| Iron Maiden | review #2 | review #3 | 1980 |
| Killers | review #2 | 1981 |
| Maiden Japan (live) | 1981 |
| The Number Of The Beast | review #2 | review #3 | 1982 |
| Piece Of Mind | review #2 | 1983 |
| Powerslave | review #2 | review #3 | 1984 |
| Live After Death | 1985 |
| Somewhere In Time | 1986 |
| Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son | review #2 | 1988 |
| No Prayer For The Dying | 1990 |
| Fear Of The Dark | 1992 |
| A Real Live One | 1993 |
| A Real Dead One (live) | 1993 |
| The X Factor | 1995 |
| Best Of The Beast | 1997 |
| Virtual XI | 1998 |
| Ed Hunter | 1999 |
| Brave New World | review #2 | 2000 |
| Rock In Rio (live) | 2002 |
| Dance Of Death | 2003 |
One of the most important New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands, Iron Maiden were true pioneers in the genre of power metal. Led by main songwriter and bassist Steve Harris, during their peak the band boasted of his talent at the bass, the great Murray/Smith guitar duo, Nicko McBrain’s incredible work with the drums, and Bruce Dickinson, regarded by many metal fans (myself included) as the finest metal vocalist ever.
The band’s career started with a self-titled release, and then a second album called Killers was released a year later, both featuring vocalist Paul Di’Anno. Recognition came in 1982 with The Number Of The Beast, widely regarded as one of the most classic heavy metal albums ever. By this time Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith had joined the band (Bruce on The Number Of The Beast replacing Di’Anno, and Adrian on Killers, replacing Dennis Stratton), and the final golden lineup member, Nicko, came the following year for the album Piece Of Mind. Things continued like this for several years, through Powerslave, Somewhere In Time, and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. In 1985, Iron Maiden also released the live album Live After Death, acclaimed as one of the greatest live releases ever.
Change came with the 1990s when Adrian Smith left the band (replaced by Janick Gers) and the classic period ended, leaving the two albums No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark as two criticized works to bring the band into the new decade. Bruce left following Dark, and his replacement, Blaze Bayley, brought great controversy to The X Factor and Virtual XI. Some said that it was a time of rebuilding for the band, and the first solid material they had released since Seventh Son. Others said the new vocalist was unfit for Iron Maiden’s style, and criticized him as a “lounge singer.”
However his stay with the band ended and Bruce and Adrian returned in 2000 for Brave New World. For some this was a great joy because the golden age lineup (plus Gers) was together again for the first time in a decade, while others felt that even though the members had returned, the creative genius of the eighties was still gone and never would return.
A final point of interest concerning Iron Maiden is their mascot, Eddie. He appears in some form or another on nearly every one of the band’s albums covers, ranging from in ancient Egypt to the future, to insane asylums. It is my opinion that Iron Maiden album covers are the best out there (although Roger Dean’s Yes covers come close). Especially notable are the covers for Virtual XI, Somewhere In Time, and Powerslave.
For me this is one of the best bands out there, and while many label them as generic and dated, I myself cannot hear that. Every metal fan needs at least one of Iron Maiden’s classic albums in their collection, and someone interested in the band should start with either The Number Of The Beast or Powerslave.
--Robert Grazer
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COMMENTS
Yeah, i dont get the "dated" label either. You might be able to make a case for Number sounding dated with such power metal staples as "Children of the Damned" and "Invaders", but the brilliant classically influenced intertwining guitar runs all over Powerslave---how can anybody call that dated? Or Seventh son with its progressive tinges---if anybody says thats dated, well then, so are Dream Theater, all of 80s Rush, 80s Metallica, etc, etc. You want a band that sounds dated...that would be 80s Judas Priest. But yeah, i guess you could make a strong case for Number of the Beast sounding dated, but not really much else. I just cant see it.
Also, i thought i'd point out something Mark Prindle wrote on his page about other bands "expanding" on what Maiden did, and thats what made them sound dated. Well, correct me if i'm wrong, but he mentioned Metallica and Slayer i think. First off, there is a lot of guitar interplay on Powerslave that upon listening is far more complex than anything James and Kirk ever came up with. At least i think so. Granted, Metallica generally played faster tempos, but that doesnt necessarily mean the song structures are more complex. And Slayer...geez. They sure as hell played fast, but i dont think there is much intricacies in their playing whatsoever. Lots of simplistic high speed hardcore riffing, but not much neoclassical runs to be found (if at all).
Anyways, thats my bullshit rant for the month. It all could be completely false for all i know. Gimme a break, its been 2 years since i finished advanced music theory. And i havent picked up a theory book since. Bear that in mind when you all flame me.
Pat D.: Do never let "Blood Brothers" replace "Powerslave" as your favourite song. Let's be honest: it can't hold a candle to it. IMO, IF a handful COULD (but won't) replace Powerslave, these would be:
*Run to the Hills
*Number of the Beast
*You know what? I love "Where eagles dare"
*Caught Somewhere in Time
*A few from 7th son...don't wanna single out.
X-Factor and Virtual XI better than No Prayer... or Fear of the Dark? Robert Grazer needs to get ahold of himself. Maybe the timespan dropped the bar, but not even 1 in 500,000 would take any of Sinatra's as opposed to Bruce's....come on!
When are you guys reviewing Dance of Death?
Iron Maiden is possibly the greatest metal band ever second to only one. That is Judas Priest. Dickinson In my eyes great vocalist but Halford is just unbelievable. Priest's guitarist are better. Tipton and Downing. I give the bass to Maiden I think stevie is the greatest. All in all up the Irons and the Priest in back
(Robert Grazer's review)
Iron Maiden's debut is quite impressive, especially when you realize they didn't have either Adrian Smith or Bruce Dickinson, two of the most important people in the golden lineup. Well, then again, in the golden lineup they were all pretty much equally important, except of course Harris. Anyway instead there was Paul Di'Anno on vocals and Dennis Stratton accompanying Dave Murray. Clive Burr was drumming instead of Nicko. The point is that at this period in their history the band was still able to make a great album without the support of three of the golden members. Well for the most part. There is one really big flaw. "Running Free" is horrible. The stupid drum beat, the even worse chorus, ugh. I have no idea why this one was made. It is probably the worst song from the first seven albums, even surpassing "Murders In The Rue Morgue" from Killers. It is definitely on the bottom three Iron Maiden songs (along with “Rue Morgue” and “The Apparition”), and a disgrace to the band. However since this is the first album and most bands screw up here and there on their first try, I guess it is somewhat forgivable.
So now, with the big complaint out of the way, let me praise Steve and company for some damn great songs. Like "Remember Tomorrow," which for some reason or another has a style that reminds me of some of those Nirvana songs. The difference? "Remember Tomorrow" is an AWESOME song. Harris' bass bit in the end is absolutely incredible. That there is one guy who never fails to impress me. Di'Anno's vocal work is great, unlike on the next album. The real treat though is track five, "Phantom Of The Opera," the first of the long line of great Harris epics. Even though the verses are excellent and the opening riff is awesome, it's the instrumental section in the middle that takes the song to the top five Iron Maiden tracks ever. It’s really hard to describe other than just mind-blowingly brilliant, so I guess I’ll leave it at that.
This album has its instrumental track too. "Transylvania" is by no means bad, or even mediocre, but it still doesn't even begin to hold up against "Losfer Words," let alone Killers’ "Genghis Khan." There is also "Charlotte The Harlot" on here, and it is a good song, despite its inferiority to the classic sequel. “Prowler” is a strong opener. Heh, strong openers were almost guaranteed during Maiden’s golden days. As were title tracks. This one is no different. Well, it isn’t “Powerslave,” so I guess you could complain there. Then again, did Maiden do a better title track than “Powerslave?” I don’t think so. Anyway there you have it. This is a smidge overrated, but that’s all right. It’s the best of the two Di’Anno albums, and the best place to look for very early Iron Maiden.
HIGH POINTS: Phantom Of The Opera, Transylvania, Prowler. LOW POINTS: Running Free.
Although in the beginning Iron Maiden certainly had the instrumental chops to compete with the emerging bands in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (like Judas Priest and such), their first effort is somewhat lacking in metal intensity and punch compared to their later work, treading more toward straightforward, fast hard rock (dare I say punk in spots) than metal. The production certainly has a rawness to it unlike the later stuff, and there's also the matter of vocalist Paul Di'Anno, a singer who sounds more suited to corporate AOR stuff. They also had guitarist Dennis Stratton in place of Adrian Smith on rhythm guitar, but other than those two positions, the members of the classic lineup remain the same. It's definitely apparent early on that these guys can certainly jam (especially when you take a listen to Dave Murray's leads interwining with the rhythm guitars, as Steve Harris' bass work), and they could also even occasionally write a great song or two.
The considerable appeal of Maiden's sound is on display right out of the gates on the opening tracks "Prowler" and "Sanctuary", both fierce and quite addictive hard rocking numbers with a sort of 'street toughness' to the vocals, lyrics and melodies (the former one in particular is really effective at what it does). Of course, the style of the band doesn't really intimidate me in the least, mostly because it seems like they're holding back considerable energy and heaviness at points, plus I have to admit Di'Anno's voice slightly grates on me at times (sounds like a predecessor to Jeff Keith of Tesla, and that's not a good thing), but hey, the rockers are still entertaining. The closing title track (another one in a series of band-named anthems) is absolutely not "Black Sabbath" in terms of ominous atmosphere, especially considering what an Iron Maiden actually is, but it doesn't really need to be - I just sit back and enjoy the tightness of the playing, and that silly chant of 'Iron Maiden's gonna get you... no matter how far' has stuck in my head since the first time I heard it.
I will say, though, that the obvious highlight of the album, the side-closing epic "Phantom Of The Opera", is probably every bit as classic as later attempts at this style, not to mention setting a standard for songs like this in 80's metal. It's certainly less repetitive and tired than something like, say, "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner", with its' incredibly dynamic and complicated proggish fast riffs, and the epic melody is edge-of-your-seat class in easily overshadowing the dumb mythological lyrics. Coupled with the following instrumental "Transylvania" (a slightly unmemorable but still amazing while it's on segment of music), you get an excellent glimpse of their musicianship. Dear God, Harris and Murray can flat out play. So of course, what was the hit out of all this stuff? The extremely stupid and by the numbers 'bouncy' arena rock of "Running Free" (with its' completely obvious, generic hook and the singing at its' most grating). Why in the world this of all Maiden songs was popular continues to escape me.
At least that song's the only huge misfire on here, though the over-the-top sleazy rocker "Charlotte The Harlot" isn't all that much better - it's got a strangely infectious melody and good playing, but it's just too parodic for my taste. Consult "22 Acacia Avenue" for a rare example of a song's sequel beating the original. That leaves the two ballads "Remember Tomorrow" and "Strange World", both of them pretty much the same sort of song, though the former does has great bombastic heavy riffing popping out of it, a breakaway jam, and a mysterious quality about it that I really like (a quite haunting guitar tone and melodic bassline here). In all, I'd give this album an 8, but those two somewhat lesser tracks as well as that lack of power (and vocal talent) compared to certain later releases pushes the rating down slightly. Still, this debut correctly hints at Iron Maiden and their mascot Eddie as a potential force to be reckoned with, though I think it's a bit overrated by metalheads, some of which even and call it their best.
