A teenager's enthusiastic, inconsistent, interminable track-by-track odyssey through Iron Maiden, many of those tracks covered multiple times on various compilations, live albums and DVDs of those same live albums. Plus a handful of other bands.
Reviews of albums from bands beginning with I & J written for dooyoo.co.uk from 2003–2008.
I
Between Two Worlds
***
Written on 25.07.08
I is an unimaginatively titled black metal supergroup that decided to forsake each band member's experienced styles and instead pursue a patronisingly simplistic heavy metal approach. While the result isn't particularly bad, it's never anything beyond a distinctly average album of heavy metal spoiled by Abbath's out-of-place black metal growls throughout, that sound noticeably more hoarse and less powerful than in Immortal.
My main issue with the music is that it's all so slow and dull, plodding along at the pace of an average Judas Priest track and only becoming faster and more energetic in 'Battalions' and 'Cursed We Are.' Ice Dale unleashes some pretty cool solos all over the place, but the guitar riffs are predominantly boring and overly repetitive, and no amount of down-tuning is going to convince fans that this is the same guy who played in Enslaved. This album entirely fails to combine the twin world of black metal and classic heavy metal, if this was ever its intention.
1. The Storm I Ride
2. Warriors
3. Between Two Worlds
4. Battalions
5. Mountains
6. Days of North Winds
7. Far Beyond the Quiet
8. Cursed We Are
Iced Earth
Iced Earth
*****
Written on 27.07.08
Iced Earth's first three albums of the early nineties are heavy metal classics, combining many of the finest elements of eighties metal with the benefit of hindsight, before record label pressure reduced the band to little more than a Metallica copy-cat. The sound expressed on these first three albums is highly distinctive and each sounds very different to its companions, the self-titled debut being perhaps the least dark and heavy in comparison, but still essentially a meaner and faster take on the classic metal sound of bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
Singer Gene Adam seems to be the main bone of contention for fans with regard to this album, and while it's clear that he's the least talented of Iced Earth's various frontmen, his high wailing sound keeps the album distinctive, and he's equally capable of low-end rasps, even if neither pitch is particularly effective. Songwriter and rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer packs a great deal into each song, and while 'When the Night Falls' may be a little long and repetitive, the sheer quality of material on here means that no track is expendable, even the acoustic interlude 'Solitude.'
1. Iced Earth
2. Written on the Walls
3. Colors
4. Curse the Sky
5. Life and Death
6. Solitude
7. The Funeral
8. When the Night Falls
Advantages: Progressive heavy metal, without showing it.
Disadvantages: Gene Adam is the band's weakest vocalist.
Iced Earth
Night of the Stormrider
*****
Written on 27.07.08
Iced Earth's second album is their most ambitious and arguably the band's finest work (at least, if I was doing the arguing). With seven instant metal classics bridged by two equally valid interludes in the form of the shorter 'Before the Vision' and 'Reaching the End,' this is the band's first and darkest concept album, its greatest achievement being that it possesses all the power, darkness and grandeur of a Wagner symphony without resorting to orchestration, beyond the apocalyptic opening choir that sets the tone perfectly.
This is a seriously fast and heavy album, dominated by Jon Schaffer's distinctive guitar triplets, and the most perfect synthesis of the classic British heavy metal and American thrash sounds that I've ever heard, unfortunately coming a few years too late for the mainstream to care, in the wake of heavy metal's death to grunge at the start of the decade. The music is uniformly dark and epic but still manages to be varied, with 'Pure Evil' sounding almost Slayer-like in its intensity, 'Desert Rain' boasting a catchy chorus in the style of Judas Priest and finale 'Travel in Stygian' rivalling Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' in its execution.
This is one of my all-time favourite metal albums.
1. Angels Holocaust
2. Stormrider
3. The Path I Choose
4. Before the Vision
5. Mystical End
6. Desert Rain
7. Pure Evil
8. Reaching the End
9. Travel in Stygian
Advantages: Excellent concept and coherent yet varied musical performance, Iced Earth's best.
Disadvantages: John Greely's vocals often go over the top.
Iced Earth
Burnt Offerings
*****
Written on 29.08.04
Iced Earth were the victim of their record label. Following disappointing sales of the American metal band’s first two albums, band founder Jon Schaffer fought to get Iced Earth the publicity and recognition he felt they deserved. The band’s third album, Burnt Offerings, marks the beginning and end of an era: after this dark, gloomy, heavy, melancholy record the music retreated to a more simplified style than the accomplished musicianship and complex structures of this early release, but this is also the debut of the exceptional Matthew Barlow on vocals.
Jon Schaffer has publicly expressed his disappointment at this album, much to the bewilderment of many Iced Earth fans. It certainly bridges a gap between the sounds the band were really looking for and does sound similar in places, but the atmosphere and musical skill is virtually unmatched by anything the band have produced before or since. This album was created in a very hostile time, but in my opinion this is one of the finest accomplishments in the metal world from start to finish. Then again, I am a little too passionate about all this metal stuff.
STYLE
Iced Earth’s later albums follow in the far more traditional heavy metal footsteps of bands such as Iron Maiden and Metallica, becoming disappointingly less impressive and original with each subsequent release, but there are few traces of this new sound in their earlier works. This album in particular combines the best elements of thrash, gothic and power metal and sounds unlike anything else.
Barlow’s vocals are a huge step ahead of those of his predecessors, and he remained with the band until 2000. Where the self-titled album was spoiled slightly by Gene Adams’ wails and John Greely’s work on ‘Night of the Stormrider’ never felt fully accomplished, Barlow brings power, aggression and sorrow to the vocals here, using a ‘clean voice’ expertly when it is called for, but also managing guttural sounds in the demonic tracks.
The other excellent feature of this album is Schaffer’s guitar work: the riffs are fast and hard, while the high sections are used to sound both melodic and demonic. Slayer spent years thrashing out speedy riffs and discordant solos in their quest for the ultimate ‘evil’ sound, but in places this album truly sounds like Hell itself. This is obviously aided somewhat by the necessary backing chants used sparingly to great effect.
THE BURNT OFFERINGS
1. Burnt Offerings
2. Last December
3. Diary
4. Brainwashed
5. Burning Oasis
6. Creator Failure
7. The Pierced Spirit
8. Dante’s Inferno:
i. Denial, Lust, Greed
ii. The Prodigal, the Wrathful, Medusa
iii. The False Witness, Angel of Light
The only song that stands out as sounding very different here is the two-minute interlude THE PIERCED SPIRIT that effectively bridges the gap between the bulk of the album and the final epic. This acoustic passage is light and reflective and offers some time to recover from the intensity of the other tracks, which are all modern metal masterpieces.
BURNT OFFERINGS opens the album and as soon as I heard it, this became one of my favourite songs of all time. The dingy atmosphere is clear right from the start with a piano and high guitar intro leading into an excellent and Hell-encapsulating riff. Barlow’s vocals are at their very best here, ranging from raspy and vicious verses to his sorrowful deep vocals in the chorus. The hellish atmosphere created here is incredible, and for me this is the real gem of the album, with a killer guitar solo to boot. LAST DECEMBER is a little shorter and more straightforward but contains the catchiest and most melodic chorus of the album; this is also where the feelings of loss and sadness are strongest, in the tale of two lovers who can only be together through a mutual suicide pact in the frozen winter.
DIARY and BRAINWASHED are the fastest and most openly aggressive tracks on the album and as such I don’t have the same fondness for them as I do for the more complex and meaningful tracks, but these still make for very entertaining listening. Diary is the shorter and simpler of the two, but there are some excellent guitar sections within Brainwashed that make it another classic Iced Earth track, with some very clear analogies to the nature of the music industry and record labels, touching issues that Schaffer himself has had unpleasant experience with.
BURNING OASIS and CREATOR FAILURE form the part of the album that is easy to overlook, but that rewards the patient listener. Both of these tracks feature more of the complex layered guitars of the title track and greater use of Barlow’s clean vocals in the melodic sections. The aggression and resentful lyrics never quite let up however, but these are still a huge step ahead of other thrash bands’ attempts at deeper song styles.
The album closes with the fifteen minute epic DANTE’S INFERNO, based on the first part of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy which I have read, struggled with and enjoyed, and recreated excellently and very fittingly with this complex and progressive track. Beginning slowly and quietly, this song travels through tempo, melody, heaviness and the use of symphonic and choral accompaniment to create something that may be a little too much for some people, but that is clearly the metal equivalent of Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries.’
VERDICT
This album will be enjoyed by anyone whose interest in metal extends to the full-blown depths of despair and anger, but it strangely doesn’t leave the listener feeling hostile in any way. The eight tracks here are all masterpieces that sound excellent and fitting when placed together, but that could perhaps be appreciated even more when listened to separately as part of a live set or compilation. ‘Burnt Offerings’ is the song that does it for me, as ‘Dante’s Inferno’ is a little too long even for me (and I’ve sat through my fair share of twenty minute plus tracks), with ‘Last December’ holding up the emotional side of the disc. The artwork, taken from classic illustrations to Dante’s epic, suits the mood of this CD perfectly, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in that side of metal who would otherwise never have come across this record.
Jon Schaffer is a musical genius and Matt Barlow is one of the most impressive vocalists on the metal scene, and this 1996 achievement is their combined masterwork. 1998’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ and the incredible collection ‘Alive at Athens’ have kept Iced Earth in the metal mainstream, but little has come close to the sheer force of Burnt Offerings
Advantages: Powerful, meaningful and involving, Excellently crafted and written, Talented musicians and vocals
Disadvantages: Tracks sound similar at first, Not for all moods, Not to everyone's taste
Iced Earth
The Dark Saga
From the Depths of Hell
****
Written on 06.08.04
Iced Earth are one of my favourite bands, perhaps my very favourite (although there are a couple of other contenders also beginning with 'I'). The band's most impressive feature is their ability to constantly update and evolve their sound with each album, meaning that no two sound alike, although with their earlier works this was also down to the ever-changing procession of vocalists. It's not all down to creativity and progression though: Matthew Barlow's vocals are incredible, while Jon Schaffer's rhythm guitars show the kids the real advantage of skipping school to knuckle down some serious string practice (not that he did that; the guy has a history degree).
