Song Of The Album: "Journeyman"
Alternate Title: "Good, But The End Is Near"
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal
Saying goodbye may be hard to do, but sooner rather than later, it just may be time for metal legends Iron Maiden of London England. However, before we all start whimpering, I'd like to state that the end doesn't come with this album- the band's 23rd- but the warning lights come on all over the place here nonetheless.
First of all, through all the album's greatness, the songs do feel way too similar to each other. Doesn't mean that they're not good at all- "Paschendale", for example, details an interesting battle (supposedly about the World War I battle), while "Face Down" has a rather pessimistic Bruce Dickinson lamenting that "everyone's (in the world) nightmares will come true". War On Terrorism reference? Maybe. Yet, as strong as the songs may be, they don't do enough to really differentiate themselves from each other and stand out on their own, either as a concept album or as a regular one, except for the final track, "Journeyman". In that one, you get a sharp turn from the band- the previous eleven songs were all about pain and suffering in some form and how Dickinson just can't handle it, but here, Dickinson stammers confidently that he's not going to let any of that get to him. "I know what I want/And say what I want/And no one can take it away" he stammers with confidence, being the album's only real eye-opener.
Second of all, this album feels too tame compared to other metal releases. Sure, it's not produced to the same extent as say, KoRn, but compare it to the likes of Cynic or Danzig and the music just doesn't feel raw or loud enough. However, my biggest complaint is their sound is- ulp- starting to get a little dated. "Dance Of Death", oftentimes, sounds almost like a Led Zeppelin tribute album than an Iron Maiden album- not that there's anything wrong with Zeppelin, mind you, it's just a little unsettling, that's all.
Again, it's not like Maiden don't have anything left- their musicianship is, once again, top notch and very anthemic, producing some grand guitarwork and nearly as encompassing drumming complimenting Dickinson's Roger Plant-like powerful delivery. Songs like "Gates Of Tommorow" and "New Frontier" show just how far behind imitators like HammerFall are from matching the greatness that is Maiden, as they're filled with considerably more profound material and grander musicianship than any of them could ever pull off. It's just that "Dance Of Death" feels like a band that's just getting too old- maybe not at the irrelevant stage like, say, The Rolling Stones, but dangerously close. That said, "Dance Of Death" shows that the band just may pull off another classic down the road, but as much as I'd like to say otherwise, after hearing this album, the band just seems closer and closer to retirement- after twenty plus years, mind you. It's a sad development, yes, but that's just where they seem to be headed right now, and who knows if they'll ever come back.
Song Of The Album: "Tom & Annie"
Alternate Title: "Canada's Next Country Star"
Genre: Country/Pop
Make no mistake: Bracebridge's Deric Ruttan IS the real deal as a country star, blending traditional story-telling country numbers like "Tom & Annie" effortlessly with up-and-coming new country songs like "Unbeatable". The product of London, Ont.'s Fanshaw College moved to Nashville in 1994 to make it as a star and now, nine years later, we get the results- and my, they're great, even if they're not original.
For instance, there's "Tom & Annie", a six-minute "epic" if you will, detailing a touching story of a couple who had something to hide from each other- Tom, a murder and Annie an affair with the man Tom killed. Sure, you've probably heard it before, but Ruttan's conviction and emotion in portraying it makes it feel fresh nonetheless, something that carries over the rest of the way. In "Unbeatable", you have Ruttan really exuberant over finding the woman of his dreams, while in the first single "When You Come Around", Ruttan goes the opposite way, expressing anger and dismay over the fact his girlfriend ran off on him. Overall, Ruttan has a lot of energy and conviction in what he does, which goes a long way in selling his material.
On the downside, Ruttan's material isn't very original- the stories of short-changed small town folk and forlorn love songs have all been done before, and, although Ruttan really means what he says, it still can't mask the fact that it doesn't at least "feel" new. However, given time, Ruttan just may develop into such a songwriter- he just needs to develop this aspect a little more, that's all. Also, "Promises Broken", for all its good intentions, sounds way too whiny, as Ruttan almost risks acting childish over a woman who broke his heart.
In the end, Ruttan's debut album is a solid offering that shows he's got a long career ahead of him. Will he join the likes of John Denver and George Strait as country legends? Only time will tell, but at least he's got a good start in that direction.
-DG