If you ever thought that Maiden were a Heavy Metal band from the get-go then I suggest that you take a listen to this. I know for a fact that Steve Harris and the rest of the gang were influenced by such well known 70's acts such as Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple etc. But even though I've listened to this album hundreds of times, I still cannot find a single influence by one those bands or anything from that genre of music. Here's what I'm getting at: If I played this album in front of somebody and didn't mention who the band was and I asked him or her what type of music this is, I guarantee that the response would be "Punk".
So that's what it is, Iron Maiden's debut is a Punk album, here's why: The production is NOTHING like the Dickinson-era albums, so it's very underground, the lead singer Paul Di'Anno is not your average Metal vocalist, he suits Punk more than Metal, and when you look inside the album jacket of the remastered version of this album he even looks like a punk-rocker, but he can really hit those high notes, so I'll let him off the hook, and a good majority of this album is very speedy. Oh sure, "Strange World" is a nice pretty ballad but songs like "Prowler", "Sanctuary" and "Charlotte The Harlot" don't exactly coin the phrase "Metal Up Your Ass!". I'd rather mosh to these songs, not headbang.
Now for the record, I think that this album kicks all sorts of ass! The speed on this album actually pays off. "Prowler", Charlotte The Harlot" and the 7 minute Harris epic "Phantom Of The Opera" kick some extreme ass. The power ballad "Remember Tomorrow" and the instrumental "Transylvania" are nothing to sniff at either, the former starts out with an eerie bass line, then both guitarists join in and play this nice melody, and the song keeps on building up and up until it gets to the incredible bridge, Di'Anno puts on quite a performance in this song and it is arguably the best song he has ever sung. The latter however features some incredible guitar work by the extremely gifted Dave Murray, and the ending of that song kicks some good hard ass. And last but not least there's the title song, it's always been part of the set-list tour after tour, truly a classic song as well.
However, there are flaws. "Running Free" does nothing for me even though it was the band's first big hit. And I forgot to mention earlier that the other guitarist on this album other than Dave is a guy named Dennis Stratton, he's okay but he doesn't do anything groundbreaking throughout the entire record. I'm sorry but Dave just rules on lead guitar. If you want to know which guitarist is playing what, Dave is on the left speaker and Dennis is on the right. So I must say that the band got off on the right foot with this release. Lots of great classic Maiden tunes that will stay in your head for a long time. Yeah, the production is not the best but you gotta start somewhere. And if you think "Prowler" sucks then I will hunt you down like an animal! As the title-song says, "Iron Maiden's gonna get you/No matter how far".
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COMMENTS
I've only heard 4 tracks off this album, and three of 'em have been live versions with Bruce singing. "Phantom" is the one track i've heard that was the original studio cut, and it tis but a wonderful song. While Dave may not have really hit his stride techncially (like the phenomenal harmonic interplay between he and Adrian on Powerslave), the melody of the bridge song is quite beautiful and very well put together. Great song. Also, the mix kind of sucks with Clive's drums sounding kinda weak and the guitars sounding thin. That would change with the next release.
Anyways, the other tracks i've heard are "Running Free" "Iron Maiden" and "Transylvania". "Running Free" is simply an awful song. Very basic power chord driven song with poitless lyrics and a crappy chorus. The title track and "Transylvania" are both excellent, the former with a cool arpeggiated riff and the latter with some phenomenal Dave Murray soloing. BTW, I agree wholeheartedly with Alex. Dave rules. And recently, i've even begun to appreciate the preciseness (if not speed or blatant technicality) of Adrian Smith's contributions, though, of course he didn't play on this album. I don't really have a problem with Dennis, but of course he pales next to Dave.
It takes a lot of getting used to, but this album's pretty damn good once you listen to it enough. The sheer intensity of many of the tracks, from the twin speedsters Prowler and Sanctuary to the slow methodics of Remember Tomorrow and Strange World, is remarkable. And Phantom Of The Opera is one of the best songs the band would ever release...START PLAYING IT LIVE AGAIN, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! It gets a seven--it would've been an eight if not for Running Free.
(Robert Grazer's review)
I know I should praise the hell out of this album being a big Iron Maiden fan and all, but of their first seven "golden classics" this is by far the worst. The main problem is that for some strange reason Di'Anno doesn't seem to fit into the metal very well. I've heard him called a punk singer, and while that was certainly not very obvious on the debut, it can easily be seen here. It only makes a fan like me happier that Bruce was only an album away. Aside from that most of the songs are mostly decent, good at best. "Wrathchild" is a catchy little tune, the only bad thing being Di'Anno's singing during the chorus. Brrr. "Innocent Exile" seems a little "groovy" at parts and certainly isn't one of the better entries in Killers, but that bass lines make the whole thing worth it. And the title track is certainly one of the more disturbing pieces Harris and company came up with. "he lunges prepared for attack, scream for mercy, he laughs as he's watching you bleed." Wheh!
Of course there are a few stinkers on here too. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is absolutely pathetic. Well, the intro is pleasant, but once the drums bring the rest of the song in the whole thing turns rotten. "Prodigal Son" is proof that the band was not yet ready for a soft acoustic ballad yet. There is, however, one reason that a Maiden fan NEEDS this album. Two exceptions to the general song quality are the two instrumentals that soar high above everything else on the album. Not just because Di'Anno isn't singing either. These are beautifully penned masterpieces that I consider to be the best instrumentals the band ever did. "The Ides of March" is a great drum driven number with a pair of excellent solos in the middle. But "Genghis Khan" is even better. Even though it's short it has enough power to it to rank on the top five metal instrumentals ever.
All in all the album is pretty good, a must for Maiden fans even if only for the instrumental tracks. Killers is certainly an album to be heard after The Number Of The Beast and Powerslave since it is a little below the high Iron Maiden standards and may leave a little bit of a bad impression of the band. It takes a while to get used to.
Update: Since finishing my Iron Maiden reviews I can't believe I gave this a lower grade than Virtual XI. It's the weakest of the classics, but it can still beat any Bayley-era (or nineties) Maiden album to death anyday.
HIGH POINTS: Genghis Khan, Killers. LOW POINTS: Twilight Zone.
As the title of this album suggests, Killers is a more intense and aggressive record than the debut, especially helped by the addition of Adrian Smith (Dennis Stratton.... see ya), though that doesn't automatically make it better. I could at least remember how every song went on the debut, even if not all of them were great, but on here, the unmememorable flash that affects even some of the material on their 'classic' albums is here on display - the violent subject matter of the lyrics doesn't take importance over the melodies or anything, but it seems like the overall sound definitely does. And increasingly, it seems like this sound would be better suited to a high-range metal vocalist - you know, like that guy from the obscure band Samson. Bruce Dickinson, I think his name was - I hear he's pretty impressive. Still, although it's a slight step down from Iron Maiden, it's still a pretty good record.
For a good example of how far the band's technical skills got above their melodic skills on this album, I would go as far to say the instrumentals "The Ides Of March" and "Genghis Khan" are among the best songs on here, and among the best instrumentals they would ever come up with. The first one of which is a bombastic and over-the-top marching theme with fantastic leads (a perfect way to open up the album), and the second is built on a really cool wobbly sort of groove that keeps throwing out all sorts of great riffs and solos at us (including one that would return on both Seventh Son's "Infinite Dreams" and a crappy Papa Roach single). Likewise, the title track has awesome interplay between these eerie little plinking guitar lines both Murray and Smith create, and it's got amazing thrash energy, though both these things are a lot greater than the actual vocal melody, which isn't too memorable. Still an entertaining scary epic though (as scary as Iron Maiden's comic world gets, anyway), with some of Di'Anno's best singing ever.
A lot of the rest of the album is hard to remember for me, though. But that doesn't mean it's bad! "Another Life" is a driving precursor to the pop metal style, shifting arrangements and soloing wizardry combination that would characterize stuff like "Two Minutes To Midnight", "Innocent Exile" has an incredibly creative bassline in the beginning, "Purgatory" has the desperate 'pleeeease, take me awaaaaaay' chorus, "Prodigal Son" has a gorgeous introduction of colorful guitar lines that sound very Rush-style to me (think their mid-to-late 70's work), and "Murders In The Rue Morgue" has a creepy buildup. But amongst all the excellent playing, these are about the only hooks that I can remember after five listens to the album (okay, also that hilarious shout of 'Wratchild!!!' in the song of the same name). Plus, "Twilight Zone" is an incredibly dumbass song only marginally above the 'pop masterpiece' of "Running Free". Luckily, the next album would show that Maiden can write really catchy metal songs, as well as finding a more appropriate singer for them - at this point, they were just a really really good technical group, and nothing that much more.
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COMMENTS
A seven for this album is way too high. It's easily the most mediocre release from the band, but there's some pretty great material on here--the knockout one-two opening punch of Ides and Wrathchild, the ominous speed of the title track, and the bounciness of the closing Drifter. And I couldn't agree less with the opinion of Murders In The Rue Morgue being one of Maiden's worst songs--I love the soft to fast opening, the mad, frenzied rush of Paul's delivery that perfectly accompanies the panic-filled lyrics, and its unsettling atmosphere. So there!
A five from me it gets.
I just dont like DiAnno much, which i'm sure is heresy to a lot of Maiden die-hards, but thats how i feel. Anyways, title track rules. I had Genghis Khan on my old hard drive for a while, but when that blew up, i forgot to download it again. But i think i liked it.
(Robert Grazer's review)
Bruce Dickinson, the greatest heavy metal vocalist ever, enters the scene and the band releases their first legendary record. The Number Of The Beast is regarded as classic by nearly every power metal fan, and it’s also called the band's best by quite a many fans and critics. Although I would disagree on it being the best Iron Maiden release (I prefer both Powerslave and Seventh Son), there is no denying that no other album they did will be remembered as well as this one. First of all this one has "Run To The Hills" on it, their most famous song. Now it is a good song Harris wrote there, yet sometimes I can't help but be sad when so many people think that is what all Iron Maiden is like. They have no knowledge of those superb epics, or even the shorter but MUCH more powerful songs the band has done. Like "22 Acacia Avenue" here, the sequel to "Charlotte the Harlot" from the first album. It's at least a dozen times better than "Hills." Or how about the very intense "Children of the Damned" with a melody so great Metallica decided to rip it off for "Fade to Black?" Both of these are much better songs to represent the band and album.