Iced Earth's 1996 album is based around Todd McFarlane's 'Spawn' series of comic books and graphic novels, a hugely popular cult series in America and one that I flirted around with for a while when I was twelve, mainly because I was fascinated by the pictures of blood and Hell. Bloody hell.
For those of you who aren't familiar with 'Spawn,' and therefore probably don't have glasses or suffer from massive obesity, it is the tragic story of a man (Al Simmons) who, when he died, was taken to Hell and eventually escaped, albeit as a tattered, demonic version of his former self. In the comics he fights against Hellish creatures and street gangs against the back alley setting of a dark American city, but the driving plot (and the one covered on this album) is his overwhelming feelings of love and loss concerning his wife, who has now become involved with his former best friend. The Hellspawn also seeks redemption for his soul by carrying out tasks set by the forces of heaven.
STYLE
Like all of Iced Earth's albums, this is very consistent and reasonably diverse, but the musical style and structure underwent a distinct change after 'Burnt Offerings': the debut of vocalist Matthew Barlow was dark, violent, atmospheric, haunting and had an overall epic sound, aided by the fifteen minute closing track, but 'The Dark Saga' sounds trimmed and less intense by comparison. This is partly due to the band's continuous battles with the record label who desired a more straightforward style to attract more consumers (think Metallica's self-titled black album), but it was also down to the decisions of Schaffer and the band in creating music based around the specific subject matter.
Unlike 'Burnt Offerings' (which sounded in places like it really was the sound of Hell, but Hell if it was cool like in music videos), this doesn’t convey any sense of story merely through the music for the most part, sounding primarily like a strong and well-structured collection of metal tracks with an overall bleak and violent atmosphere, although the final offering does sound strangely angelic amidst the shouting.
THE SAGA
1. Dark Saga
2. I Died For You
3. Violate
4. Hunter
5. The Last Laugh
6. Depths of Hell
7. Vengeance is Mine
8. The Suffering part I - Scarred
9. The Suffering part II - Slave to the Dark
10. A Question of Heaven
This is an excellent metal album and the quality of the song-writing and instruments makes the less intense style a bonus rather than a disappointment. As a concept album there are several recurring guitar riffs and drum beats to keep the musical flow, every song featuring similar-sounding instruments a lot more than in the band's other albums. The guitars, drums, bass and vocals range from fast, violent, thrash metal to melodic, reflective songs, with a lot more in-between.
The album begins fairly slow and measured with 'DARK SAGA,' setting the scene from the album standpoint, but also a great stand-alone track. Many features of this song, especially the mock-acoustic guitar melodies and explosion of riffs after a quiet build-up, appear throughout the album. 'I DIED FOR YOU' is the first of the power ballads incorporating excellent acoustic work but again breaking into heavier riffs for the chorus, the clarity of the vocals being an advantage here in understanding the storyline.
'VIOLATE,' 'THE LAST LAUGH,' 'DEPTHS OF HELL' and 'VENGEANCE IS MINE' are all fairly similar sounding in their speed and aggression, Barlow's vocals taking a raspier, guttural sound for the persona of the demonic characters. Although these would clearly go down well at the band's live shows (and indeed do, judging by the fantastic 'Alive in Athens' collection), they are the weakest links on this album, not really fitting into the sombre mood and suffering in comparison to the band's earlier, more successful thrash tracks.
The finest tracks on this album are those with a little more depth and originality, in the form of the catchy and slightly upbeat 'HUNTER,' the brooding 'SCARRED' and 'SLAVE TO THE DARK' and my favourite on the CD, 'A QUESTION OF HEAVEN.' This closing track incorporates the best elements of the previous songs and adds extra acoustic and choral vocal touches to create something stirring and very emotional; Barlow's vocals are at their very best here, and it's primarily this epic tale of redemption that saves the album from being the mediocre offering in Iced Earth's discography.
VERDICT
Although it's a number of steps away from being a modern metal classic, 'The Dark Saga' is an interesting offering from an excellent band, although many of the tracks do sound like they could use some fine tuning and refinement. This is the start of the band's more slick and raw era however, and special credit is due to 'I Died For You' and 'A Question of Heaven' which are the band's first and best attempts at the power ballad style they repeated on their later releases. The drums and guitars don't exactly shine here either, the focus being primarily on keeping the flow and dingy atmosphere, however there are a couple of classic memorable guitar riffs that I often catch myself accidentally humming (especially 'Hunter').
Fans of eighties-era Metallica will doubtless enjoy this album, but it certainly isn't the finest or most memorable offering from Iced Earth. For intense, epic metal, their first three albums ('Iced Earth,' 'Night of the Stormrider,' 'Burnt Offerings') are phenomenal, while 199'’s 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' continues with and improves the Dark Saga sound to create a much more worthwhile investment. Spawn fans will probably love this too: it has to be better than the terrible film adaptation.
Iced Earth
*****
Written on 19.08.04
Iced Earth are one of the most impressive metal bands, combining elements of their successful forefathers Metallica and Iron Maiden to create a sound that is both heavy and melodic. I don't let the fact that they were about ten years too late spoil the experience.
Their appeal is a step away from mainstream metal acts, but the band have still amassed a legion of loyal and casual fans across the world with their consistently impressive and interesting albums that keep shifting the music in a slightly different direction.
'Something Wicked This Way Comes' is often seen as their most perfect album, although others see its structure and varied style as a weakness when compared to their more intense past offerings. Either way, I found this the perfect introduction to what has become my favourite band.
SOUND
The most noticeable aspect of this album is the structure: the first ten tracks alternate between speedy metal tracks and slower, acoustic-influenced semi-ballads. This can be a little off-putting and predictable at first, but it gives the album a very interesting sound, even if some of the acoustic passages begin to sound similar.
Although Iced Earth were experimenting with lighter songs as far back as their debut, their modern style was established with 1996's 'The Dark Saga': gone were the lengthy, experimental epics, replaced with something more straightforward and accessible. The Dark Saga's mix of thrashy speed metal and a couple of classic power ballads is expanded on in this 1998 album, although it does lack the excellent brooding, dark atmosphere of that earlier release.
Jon Schaffer is the man behind Iced Earth, and his rhythm guitars are again one of the highlights of the album, but there is increasing focus on the powerful vocals of Matt Barlow in leading the songs, especially with his emotional performance on the slower tracks. This is still a heavy metal album, but the diversity means that it can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys rock in its various incarnations.
1 Burning Times ♂
2. Melancholy (Holy Martyr) ♀
3. Disciples of the Lie ♂
4. Watching Over Me ♀
5. Stand Alone ♂
6. Consequences ♀
7. My Own Saviour ♂
8. Reaping Stone ♀
9. 1776 ♂
10. Blessed Are You ♀
~ "Something Wicked" trilogy ~
11. Prophecy
12. Birth of the Wicked
13. The Coming Curse
I have noted above the alternating style of track. The ♂ symbol indicates a speedy, heavy track (a man's track, obviously), while the ♀ symbol shows a slower, more reflective track that is obviously a bit more girly. There's nothing wrong with being girly though, as you'll see.
THE FAST...
In terms of the main album, there are some songs that are obviously classics; others that are less impressive, however judging by the incredible 3-CD live album 'Alive in Athens,' the band consider most of them worthy of a live performance. Out of the faster (odd-numbered) tracks, there is quite a degree of variation: DISCIPLES OF THE LIE is long, aggressive and loud, while STAND ALONE is shorter, punchier and more of a celebratory anthem.
BURNING TIMES is an excellent mid-tempo opener, MY OWN SAVIOUR has some of the best guitars of the album, and the instrumental 1776 is one of the high points of the whole album as it's incredibly catchy. Long live instrumentals, even if they do have irrelevant names.
...THE SLOW...
I love a good metal ballad, but I don't like a mediocre one: bands who rush out a slower song and stick in some acoustics just to make their albums a little more diverse are sods. Thankfully, Jon Schaffer and Iced Earth are masters of many styles, and they know when to make a slow song touching, emotional or menacing. The stand-out tracks are very obviously MELANCHOLY and WATCHING OVER ME, both very moving songs that become heavier part way through but never lose their atmosphere or impact, and both of these were released on a promo for the album at a later date. 'Watching Over Me' is Schaffer's dedication to his friend who died in a motorbike accident, although I can't decide which is the more powerful song. These are definitely the songs to check out if you're new to the band.
Following the two classic slow songs was clearly a difficult matter, and the remaining tracks CONSEQUENCES, REAPING STONE and BLESSED ARE YOU don't have the same impact or entertainment, but are still great additions to the album. The rousing chorus of 'Blessed Are You' makes it a definite crowd-pleaser, while 'Reaping Stone' is the most mysterious and foreboding of the album, which is nice.
...AND THE WICKED
For me, the real highlight of this album comes with the 'Something Wicked' trilogy at the end, a section of the disc that sounds and feels very different and is exempt from the fast/slow rule of the previous songs. In the style of Iced Earth's earlier concept albums such as 'Night of the Stormrider,' Schaffer has constructed songs based around an epic storyline that he's so proud of, he's given it a copyright.
PROPHECY is my personal favourite track of the whole album, its slow first half leading to one of the catchiest guitar riffs I've ever heard (and I've heard many), while THE COMING CURSE features operatic backing vocals, a piano and orchestration to build to a huge climax. BIRTH OF THE WICKED is a little less impressive, basically acting as central filler in the way 'The Empire Strikes Back' didn't.
VERDICT
The important thing to know about this album is whether or not it's to your taste, and the earlier description of Iron Maiden meets Metallica seems to be the general idea, at least in terms of the majority of tracks. Mixing together the sounds of Metallica's 'Ride the Lightning' and Maiden's 'Piece of Mind' would create a discordant mess of overlapping guitar solos and different voices shouting over each other, but it would also somehow sound like this.
Iced Earth's thrash offerings may be nothing new, but their slow songs are excellent and at their peak here before the band moved into power metal territory. Now that I've heard the band's whole discography, I'm not so sure this is my favourite album: it's diverse and enjoyable, but a couple of tracks are a little inconsistent. Their earlier work is more gratifying for fans of intricate, epic music with very dark atmosphere, but considering their less impressive recent releases, this is a great place to enter the Iced realm.
