I don’t know where to begin to be honest. And I will do my best to put this into the right context. I mean, why I say this: the Japanese band BLAZE, a band with 27 years of existence, is back this 2025 with a new album, 18 years after the release of that first self-titled “Blaze” album, back in 2007. Now they’re putting out their second full-length “Out Through The Door” via No Remorse Records. An album that keeps the band’s original identity intact. Perhaps the production here is a bit more “refined” compared to their previous productions, and that detail, although might be small, almost imperceptible, fits perfectly with the moment and the current state of Metal in the world. An impeccable sound. A success in my opinion. One only needs to listen to those passages of the guitar solos and their dominance on the album to understand what I mean. Why did I say “I don’t know where to begin”? Simple: BLAZE is, for me, a tremendously complex band. I say this because when you listen to it (or at least this happens to me), their music feels too familiar. Now that I’ve been playing this album, I felt that same atmosphere I felt in the late ‘90s, when it was my time to get into bands like DEEP PURPLE, UFO, SCORPIONS, RAINBOW, SAXON, W.A.S.P., among others. And it is not correct to say that BLAZE sounds per se like those bands, but, it is undeniable that their sound drinks from those sources. Most likely, they themselves lived through the era when bands like those I just mentioned (and many more) dominated the world. “Out Through The Door” opens with ‘1335’, an instrumental that is there to prepare the listener. A kind of beacon to be used for the path. Next is ‘Let The Right One In’, a very Rock’n’Roll track, like a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and the open road. I will skip to ‘Picture On The Wall’, my favorite track on the album. A track that captures the entire spirit of the band: style, sound, melody, all while sounding wild. Then there is ‘Fort Of Sand’, a ballad full of that nostalgia, that has always made part of Hard Rock or Heavy Metal into their most representative ballads throughout the years. ‘Fort Of Sand’ has that DNA imprinted on it. I like how it transitions throughout the entire track. Going a bit into the type of undulations that put you into the emotional state of the song. If that is achieved, then the band did the right thing. Next, ‘48 Parts’, a very energetic track. The album ends with ‘1335 Reprise’, a track that closes with a choir, an anthem, a chant that is sung at the end of a long journey after you pass the door. In essence, BLAZE is that type of band that transports you to the past. To that time when all these sounds were completely new for an entire generation that defined its identity to the rhythm of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Great album! More information here: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063468263977, www.facebook.com/noremorserecordsgreece