Blaze - The Rock Dinosaur LP. A band which never followed any trends or copied musical styles is Blaze from Osaka (not to be confused with the solo venture of former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley). The band consists of Wataru Shiota (vocals), Hisashi "Q" Suzuki (guitar), Kenichi Kuwahara (bass) and Takashi "Bikky" Funabiki (drums). To much critical acclaim, Blaze issued their self-titled debut album for High Roller Records in 2012 (the first pressing has sold out completely; a second pressing is soon to be released). The 11 tracks (from the opener 'On the Run' right through to the bonus track 'Night Walker') take the listener back to the glory days of the once mighty Scorpions (circa 'Lovedrive' and 'Blackout'). However, with the new 6-track mini-LP 'The Rock Dinosaur', Blaze have carved their own niche. Songs such as 'One Way Flight', 'Lady Of Starlight' or 'Underground Heroes' are superb traditional heavy metal anthems with a melodic edge and outstanding guitar work by Hisashi Suzuki. (m/m)