'Alive in Athens,' which followed this album, is a flawless collection of live songs from the band's whole career, while a compilation has recently been released by Century Media serving a similar purpose. Iced Earth are the modern metal gods; for so it is written and so it will be shall.
Iced Earth
Horror Show
6 6 6
****
Written on 10.07.06
Matt Barlow’s final album with Iced Earth takes a fitting shift to vocal-centric power metal, leaving the technical, thrashy guitar riffs of the band’s back catalogue behind them. Perhaps due to the band’s friendship and side projects with members of Blind Guardian and the resurgence in heavy metal’s popularity, Iced Earth pulls itself from the infernal ‘dark metal’ style they had been categorised under by critics terrified of un-classifiable music and reinvents itself as a power metal band for one album only.
Since Barlow’s introduction in 1994 and the record label’s prompt that the band simplify and commercialise their sound shortly thereafter, Iced Earth’s music moved progressively towards a more traditional heavy metal style with the release of each album, despite the occasional excess in album concepts and orchestral arrangements. Schaffer’s furiously fast rhythm guitars started to act more as a consistent background hum in tandem with the drums, and Barlow’s alternately booming and screaming vocals took centre stage. By the release of ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ in 1998, Iced Earth’s sound was an almost perfect fusion of the English heavy metal sound of Iron Maiden and the American thrash of Metallica. It’s just a shame the band was ten years too late to enjoy the same success as their predecessors.
2001’s ‘Horror Show’ is an important album for the band, as like many American musicians, the September 11th attacks would have a profound effect on the musical direction of subsequent releases. Whereas 2004’s ‘The Glorious Burden’ burdens itself with communicating ideals of peace, justice and necessary conflict, ‘Horror Show’ is an innocent celebration of famous monsters and scary movies.
Iced Earth, ‘Horror Show’ (Century Media, 2001)
1. Wolf
2. Damien
3. Jack
4. Ghost of Freedom
5. Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh’s Curse)
6. Jekyll and Hyde
7. Dragon’s Child
8. Frankenstein
9. Dracula
10. Phantom Opera Ghost
11. Transylvania
As the tracklist suggests, each song is a specific ‘tribute’ to a movie monster, though some are less obvious than others (and I object to the mis-spelling of track 8, which everyone knows should be ‘Frankingstein’). Influenced by heavy metal and led by rhythm guitar triplets, the dominant sound on this album is a speedy one, but there are deliberate exceptions in the ballads and introductions. ‘Damien’ and ‘Ghost of Freedom’ are the two songs here that maintain a plodding pace, the former a near-epic with chants that’s reminiscent lyrically of Iron Maiden and musically of Black Sabbath. ‘Ghost of Freedom’ has been described as Iced Earth’s answer to Metallica’s melancholy ‘Fade to Black,’ but that comparison is far off the mark: ‘Ghost’ is one of the less impressive pieces here, its repetitive, jingoistic lyrics (‘don’t tread on meeee’) sounding out of place on this album, and only saved from obscurity by Barlow’s excellent delivery. ‘Frankenstein’ is mid-paced and sound similar to the Sabbath-esque ‘Reaping Stone’ on the band’s previous album, but is less interesting. Perhaps, sadly and ironically, influence needs to be more prominent and obvious to be successful.
Most songs follow a predictable but wholly enjoyable fast heavy metal style, but this sound does wear a little thin as the album continues and songs that don’t mark themselves out tend to get lost as filler. ‘Jack,’ ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and ‘Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh’s Curse)’ all fall by the wayside, which is disappointing, and the only song that really impresses and succeeds in this basic form is the excellent opener ‘Wolf.’ ‘Im-Ho-Tep’ does deserve commendation for not resorting to that damn ‘authentic Egyptian electric guitar riff’ attempted in every other metal band’s Egyptian song. Everyone has one. Iced Earth has three.
Including ‘Wolf,’ the four most impressive songs on this album all follow very different pathfinders, and all sound excellent and distinctive as a result. ‘Dragon’s Child’ and ‘Dracula’ are the closest the album comes to European power metal, the former relying on a catchy chorus over easily-dismissed guitar riffs and the latter forming the more epic finale of the album. ‘Dracula’ is split into two parts: a slow build-up led by acoustic guitar and fretless bass that explodes into slow, measured loud sections, and the second half, which is incredibly fast and exciting and features Barlow’s finest vocals ever in a completely over-the-top, awe-inspiring screaming performance. If Barlowe hadn’t left after this album, the follow-up would have been much, much better. ‘Phantom Opera Ghost’ is something of a melodramatic final song (‘Transylvania’ is an instrumental cover of Iron Maiden, and doesn’t appear on all versions of the CD). Featuring grating female vocals that turn the song into a mini rock opera, this isn’t exactly the heavy metal answer to Andrew Lloyd Webber, but it’s a nice long song, and it lasts.
Every Iced Earth album stands proud and distinct in the band’s discography, ‘Horror Show’ a little more than others. The end of one era and the beginning of another, as ‘The Glorious Burden’ relies on much the same Iron Maiden / Judas Priest influenced sound as this collection, only with more lyrics about how fantastic the USA is. ‘Horror Show’ is an accessible way for newcomers to get into the band, especially for newcomers with a background in the types of music mentioned in this review. The beauty of Iced Earth’s back-catalogue is that there’s enough diversity to please different breeds of metal fan, from the dingy, epic thrash of their early years to their brief flirtation with a (commercial) Metallica-esque sound.
‘Horror Show’ is more of an instantly likeable release than some of the heavier earlier offerings, but over time provides less replay value due to its relatively superficial nature. A nice collection of songs about monsters for people who like heavy metal.
Advantages: An enjoyable, varied collection of songs and styles
Disadvantages: Weaker tracks, and a lack of focus in places
Iced Earth
Tribute to the Gods
**
Written on 27.07.08
There are two fundamental ways to approach a cover song: either a band adapts the old song to their own distinctive style and attempts to make it their own, or they remain pedantically faithful to the original and end up sounding inevitably inferior and redundant. Unfortunately, for this collection of cover songs of their favourite artists, Iced Earth opted for the latter.
To be fair to this album, it was originally only available as part of the otherwise excellent 'Dark Genesis' boxset that contained their earliest albums, and could be forgiven as an unnecessary extra. But then someone had the bright idea to market it as a genuine full-length release, and it has to be treated as such. Not only is the selection of bands and songs repetitive and incredibly obvious, but Iced Earth's versions are uniformly worse than the originals, simply for trying to hard to match them exactly. It's hard to listen to their takes on your favourite bands without wincing a little at Matt Barlow's over-enthusiastic wailing, reminiscent of Kiss' Paul Stanley even when he isn't even singing a Kiss song.
1. Creatures of the Night (Kiss cover)
2. The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden cover)
3. Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover)
4. Burnin' for You (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
5. God of Thunder (Kiss cover)
6. Screaming for Vengeance (Judas Priest cover)
7. Dead Babies (Alice Cooper cover)
8. Cities on Flame (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
9. It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (AC/DC cover)
10. Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)
11. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden cover)
Iced Earth
The Reckoning
O, Say Can You See...
***
Written on 25.10.05
Following September 11th, many Americans found their lives and views in a sort of crisis and were spurred on to make drastic lifestyle changes. While for some this basically meant leaving New York, a rare breed of people, or specifically Matt Barlowe, the former vocalist of American heavy metal band 'Iced Earth,' decided to become a lawyer.
Barlowe's incredible vocal talents were what attracted me to this band in the first place, and so I was very disappointed to hear that he had left them behind so soon after I became a fan. It took 3 years for the band to release 'The Glorious Burden,' the first album with their new vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens, and it was preceded by this short E.P. to whet fans' appetites while the new album was being polished off.
THE LONG, HARD ROAD OUT OF HELL
Owens is a very different vocalist from Barlowe, but thankfully he suits the new style of music that the band, under direction of its founder, songwriter and guitar axeman Jon Schaffer, decided to take. While their early albums 'Iced Earth,' 'Night of the Stormrider' and 'Burnt Offerings' possessed a very distinctive thundering sound that met somewhere between Iron Maiden and Slayer, Century Media records essentially told Schaffer to stop messing around creating epics that spearhead the genre into the 21st century and to instead start ripping off popular bands and sell more CDs. So he did. But it still sounded great.
'The Dark Saga' acts as a Metallica album about Spawn, 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' alternates between thrash and power ballad with every odd and even numbered track and 'Horror Show,' Barlowe's swan song, owes more than a little debt to the European power metal bands such as Blind Guardian with whom Schaffer had been working.
The tendency for Iced Earth to rely increasingly on the vocals over musicianship and originality culminates in 'The Reckoning.' Four tracks that mainly highlight the band's softer side, there's still no hiding the band's rather poor decision to become a Judas Priest for the 21st century, when Judas Priest themselves are already doing so much better.
THE RECKONING
The title track of this E.P. is as good an introduction as any to the new musical style and the manic vocals of "Ripper" Owens (who earned his name for his over-the-top performances of that Judas Priest song while he was in the band). A quiet build up launches into the really very high vocals of the chorus and the chugging of guitars for a while, before a softer instrumental section where Owens goes for a more wailing approach until the riff breaks out again. Jon Schaffer's riffs are one of Iced Earth's best features, and this song does remind me how fantastic he is, if providing quite a dramatic and unusual introduction to their new sound and vocals for the uninitiated. The song rather sloppily fades out over the riff in the third minute of the song, but would be naturally extended on the album proper.
Schaffer is also a great acoustic guitar player, as he showed on the softer half of 1998's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes,' and this side of the band has a strong presence here. Their September 11th anthem 'When the Eagle Cries' is presented in all its unplugged glory here, predating the more powerful electric version on 'The Glorious Burden' but offering a nice contrast to the opening track. This version of the song can also be found on the limited edition version of The Glorious Burden which includes the extra epic disc and is really the only version worth buying. 'Eagle' isn't a technically masterful song, but it's emotional and touching, if a little too patriotic for people across the sea.
