Former IRON MAIDEN and current WOLFSBANE singer Blaze Bayley has announced that he will be accompanied by Italian guitarist Andrea Neri (ASTARTE SYRIACA) on the upcoming “King Of Metal” tour.

Video footage of Neri performing with Bayley in Rome last year can be seen below.

Bayley has commenced work on his new solo album, “The King Of Metal”, for a tentative March release. A European headlining tour in support of the CD will kick off in early March in Belgium.

Commented Blaze: “Over the many years I have been a professional singer, and through my ups and downs, I have noticed how some artists and bands take their success and their fans for granted.

“For me, there is no heavy metal without heavy metal fans.

“I am dedicating the new album and tour to my fans and the fans of heavy metal. It is called ‘The King Of Metal’ because you the fans are the real kings of metal. Each one of you that buys albums and merchandise and tickets to gigs is a king of metal to me.”

Blaze last year parted ways with the rest of his band in order to pursue a career as a solo artist and the lead singer of WOLFSBANE. He explained the decision by saying that “the mental, financial and emotional strain of keeping the BLAZE BAYLEY band together has proven to be too much for me and has taken a terrible toll on my mental health. . . It has been an upsetting, frustrating and sad time because the BLAZE BAYLEY band will not be going on any more, but it is also for me a huge relief and a time to look forward.”

A statement from former members of Blaze Bayley‘s solo band — David Bermudez (bass), Nico Bermudez (guitar) and Jay Walsh (guitar) — regarding the group’s split can be found at this location.

The 48-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to replace Bruce Dickinson as the lead singer of IRON MAIDEN.

Blaze‘s latest album, “Promise and Terror”, was released on February 1, 2010.

The singer’s double live album and live DVD, “The Night That Will Not Die” — recorded on December 13, 2008 at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland — were released on Blaze Bayley Recordings; the concert was filmed by director Kris McManus and all audio mixed and mastered by producer Jase Edwards.

Source: Blabbermouth.net