On a foggy February night in Dudley, there’s quite a good turnout at JB’s as Blaze Bayley kicks off his Promise & Terror World Tour, which will span two continents and eighteen countries over the next four months in support of Blaze’s new album, also named Promise and Terror.

When Blaze Bayley takes to the stage, the noise from the crowd is phenomenal - it sounds like there are twice as many people than there actually are and it's great to see. Blaze is one of the most committed men in the metal world, despite being knocked back by his run with Iron Maiden, multiple line-up changes, label issues and the death of his wife he continues to release new material and tour extensively.

He has always been about the fans and the man deserves the great reaction he gets. He rips straight into "Madness and Sorrow" in the first of a huge 20 song set. Blaze really knows how to work the crowd and has them at his command, leading to great sing-along’s for "Blood and Belief" and "Voices From The Past." The set is also greatly varied, touching on the new album, “Promise and Terror” which sounds like a real beast. There are tracks from "The Man Who Would Not Die", "Silicon Messiah" and "The Tenth Dimension" and even a couple of Iron Maiden songs.

Songs like "Blackmailer" and "Smile Back At Death" are delievered with enormous ferocity and the entire set is a tour de force. It's hard not to love Blaze live, as the songs are great and he has a unique connection with his audience that you very rarely see from other frontmen. It is a night to remember as Blaze sets off on a world tour - which is due a stop at Rock City Nottingham 13th Feb  - if you can make it, it is worth every penny.