'Valley Forge' begins with an acoustic section and Iron Maiden-esque narration style by Owens before the galloping riff kicks in and leads to the great ensemble chorus. This is my favourite song on here, a great heavy metal song with a cool extended solo, if a little predictable in structure, and fares a lot better when presented among acoustic songs rather than its haphazard ninth track placing on the later album. With the ominous vocal introduction and build-up to a rip-roaring guitar finale, I feel this would have been a stronger opening to the E.P. and even an alternate focus of the title.
'Hollow Man' is an annoyingly catchy acoustic ballad, the second on this collection which gives a false impression that The Glorious Burden will feature many songs in this vein (in fact it's only these two). Schaffer's guitar sounds exactly the same as it did during 'Melancholy (Holy Martry),' 'Watching Over Me' and every other acoustic song from Something Wicked, the difference being Owens' vocals, which are at their most restrained and bellowing here in the chorus, and sound all the better for it. A good ending that sticks in the listener's head, but after the unplugged 'Eagle' and the acoustic sections of 'Valley' it could have been replaced with something better and more varied for the fans.
VERDICT
'The Glorious Burden' sold well, but it isn't a direction I'm so far enjoying in the life of this changeable and formerly impressive metal band. It's fun and simple, but adds nothing to the thirty-year-old sound it's trying to replicate. The second disc of the album features a half-hour epic symphonic heavy metal suite divided into three intensely patriotic songs lamenting and celebrating 'Gettysburg 1863,' and this is the only truly original and impressive aspect of the album.
'The Reckoning' restricts itself to the simpler, more commercial side of the album and sounds tame and unimpressive by comparison, but serves its function of informing newcomers and long-time fans of the band's sound and style. Three of the four songs are based directly on American history and there is a strong focus on acoustic guitars that don't permeate the later album in the same way, but this was an interesting and worthwhile release that was sadly only useful for the few months before the album came out.
The unplugged 'When the Eagle Cries' can commonly be found as the eleventh track of the album's first disc, when buying the special edition, while 'The Reckoning' and 'Valley Forge' are presented in their uncut entirety on the album, although this E.P. only trims about one minute from each, probably in order to stick to its decreed running length.
E.P.s are a funny business, occasionally released in incredibly limited quantity as an excuse for an album and including otherwise unreleased songs but sometimes, like this, existing simply because the term "single" doesn't attract the heavy metal CD consumer.
Iced Earth
The Glorious Burden
The Home of the Brave
****
Written on 10.05.04
In 2004, American heavy metal band Iced Earth released their first album in over three years to mixed reviews. Some long-time fans were disappointed at the change in vocalist, while some non-Americans found the patriotic themes irrelevant and irritating. Other people just loved the wailing guitars.
BACKGROUND
The rather turbulent and interesting history of Iced Earth, often considered one of the finest but least recognised modern heavy metal bands, is plain to see upon viewing their discography. Two unsuccessful albums with two different and equally unimpressive vocalists led to their first outing with Matt Barlow in the dark and thrashy 'Burnt Offerings.' Barlow's deep and powerful vocals pushed the band into more commercial territory, no doubt aided by the record company, and their albums 'Dark Saga,' 'Something Wicked this Way Comes' and 'Horror Show' were all hugely successful in the metal world.
Following the release of this final album in 2000, Matt Barlow left and the future looked bleak for Iced Earth, and it didn't help that guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer broke his back (temporarily and non-fatally). The band finally brought out their latest album, 'The Glorious Burden,' with ex-Judas Priest vocalist Tim "The Ripper" Owens handling the screams, and his very different vocal style certainly has an impact on the rest of the music. His nickname is a lot more innocent than it sounds, as his performance on Priest's song 'The Ripper' was always greatly appreciated by the band.
STYLE
All of Iced Earth's albums have held distinctive styles, while still being very recognisable as the same band, but this release is noticeably in a different league than the power metal of 'Horror Show.' At first I wasn't sure whether I liked it, but as the album progresses it shows itself to be a completely solid and excellent metal album. Some of the band's past work has been noted as a fusion between the 1980s metal kings Metallica and Iron Maiden, some of the biggest influences on the band, but there is more of a European power metal influence to 'The Glorious Burden,' with Judas Priest influences coming from Owens.
As with all Iced Earth releases of recent years, there are no lengthy epic tracks or impressive guitar solos; the focus is on punchy three to five minute metal anthems with great choruses, interesting lyrics and memorable guitar riffs. This album attains these goals perfectly, but the quality of the more complex bonus disc does suggest that it could have benefited more from a grander approach. The historical subject matter and high vocals make this far less aggressive than some of the bands other albums and as a result it may be more upbeat in places. The music is still fast and quite hard, with many more high guitar sections, complimented with Maiden/Priest high screams, and there are also a couple of slow songs thrown in for good measure. Theoretically, any fans of classic heavy metal bands should like this a lot.
TRACKS
The patriotic theme of this album is thrust down the listener's eardrums as soon as this familiar anthem THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER is played. As I'm always a sucker for some high guitar harmony I love the sound of this intro, although I doubt this electric guitar solo will ever replace the more traditional approach.
DECLARATION DAY kick-starts the album with some impressive drumming and guitars. A great high chorus leaves nothing to the imagination regarding the Ripper's abilities, and he sounds very reminiscent of European vocalists such as Hans Kershi from Blind Guardian here. A great opening song, although Owens' vocals do go over the top as the song progresses; not a song to listen to immediately if you are not accustomed to the new style.
WHEN THE EAGLE CRIES is the first ballad on the album dealing with the effects of 9/11, but not really to my taste. Owens sounds more like Maiden's Bruce Dickinson here, and although the chorus is very infectious and catchy it's only really the guitars that I like here. There is an acoustic bonus track of this song on the special edition release of this album, and this is likely the most accessible track here.
Released earlier than the album in order to introduce fans to the new vocalist, no song could do the job better than THE RECKONING. The start of the song features some great high vocals that actually remind me of the band?s previous albums, and the upbeat guitar riff makes this one of the best tracks on the album. The only real problem I have with it is that the chorus sounds a little "proggy," but Jon Schaffer's guitars are as fast and excellent as ever. Interesting changes in tone towards the end of the song.
GREENFACE is fast and heavy, but nothing different to what has come before. This features one of the few impressive guitar solos of the album, but aside from that there is nothing astounding or classic about this. The song deals with SWAT team-style operations, and was reportedly recorded for the band's friends in the military.
ATILLA comes in at over five minutes and is therefore one of the longer tracks, but not particularly the most impressive. Schaffer's high guitar sections are again the highlight, but Owens' attempts at more aggressive vocals during the verses don't really work, and it does sound a little obvious that the guitarist has written his lyrics. When the bridge and chorus become lighter he once again excels at higher notes, and he is given the opportunity of a long-winded scream that is always a treat.
RED BARON / BLUE MAX is my favourite track on the album, as it is very short but impressive. Energetic and powerful, Owens' vocals actually blend in to the music and don't overwhelm it for a change, apart from in the incredibly over-the-top chorus which sounds fantastic. If the rest of the album followed some of these examples it would be a better disc.
HOLLOW MAN is the second ballad track, and I prefer it to the more popular 'Eagle Cries.' Schaffer's guitars are pleasantly reminiscent of the 'Something Wicked' album and the Ripper again manages the emotional vocals expertly. Another great track that picks up at the end.
VALLEY FORGE opens very unusually with almost a capella vocals by Owens before he is subliminally joined by the bass and guitar. Another energetic song that improves with every listen and contains the most impressive guitar solo section on the whole album; inspiring, fitting and not at all distracting, this is how good guitar parts should be played.
WATERLOO is another five-minuter that allows the band to go into more detail. This is catchy, punchy and an excellent closing track. A modern metal classic, and I would argue Owens' best and catchiest vocals in both the verses and the chorus, I much prefer it when he doesn?t go overboard on the high notes a la 'the Darkness.'
EXTRA TRACKS
Not available on the regular edition of this CD, but the special edition is currently readily available on websites. An acoustic version of 'When the Eagle Cries' completes disc one, while the second disc is comprised of a thirty-eight minute epic track with orchestral accompaniment. That's right, basically everything that the band wanted to experiment with, but didn't want amidst the fast metal anthems of their first disc.
GETTYSBURG (1863) is divided into three parts, each of which represents one day in the three day battle:
HOLD AT ALL COSTS is quite a slow, chugging monster of a track and features amazing guitar sections towards the end as the orchestral elements make themselves known. The song ends with some gunfire and warfare sounds, which all good metal albums should contain.
HIGH WATER MARK continues in the same vein and can get a little tiresome and repetitive, with far too many instrumentals, but it is nonetheless a good continuation of the song. Very lengthy at 17 minutes however.
THE DEVIL TO PAY truly ends the album in style, and in some ways manages to be another ballad among other things during the twelve and a half minutes. Every instrument gets some time alone to show what it's capable of, and the symphony creates a fantastic atmosphere throughout. A little overlong, but this is forgivable considering the length of most of the early tracks. Not as classic as similar works by other bands.
The subject matter of most of these songs concerns the American War of Independence as well as more international conflicts ('Atilla the Hun' and 'Red Baron' tales for example), but it is all executed in an appreciative manner, a far cry from the trench poetry of World War I. The messages are that war is regrettable but inspiring, and peace should be appreciated, and Jon Schaffer is clearly a history buff as much as Steve Harris from Iron Maiden.
VERDICT
The pro-American nature of this album should not be seen as having any contemporary political motivations, it is simply an appreciation of past glories and as such does not put me off in any way, especially as most Iron Maiden songs I listen to on a daily basis are about fighting German and Russians.
As may be apparent, I was saddened by Matt Barlow's departure from the band as his powerful and haunting vocals in some of their popular power ballads are what attracted me to this band in the first place, but the Ripper's high vocals are great when I'm in an Iron Maiden mood (which is pretty much all the time, even when I'm asleep, based on a recent dream I had). This album does keep getting better as it goes on, and the trilogy on the second disc deserve to be kept apart due to their different style.
