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Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Entertainment
Merlin Alderslade

"It is so dark...it's not accessible like some of the other Maiden albums." Ex-Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley explains why he feels many fans didn't warm up to their divisive The X Factor album

Maiden Blaze Bayley Iron Maiden Bruce Dickinson
Iron Maiden with Blaze Bayley in the 90s.

Former Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley has offered his explanation as to why the two albums he recorded with the band - 1995's The X Factor and 1998's Virtual XI - remain somewhat divisive within Maiden's considerable fanbase. The singer suggests to metal podcast The Metal Command that The X Factor in particular may have been a little too dark to instantly connect with many longtime fans.

"Some fans go, 'Of course I've got every Iron Maiden album, but the ones I haven't listened to are The X Factor and Virtual XI,'" says Bayley (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). "'And now that's all I can listen to that I haven't listened to a hundred times. I have to listen to those.'

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