Digipak. Digitally remastered edition. The X Factor is the 10th studio album by heavy metal band Iron Maiden, originally released on 2 October 1995 through EMI. It is the first of two albums by the band to include Blaze Bayley, formerly of Wolfsbane, as vocalist, replacing Bruce Dickinson who left the band following their previous tour to pursue a solo career. The album takes a darker tone than the band's first nine releases, due to the lyrics being based on personal issues surrounding Steve Harris at the time, who was in the midst of a divorce.