Iced Earth are not the greatest songwriters or musicians the metal scene has ever seen, but their albums never try and suggest otherwise. 'The Glorious Burden' is fast and catchy heavy metal and contains some really great tracks, and is only really let down by the similarity and uninspired nature of some songs. I wasn't really disappointed by this album, but it doesn't inspire me or appeal to me as much as some of their earlier efforts. I would strongly recommend the double disc special edition as the tracks on the second disc bring this album to a more complex and involving, epic level. If the rest of the album stuck to this style, it would be a lot more interesting, but would possibly suffer for it; a difficult balancing act and a very good album.
Iced Earth
*****
Written on 27.07.08
Century Media's 2004 compilation of Iced Earth material attempts to be something more than a standard "best-of" by contriving a heaven vs. hell scenario in its artwork that's supposed to be reflected in the arrangement of the songs on each respective disc, but ultimately doesn't really work. Roughly half of Iced Earth's work is highly conceptual, meaning that shifting protagonists and themes destroy any sense of coherence here, but taken as a simple collection of damn fine Iced Earth songs from throughout their career, it can't really be faulted, with even distribution from all albums released up to 2001.
My favourite aspect of the album is that it forsakes the awful and somewhat offensive re-makes of earlier songs as found on the appalling 'Days of Purgatory' release, instead placing the originals alongside later works without feeling the need to have Matt Barlow tackle them all. The inclusion of random live tracks from 'Alive in Athens' feels a little out of place, but makes sense when viewing this album as an effective sampler for Iced Earth's catalogue, and as much as I'd enjoy rating it down by one star for failing to bring anything new to the field for fans who already own the previous albums, the sheer quantity of excellent material doesn't permit me to do so. I'd still recommend 'Alive in Athens' over this as a more definitive and better sequenced collection of the band's first ten years, only missing out the somewhat weaker 'Horror Show' material.
Disc 1
1. Burning Times
2. Wolf
3. The Hunter
4. Curse the Sky
5. Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
6. Stormrider
7. Burnt Offerings
8. Travel in Stygian (Live)
9. Dark Saga
10. Written on the Walls
11. Damien
Disc 2
1. Angels Holocaust
2. Desert Rain
3. Last December
4. Watching Over Me
5. Pure Evil (Live)
6. The Path I Choose
7. I Died For You
8. Disciples of the Lie
9. When the Night Falls
10. Jack
11. Iced Earth
12. Violate (Live)
Iced Earth
A Painful Vision Indeed
**
Written on 01.08.07
As a generous taster of their forthcoming mammoth double-album concept project, Florida heavy metal band Iced Earth released this four-track E.P. of mostly exclusive material on June 4th, essentially an extended single of ‘Ten Thousand Strong,’ a song from the forthcoming album, but complimented by controversial re-recordings of older material with the more recent singer, Tim “The Ripper” Owens.
Iced Earth’s tendency to re-write history and essentially disregard their past triumphs in favour of promoting the strength of their current incarnation has been in evidence since Matt Barlow first joined in 1994, and is the band’s most consistently irritating feature. Barlow’s vocal performance was incredible, a powerful mix of rumbling, emotive rasps and rare high pitched screams that trashed all of his contemporary metal singers by comparison, and he only improved with each release, making it regrettable news that following the September 11th attacks he felt the need to ‘re-evaluate’ his life and quit the band, amusingly turning up later in a police band with his ginger Viking locks all shaved off. Barlow’s performance in the band was so impressive and well-received, on both new material and old classics from the first two albums, that Iced Earth released the 3-CD box-set ‘Days of Purgatory’ in 1997 to essentially re-record all of the older material with the band’s new voice. Even worse, and perhaps due to personal grievances or ownership conflicts, lyrics such as those to ‘Written on the Walls’ were replaced entirely under the new title ‘Cast in Stone,’ which became the official version of the song thereafter.
Barlow’s replacement by Tim Owens, fresh out of Judas Priest after his idol Rob Halford returned to the fold and a second-rate replacement was no longer needed, was an interesting and unusual move for Iced Earth, operating as always under the leadership of guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer, who seems to have something of ‘Star Wars’ revisionist creator George Lucas in him. Owens, known affectionately as “The Ripper” due to his alleged supremacy at tackling that early Priest number, possessed a very different range to Barlow and his long-forgotten predecessors, essentially the same range Rob Halford occupied on later Judas Priest material such as their classic ‘Painkiller.’ Ear-splitting shrieks held for longer than was thought humanly possible were something Iced Earth fans were not necessarily accustomed to, and although the first album with Owens entitled ‘The Glorious Burden’ was largely mediocre, sub-Judas Priest played at a faster tempo, The Ripper made his presence felt and put in a commendably energetic performance, particularly on the epic ‘Gettysburg’ trilogy. The larger concern was how the new singer would tackle Iced Earth’s vast back catalogue in a live setting, particularly after the unbelievable performance of Barlow recorded for posterity on the earlier ‘Alive in Athens’ live album, one of my favourite albums of all time. Until the release of this E.P. I had avoided seeking the answer, fearing that Owens’ range would not be suited to the older, darker and more thrash-oriented material, and that every second would be filled with excruciating and infuriating resentment that this shrieking slap-head newbie was ruining the whole thing.
1. Ten Thousand Strong
2. Prophecy
3. Birth of the Wicked
4. The Coming Curse
The concept of Iced Earth’s forthcoming double album release, one album to be released later this year followed by another in 2008, is based entirely on a fictional mythology created by Schaffer for the band’s 1998 release, ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes.’ Billed as the ‘Something Wicked Trilogy,’ these three songs (tracks two to four on this E.P.) came at the end of the album, which otherwise contained unrelated material on the usual depressing topics, and detailed a 10,000 year prophecy of the incarnation of evil that would lead to mankind’s downfall. The songs were excellent, and Schaffer obviously placed a great degree of importance on the trilogy as it formed that album’s cover art and was always played in its entirety at live shows, but he nevertheless felt that there was something more to be had from ‘Something Wicked,’ hence the forthcoming ‘Something Wicked Part 1’ and ‘Part 2’ albums that expand the mythology to over two hours of music, extrapolated from the musical and lyrical themes of the original (much as Dream Theater’s jokingly titled song ‘Metropolis Part 1’ eventually lead to the concept album ‘Metropolis Part 2’ after much fan insistence). As the original trilogy itself would not appear on either of the new albums, but was integral to the listener’s understanding of it all, the tracks were re-recorded with Owens on lead vocals, Brent Smedley on drums, Tim Mills on lead guitar and Jon Schaffer, the only permanent band member and the only one remaining from the original trilogy, handling both guitar and bass, in the absence of a bass player due to the bad behaviour of James “Bo” Wallace. It was essentially ‘Days of Purgatory’ all over again, an unnecessary refreshing of classic material, but this time with a less popular singer.
To diffuse the anticipation, I will reveal that these re-workings are very disappointing, not only in terms of Owens’ sub-standard and unsuitable performance, but also in terms of the structural changes and simplifications made to the original, something that Schaffer and the others must have known would only ignite hostility in fans. The excellent pace of the originals, and the breaks into higher volume and intensity are completely absent in these new versions, where Owens simply slides with minimal effort from verse to chorus and back again without his usual enthusiasm, particularly the opening scream of ‘Prophecy’ and the ending of ‘The Coming Curse,’ which for some reason has the choir at the end completely removed and the dank introduction replaced with a primitive guitar riff. The overall style is in the vein of the stripped-down sound present on the weaker tracks from ‘The Glorious Burden,’ but without the great performance of The Ripper to carry it through, as he seems either bored or tired here. Schaffer’s relentlessly scratching triplets still serve as the backbone of the songs and are flawlessly executed as always, the guitarist playing with tremendous speed and wrist integrity while the other musicians play his music to an acceptable, but unremarkable standard. The lack of atmospheric background sounds also causes these songs to hold together less well as a trilogy than the original, and the links can only be discerned from the lyrics, when decipherable. If the listener had never heard the originals they would probably find something more to enjoy here than I did, but would still perhaps be unsettled by the out-of-place vocals.
My expectations for the epic albums, which seem destined to be infinitely less grand and atmospheric than the band’s earlier releases, particularly Schaffer’s definitive concept release ‘Night of the Stormrider,’ are not that great, and I will get them merely out of loyalty and the desire to have some new sub-Judas Priest material to listen to, having exhausted the Primal Fear and Gamma Ray discographies. ‘Ten Thousand Strong,’ the only original song here and one which will allegedly be slightly reworked for the album version, is perfectly suited to the new Owens/Schaffer Iced Earth and as such is the best song on this extended single, though still nothing too exciting. The chorus has the same driving enthusiasm as the best material of ‘The Glorious Burden,’ and at least had some effect as I caught myself wondering what the generic Judas Priest/Primal Fear/Gamma Ray song was in my head, eventually realising it was this. The new Iced Earth is far more suited to fans of classic heavy metal, albeit played much faster and with clearer production, rather than the more interesting and varied progressive thrash-type material of their earlier releases that holds up so well today.
Iced Earth used to be described as an inspired meeting of Iron Maiden and Metallica, among other elements, that unfortunately arrived on the scene ten years too late, but now the band is merely one of many Judas Priest clones playing re-hashed material three decades strong. Schaffer plans to write an accompanying graphic novel to explain his vision in more detail, which will likely hold up a lot better than the musical version.
Advantages: Focus song 'Ten Thousand Strong' is a solid and memorable speed metal anthem.
Disadvantages: Unleashes a golden shower all over Iced Earth's golden era.
Iced Earth
I Walk Among You
***
Written on 27.07.08
Following in the tradition of last year's equally disappointing 'Overture of the Wicked,' here Iced Earth release a mini taster of their forthcoming album in the form of a single song, padded out with a couple of entirely unnecessary re-workings of older songs with a new vocalist. For long-time fans of the band, the most notable feature of this release is the return of favoured singer Matt Barlow, who left the band after the September 11th attacks to join the police force and shave his head, but now seems to have seen the light again. Unlike his predecessor Tim "The Ripper" Owens' butchering of classic Iced Earth material on 'Overture of the Wicked,' here Barlow is only permitted to spoil songs from the previous full-length 'Framing Armageddon,' which wasn't up to the band's highest standards in the first place.