Now, on to what I've been waiting to talk about. The last song on the album is very possibly the best heavy metal song yet written, maybe even surpassing Paramaecium's "Darkness Dies" and Dream Theater's "A Change of Seasons." Well, maybe not; those are pretty damn good songs there. The point is, Iron Maiden's best song is almost undoubtedly (there are those who would argue for others, especially "Rime of the Ancient Mariner") "Hallowed Be Thy Name." The emotional power is absolutely incredible, Bruce gives his finest performance, the instrumental section is second to "Powerslave," the climax is second to none; I could go on and on. This epic alone got me into the Maiden, the band I have since been able to declare as one of the absolute finest metal bands of all time.
Along with Powerslave, The Number Of The Beast is the perfect starting place for those interested in Iron Maiden. There are no bad songs on here (yes, I like "Gangland"), and even though Nicko hadn't arrived yet, this is the perfect overview of the golden age of Iron Maiden. I considered giving this a whole 10, but then realized I'd already given out two of them to Maiden already, and as much as I love these guys they still aren't Yes. What does that matter though? I give this my big old seal of approval.
Most people will tell you that this is the best of Iron Maiden's numerous releases. And hey, while I only have two of their albums as of this review, it seems to me that this 1982 release is gonna be tough to top. Now, bear in mind that Iron Maiden play POWER metal. Not THRASH. I mistakenly thought I was in for some cool Metallica-like thrash when this album found its way into my shopping cart, and it sort of ruined the effect for me in the beginning. If you give the CD a chance it will grow on you.
So what's good about Iron Maiden if they don't play thrash? Ok, well, Steve Harris is one of the best bass players I have yet to hear. The closest approximation I can make is Geddy Lee playing metal. And thanks to the bass-friendly mix of this release, you'll hear every throbbing note this bass god pounds out. Just listen to those ascending/descending progressions in the title track or "Total Eclipse". Or the powerful foundation Harris lays down in "Hallowed Be the Name". Awww, hell, just listen to any of this album's 9 tracks.
Yeah, that's right. 9 tracks. Recently, Raw Power (Maiden's record label) remastered all of their catalogue and in some cases added tracks to some of the albums. In this case, they made an excellent choice in adding the powerful "Total Eclipse" which is the best example of Bruce Dickinson's powerful and melodic voice. Great little tune. The rest of the album is great as well, with the one exception being the dumbass and awkward "Gangland" which has one of the dumbest refrains you're ever likely to hear. Also, while I think "Invaders" is a really cool, speedy, catchy composition, a LOT of people think its laughable.
And then there are the classics. Most Maiden fanatics will say "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is the greatest metal epic ever. They have good reason. This song has some of the most atmospheric, moving guitar lines in metal, and an exceptional ending. Actually, when you put Metallica's "One" and this song next to each other, they seem to be laid out much the same way. Well, then again, I guess you could compare "Stairway To Heaven" to any of these epics as well. Great song, though. I wouldn't say its the BEST metal tune EVER, but its very very good.
"Children of the Damned", the title track, and "Run to the Hills" are also considered to be golden Maiden, but I'll take the driving "Prisoner" over any of them. So, overall, if you are interested in becoming a Maiden fan, or if you just have a passing interest in the band, I think this album is worth your while. Pick it up.
HIGH POINTS: The Number Of The Beast, The Prisoner, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Children Of The Damned. LOW POINTS: None.
Maiden had established themselves as a pretty solid metal outfit on their first two efforts, though there were always a few factors that kept them from being consistently excellent - Paul Di'Anno's vocals seemed somewhat out-of-place (too classic rock or punk influenced to be truly effective), and the sound they had was often much cooler than the results of the actual music and melodies. It seemed that they were missing that element of their style that could put them over the top, and that element just happened to be a new vocalist in the form of Bruce Dickinson! Dickinson's spectacular 'air raid siren' wailings are about the perfect complement to the challenging dual guitar playing and almost artsy arrangements, not to mention the fact that he's often able to bring the otherwise laughable dark fantasy lyrics to life. That's a huge key to power metal albums, damn it, and this album just might be the goddamn friggin' peak of that form.
Not only that, but I also find this to be quite possibly the best of Maiden as a whole - you can take Powerslave, Piece Of Mind, Seventh Son or the debut or whatever, but on Number I simply find the playing, arrangements and melodies to be at their best collectively. For instance, the potentially generic and 'cheesy' faster rockers like "Invaders" and "Gangland" are incredibly compact, tight and infectiously written, especially the former's snappy chorus. Perfect beginning to the album right there. As for the latter, it's often considered weak, but I don't really understand why - sure, the verse melody has a bit of an awkwardness to it, and the lyrics are hilariously stupid, but other than that? It has such a fun, swinging tempo, and it has one of the catchiest choruses on here too, with more top-notch singing (that's a given for the Air Raid Siren here, of course, as are Steve Harris' increasingly more fantastic bass chops)!
But "Invaders" and "Gangland", good as they are, are not huge reasons why many consider this to be a metal classic. Heck, this album's so awesome that their biggest hit single and best known song, "Run To The Hills", might be the weakest one here. Oh, it's still very good, being just as fabulously melodic as the others, with a particularly fantastic war march opening, but it also has a touch more arena rock obnoxiousness (the crowd pleasing chorus) and cliched lyrics than the rest, and it's not a very quintessential showcase of Maiden's power. I'm somewhat more bowled over by the celebrated "Charlotte The Harlot" sequel "22 Acacia Avenue", which pretty much kicks its' predecessor's ass. From the show-stopping menace of the opening verse where the vocals demand your attention, to the dynamic chugging dual solos of the remaining bits, it's pretty much a nice treat straight through.
The remaining four tunes are even more so (five if you count the excellent rocker "Total Eclipse", inserted as a bonus in the next-to-last track spot). Personally, I think "The Prisoner" and the title track should be considered standards for melodic power metal. Both of them have cheesy spoken war/horror movie intros, sure, but the former song has arguably one of the finest triumphant melodic choruses ever written ('not a prisoner! I'm a free man!') to go along with the faster dynamics of the rest, and the latter happens to be my choice for the greatest song on here. Yes, it's over the top cartoonish territory (the chorus of '6! 6! 6!... the number of the Beast!' especially), but it's a near God-like achivement in that style, since it's got a catchy as hell melody, and I swear, the 40 seconds starting from the point the second guitar joins in, and ending with Bruce's ear-shattering scream, is one of my favorite musical stretches ever. Wow.
There's also a quite successful haunting ballad in "Children Of The Damned", with not only a captivating atmospheric melody and vocal presence, but also incredibly cool interplay between the rhythm section that makes the slow tempo even more captivating, and the powerful rolling faster sections are a perfect progressive twist to it. And... hmm... what else is there? Oh yeah, that closing track, the song many call the greatest metal epic ever, the one with that chilling opening guitar part and lyrics about someone who's about to be put to death sung with huge conviction, the one with the crushing midtempo gallop and absolutely phenomenal jam portion? "Hallowed Be Thy Name", I think it was called. To be honest, it don't floor me quite as much as the two other highlights I mentioned, but I still recognize it as a grand achievement in metal history, by any standard.
All in all, this album is fantastic in establishing a new signature style for Maiden, with excellent melodies and playing talent throughout as well. It isn't quite flawless - the comical over-the-top approach here is often taken a bit too far to the point where it's very easy to take the band as a laughable, 'dated' joke (especially lyrically), and occasionally (not too often, though) the approach to riffs and instrumental parts can sound a bit samey after awhile. But other than that, I really have to give the band credit for taking a style I really don't get much emotional impact out of at all, and they proceed to not only entertain me but often blow me away with it. And they would be able to do this with a number of later songs, too, but not nearly as much over a full album as they do on here. A required buy for metal fans, that's for sure.
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Yay! Bruce is here! And thus does their credibility go through the roof.
A terrific improvement over Killers in every way--the slow grind of Children Of The Damned, the epic atmosphere of the title track, the awesome dynamics in The Prisoner...YEAH!!! Every song on here's a winner (yeah, I like Gangland too), and it gets a nine...but I think Hallowed Be Thy Name is incredibly overrated.
Flame me now.
(Robert Grazer's review)
I consider this one overrated since there are quite a few Iron Maiden fans out there who consider this their finest moment. I say no. They have done several albums that surpass this one in quality. However, at first I couldn't understand why everyone loved it so, now I can easily see why. "Revelations" is an incredible powerful masterwork with a great deal of changes and complexity. "The Trooper" is one of Maiden's most popular songs and pretty much deserves to be. More so than "Run To The Hills" anyway. It's got a bunch of great and emotional bits and is also a Maiden classic. "Fight Of Icarus" is another excellent entry and, while not a very typical Maiden song, has got some excellent guitar work and a neat little chord progression. "Still Life" has an excellent atmosphere to it. A chilling guitar solo in the beginning leading into Dickinson's eerie singing on the chilling first verse. Actually the whole thing is chilling, and with some great bass lines by Harris it too hits the classic Maiden level.
The highlight however is "To Tame A Land." From the clean entry to the verse, through the jaw-dropping instrumental section, you can see the song that defines the term "Harris epic." Excellent work from every single musician too. The solos are among the best the band has ever done and it all comes off as one of the most entertaining pieces of music ever. So why isn't this Maiden's best? After a good intro "Die With Your Boots On" loses everything with its stupid chorus, and this is coming from someone who likes "Gangland." "Quest for Fire" is stupid. There is no other way to put it. The lyrics are absolutely pathetic, a great insult to the band. The only positive to the song are, of course, Harris' exceptional bass pieces. "Sun and Steel" is a slight improvement, but still not too memorable. Despite a couple of weak spots this is an absolutely essential Iron Maiden release. Along with all of the greats on here Harris' bass lines make Piece Of Mind compete with Powerslave for his best work on an album. In fact, I would have given this a 9, but I just found someone else who called this their best. Let me say it again, it is NOT.
HIGH POINTS: Still Life, The Trooper. LOW POINTS: Quest For Fire.
Ehh, this one seems like a bit of a letdown to me. The strange thing is, a lot of Maiden fans take this more simplistic, somewhat more poorly produced, less inventive and not as melodic effort as their best for some random reason. Why, because Nicko McBrain has taken over the drum duties, thus solidifying the 'classic lineup'? Maybe it's just me, but I don't notice any sort of big improvement in that area. Or maybe it's because "The Trooper", one of Maiden's most celebrated classics is on here, and another 7 minute epic. Beyond the few admittedly solid songs on here, I'm at a total loss why this overall good, but quite routine, effort is rated so highly among the hardcore, especially since quite a bit of it just retreads the style The Number Of The Beast with for the most part weaker results. Maybe I just need more of an appreciation of the appeal behind technical power metal, I dunno. Argh.
