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Well, the boys
are back. The first album of the largest lineup Maiden
have ever had has been released. In case you are
wondering, I know it was released over a month ago but
for an accurate review and once the joy of hearing a new
Maiden
album has worn off, I can tell you how I now feel about
it.One of
the first things that I noticed upon buying this CD was
the Derek Riggs/Steve Stone Artwork (top half Riggs,
bottom
Stone). It's the bluest cover since Live After Death!
It's a very fetching and relaxing design despite a
gleering Cloud-Eddie.
Actually, on Dereg Riggs' website I found the oringinal
picture drawn of the wicker man and the smoke forms this
top half
abeit in red and not blue. Perhaps the album was to be
called The Wicker Man originally.
I began to worry
that this may be some sort of laid back and mellow album
especially when I looked at the length of the
songs. I was soon brought back to my senses with a bang
when the Wicker Man began.
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The Wicker Man
The first track, which was also their first
single release off this album and reached a
pretty healthy no.9 in the UK charts,reminded me
a lot of Bruce/Adrians solo work.
With the exception of the last Whoa-o-o part, the
rest of the track smacks of Bruce
Dickinson's Accident Of Birth album. Nice catchy
riffs and good singing (even if the
intro sounds like Judas Priest's Running Wild)
make this one not the fastest or best
Maiden track but a fine romp nonethelessGhost Of The
Navigator
And on we go to Ghost Of The Navigator. I've come
to the conclusion that this is my
current fave of the album. A Modern-Maiden
sounding little intro-ette followed by a real
classic rock sounding riff, Great singing and
lots of tempo changes which I always
believe that Maiden must do as they're so good at
it. Great guitar solos and a catchy
chorus round this one off.
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Brave
New World
All of a sudden things mellow out with lyrics about dying
swans and not needed beauty (paraphrased from lyrics). I
found
myself chilling out to the intro to this one. I should
have know by now that Maiden almost always speed up and
this one
certainly has plenty of belated gusto! A fine title track.
Blood
Brothers
And then onto what many consider to be the black sheep of
the tracklist, Blood Brothers. How can I describe this.
Imagine
Iron Maiden crossed with early Jethro Tull (minus the
flute) and not speeding up like they usually do. The
intro sounds very
like The X-Factor but with Bruce singing (quite low for
him too). A very anthemic chorus and a very mellow song
in general.
Not one of the best on the album but by no means one to
be skipped. Sort of like an interval / chill out moment
as none of
the other tracks sound like this one. A very nice (if
short) twiddly solo considering the speed too and a very
epic rock solo
later on in the track! And what sounds like violins/cellos
in one bit. The nice medeival sounding mini-tunes are
back too
which I am glad for. The middle bit reminds me more of
Braveheart than the Clansman (one of the best Blaze-era
songs) did.
The
Mercenary
One of the shortest Maiden tracks and a marked difference
in tempo from the previous track. Very Maiden and A good
track.
One of those riffs that will stay in your head after
listening to it (for me anyway). Great twiddly solos and
a different voice style
from Bruce for the verses on this one (a bit rougher but
we're not talking From Here To Eternity though). A little
too short for
my liking and a little bit standard for Maiden but again,
not one that I'd skip!
Dream Of
Mirrors
Starting off with quite a strange intro, a lead riff
which reminded me of Red Dwarf (!) and mellow ie no drums
for over two
and a half minutes apart from light cymbals. They soon
arrive though. I'd say that this part was overly long but
there is a
gradual speedup all the way through this track and is
worth listening to for the great speed up just before 6
minutes. Great to
hear the classic Maiden gallop back as they heven't done
it for so long! Very clear instruments on this track and
I liked both
halves of this so it's definately one I'd leave on. Has
the trademark crowd participation whoa parts again but I
will be doing
that should they play it!
The Fallen
Angel
The intro to this track made me think very clearly of
Bruce's The Chemical Wedding and the vocals backed me up
on this. A
strange chorus on first listen, this track could also
have been placed on Seventh Son Of a Seventh Son and
would have fitted.
Very bouncy, very good solos (each guitarist gets a solo!)
and a Thin Lizzy stlye twin (triple?) guitar segment or
two! A good
track indeed and one I will definately be playing for a
while. I'd have liked it to have been longer but then I
would also like
Maiden to do a Four-hour set live as well!
The Nomad
It is probably just a total coincidence that
former frontman Paul Di'Anno's new album is also entitled
Nomad! It's certainly
nice to see that Maiden keep their trademark epic and the
mad thing is that although this track is obviously it, it
is pipped by
Dream Of Mirrors by 20 seconds as the second longest
track on the album. I'd say that this was a cross between
Alexander
The Great and Mother Russia (I track I can't stand but
there you go). Plenty of tempo changes and different
singing styles and
great intrumental sections and solos. I'd say that this
would definately be a love or hate track. I love it
despite thinking that It's
would be last if I ranked the tracks. It feels longer
than it actually is due to amount of changes and
different playing within. The
Mellow bit (complete with synth trumpets/horns) is great
and ranks up there with Mariner/Seventh Son although this
one has
no spoken part. Never mind, just chill out and enjoy. No-o-o-o-maaaaaad!
Out Of The
Silent Planet
A chanty anthemic intro hides a Chemical Wedding style
verse punch. People have complained about repetitive
chorsusses
but I can live with that, it makes learning the songs to
sing along easier. This track is right up there at the
moment with Ghost
Of The Navigator on my must-play list and has a chorus
which has that same feelgood factors as classic track Sun
And
Steel. Very upbeat track and I enjoyed it immensely.
The Thin
Line Between Love & Hate
A nice crunchy intro riff starts this one off and the
leads to the familiar Maiden riffage. Layered vocals on
the verses but
sounding very like Maiden with all the usual hallmarks.
One of the longest titles to a tracks and this has great
vocals and
guitar work. Good tempo changes and twiddly guitar bits
and even distinguishable guitar harmonies are apparent
here. It's
a little bit standard for Maiden but considering the
variety on offer this still sounds like nothing else on
the album! A great
bit at the very end involving Nicko and either Shirley or
Harris leaving the tape running after finishing round the
album off with
a smile.
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Production
is of the all-get-in-the-studio variety and isn't
bad. Sadly, the guitar
harmonies which sounded so great with three
guitars on Powersave live from The
Wicker Man single are mostly non-existent and the
BASS IS QUIET OR MISSING!
These are probably my only gripes and don't
really turn me against the album.
On live concerts , this bass willl be back. I'm
assuming that as Harris has credits
for keyboards in the credits, that he couldn't
play bass at the same time! Another
small thing is that despite what Steve Harris has
said in interviews, synth doesn't
sound as good as real orchestral instruments!Overall then, after
a few months of listening to it, I still love it.
Being someone who
also liked Virtual XI, I would have been pleased
if they had just done more of that.
They didn't and I'm even more impressed. There is
certainly something for
everyone on this album and I liked every track on
it.
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Be
prepared to dislike one, maybe two at the most but with
an honest listen,I couldn't see anyone truly despising
anything
else about it!
Coagulus /
Rob
9/10
- One
of their best, well-rounded albums since Seventh Son. Not
many truly classic tracks but consistently good!
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