As for the new song itself, 'I Walk Alone' is a pretty good Iced Earth song, plodding along at a steady pace with a catchy chorus but not really achieving anything outside of this. Barlow sounds like he's never been away, continuing with the over-the-top constant wailing of his 'Horror Show' performance that will inevitably become irritating once the full album is released, but not as irritating as The Ripper. The former vocalist's style is mimicked faithfully in the overdubs of 'Setian Massacre' and 'The Clouding,' more obviously in the former, but I can't help feeling cheated once again by the lack of genuine new material here, self-covers exempted.
1. I Walk Alone
2. Setian Massacre
3. The Clouding
Ihsahn
The Adversary
***
Written on 28.07.08
Following the break-up of influential black metal band Emperor, which had effectively been the solo project of Ihsahn in its final years, the Norwegian musician went the full way to egotistical solo career territory, free of the constraints and expectations of the Emperor name but inevitably facing similar pressure from its existing fan base.
'The Adversary' is quite a good album, but muddled and messy, as Ihsahn dabbles in various metal genres with no sense of a satisfying fusion. 'Invocation' sounds like a weaker version of Emperor's later years, 'Called By the Fire' is especially grating in its entirely clean vocals that sound as bad as a pre-pubescent Vintersorg, and the ten-minute finale 'The Pain is Still Mine' is a wussier ballad than I thought an Emperor alumnus capable of. Ihsahn's guitar work is complex enough without being overly showy, not relying on complex solos like Dream Theater, but this is far from a shining example of progressive metal, inferior even to Emperor's oft-maligned 'Prometheus.'
1. Invocation
2. Called By the Fire
3. Citizen
4. Homecoming
5. Astera ton Proinon
6. Panem et Circenses
7. And He Shall Walk In Empty Places
8. Will You Love Me Now?
9. The Pain is Still Mine
Ihsahn
angL
***
Written on 25.08.08
The sophomore album to Ihsahn's solo project kicks off right from where The Adversary left off. The first track "Misanthrope" kicks in with the constant heavy hitting drums, and guitar riffs, and shrilling screams of Ihsahn. Not only do we see his signature screams, but also a lot of his true talent in his singing. Such as in the second track "Scarab" which has many well placed transitions, and is a quite a highlight on this album truly showing the art of progressive black metal. The many classical influences that showed in The Adversary, are still here in this album, along with a special guest front man of Opeth: Mikael Åkerfeldt.
Mikael and Ihsahn worked on the track "Unhealer" together which is a heavy black metal duet that is somewhat of a unique track. Just think of Opeth & Emperor mixed in together, quite a unique sound to me. As for the rest of the album I couldn't ask for more, the work done here is beautiful. The addition of synth keys placed so well, and the transitions just seem so perfect. The first 3 tracks are done so well, and it only gets better with the other 6 too. If you enjoy listening to black metal, and progressive music I highly recommend checking this album out.
1. Misanthrope
2. Scarab
3. Unhealer
4. Emancipation
5. Malediction
6. Alchemist
7. Elevator
8. Threnody
9. Monolith
Immortal
Pure Holocaust
***
Written on 28.07.08
Immortal are one of the more contentious bands of Norwegian black metal, as praised as they are ridiculed inside and outside the metal community, the latter being largely for their corpse-paint obsession. 'Pure Holocaust' is the band's second album and a defining work of second-wave black metal of the early nineties, even if it's not an album I could comfortably sit through for its entire thirty-odd-minute length.
The classic duo of Abbath on bass, vocals and drums and Demonaz on guitar makes for an effective combination that remains roughly the same throughout the album, songs mainly being distinguished by the occasional melodic lead guitar melody, especially good in 'A Sign For the Norse Hordes to Ride' before 'The Sun No Longer Rises' lets rip with the album's most memorable riff. The songs are short and to the point, and while I wouldn't go so far as to call the minimalistic sound "epic," it's heavily atmospheric and evocative of harsh, frostbitten landscapes.
1. Unsilent Storms in the North Abyss
2. A Sign For the Norse Hordes to Ride
3. The Sun No Longer Rises
4. Frozen By Icewinds
5. Storming Through Red Clouds and Holocaustwinds
6. Eternal Years on the Path to the Cemetery Gates
7. As the Eternity Opens
8. Pure Holocaust
Immortal
Battles in the North
**
Written on 28.07.08
Taking the relentless frosty sound of 'Pure Holocaust' to an undesirable extreme, Immortal's most poorly conceived album artwork belies a fittingly poor album. To its credit, the improved production quality does render the experience genuinely unsettling, creating the mood of being trapped in a fierce snowstorm from which you shall never return, but this doesn't exactly make for the most enjoyable listening experience, unless you're the sort of sadist that enjoys modern Behemoth.
The main problem I have with this album is that it sounds half-hearted and even unfinished in places, the ends of songs cutting off abruptly without a satisfying resolution and the drumming relying again and again on the same techniques of pummelling blast beats that get really irritating as early as the second track. This isn't a particularly brutal album by black metal standards, but it is loud and relentless, and is also Immortal's fastest, but fortunately they would learn to start writing actual music hereafter with the departure of Demonaz.
1. Battles in the North
2. Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms
3. Descent into Eminent Silence
4. Throned By Blackstorms
5. Moonrise Fields of Sorrow
6. Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons
7. At the Stormy Gates of Mist
8. Through the Halls of Eternity
9. Circling Above in Time Before Time
Immortal
At the Heart of Winter
****
Written on 28.07.08
Depending on the listener's preference, Immortal's fifth album is either the point at which they sold out, or actually started to make decent music for the first time. A far cry from the short, sharp, icy shocks of their earlier material, the songs are now longer, denser and more intricate, possessing actual structure for the first time rather than simply focusing on hammering out some blast beats for three minutes.
Abbath is a much more impressive guitarist than his predecessor Demonaz, even if his riffs and melodies borrow distinctly from the heavy metal tradition, in many places sounding like dead ringers for Iron Maiden, if that band played black metal. Horgh's drums are also more developed and intelligent than Abbath's on previous albums, and while the overall sound isn't exactly softer than the previous albums, the shift in focus from brutality to an extended metal experience is a welcome one, even if a couple of songs run a little over time.
1. Withstand the Fall of Time
2. Solarfall
3. Tragedies Blows at Horizon
4. Where Dark and Light Don't Differ
5. At the Heart of Winter
6. Years of Silent Sorrow
Immortal
Sons of Northern Darkness
***
Written on 28.07.08
Believed for a while to be Immortal's swan song before the recent news of a reform, 'Sons of Northern Darkness' sounds a lot different from the band's earlier works, applying a somewhat mechanical black metal style to thrash-derived structures and riffs. As with all of the band's later albums, the songs are longer and more involved than their earlier outbursts, and each song makes effective use of speed changes, though often remains slow and tedious for slightly too long to remain gripping.
Abbath's vocals will take some getting used to for newcomers or even those initiated into black metal, as his distinctive croaking style sounds disappointingly like some sort of ill cyborg. The greatest element here is Horgh's drumming, an improvement over his already impressive earlier work and by far the best drum performance of an Immortal album, though considering the horrific drums of some of their earlier work ('Battles in the North' in particular), I guess that isn't the greatest compliment.
'Tyrants' sounds like something Amon Amarth might have done, and 'Beyond the North Waves' shows a previously unseen epic side to the band by making effective use of keyboards.
1. One By One
2. Sons of Northern Darkness
3. Tyrants
4. Demonium
5. Within the Dark Mind
6. In My Kingdom Cold
7. Antarctica
8. Beyond the North Waves
Immortal Souls
Wintereich
***
Written on 29.07.08
Immortal Souls play a recognisably Finnish strand of melodic death metal, their emphasis on melodic lead guitars from E. Särkioja and Pete Loisa smacking of Children of Bodom, though if anything sounding even happier. Mostly avoiding the genre's more recent disintegration into metalcore (only 'Color of My Sky' comes close in its breakdown-style riffs), this is nevertheless quite an old and tired sound that loses its appeal after the first few tracks.
The melodic lead melodies and classic heavy metal style solos are the main appeal here, to the point that the verse and bridge sections actually seem to intrude between them, and while the guitar playing itself is fast and fun, it doesn't take long for the guitarists to start copying themselves, and the solos are all a little indulgent. The tracklist is separated into four 'chapters,' but this doesn't engender a more epic sound; this is fairly average Finnish melodeath.
1. Nightfrost
2. Feareaper
3. Frozen Inside
4. Icon of Ice
5. Color of My Sky
6. Constant
7. Idlestate
8. Heart of Cold
9. Winter of My Discontent
10. Black Water
11. Winterreich
In Flames
Lunar Strain
****
Written on 29.07.08
'Lunar Strain' isn't exactly one of the classics of Swedish melodic death metal, nor is it the strongest debut (At the Gates' 'The Red in the Sky is Ours' takes the crown), but it's still a highly enjoyable and impressive release that paves the way for the band's second, more consistent album. Featuring alumni of Dark Tranquillity, a band that In Flames never quite topped, this album mixes aggression with melody and a highly prominent acoustic folk edge that bears the distinctive Gothenburg metal sound.
The main issue with this album is the frequency of interludes, or at least songs that feel somehow too short or incomplete. While this is permissible with experiments such as the female singing of 'Everlost, Part 2,' the violin and metal instrumental 'Hårgalåten' feels underused. The more substantial songs are all impressive and varied, from the apocalyptic opening riff of 'Behind Space' to the slower, mournful lead melodies of 'Everlost, Part 1,' and the vocal performance of Mikael Stanne is the most vicious that the band would ever put out.
1. Behind Space
2. Lunar Strain
3. Starforsaken
4. Dreamscape
5. Everlost, Part 1
6. Everlost, Part 2
7. Hårgalåten
8. In Flames
9. Upon an Oaken Throne
10. Clad in Shadows
Advantages: Strong melodic death metal in its original incarnation.
Disadvantages: Awkward incorporation of folk elements at times, and a few too many short songs.