The first half of the album in particular seems underwhelming coming off of Number. Nothing on there is exactly bad, but going through it, I'm at a loss as to how any of these songs can be called great. "Where Eagles Dare" is an alright attempt at riding a 6 minute epic structure on two not so great power chord riffs, relying unsuccessfully on the soloing and vocal power to carry it, "Revelations" is an alright attempt of continuing the style of "Children Of The Damned", with neat 'ballad to speed rocker' dynamics and the usual singing but it doesn't come close to it in being as memorable or powerful, "Flight Of Icarus" is an alright attempt at pop metal (which again mentions eagles in the lyrics) with a catchy chorus but a ho-hum 'galloping' riff and verse melody, and "Die With Your Boots On" is an alright attempt at Dickinson frantic vocal madness, though it sounds too clumsy to be all that good. I think you see where I'm going with this.
Yeah, some 'Maiden classic' this is turning out to be. Fortunately, just when all hope seems to be lost, the album finally starts to kick into overdrive with the aforementioned "The Trooper". It's got arguably the most effective example of a classic Adrian Smith / Dave Murray dual guitar riff, and it has a tremendously punishing adrenaline rush vocal delivery and tempo. No wonder it's one of the band's centerpieces. To be honest, though, I love the ballad "Still Life" even more - it's got a downright creepy intro build of quiet guitar soloing that makes me feel like I'm in a dark cave or something, and the verse melody is one of the coolest quirky hooks the band has ever come up with. Plus I love that little riff that answers each line, and the 'nightmaaaaares...' outburst in the heavier chorus. See, this is the kind of cool shit that I loved so much before - maybe if the rest of the album lived up to these two songs (the only ones that are up to the standards of the Beast in my opinion) I could understand the hardcore fans' position on it.
But instead, those classics just act as a raising of this album's grade for me, as the last three songs here aren't any better than the opening side. In fact, "Quest For Fire" is downright awful - it's basically a trite history lesson that absent mindedly mixes dinosaurs with cavemen over a dumbass lumbering riff and an awkward hook. Whatever. Additionally, the only memorable part of the average pop-styled "Sun And Steel" is its' fun chorus, and the closing epic "To Tame A Land", while having an awesome guitar riff in its' intro and outro that might be even better than "Hallowed Be Thy Name", is brought down by a somewhat stupid high speed melody and Maiden-by-numbers jamming that I don't get too much out of. Blargh. I'm still left in the dark as to why Piece Of Mind is so brilliant, though at least only "Quest For Fire" is really bad, and the two classics here are enough to up the rating to a relatively low 7. It's still not one of those Maiden albums to get first, though. Much too lacking for that.
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COMMENTS
This is my favorite of Maiden's albums. The first six tracks from the pounding "Where Eagles Dare" to the unjustly overlooked and creepy "Still Life" kick complete and total ass. I disagree with your assessment of "Die With Your Boots On", I think it's the best track on here and a strong candidate for the best song they've ever done. Total vocal overdrive by Bruce on that one, his voice just grabs you by the throat and demands total attention. Plus absolutely killer guitar solos. Breathtaking. "The Trooper" is almost as good. One misstep in "Quest for Fire" but I can overlook that when surrounded by such quality. This gets the 10.
I think you were generous with the rating on this album. "Where Eagles Dare", "Revelations", "The Trooper", and "Still Life" are the only good tracks on PoM. I'd give it a five at best. Easily the worst Maiden album i've heard. Thankfully, some kind of "Revelation" would come to Bruce and company and they'd turn out the phenomenal Powerslave next.
Ha! Using a song title as a pun. I am so fucking clever!
(Robert Grazer's review)
I can’t think of any other Iron Maiden album, except maybe The Number Of The Beast, that serves as such an excellent introduction to the band. Every one of the first seven Maiden albums has something important to make it necessary. Killers has the instrumentals, The Number Of The Beast contains their greatest song, Seventh Son displays the greatest vocal work from Dickinson, and so on. Powerslave has two of these reasons, and they are two of the most important reasons I love Iron Maiden.
First, Steve Harris’ bass work is at its absolute peak. Piece Of Mind is a strong runner up, but still nothing like this. On every single song there are plenty of his lines all through, adding to feel and letting me know that there has never been a better metal bass player on this earth. Listen to “2 Minutes to Midnight” or “Back in the Village” for a sample. They’re all excellent examples of what this man can do. The second thing Powerslave boasts of is the power of its incredible solos. All over the place Smith and Murray play like no other. In fact, this album is quite possibly the greatest guitar solo album ever made. At least it must be in the top five. Everything like Smith’s beautiful bit on “Aces High” or Murray’s powerful section on “Powerslave” or both of their climactic pieces on “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” show exactly what should be expected from any metal band. Then again, maybe you’re one who would consider their masterwork crappy metal that all sounds the same. Oh well. There are people who hate David Gilmour so I don’t lose sleep over insults to either Murray or Smith.
The songs themselves are spectacular as well. “Aces High” and “2 Minutes To Midnight” are excellent war numbers, as well as among the best and most popular Maiden songs ever. As I mentioned before, check out the solos in “Aces” and the bass in “2 Minutes to Midnight,” especially in the final section with Bruce singing, “Midnight, midnight” That some great stuff there. Next, while certainly no “Genghis Khan,” “Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)” is an effective and catchy instrumental that serves as a great song to change the mood from “2 Minutes To Midnight” to “Flash Of The Blade.” By the way, “Blade” is where you should turn if you think all metal solos sound the same. Sure on the surface its solo might sound like random noise, but listen to it for a while. It ties in perfectly with the feel of the actual song. Then the album’s first epic, “The Duellists,” is certainly a great one, complete with an instrumental section, a fantastic illustration of Harris’ pure genius. “Back In The Village” happens to be the most hated track on the whole album. I’m not too sure why. I’ll agree that it is the least of them all, and it takes quite a while to get used to. Not to mention that my only complaint on the whole album is found in it. I can’t stand the ending with Bruce screaming out. Those few seconds are the absolute worst that Powerslave has to offer. But listen to the song anyway, even if only for Harris’ bass lines.
Then the album goes from great to heavenly. The title track just might be the high point of the whole thing. The verses are really moody because Dickinson sings them so angrily, not to mention that freaky laugh before a roll from Nicko gets the whole thing going. The chorus rocks a great deal, and the instrumental section could be their best ever, and that includes the greats “Phantom of the Opera” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” The song itself comes out as a solid entry on Maiden’s top five. Finally, we have “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” to end it all. It’s a Steve Harris epic taken to the extreme at thirteen and a half minutes. I don’t find it overlong in the least. All of the pieces are perfection from start to finish. So is Powerslave the greatest Iron Maiden album ever? Maybe. I tend to find it completely even with Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, and that there is a huge compliment. Well, maybe a tad higher since this has three epics and the Seventh Son only has one. Yeah, I guess this is their best.
I think a good mix can make a huge difference in how enjoyable an album is. Take Iron Maiden's Powerslave for example. This album is one of those few that was recorded damn near perfectly. On a side note, I think its pretty damn funny that this album came out the same time as Metallica's Ride The Lightning, and we all know how bad the mix is on that album (or any Metallica album of the 80s).
Anyways, the mix is indeed spectacular. The drums and guitars especially. Drummer Nicko McBrain sounds like a drum god. While I'm sure he is at least considered "competent", I don't think I've ever seen the man on a Modern Drummer cover, or at the top of any drummer polls. But I'll be damned if his drums don't sound absolutely incredible. Crisp, clear, and just listen to that echoey sound as he flies across the toms. Incredible.
As for the guitars, they too, sound phenomenal. Just listen to Dave Murray and Adrian Smith scale through those chords in "Aces High". Or get that ambietic crunch in the title track. And hey, that chunky riff in the beginning of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is nothing to sniff at either. Finally, Steve Harris' phenomenal bass playing is right up front, and its never sounded better. Just check out the riffs at the end of the middle in the title track. Wow.
Speaking of that ancient mariner, that track in particular is a mistake. Why? Well, it clocks in at over 15 minutes, and the majority of that time is spent in a boring, go nowhere middle section that drones on and on until a shift back to the original kickass riffing of the beginning. If Steve Harris and co. deleted that middle part, we would have a REALLY strong little tune, for it tis but a killer riff at the beginning of that song. As it is, it is merely an OK track, and sometimes, a extremely dull one.
The good points? "Aces High" is one of the most energetic, catchy, infectuous songs you will ever hear. That is, if you enjoy Bruce's voice, because he does hit the high registers in this track. But oh, what a killer opening/closing riff, main riff, bridge riff, and just about every damn riff in the song. The solos in the middle are cool, although I am no fan of Adrian Smith. See, you can always tell whether its he or the vastly superior Dave Murray soloing. Just listen to this song for the most glaring example. Dave opens with a blazing, searing series of scales, and when he's finished, Adrian sort of limps in with a tired, bluesy solo that sounds crappy except for a sort of cool EVH-type tap section in the beginning.
Other great tracks are "2 Minutes To Midnight", a powerful and catchy midtempo rocker, the cool instrumental "Losfer Words", the amazing guitar playing of "The Duellists", and of course, the incredible title track, which is my favorite on the disc. Juts listen to that chorus, and the instrumental middle section. Yow! "Flash of the Blade" starts out with a very cool intro, but the chorus is very nearly unlistenable thanks to awkward vocal phrasing. And "Back In The Village" does absolutely nothing for me. Still, two mediocre tracks ain't bad, so I can still recommend this one. Great album, and a phenomenal mix.
Update: Wow, I love "Back In The Village" now. Therefore I bump this one up to a 9!!!
HIGH POINTS: Aces High, Powerslave, 2 Minutes To Midnight. LOW POINTS: None.
On first couple listens to the quintessential Maiden album, my reaction was something close to the idea that 'all these songs are good, but they're all the same!' Indeed, a casual listener might easily be able to dismiss this one as same sounding metal even more so than the previous two albums, as many of the songs are built on the same sort of weaponry to the point of almost sounting tired - the 'galloping' bass lines of Steve Harris, the dueling guitars of Adrian Smith and Dave Murrary, the overpowering vocals of Bruce Dickinson, the rhythmic punch of Nicko McBrain, the really pretentious, sometimes cheesy (though thankfully not always too noticeable) lyrical subject matter, and all that kind of stuff. And there's even a 13 minute epic to close the whole record off. Oh boy. What an experience this turned out to be. But wait! On further listens Powerslave becomes even more than that, especially when compared to the previous album.
First of all, the stellar quality of the bass playing here, something I already believe to be sorely lacking in most metal bands in which most just follow almost exactly what the guitar(s) are doing, is stunning on this record, more so than any Maiden album before. I'm not kidding - this one might be one of the finest 4 string performances I've ever heard, basically acting like another lead instrument in a chaotic dueling guitar setup. Combined with everything else in the sound, as well as the eventually impressive vocal hooks, this makes for a fine listen - no wonder they call Powerslave quintessential Maiden. Especially when "Aces High" delivers on it immediately to open the album - everything is at its' best, from the brilliant way the song shifts right into its' lightning fast attack after the opening guitar part, to the absolutely superb anthemic vocal melody to Dickinson's howling and especially that phenomenal key-changing solo portion that just completely blows me away. Nothing like a fabulous classic to open the album on.
