Blaze Bayley , former vocalist of Iron Maiden , analyzed the current state of metal after five decades of existence, going through the grunge era to the present day.
In a recent interview with Metal Pilgrim , the singer recalled the emergence of grunge in the 1990s – and how the attitude was different from that preached in metal. “When I was in Wolfsbane, we were happy guys, trying to be positive and enjoying life. Grunge comes along, they look at their own feet, they’re miserable and suicidal – the opposite of Wolfsbane, and the opposite of several bands at the time,” he said (via Ultimate Guitar ).
Speaking about the public's loyalty to metal, Bayley commented on how the genre "never went away" for true fans. "The people who really loved that kind of music stayed. There's something about that. And grunge had its place, but it didn't last – those bands really didn't last. I think it's a difference in values," he continued.
“Metal isn’t actually getting bigger. It’s just slowly fading away, and we refuse to let metal die. And when you see live metal and you see a band you believe in and that plays well, it’s irresistible. It’s the devil’s music – we know that because it’s completely irresistible, and you’ll do anything to hear more,” he concluded.
READ ALSO: Blaze Bayley: “A member of my family told me: 'You'll never be a singer'”