In Flames
The Jester Race
*****
Written on 29.07.08
In Flames' second album is their finest work and one of the defining albums of Gothenburg metal before the genre deteriorated almost instantly. While it doesn't quite measure up to Dark Tranquillity's masterpiece 'The Gallery,' I certainly rate it above anything released by At the Gates.
The most noticeable thing about this album is the prevalence of acoustic folk elements, from the excellent balance of acoustic and metal elements in the opener 'Moonshield' (arguably the band's finest song) to the distinctly festive instrumental 'Wayfaerer,' which, along with the earlier and lighter 'The Jester's Dance,' forms a less significant and more concise instrumental portion of the album in contrast to the slightly muddled debut.
The folk elements, though restrained (and not over the top as in something like Finntroll) will doubtless deter death metal purists, but the album is still packed with enough mean and heavy performances in the form of 'Lord Hypnos' and others to cross genres.
1. Moonshield
2. The Jester's Dance
3. Artifacts of the Black Rain
4. Graveland
5. Lord Hypnos
6. Dead Eternity
7. The Jester Race
8. December Flower
9. Wayfaerer
10. Dead God in Me
In Flames
Whoracle
****
Written on 29.07.08
'Whoracle' is a significant release in In Flames' discography, the point at which they began to move away from the traditional folk influences of their earlier work towards a fusion of melody and aggression reminiscent of Iron Maiden with a sore throat. 'Whoracle' succeeds much better than the somewhat laughable later release 'Clayman' in bridging the genres of classic heavy metal and death metal, but the band's execution of the classic metal guitar style rarely avoids sounding unbearably cheesy.
This isn't a great album by any means, but there are enough decent and varied songs to make it enjoyable and worthy of repeated listens. 'Jotun' and 'Food for the Gods' are both fairly upbeat and easily digested melodic songs, 'Dialogue With the Stars' is a fun but repetitive looping instrumental, 'The Hive' and 'Morphing into Primal' try to be a little more aggressive and end up failing as a result, and 'Worlds Within the Margin' and 'Episode 666' opt for a more satisfying steady approach. 'Jester Script Transfigured' is an interesting downbeat song a little reminiscent of Opeth, and the album's weakest point is its finale, the lacklustre Depeche Mode cover leading into a frankly boring instrumental outro.
1. Jotun
2. Food for the Gods
3. Gyroscope
4. Dialogue With the Stars
5. The Hive
6. Jester Script Transfigured
7. Morphing into Primal
8. Worlds Within the Margin
9. Episode 666
10. Everything Counts (Depeche Mode cover)
11. Whoracle
In Flames
Colony
***
Written on 29.07.08
In Flames further their descent into growling heavy metal with 'Colony,' a distinct bridging point between the folky melodic death metal of the band's previous releases and the metalcore-inspiring style they adopted in a couple of albums' time. By this point, the band has clearly lost the plot as far as combining brutality with melody as neither extreme is handled with any particular skill, the melodic lead guitars sounding cheesy and derivative of eighties metal from the onset and the heavier songs being repetitive and overly shouty, but the more understated songs that don't try as hard are still quite enjoyable.
'Embody the Invisible' and 'Scorn' are both spoiled to an extent by the aforementioned lead guitar style, while songs such as 'Ordinary Story' and the title track make effective use of gloomy, atmospheric verses and strong, steady riffs to remain satisfying, even if they don't particularly stand out. Anders Friden sings in the chorus of 'Coerced Coexistence' and a couple thereafter, an aspect of the band premiered briefly in the Depeche Mode cover of the previous album, but his singing voice isn't anything special, and perhaps explains why he spends the rest of his time growling.
1. Embody the Invisible
2. Ordinary Story
3. Scorn
4. Colony
5. Zombie Inc.
6. Pallar Anders Visa
7. Coerced Coexistence
8. Resin
9. Behind Space '99
10. Insipid 2000
11. The New Word
In Flames
Clayman
****
Written on 15.03.06
An intermediate release for Sweden’s In Flames, Clayman marks the end of the band’s melodic death metal era before they inexplicably moved onto pastures ‘nu.’ With 11 songs of varying degrees of mediocrity, Clayman isn’t a bad album, but one that fails consistently to learn what it is that it wants to try to sound like.
As each In Flames release departs further and further from the melodic death metal sound they pioneered, it’s useful to trace this decadence back through their discography and find the point at which the band really started to lose it. After the genre-defining The Jester Race and Whoracle, 1999’s Colony was a bit of a let-down, if only for eradicating the final traces of the Scandinavian folk influence that had been increasingly absent with each album. Although a strange and acquired taste, these acoustic and woodwind touches gave the band’s music its distinctive and much-imitated sound. By the release of Clayman in 2000, In Flames were even toning down the harsh death metal sound to a more approachable heavy metal style, resulting in an album that’s as simplistically enjoyable as it is lacking in direction.
1. Bullet Ride
2. Pinball Map
3. Only for the Weak
4. …As the Future Repeats Today
5. Square Nothing
6. Clayman
7. Satellites and Astronauts
8. Brush the Dust Away
9. Swim
10. Suburban Me
11. Another Day in Quicksand
As expected, Clayman boasts a mixture of styles, but never strays too far from its general diluted death metal core. Arbitrary ballads and instrumentals are avoided, and there is a sense that the band was happy with every song, as none stand out as particularly unimpressive. The customary exciting opener ‘Bullet Ride’ makes way for some slower tracks, and this alternating style continues throughout. The titular ‘Clayman’ stands out as the most speedy and aggressive song on here, a fairly obvious anthem of integrity, while the later offering ‘Swim’ is perhaps the fastest and certainly the bounciest offering, a fun sci-fi piece that’s one of my favourites here despite its flimsy reliance on the leading guitar melodies.
‘Pinball Map’ is a great plodding song with a powerful chorus, followed by the divisive ‘Only for the Weak,’ notable and perhaps infamous for its dominating 80s-style keyboard riff. Well I like it anyway. A failed epic comes in the shape of ‘Satellites and Astronauts,’ not quite the death metal answer to ‘Space Oddity,’ but the band have always been best at more concise offerings: ‘Square Nothing’ is a repetitive but excellent metal track, while ‘Suburban Me’ is perhaps the only song here in which the band really find their Clayman feet, a fusion of melodic death and classic heavy metal that really works, especially in the rousing chorus and cool ‘hair metal’ solo, as well as an interesting anticipation of the ‘raindrops riff’ from Iron Maiden’s ‘Rainmaker’ released three years later. The closing track is a bit of a disappointment after this, but nothing compared to the band’s later releases.
Clayman is dominated by solo-crazy guitars, which makes it automatically good (obviously), but unfortunately there’s very little to the songs beyond the bland but fairly fun surface. The main problem is the album’s uncomfortable middle ground between genres: at times the death metal growls seem very out of place against the harmonious backdrop, so it’s odd that vocalist Anders Fridén didn’t continue to include the ‘clean voice’ sections present on their previous and later albums.
Clayman’s certainly something of a missed opportunity: a nice collection of songs from a band beginning their decline, but nothing more substantial than that. It’s apparent that the album could have benefited from more work, evidenced by the rushed-looking cover adapting Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man to ‘Clayman’ form (i.e. colouring it grey) and adding some unconvincing CGI flames. There’s even a spelling mistake on the back cover in the track listing for ‘“Sattelites” and Astronauts.’ The menacing demonic face in the background has never quite become the band’s logo, however hard they’ve tried.
‘Suburban Me’ is the best song here, even if it does sound like an uninspired death metal cover of a generic 80s heavy metal single, but there are some nice and memorable guitar riffs and chorus sections in ‘Swim,’ ‘Pinball Map,’ ‘Square Nothing’ and, according to the listener’s bias against rubbish 80s synth, ‘Only for the Weak.’ It’s a good song.
Probably an improvement on its predecessor Colony, but sadly In Flames’ final spark. 1997’s Whoracle remains their best.
Advantages: Talented musicians, enjoyable metal songs
Disadvantages: Uncomfortable mix of genres: death metal vocals are out of place
In Flames
Reroute to Remain
**
Written on 29.07.08
'Reroute to Remain' could easily be branded as In Flames' 'sell-out' album, though discerning listeners will have noticed the quality of their output slipping for a number of years previously. The style here is now far removed from their original, though is still essentially melodic death metal, albeit in a modernised form that's intended to be more acceptable to the standard, unadventurous reader of 'Kerrang!' magazine. Most songs are fairly slow and dull, and become incredibly repetitive as the album plods on, while Anders Friden now insists on combining his overly harsh yell with his irritatingly hoarse clean singing in almost every song.
The band is so overproduced by this point that it sounds robotic, like a less skilled Fear Factory, and the riffs borrow more from groove metal than the band's own legacy. The band proves that it's long lost its knack for incorporating acoustic guitar effectively in 'Dawn of a New Day' and 'Metaphor,' and songs like 'Trigger' are worthless outside of the focal chorus. The most positive thing I could find about this album is that the cheesy melodic guitars of 'Clayman' have now largely been eradicated, though the riffs the band replaces them with are scarcely an improvement, and ultimately more forgettable.
1. Reroute to Remain
2. System
3. Drifter
4. Trigger
5. Cloud Connected
6. Transparent
7. Dawn of a New Day
8. Egonomic
9. Minus
10. Dismiss the Cynics
11. Free Fall
12. Dark Signs
13. Metaphor
14. Black and White
In Flames
A Sense of Purpose
**
Written on 29.07.08
In Flames aren't going to surprise anyone with their latest album, unless fans had been yearning in vain for a return to the sound of the olden days. The strain of melodic death metal present in the previous 'Soundtrack to Your Escape' and 'Come Clarity' is furthered here, and every aspect of the album, from its artwork to the angst-ridden lyrics and Ander Friden's vocal performance, seem reminiscent of a melodeath version of Korn.
The songs here are all largely the same, making this far from exciting or novel. To its credit, it doesn't try too hard to be needlessly angry or cross over into metalcore territory, but even the attempts to diversify with something of a post-metal crescendo in the long 'The Chosen Pessimist' or the acoustic guitar in 'Alias' fail to really impress, betraying the fact that the band has been going for some time now, and should have perfected its sound rather than witnessed its gradual decline.