Maybe none of the other songs are great and truly defining of the deceptively simplistic, smoothly flowing sound throughout like that one, but everything on here is quite powerful in its' own way, at least in places. "2 Minutes To Midnight" offers the listener the most poppy melody here, with another lengthy duelling solo section, an extremely catchy chanting chorus ('two... minutes... to miiiiiiidnight....') It could be considered the radio friendly beast here, I guess. If that's the case, "The Duellists" is probably the great galloping anthem, with its' almost embarassingly straightforward, but extremely energetic chorus ('ohhhhhhh.... fight for the hoooooonor'...), and "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" is probably the great 'song-like' instrumental. Again, the 'galloping' midtempo rhythm borders on generic, but the way the guitars interplay and solo together on it is fairly cool, and I love that melodic line that pops up as a sort of 'chorus'. Good stuff.
Even the more 'flatfooted' numbers on here work, for the most part. "Flash Of The Blade" and "Back In The Village" might have what are among the most awkward hooks here, but that doesn't mean they still aren't enjoyable songs with more of the same fine playing. I happen to like the fast back and forth riff that eventually wraps around the drums as the former song starts off (and speaking of Nicko's drumming, I really dig the percussion fills going on during the chorus, which just ranks as another catchy moment here). And the sometimes despised latter song is pretty good, too - it might not be all that much more than a somewhat straightforward thrash song that can come off as a little cheesy, but in the hands of Maiden (especially Dickinson's singing), it works okay. 'Baaaaaack in the viiiiiillage agaaaaaain...' indeed.
What else? Oh yeah, there's the other big highlight of the album in the title track, a moody, epic near-masterpiece. The main reason this song kicks my ass is probably because it captures that feeling so incredibly well in the arrangement (especially the huge echoey riff right before the chorus that ranks as a majestic high), and the shifts in between the song part and the solo section here are indeed priceless. But that solo section alone is reason enough to give it a listen - I'm no technical expert, but this some damn good stuff.
The only letdown for me, though, is probably that closing aforementioned 13 minute "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" historical epic. I dunno, the intense, high-speed vocal melody and riffing are definitely good, and the song does sound very exciting when it's actually fast, but I get the feeling that this thing is twice as long as it really should be, almost painfully extended just to tell the entire story. I'm not sure why... oh, it's that atmospheric section in the middle with the spoken parts, isn't it? It's a good mood setter, for sure, and it does have its' creepy moments, but it takes way too long to build back up to the regular section of the epic. Ehh... but flaws (and same sounding tones) aside, this is a fairly top-notch album, and an excellent starting point for your Maiden collection, if not their most defining effort ever.
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[email protected] (John Schlegel)
In response to Robert Grazer's review: Right friggin' on!! I don't listen to much metal anymore, but, man, did I sure used to. And back when I craved the Irons, I felt that Powerslave was their strongest effort. My other metalhead friends usually either sided with the very solid Piece of Mind, or tried to be eclectic and called the uneven Somewhere in Time their favorite. But there are really no bad songs on Powerslave (I too can hack "Back in the Village"), it has a pleasing abundance of tastefully done epics, and the instrumentation is all-around first-rate. And let's also not forget those furious fireballs "Aces High" and "Two Minutes to Midnight." Personally, I think Steve Harris' bass-playing is a little overrated; but, when he was in his prime (i.e., on Powerslave), he did prove one of the more talented and creative bassists in a major power or speed metal outfit. And I do agree that the Smith-Murray guitar team was a great force to be reckoned with in metal, and probably still is today. If you watch the live video of this tour that was released after this album, it provides further proof that Maiden was at the top of their game during the Powerslave era.
To Mr. Pat D: So unless the guy appears on the cover of 'Modern Drummer' he is no big? Let's be serious. Listen to the maniac and tell me what you think. 'Never on top of drummer polls'?. Mr. Mc Brain has consistently been on top of drummer polls since mid-eighties to mid-nineties. Consistently. In the covers of 'Metal Hammer' and 'Drums and Drumming' among others. He's been touring Europe with Paiste Cymbals and he is a celebrity there. Whether or not there are different editions of such magazines, or whether metal bands from overseas can make it or not to the american charts is another issue. Be sure 'he is at least considered "competent", Mr. D. In European Metal polls 10 years back he was chosen #2 behind Neil Peart and before Mr.Lame Ulrich and Master Rockenfield. So yes, he is generally considered competent.
While Piece of Mind is my fave, this is no letdown. I might as well get this out of the way now, so here goes. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner Sucks." There, I said it. Cool riff at the beginning, but who did Harris think he was kidding dragging that load of repetitiveness on for 13 minutes plus? Ah well, the rest rules. The title track has the best solo section in the Irons' entire catalog. "Aces High" and "2 Minutes to Midnight" are ass kicking classics. The rest is A-OK too. I don't get people's problems with "Back in the Village", tis is fine little tune. And I agree that the sound mix of this album is incredible. Crisp and clear as a bell. This is more wholesome Maiden goodness for ya. 9.5 since I gave "Piece of Mind" the 10.
I must agree with Pat D. that "Powerslave" is one of the greatest songs Maiden has ever done. It's hypnotic AND it rocks! Not too many songs out there do that.
But my favorite Maiden song of all time has to be "Run To the Hills." In fact, I personally believe that this is the greatests heavy metal song of all time
I just saw Maiden in Pittsburgh on August 8, 2003. This is the third time I've seen them (the first was during the Somewhere in Time tour, when I saw them in Johnstown, PA, which would have been circa 1986 or 1987; the second was in Pittsburgh for the Brave New World tour in 2000 (I received my first and (hopefully!) only speeding ticket on the way home--thank goodness I didn't drink during the show).
That aside, I was incredibly please to hear Bruce Dickison, during this last performance, give an "anti drug" speech after about five songs, saying that the smell of pot was "fucking dusgusting." As a parent myself, I was very proud that the members of one of my absolute favorite groups (and I DON'T consider myself a true metal-head) came down on drug use. Ted Nugent and Frank Zappa would be proud, too!
Here's to Iron Maiden in the new millenium! Brave New World indeed!
Vincent P. Frank II
(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
All you'll ever hear about this album from nearly everyone who has ever reviewed it is that it's a landmark classic masterpiece from Iron Maiden, and easily one of the finest live releases of all time. This was really the only reason that I looked into it at all. This is a great album, one of the better live albums I've heard, and the perfect introduction to Iron Maiden. The funny thing is that most of the songs on Live After Death are quite similar to those on the studio albums. There are no huge jams or extended versions (except "Running Free," but I'll get to that in a moment) or longer solos or anything like that. In fact if you were to just listen to a song or two off of this album you would probably get nothing out of it. You need to listen to Live After Death as a whole, and then you'll see why they all love it so much.
The big secret is that Live After Death perfectly captures the sound of an Iron Maiden concert in a way no other live album has. Or maybe not. To be honest with you I've never been to an Iron Maiden concert so I can't really be sure, but I imagine it would sound a whole lot like this. Bruce shouts at the audience and tells them to scream, the songs race by -- actually when you start listening to this album in its entirety you can begin to hear that, while on the surface the songs sound exactly like the originals, under a closer look you can see they are played with more energy than before.
Another plus is the songs selection. There are no errors here at all. Yeah, we do have "Die With Your Boots On," but that one's ten times as great as before. And yeah, we also have "Running Free" on here, and the studio version of that song could be the worst Iron Maiden song ever. However this live version is the only song on the album that is drastically different than the original. It's over eight minutes long, most of that time being spent on a huge piece of audience interaction with Bruce trying to see which area of the audience can scream louder. This could have been a huge disaster, since I like neither "Running Free" nor audience interaction, but for some strange reason the result is a whole lot of fun. Bruce shouts out stuff at the crowd like "I want to go back to England and tell the ear doctor there, 'Long Beach' really fucked up my 'earing' alright?" All sorts of that kind of stuff. It's very entertaining, and actually one of the better entries on the album, a perfect way to finish.
Nothing is lacking either. "To Tame A Land" and "Genghis Khan" are two of my favorite Iron Maiden tunes, but I doubt they would have turned out very good in a live setting. Now, there are a couple flaws on here, nothing to get very upset about, though. The biggest flaw is Bruce's vocal work on "Hallowed Be Thy Name." He sounds like he's got a bit of a cold there, and it hurts the beginning some. Other than that there are just a couple of tiny flaws that can be ignored with little to no effort. Be sure to pick up the double CD version of this album with some extra songs including some more Di'Anno era songs with the classic lineup playing. Then again, is the single album still available? I've only seen the double everywhere I look. If you happen to see the single album version, though, do not get it. Get the double.
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Robert: I've been to 8 Iron Maiden concerts (all their European tours in Europe since 'Somewhere on Tour 86' and once in USA). I can shed some light on a couple issues here: You say the record probably captures the way they sound(ed) live. As you might know, they NEVER checked sound prior to a concert (except for this live album with the RSRollingStudio). So, believe me on this one, for the first 2 or 3 songs the mess was terrible, set aside the fact that they always started the concerts with the first song of the last album which was by 'corporate policy' the heaviest and fastest. Needless to say, inaudible for 20 minutes.
Bruce has always done the 'scream for me <location>' thing, and it's always worked out great. He used to be a huge frontman. About 'Bruce's little cold' let me tell you that although I agree he had the most powerful, melodic and beautiful voice in heavy metal, he had an issue with stamina. It's well known that if you wanna catch him on 'mint condition' you have to go see them within the first 3 weeks on tour. Later, his voice loses a lot on the high tones and length. And it gets much worse than what you hear at Live after death: Its well known that the gallery had to entirely sing the chorus of 'Run to the hills' since he just couldn't make it 'up' there. Ain't that beautiful, almost romantic? They'll always be the biggest.
(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
Maybe some people will get angry with me when I say I actually prefer this to Piece Of Mind. It may be that there is no "Quest For Fire" or "Sun And Steel" stinker. For the most part the best on PoM exceed the better ones here, but the closing track on this one easily blows away anything that Piece Of Mind gave us. Ok, except MAYBE "To Tame A Land." The first track was Maiden's longest opener at that point, and it still manages to deliver the thrills that have opened the past few albums. Continuing on we get "Wasted Years" which has itself an excellent guitar solo, not to mention all of the depth needed to make this the best of the first half. "Sea of Madness" and "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" both contain two of the band's best choruses. What I'm trying to get across to some is that this is NOT a substandard Iron Maiden album.
But if that won't convince you of this album's greatness, listen to the last three tracks; they are easily the best on the album as well as some of Iron Maiden's very best. "Stranger in a Strange Land" has a powerful instrumental in it to add to the quality of the song. The solos are fantastic all about in there making this almost as good as the next one. "Deja Vu" is an catchy speed number with a moody little solo to open it up. "Alexander the Great" has such a great and gentle opening solo until the actual song begins to take you into a couple fine verses and choruses. But when Adrian's solo begins in the instrumental section here, you should know that you're in for a treat. A fine little progression plays a bit before his powerful second solo. Murray gets his bit in there before we're done giving us FOUR fantastic solos in one song.
