bruce rejoined on the first world tour they did, i was 12 and i have seen them like 7 times since and everytime its amazing. i saw Paul in 2014 and it was interesting to say at the least. there were like 15 of us and paul and his band. so it was a very private show. the only thing is, he isnt as good as he used to be.

[@christopherhunt1957]

Bruce defined Iron Maiden as we know them today. I listen to Maiden's whole catalog and enjoy it all, but Bruce brought something entirely different. To be fair in the video clip of Blaze singing The Trooper, he was too focused on staring down some chump in the audience who'd done something stupid. But Blaze did Blaze just fine, but he struggled to do Bruce.

[@petershortland478]

Blaze was unfairly treated by fans that time, Blaze era has some underrated gems, XFactor was hugely underrated alot of emotion was in that album due to what Steve harris was going through at the time

[@AFx3144]

What a contribution Bruce has been delivering to Maiden and to the music in general!!! Amazing! It is a pity that he does not teach singing classes. LO!

[@TheGuitardedOne1338]

Sorry, but everyone knows Blaze couldn't do the Dickinson stuff and it's sort of like beating a horse dead since 1995 by now. But, The X Factor was a really cool album and the post 2000 material Maiden has produced has way more of that DNA than of the first Dickinson era. I also happen to think Blaze Bayley solo career has been every bit on par with what Dickinson has done. Silicon Messiah / Tenth Dimension / The Man Who Would Not Die / Promise and Terror / Infinite Entanglement Part II - all great albums.

[@fleshesposito]

There's a clip of Blaze Bayley singing Afraid to Shoot Strangers, a song from Dickinson era. In my opinion he truely shines in that one.

[@PUNKinDRUBLIC72]

Bruce is obviously the best vocalist, but I love the first two albums so much! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@RatSaladReview]

I honestly love Blaze era Maiden. Seeing that last blaze live clip was brutal, but really they were playing so fast he couldn’t keep up. Also if they would have tuned down a bit to match his voice better I think blaze would have been fine live, but you can even hear Bruce having a hard time keeping up when they fly through a song at 100 mph.

[@jasonbarnum327]

I think it is Bruce all day! I think he commands his voice better and has higher range. He was the most commercially viable, because he was excellent!

[@jgsrhythm100]

Phil Lynott black Irish poet. Legend!!

[@misfit2022]

No one better than Di’Anno for me. Could anyone else sing Prowler as well and no one can play the snare work on that song like Clive Burr. Iron Maiden and Killers are their best albums imo and needless to say I’m not a metalhead. If I was I would probably say Bruce but as a fan of Wolfsbane I like Blaze too but only with Wolfsbane.

[@dgddgd361]

No one can sing Prowler like Paul. Most underrated singer in heavy metal history. My opinion.

[@cblackburn81]

IMO.... Blaze deserves a ton of respect. Dude blew out his voice to sing in Maiden.

[@kentamplin]

Agree!

[@wesbates1143]

Which is crazy because Steve chose him as the replacement specifically because he wanted someone totally different from Bruce. That is why he didn’t choose Doogie White who would have been a damn good replacement for Bruce.

[@Blackmailer78]

We heard only Bruce era songs from Blaze?! Not so happy about that.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Doogie is a good singer but not in Iron Maiden. Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper) would have been a really good choice.

[@emptysoul4455]

@@Blackmailer78 I agree. If you’re gonna compare the three then you should compare them all singing the same songs or compare them singing songs of their era

[@alexjohnston8889]

To be fair there are much better clips of blaze and Paul but still a great video, I'll never understand why they hired blaze knowing he couldn't hit Bruce's notes and yet when blaze asked if they were going to lower the keys slightly or detune he was told no, very strange, Steve wanted blaze really badly as soon as Bruce left, they rang him several times asking him to audition until he said yes and yet still refused to tune down, had they done so he would have been awesome. Check out blaze alive in Poland dvd he sounds great in the lower key, the other guy who almost got the job was Dougie White, who sounds more like Bruce, which I think in the end is why they didn't pick him, Steve said he wanted a completely different sound to Bruce and wanted to try something new, had they tuned down for blaze then that would definitely sounded like something new and different and it would have been great but as they refused to tune down what they really wanted was someone who could hit Bruce's notes, so maybe Dougie would of fitted better if they wanted to keep the song in original keys, check out Dougie singing Hallowed be thy name. Maiden should have at least tried the songs tuned down at one of blaze's two auditions, if they didn't like the sound in the lower key then Dougie should have got the job.

[@justind5208]

I like Di anno the most. Its just the sound of his voice. It s unique to me! If I was a singer he is who I would want to sound like. Can a singer make their selves sound like that.... Or is that just his natural singing voice??

[@shannonflynn8896]

The first 2 maiden albums are my favorite hands down Paul Di´Anno for the win.... also there are full concerts with him here on youtube very high quality. His voice was great.

[@flaviopitanga65]

Paul Di’Anno is my favorite singer by far with much compliments to Bruce D.🎉

[@geotechmore8855]

Paul had a raw punk style to his singing which I love about his singing. He could also sing softer in a song like Remember Tomorrow. You should look it up here when you get a chance. Paul sung in a punk band before joining Iron Maiden which is why he bought a more raw ruff punk style vocal and style to Iron Maiden. Bruce is more theatrical and operatic which is also awesome. I like both Paul and Bruce. Great singers which both brought awesome stuff to Iron Maiden. As far as Blaze.. I think he's good as well.. Not really a fit for Iron Maiden as much though. But he is a good singer for his style.

[@kristianp.405]

Love both Blaze albums and tours. British singer Doogie White "Rainbow" was also one of the "hot" singers at audition when Blaze got the Job. Love Blaze. But Bruce is the best/right lead singer for Iron Maiden

[@brie2076]

I like all three. Bruce has to be the winner because he defined the band; Bruce is a monster. I like Blaze and his vocal style, but it just felt like he was just sitting in while Bruce was out. This bums me out a little because Blaze is pretty good when he's in his element. When covering something built around Bruce's voice, he falls short. As for Paul Di'Anno, a while back I was listening to a KZbin video with him fronting the band and my brother asked me if it were "Kiss or something." As awesome as he is, he vanished under the weight of Bruce. Good news is he has also become a Di'Anno fan.