I find this album underrated by many Maiden fans. Sure it has a different sound and style to it, but the advantages are there as well. The solos are incredibly great, second only to those on Powerslave. And, of course, Bruce Dickinson ones again proves himself as the greatest metal vocalist and Harris the greatest metal bassist. I give this a hearty recommendation no matter what other people say.
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The "playing" on this record is phenemonal. This is a very progressive-like recording. I mean listen to the double bass playing by Nicko and the incredible solos by Smith and Murray. I think with the exception of Wasted years the rest of the album may be a bit too much of a difficult listen for most people, because of the technical aspect of the music.
Am I the only Maiden fan on planet Earth who realizes that "Sea of Madness" is one of the greatest songs they've ever done? Superb pounding verses, a great vocal hook in the bridge and an astounding chorus. Breathtaking. Add a killer solo leading into a beautiful breakdown and you have evertything you could want in a Maiden song. I like it even better than "Wasted Years" which is saying something because I love "Wasted Years".
(Robert Grazer's review)
For many Maiden fans Somewhere in Time was an experimental disappointment. Not just the syths, but it was probably the closest Iron Maiden ever got to selling out, with all of those accessible almost pop metal songs. So they decided to keep the syths and return back to being somewhat like the early 80s style, but the band's sound has matured some more, and so the Maiden boys have decided to take a stab at some conceptual work. Now, this isn't a major concept album like many might make it seem. There is a common dark theme often of evil, the occult and death, but the actual concept lasts only a mere three songs out of the eight here. The story is quite simple, based off of a book about a child (the seventh son of a seventh son) born with some great mystical powers, who grows up and prophecies the destruction of a village, but no one listens to him. The village is destroyed, and people begin to fear the seventh son's gifts, and we are fast-forwarded to his death, where he reflects on his life and such. That's about it.
While you may not like the concept itself, the music to this album is excellent, considered by many to be Maiden's finest moment. Of course there are others, not many, but some, who consider this to be one of their weakest outings. I personally love Seventh Son; it was my favorite Iron Maiden release for quite some time. "Infinite Dreams" is one of the most intense Maiden tracks since "Hallowed Be Thy Name," and contains probably my favorite Maiden lyrics. Yeah, laugh if you want, but there are some spots where I certainly do enjoy the lyrics to their songs, and this would be one of those times. Plus Bruce is singing them, and that's a plus. He gives his finest overall performance on this album, the last truly great performance he would give until.... ok, the last truly great performance he would ever give. His vocals shine all over the place, particularly on "The Evil That Men Do," where he gives it all he's got and comes out with one of the finest overall vocal performances I've heard.
The opening "Moonchild" (after the "Seven deadly sins..." intro to the album) is a fast energetic opener that has a great melodic style similar to "Aces High" or "Invaders" off of earlier Maiden albums, rather than the epic of "Caught Somewhere In Time" to begin the album. The synths in the intro don't let us forget that the band is still somewhat in their age of experimentation, but it's clear that this time they're approaching it with the hardocre fans in mind. Well, ok, not entirely. "Can I Play With Madness" is right in the same style of most of Somewhere In Time, and maybe for that reason is usually the outcast of the album. I like it, though, just as I really like Somewhere In Time. Maybe it's the weakest track on the album, but when you have an album like this that doesn't make it a bad song.
Side two is arguably the best side of Iron Maiden that there is, with only Powerslave's second side coming incredibly close ("Back In The Village" holds it back a little). It begins with an incredible Harris epic in the title track which has an effective dark atmosphere to begin the concept. The instrumental section comes complete with a bunch of fantastic Murray/Smith solos, and an incredible finish. "The Prophecy" continues the concept, but what I really enjoy about this one are the clean solos that begin and end the song. Subtle, but not without a great feel to them, and a perfect way to help build up the mood of the album.
Finishing off the concept is "The Clairvoyant" with great vocal melodies on both the verses and chorus, making it another powerful addition. Closing everything off is "Only the Good Die Young," the main melody of which is a reworking of "Deja Vu" from the last album, but another memorable chorus and Bruce's once again excellent vocals give it a completely different overall feel, before the "Seven deadly sins..." lines are repeated to finish off the album. You might have to be in the right mood for it, but Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son is an excellent example of what Iron Maiden has the power to do with their music, and ranks as my second favorite Maiden release, to Powerslave.
HIGH POINTS: Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, Infinite Dreams, Moonchild. LOW POINTS: None.
I love how the career path of a band can change sometimes. After Somewhere In Time, which was probably the least celebrated Maiden album of the 80's by fans on account of its' synthesizers and pop influences, maybe the band wanted to rethink their approach a bit. And what they came out with here is a mild stab into concept album territory. Of course, whatever concept the lyrics might be trying to convey isn't that apparent unless you really go out of your way to pay attention to them, and who listens to Iron Maiden for lyrics, anyway? So in all honesty I could really care less how the actual effectiveness of the concept turns out. Naysayers I guess could see this album as the culmination of why Maiden's such a laughable 80's metal band or whatever, but I listen to the great, almost progressive, musical twists here and how much the album delivers when played loud. Especially with Bruce Dickinson singing.
Thanks to the effective synth use and epic, prog metal feel of many of the songs, the experience never gets monotonous at all, either, like the constant 'galloping' of Powerslave might. Maybe there are moments where it does get cheesy, especially the single "Can I Play With Madness?", an almost laughable pop metal monster. But hey, that song's a really catchy one that you might catch yourself singing along to, especially with that vocal charisma - and watch out for the musical shifts it rewards you with. In the hands of most other power metal bands, "The Evil That Men Do" might also be a dumb tune, but when you have Dickinson really giving it his all in this booming, energetic thrashy atmosphere on that hook 'the eeeevil that men do, lives on in aaaalllllll....', then damn, it becomes great. Dig the trademark echoey opening riff, too.
Of course, as good as those two songs are, they don't really illustrate the complexity of things nearly as well as the others - the first two cuts "Moonchild" and "Infinite Dreams" in particular demonstrate how brain-meltingly awesome the arrangements can be. The former track is pretty much the centerpiece of the concept here, with the acoustic 'seven deadly sins, seven ways to win...' opening bit, the effectively ominous arena rock style synth buildup, and an incredibly gripping thrash structure not unlike "Aces High" in power. And the latter song just friggin' smokes in terms of the awesome dynamic changes it has, from the slow and haunting bluesy beginnings, the intense, strange grining rhythm it's based on, effortlessly flowing between subtle yet extremely effective time changes.
The big epic here, though, is the nearly 10 minute side opening title track, with hardly a wasted second to be found here. Well, okay, maybe the title of the song is repeated a few too many times during the chorus, but that's a minor quibble considering how much power it's sung with, and the galloping grace it has from the choir-synth intro beginning rules. But the real treat during the song is the indescribably brilliant way it builds up to the big solo section in the last three or four minutes - the spoken word portion may appear cheesy on paper, but when it's backed up by chilling use of choir-like ambience mixed in with effective Steve Harris basslines, it works with an epic majesty. And with that, an incredible guitar duel between Adrian Smith and Dave Murray take you to the end, with a ton of excellent solo passages to please your metal-loving eardrums.
And hey, the last three songs on the record are no slouch either. "The Prophet" probably defines the 'progressive' aspect of the sound nicely, with a whole shitload of great riffs and intricate changes. I also love Bruce's yelling over a very weird chord progression that appears, plus the acoustic ending works wonderfully. "The Clairvoyant" is really damn good, too, with a fine anthemic bass buildup, subtle use of airy synths, and a punishing shift to a trademark gallop with screaming of the line 'there's a time to live, and a time to die...' For closing the record, "Only The Good Die Young" is a solid, though not particularly awesome, pop metal number whose best moment is how the key change of its' catchy chorus is effective within the song's length. And that's pretty much it. A damn good Maiden album for you that demonstrates their artsy side as well as anything. It's really close to 9 quality, actually, but there are hints of slightly tiresome genericism and unmemorable melodies here, even if the final product is simply excellent, and recommended for those interested in prog metal, especially.
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COMMENTS
I've heard almost this entire album via greatest hits collections and various mp3s, and on a whole the impression has been good. Nice interweaving of the keyboards and more traditional guitar lines giving most of this compilation a decidedly progressive flavoring. Highlights seem to be the exceptionally melodic "Infinite Dreams" with that killer melodic line right after the heavy shift near the 3:20 mark. Man, these guys had a ton of these catchy, moving, near perfect melodies in their vaults. I think thats why i dig 'em so much.
Anyways, I dont really care for "Moonchild" all that much. It doesnt seem to have that aforementioned catchy melody of logical music progression that made "Infinite Dreams" such a must listen for me. You can read about the other tracks i heard from my Best of the Beast review.
And while i dont own the CD, from the various sources i have heard these songs from, the mix seems to be, at the very least, Powerslave quality, if not better. Crisp, clear drum tracking, great ambience from the guitars and synths, and the Lord Of Bass Guitar never sounded better.
And finally, Bruce gives some of the best vocal work of his career. The best part about his singing on here is the complete lack of over-the-topness that turns a lot of people off to Number of the Beast. Which is not necessarily bad, by the way, i really like his performance on that album. But some people i know laugh and cringe when Bruce shifts in and out of key in mid croon. That particular aspect as been toned down on this release, for better or worse, depending on your view of Number or Powerslave..In any case i can honestly say i have never heard a better vocalist in metal as of this album and Mr. Dickenson's performance on it..
Oh yeah, I still have yet to hear "Only the Good Die Young". As i write this i am trying to find a damn server with that song on it. Of course, i could probably find about 5 billion copies of that crappy Rollin' song in about a second. Oh well.
[email protected] (Shaun Downton)
This album is some much better than what i expected from maiden. this time they were being more creative and travelling away from their "corny" ghoulish image and sound, exploring more epic, progressive and synthezisers driven sounds.
(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
Well, gee I never knew losing Adrian would hurt the band this much. This is the first time I have had to say an Iron Maiden album pretty much sucks, but it’s true. Really, it does. This isn’t a step down from Seventh Son; this is a leap off of a cliff. Unless you are a very rabid fan, stay away. The classic age has officially ended, and Harris is running out of steam. I mean, the guy is actually reusing some his old work. The title track on here seems a little too close the “Infinite Dreams” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” At points “Mother Russia” is pretty similar to “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.” And as if all of that wasn’t bad enough, Bruce Dickinson is not sounding God-like anymore. If this was my introduction to Iron Maiden I would have run away quickly and never looked back.
The band seems to be attacking the area of politics with songs like “Public Enema Number One.” It doesn’t work. Oh the song is one of this albums few highlights, but the lyrics are terrible. “Holy Smoke” goes after the shady preachers, and fails there too. That song is really annoying. Queensryche did the whole shady preacher thing so much better on Operation: Mindcrime. “The Assassin” has an awful awful awful chorus, even worse than those in “Running Free” and “Quest for Fire.” This is disappointing since the song starts out really well.
The best of them all is possibly “Run Silent Run Deep,” and even that one is flawed. The ending is awful there. And generally speaking about the album’s lyrics, they are a big nosedive too. Yeah, I know most people didn’t like Maiden’s lyrics a whole lot in the first place, but I did. On a few occasions, anyway. But here you won’t find any impressive lyrics at all. In favor of the album I’ll say that there has been a whole lot worse. Nothing here is really painful to listen to, and if this was an album done by a lesser band I would have given it a five or maybe even a six. The 4 is because we all know the band is capable of a hell of a lot better than this. Then again if you think the first seven albums are the seven best albums ever, you just might like this.
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C'mon, Robert this one isnt that bad. Its more of a scaled down rocknroll straight forward record like Metallica's black album. Some of this stuff is actually fun. I'd give it at least a 7.5 or an 8. Just for the sentimental memories of my senior year in high school. I'll admit i was a bit dissapointed at first cause 7th Son was so incredible. Infinite Dreams and the title track are my favs from that record.
(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
All in all, this is a rather big step up from No Prayer For The Dying. You see, while this album still can’t hold a candle to the golden age works, there are some really good songs on here. And some really shitty ones, but oh well. This album kicks off with “Be Quick Or Be Dead,” and that is one ass-kickin’ song! It sounds nothing like any Iron Maiden song before, zero power metal. Strangely though, it works. The guitar solos are really great too. Bruce is screaming on this one, but it isn’t the good old siren and while this style of vocals would absolutely ruin any of the band’s real classics, it works well here.
Other highlights include “Childhood’s End,” which is probably great enough to deserve a position on classic Maiden album. I love that drumbeat in the background. “Wasting Love,” is an excellent love ballad, something Iron Maiden never does. And oh how I love “Weekend Warrior!” “Judas Be My Guide” has an effective dark mood to accompany a good tune. The title track is, at last, another great epic. Yeah, I know, it isn’t “Phantom of the Opera” or “Powerslave,” but don’t be expecting that from a 90s Maiden. The emotional power is here, as is the complexity and Bruce sounds better than on any other song on here or on No Prayer For The Dying. It’s good to have this song to remind us that Harris could still write a classic.
However “The Fugitive” is pretty dumb (except the guitar solos, which are very well done) with pretty dorky lyrics. More crap lyrics appear in “From Here to Eternity.” “The Apparition” absolutely sucks hard, making the bottom five Iron Maiden songs at least. Such crap, it makes me long for “Quest For Fire,” “Murders In The Rue Morgue,” and even “Running Free.” Well, OK maybe not “Running Free,” It’s a pretty hard call. But how could such a great band make such a bad song? I'm hoping it was just a little bit of filler and that Harris didn't actually try with that one. Other than those complaints, this is a pretty good album, and any huge fan of the classics should have a copy of this lying around.
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(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
Exit Bruce Dickinson; enter possibly the most hated heavy metal singer of the past ten years, Blaze “Lounge Singer” Bayley. Actually, you can’t tell it by the opener. I really feel he works out there like a good old heavy metal singer who just happens to have a deep voice, but on something like “Fortunes Of War,” heh heh. You should hear it. The way he drags out the word “war” with his deep voice is pretty damn funny. The lounge singer thing really kicks in. I guess it’s times like that when we need the extra-gruesome cover art to keep the mood serious.
Anyway the opening “Sign Of The Cross” is awesome, probably the best one this album has to offer, although not on the level as the classic Harris epics (of course). Harris seems to really be trying to bring back the old sound. The intro to “Lord Of The Flies” is such an obvious attempt at another “Flash Of The Blade” intro. Believe it or not the song works pretty well, and the intro is pretty good if you don’t think about “Blade.” “Judgment Of Heaven” is for the most part pretty good, with a pretty cool solo. More great solos come in “Blood On The World’s Hands” and “The Edge Of Darkness,” but still I’d never dream of calling this album another Powerslave. “2 A.M.” is a solid entry as well, perhaps the second best on the album.
However, in spite of the successes, flaws are everywhere, and it isn’t just the singer. The beginning of “Look For The Truth” is almost identical to that of “Fortunes Of War,” although after that the song rules. Despite being a really good song, the intro to “Blood On The World’s Hands” is really stupid. As an epic closer “The Unbeliever” is good, but when you look at the epic closers of the golden age, (like “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “To Tame A Land,” “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”), and even from the previous album, it just can’t compare. “Sign of the Cross” may have been a better choice to end this album. Also, even though I’ve never really heard it in their music before this album, the songs are sounding pretty generic. So The X Factor is indeed a step up from No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark, (mostly because it lacks songs that are truly atrocious, and it’s only a very little bit better than Dark), but it’s definitely not a Maiden classic. Well, not for me anyway. There are those that consider this one of the band’s best albums. I just consider it good, nothing a whole lot more.
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COMMENTS
[email protected] (John Schlegel)
This album sure gets a lot of flack from fans. Actually, I really liked it when it first came out. Maybe it was just a breath of fresh air for a horribly out-of-date headbanger when most teenagers were listening to nauseating post-post-grunge piffle like Silverchair and Presidents of the United States of America. No, I'm SURE that was the reason I liked this album so much in 1995.In retrospect, the LP is a bit dreary, and at times it sounds as flat as Bayley's voice. But I still don't hate it as much as a lot of fans do (and I don't even know if I would be considered a true Maiden fan anymore, even though it never really leaves you). The songwriting is indeed pretty generic, and some of the playing sounds choppy and effortless. The once great Harris, in particular, sounded like he had grown a bit stiff in his age--the bass solo at the beginning of "Blood on the World's Hands" left something to be desired. Bayley could sing, but his unique pipes did not work out on every song.Still, this is Maiden, and it isn't as bad as its two studio predecessors. As such, The X-Factor has redeeming qualities. There are still good, trudging, metal-marching anthems like "Sign of the Cross" and "The Aftermath," and "Man on the Edge" is sure a fine, galloping rocker (incidentally, Falling Down is one of my favorite films!). "Blood on the World's Hands" is a great tune too, even though I don't like the intro. Sure, the lyrical themes here are same-ol'-same-ol', and many of the songs still have those EXTREMELY tired triplet rhythems, but Maiden are legends, so they don't have to be expected to change all that much.
(reviewed by Pat D.)
Unfortunately, I'm beginning to discover that although the Maidens have quite a few extraordinary tracks, most of their career has been astoundingly inconsistent. Secondly, their songs in the mid to late 80s are SO dated that I'm embarrassed to be caught listening to them. Perhaps the even more troubling thing is that I LIKE some of these over the top songs. Example one: "Can I Play With Madness". This song is such a cliche of 80's POP metal. Not even regular Maiden power metal. But man, the production on that track is absolutely amazing. Pounding, crisp drums, shimmering guitar lines, and bright, poppy bass. And dig that drum fill after every verse. Now that's some catchy shit. On the other hand, this song represents everything I hated about 80's pop metal, so its kind of a very guilty pleasure.
Anyways, like a lot of greatest hits albums, this one makes some weird choices in the track listing. Number one was including ANYTHING from Blaze Bayley (post Dickinson era Maiden. Number two was NOT including ANYTHING from Paul DiAnno (pre-Dickinson era Maiden.). Now, I still think Bruce was by far the best singer Maiden ever had (or any power metal band for that matter), but DiAnno is CERTAINLY better than Bayley.
Oh , how to describe this man... I believe it was Mark Prindle himself who said that Bayley sounds like Tom Jones. Before I owned this album, I figured he was simply making a humorous exaggeration. Then I reached track 11. A little ditty called "Virus". The first time I ever heard Mr. Bayley. At first it starts out really cool, with our new lead singer doing a creepy chant. THEN the chorus comes in. I almost swerved off the road, consumed by laughter. What in hell was Steve Harris thinking when he hired this schmuck? He sounds like a fucking lounge singer! Certainly not in step for some kickass power metal. However, the track before "Virus" called "Man On The Edge" is a cool, powerful song, and Bayley isn't as laughable. Overall, though, this album is pretty good, despite the obvious omissions of the DiAnno era.
The only tracks I REALLY have a problem with are "Wasted Years" and "Running Free". Just about every other song has a good melody or catchy rhythm to it. Even "Virus" has a exceptional ending that nearly makes up for Tom Jo....I mean Blaze Bayley. But, there is something to be said about an album that calls itself "greatest hits" and forgets about the classic first two Maiden albums: The untitled first release, and "Killers". Still, Best Of The Beast is a consistently good album. Its just not quite what its title would have you believe. Oh---for you sound quality freaks, I noticed that the two tracks off of Powerslave, "Aces High" and "2 Minutes to Midnight", have more pronounced bass than on the full album. Appears this compilation was remastered by a different studio prior to the full albums.
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I've heard this one before and I must say that along with Black Sabbath's greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll, this has to be one of the most atrocious compilations ever put together. Now I'm only talking about the regular CD version. I know that they released a Double CD version that includes of course, more songs and the band's early demo tapes called The Soundhouse Tapes. Also included is a live rendition of "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" with Blaze Bayley on vocals during The X Factor tour, and thanks to Napster ( Fuck You Metallica!! Ha Ha) I was fortunate enough to obtain the song. And it is quite excellent! Even the mix is awesome! So my recommendation is to hunt down that Double CD. But I can't seem to find it anywhere. But believe me, if you purchase the regular CD version you will be greatly dissapointed.
So why do I believe that the regular CD version is not recommendable?? Well, as Pat D. mentioned before the song selection is quite bizarre. First off, there is nothing off the first 2 Iron Maiden releases with Paul DiAnno on vocals. Sure..Sure "Running Free" is on here, but that version is from the live album Live After Death with Dickinson on vocals. Secondly, some of the songs on here don't even belong on a "Greatest Hits" album. "Bring Your Daughter..To The Slaughter" is one of the worst Iron Maiden songs ever written and the Blaze Bayley tracks on here don't even come close to such classic tracks such as "Prowler", "Phantom Of The Opera", "Wrathchild", "Killers", "Powerslave".....Man, the list is endless. Now don't get me wrong, the Blaze tracks are alright. I even agree with Pat D. that "Virus" has a cool ending, once you get past that laughable singing. So that's why I believe that this CD will dissapoint you. But the good news is that there are at least some memorable songs such as "Aces High", "The Trooper" , "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "The Evil That Men Do" and the best track on the album and perhaps my favorite IM song "Fear Of The Dark (Live)", it kicks the studio version's ass!! Thanks to the crowd. 6/10.
(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
With the second of the Bayley albums, Harris and friends seem to have decided that instead of trying to both restore the band’s sound and at the same time be all deep and serious, he’s just going to try to make a good album and to hell with being deep. The result? Success. “Futureal” is an opener that’s finally has the same feel of a song like “Aces High” or “Moonchild,” even if it isn’t as good. “The Angel And The Gambler” begins in the same style as the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” but soon develops out of that and into a great song. Except, well by the end of the song the “Don’t you think I’m a savior” line is repeated at least a hundred thousand times and it does get pretty annoying.
The acclaimed “The Clansman” starts exactly like “Infinite Dreams.” Now, “No Prayer For the Dying” just started similar, but this is the exact same thing. Despite that, though, the song is great. It’s often called the best Bayley-era song, but I’m not sure if I would agree. If “Futureal” was the band trying to make an opening song like they used to, then this one is an attempt at an epic done the old way. There had been a couple really great epics from the past few albums (like “Fear Of The Dark” and “Sign Of The Cross”), but never one with the same feel as something like “To Tame a Land.” “The Clansman” is a success in creating the same style with lesser quality. For the most part it certainly is a great song, most likely the best on this album, although I still think “Sign Of The Cross” is better.
The other songs are nothing to get excited about. While “The Educated Fool” is good, “Como Estais Amigos” is a tad on the dull side, and I can’t really get into “When Two Worlds Collide.” Virtual XI is another step in the right direction for Maiden, finally showing the band getting back on their feet. Plus Bayley is sounding a little less like a lounge singer than on The X Factor. However, I’m sure nearly everyone is happy that this was his last album.
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(reviewed by Pat D.)
Another greatest hits set from the band. However, this one has a couple of notable differences from Best Of The Beast. One, there is a REALLY crappy game included along with the other two music CDs. I'll get to the other differences later. For now we will talk about this lame-ass attempt at garnering record sales. Picture 1996 in PC gaming. We had seen the onset of Windows 95 and Microsoft's sorry attempt at hardware standardization, DirectX. Somewhat speedy 2D graphics were made possible thanks to Windows 95 and 2d accelerators like the S3 Vision series and so on.
Why am I explaining all this? Because the game "Ed Hunter" which is included with this album is circa 1996 gaming. Some of the crappiest graphics I have seen in a long time, coupled with a generic shooting style game (which you play with a mouse. A MOUSE!!!) and one of the lamest attempts at a plot that somehow involves Iron Maiden, Eddie the mascot, and punk rockers in the city of London. Don't ask. It makes no sense to me either. So, the conclusion is, don't buy this greatest hits collection for the game.
Moving on to more relevant things, the music selection isn't bad at all. All of the classics are here, with a few omissions (the excellent "Clairvoyant" for example), and in general, it seems very congruent. However, I still hate "Wasted Years" and always will. I fail to see why that song is considered classic. An excellent rendition of "Iron Maiden" live is included, as well as TWO versions of "Wraithchild". The first (and the listed one) is the original, with Paul Dianno doing the vocals. He's ok, but flip quickly to track 15 for Bruce's rendition. Wow, its not even close. If there was ever any doubt who was the greatest Maiden vocalist ever, this pretty much settles it. On disc two, you get two excellent tracks "Phantom of the Opera" and "Killers", both of which kick some extreme ass. "Run to the Hills" and "Tailgunner" are fairly good tunes, though not top Maiden. "Stranger in a Strange Land" is awful, however.
Ok, so the game sucks, and the track listing is pretty good. So why did this get such a low score? Because it sounds HORRIBLE. It says plain as day in the album that all the tracks have been remastered. I find that pretty funny considering that not one of the 21 tracks on either music disc sounds even as good as the original unremastered maiden. It's THAT BAD. Everything sounds murky, fuzzy, and blurry. I mean, just listen to "Powerslave" which was recorded darn near perfectly on the album of the same name. They even managed to screw that up! Unbelievable. Anyways, my final decision is to forget this set. It will run you a good $30+ in most stores, and Best Of The Beast (which also comes in a two CD set if you can find it) sounds phenomenally better than Ed Hunter. And let me repeat: THE GAME BLOWS. If you do decide to buy Ed Hunter, don't say I didn't warn you.
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(Robert Grazer's review)
Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith return, and Blaze Bayley is fired. Naturally as an Iron Maiden fan the restoration of the golden age lineup brought with it very high hopes and expectations. For the most part these expectations are fulfilled. At last, another great Iron Maiden album! I know some were let down by Brave New World, but me I wasn’t expecting one that I could give a 10. What I was expecting was a great reunion album, and I got it. First of all, Bruce sounds great. Sure he isn’t as great as he was on Seventh Son, but not to worry; he is singing a hell of a lot better than he was on No Prayer For The Dying or Fear Of The Dark. With him back this album really feels like its Iron Maiden again, something Mr. Bayley really couldn’t help with. From that it’s pretty easy for me to say that the songs are pretty much awesome. I love “The Wicker Man” and “Ghost Of The Navigator” to death, and “The Mercenary” has an awesome chorus. “Dream of Mirrors” is a little bit too much like “Infinite Dreams,” but it’s only the lyrics this time. The music to that song is completely different. At over nine minutes it stands as a solid epic entry into this album, and one of my favorites on this album.
Any Iron Maiden song that is in the seven-minute range is a winner, right? Looking at the past we’ve had “Phantom Of The Opera,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Powerslave,” and so on. Even “Fortunes of War” is a good song despite containing the worst vocal performance from that other guy. Here we have a tune called “Blood Brothers,” and a great song it is. I’ll give it my little vote for the best on the album as well as the best vocal performance on the album, and hell the best vocal work for the past decade when I think about it. There are complaints I have about this album, but I’m too happy to go deep into them. If you really must know I don’t like “The Nomad” or “Out of the Silent Planet” much at all. Anyway the point is that this album brings such great joy that I feel bad giving it a mere 8. I guess it fits in between Iron Maiden and Piece Of Mind, or maybe slightly below those two. And, oh, just a note about the choruses being repeated a lot. I just need to say that NOTHING was as bad as “The Angel and the Gambler.”
The Maidens are back, and this time they've ditched the lounge singer! Yeah I know, low blow, but after hearing Mr. Blayze Sinatra play with the band I was even ready accept Gary Cherone as a replacement! Well, maybe that's going a bit too far, but lets just say I was at least very happy last year when i heard that the band had tossed Bayley out and got my favorite Metal singer back, Mr. Bruce Dickinson. Oh yeah, and they also bought back former guitarist and Dickinson solo album veteran Adrian Smith. Since my last Iron Maiden review, I have grown to appreciate Smith for his contribution to the guitar harmonies in mid 80s Maiden, which in the few tracks I have heard from the Gers era, was unfortunately missing. So now Maiden is a 3 axe outfit.
I must admit, even after two weeks or so listening to this latest Maiden release, I still have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, there are three absolutely terrific tracks (Blood Brothers, The Wicker Man, and Fallen Angel) three good tracks (Ghost of the Navigator, Mercenary, and Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Brave New World) two mediocre ones (Out of the Silent Planet, Dream of Mirrors) and one absolutely horrible song (Nomad). Before I get to describing the songs, there were a couple of things that bothered me about this album. One is, the band does not seem to have the energy they used to have. Even in the heavier songs like "The Wicker Man" and "Mercenary" there just seems to be a lack of power. This point is at least forgivable, since i think most members are now in their 40s now, and have probably exhausted their youthful energy.
Secondly, and this one is less forgivable, is that there seems to be way too many repetitions of choruses throughout this album. For example, I cannot even listen to the entire "Dream Of Mirrors" because it goes on for about 4 minutes too long with Bruce singing nothing but the "I only dream in black in white/I only dream cause I'm alive" chorus. Which is OK the first few times, but this chorus is repeated like 7 times through out the song, and it gets old really fast. Which is a shame, because the song has an exceptional melodic opening. Or take "The Wicker Man" or the phenomenal "Blood Brothers" or "Mercenary". All have the refrain repeated way too many times.
Third, I was expecting a something more out of three lead guitarists. This is a minor problem, though, as the guitar work is generally excellent all around, but I did expect to hear something a little more thrilling. Fourth, the mix is not all that great. At certain times it is very very good, like in "Blood Brothers", but during the loud/heavy tracks like "Wicker Man" and "Fallen Angel" the drums sound weak, and the guitars sound kind of muddy. Those criticisms aside, this is a very melodic album. Matter of fact, I'm finding it harder and harder to call Iron Maiden a metal band any more. Especially this album, which seems to me to be far more of a progressive album (ala Seventh Son) than say anything like Motley Crue or Judas Priest.
In my opinion the best song on this disc is unquestionably "Blood Brothers". Matter of fact, "Brothers" is such a well put together song that its rivaling "Powerslave" (my favorite Maiden track ever) as #1 on my list of top melodic metal songs. How to describe this song....well, to plagiarize from an Iron Maiden website, it has an absolutely infectious Celtic melody combined with some of the best vocal work Bruce ever did. Plus, the first guitar solo (I'm pretty sure its Murray) bounces excellently off the rhythm guitar(s), bass, and drums. And it flows perfectly throughout its 7:14 running time.
I'm sure just about any IM fan has downloaded an mp3 of "The Wicker Man" by now, so I'll skip it, and just say it has an excellent chorus riff. "Fallen Angel" has a cool chorus, and I love the second time when it is repeated, a guitar line is inserted behind the chorus. Great stuff. The good tracks I mentioned are by far the most disappointing because they could have been great, or even classic Maiden tunes. Somewhere in each of them is a part or part(s) that just don't sit well with me. "Mercenary" has a horrible chorus, "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" has some awkward harmonic vocal phrasing, and "Brave New World" never reaches the heights the opening aspires to.
Mediocre tracks? "Out of the Silent Planet" has an awkward chorus, but still a nice drumline. And while "Dream Of Mirrors" has a downright beautiful melodic opening, when the distorted guitar riff comes in, it becomes rather generic, and of course, that dumb chorus is repeated over and over for the last 4 minutes or so. And finally, there is the godawful "Nomad" with one of the most laughably inept choruses i've heard in a while. Rather generic Eastern riff behind it as well. I find that track to be unlistenable. I guess I really did not come to any solid conclusion with this album; i'm still getting used to it. But most of what I said won't change, and you can guarantee that "Nomad" won't ever be on my list of top ten metal songs anytime soon. Overall, its not a bad album, and from what I hear, light years beyond Virtual XI or The X Factor. And of course, the next time you'll hear Tom Jones won't be on a new Iron Maiden release.
Update: In the past few days i've been able to look past the bad harmonic vocals of "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and wow----this is a great song. I especially love the rhythmic lead/rhythm guitar interplay after the second chorus is finished. And Bruce sounds like Steve Perry during that quiet part at the end when he sings the songs title. Matter of fact I could swear that is IS Perry, and that he was uncredited on the album. Sure does not sound much like Bruce. Anyway I bump this up to a 7. None of the other tracks I mentioned have even remotely started to grow on me any more than they have, so this is pretty much my final rating.
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