1. The Mirror's Truth
2. Disconnected
3. Sleepless Again
4. Alias
5. I'm the Highway
6. Delight and Angers
7. Move Through Me
8. The Chosen Pessimist
9. Sober and Irrelevant
10. Condemned
11. Drenched in Fear
12. March to the Shore
In the Woods...
Omnio
*****
Written on 29.07.08
The second In the Woods... album fails to remedy any of the supposed drawbacks of its predecessor, yet somehow manages to be an excellent album, and the band's crowning achievement. Abandoning the last traces of black metal from their sound, these long songs now focus more on experimentation and diversity, most evident and successful in the multi-layered male and female vocals that take a little getting used to, especially if you're averse to Vintersorg-style melodramatic Viking croons, but make this a highly distinctive release.
There's an excellent, perhaps perfect balance between hard and soft elements here, as songs move fluidly between movements and cause great anticipation as to what's coming next, even if songs fail to be distinguishable on the first listen. The band makes effective use of violins and mournful lead guitar melodies without going over the top with instrumental theatrics, and while this perhaps isn't as emotionally satisfying or draining as a more traditional doom metal album from the likes of My Dying Bride, the atmosphere is still consistent and enjoyable throughout.
1. 299,796 km/s
2. I Am Your Flesh
3. Kairos!
4. Weeping Willow
5. Omnio? - Pre
6. Omnio? - Bardo
7. Omnio? - Post
Insomnium
Above the Weeping World
****
Written on 29.07.08
I was very pleasantly surprised by Insomnium's 2006 release; a modern melodic death metal album that's actually any good, though admittedly it does base its sound entirely in the classic mould of Dark Tranquillity circa their defining masterpiece 'The Gallery.' This Finnish band returns the (Swedish) melodeath genre to its roots, and aided by superior production quality and a great performance from all band members, this is an album that will certainly be loved by anyone who enjoyed the melodic death genre in the nineties before it petered out in the new millennium.
The guitars are the most impressive element here, churning out some memorable melodies that could easily be Dark Tranquillity off-cuts, and the only band member who fails to make a lasting impression is the vocalist, whose growls are the standard butch shouting fare, balanced out by ineffective softer growls in the frequent atmospheric sections. This is where the otherwise excellent album falters slightly as it starts to run its limited range of ideas into the ground and tracks start to sound similar, but taking one or two at a time, this is still one of the best melodic death metal experiences releases this decade.
1. The Gale
2. Mortal Share
3. Drawn to Black
4. Change of Heart
5. At the Gates of Sleep
6. The Killjoy
7. Last Statement
8. Devoid of Caring
9. In the Groves of Death
Iron Fire
Blade of Triumph
***
Written on 29.07.08
Denmark's Iron Fire are yet another modern band repeating a tired heavy metal formula and ruining any powerful impact it may have had through the prevalence of overly melodic vocals. Martin Steene isn't a bad singer, but his soft style doesn't suit the tales of conquest and glory, and robs what little power the generic instrumentation may have had.
With that major gripe out of the way, this is an average album of heavy/power metal, but nothing that genre fans won't have heard before. Some of the choruses and guitar riffs are catchy, but most are forgettable or otherwise unimpressive, 'Dawn of Victory' taking the biscuit for the least exciting metal rendition of the theme from Holst's 'Mars, the Bringer of War' that I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot - bands plunder that riff all the time). The overly melodic songs all too frequently descend into unnecessary softer sections, and to make matters worse, 'Legend of the Magic Sword' is simply a really, really bad ballad, in the tradition of most metal ballads.
1. Dragonheart
2. Bloodbath of Knights
3. Dawn of Victory
4. Lord of the Labyrinth
5. Bridges Will Burn
6. Follow the Sign
7. Steel Invaders
8. Jackal's Eye
9. Legend of the Magic Sword
10. Gladiator's Path
11. Blade of Triumph
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Birth of the Beast
***
Written on 18.06.04
The debut release from one of the biggest British rock bands in history is much different to what the band would become famous for, although writing them here there doesn’t seem to be that much difference: Iron Maiden are most well-known for their mixture of fast-paced heavy metal anthems and longer, more intricate epics, and that’s exactly what this album entails, although the music here is geared towards a more raw and simple style, added to by the more traditional and less operatic vocals of Paul Di’Anno. Anyone who is a fan of Iron Maiden for Bruce Dickinson’s inimitable screams will not automatically appreciate the different sound of the band’s early years, although the inclusion of many of these songs in the band’s live set-lists shows how classic a debut this is considered by many to be.
STYLE
As this is Iron Maiden’s first release, and because the band at this point consisted of only two fifths of what is considered their classic line-up, the sound is understandably very different from what would come later, but as shown with the later ‘Live After Death’ and ‘Rock in Rio’ albums it is able to integrate perfectly into the band’s evolving style. Paul Di’Anno’s vocals are more gravely than those of Dickinson, and occupy a generally lower register, while the drumming of Clive Burr was never anything more than straightforward (Burr would remain in the band until 1982 when he was replaced by current drummer Nikko McBrain).
Founder, songwriter and bass player Steve Harris is the driving force behind the band’s music and has continued to be to this day, although his speedy bass work isn’t able to make itself as clear on this album due to the rather unimpressive production values that give this album a less refined sound than it perhaps deserved. Dave Murray is still present as one of the guitarists, although his regular associate Adrian Smith would not join the band for another year; the different sound of the guitars on this album are due to the collaboration with Dennis Stratton.
TRACKS
1. PROWLER
The opening track isn’t particularly astounding or interesting, but it’s a great way to start the album as well as the band’s early era. An almost constant distorted high guitar melody permeates most of the verses and instrument sections, while Di’Anno’s voice suits the plodding, dark rhythm perfectly. Catchy and fun (I just caught myself quite embarrassingly attempting the guitar sound through use of my mouth) this is occasionally played live by the current line-up and always goes down well.
“Walking through the city, looking oh so pretty,
I've just got to find my way.
See the ladies flashing. All there legs and lashes.
I've just got to find my way.”
2. SANCTUARY
Quite a good song, but a track that certainly shows its age and the limitations of the production quality; the guitars sound very seventies in their grind, the drums are ineffective and too soft, the bass is unimpressive and the vocals don’t even suit it as well as they could. Although all that criticism could simply be due to the fact that this isn’t my kind of music: this is more typically ‘NWOBHM’ than is the norm for the band, and I’m surprised it’s remained an almost constant presence in their live sets over the years. The police siren towards the end is also a little silly.
“I know you'd have gone insane if you saw what I saw,
So now I've got to look for Sanctuary from the law”
3. REMEMBER TOMORROW
Quite surprisingly, the album offers a light ballad-style song at this relatively early point. This sounds very different to everything else the band have produced, but is one of my favourite tracks on this album for that exact reason. The acoustic guitars in harmony compliment the soft singing of the verses, while the heavier riff breaking in with the chorus is one of the most impressive and distinct on here. My only slight problem is that Di’Anno goes a little too high pitched in the chorus momentarily, but the fantastic galloping guitar rhythm half way through more than makes up for that. Many prominent metal bands have been known to cover this track live, including Metallica and In Flames, indicating its influence and popularity; the poor production doesn’t really affect this track either, and Harris’ bass can be hardly very clearly at times.
“Unchain the colours before my eyes,
Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire”
4. RUNNING FREE
Perhaps the most well-known song on the album, this always goes down incredibly at Iron Maiden shows and is extended beyond proportion in the band’s excellent ‘Live After Death’ album from 1985. Saying that, it’s not one I’m particularly fond of as it sounds quite similar to previous offerings in its driving drum beat and verse structure, although the guitar harmonies do sound great. The vocals again aren’t up to that much, but do suit the music; it’s just a shame the lyrics are rubbish. There are several live versions of this on the band’s other albums with Bruce on the vocals that sounds a little better, but still a pretty basic heavy metal song that owes more to Motorhead and Judas Priest than the band’s own distinctive style and talents.
“Just sixteen, a pickup truck, out of money, out of luck.
I've got nowhere to call my own, hit the gas, and here I go.
I’m running free yeah, I’m running free”
From a fairly mixed bag of enjoyable and unimpressive offerings comes the album’s finest hour, and a song that is surprisingly among my favourite Maiden tracks; the epic:
5. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Beginning with a distinctive dual guitar melody that sounds very foreboding, dark and above all the exact tune associated with the eponymous masked Phantom, this is seven and a half minutes of incredible guitar and bass skill that will not be forgotten in a hurry. While the fitting of Di’Anno’s vocals to the guitar tune seems a bit contrived, the rest of the verses sound excellent and truly haunting, something that Bruce Dickinson arguably does not succeed as well in when performing this song (I think he does, but then again I would marry the guy). Halfway through comes a melodic break from the fast, overpowering riffs and a bass solo that leads into some really pleasant-sounding guitar harmony – after a nice session of this the riffs return for a final verse. By far the high point of the album, and Maiden’s early years in general. The solos are killer also.
“You're standing in the wings, there you wait for the curtain to fall.
Knowing the terror and holding you have on us all.”
6. TRANSYLVANIA
As an Iron Maiden instrumental, ‘Transylvania’ is one of the most musically complex and interesting tracks on here with some catchy guitar licks and a dominant bass presence at last, although its position in the album after the equally detailed ‘Phantom’ does offer it less appreciation that it perhaps would have achieved had some simpler tracks been placed in-between. As Di’Anno isn’t present here, the main difference in sound between the band’s albums comes from Stratton’s guitar work, as his distinctive solo is less impressive than those of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. The band’s later recruit, Janick Gers, isn’t particularly inspiring however. This track ends by fading into the next song, and doesn’t outstay its welcome at only four minutes.
7. STRANGE WORLD
Like ‘Remember Tomorrow,’ this begins melodically and quietly, with the drums muted somewhat to allows the guitars and bass to create a harmonious atmosphere. There is something that prevents this from being an excellent track however, in the shape of the quite annoying vocals from Di’Anno; he again attempts some of the higher notes and ends up sounding like a middle-aged cockney woman rather than a rebellious young man, who is still a cockney. Quite atypically, this songs never breaks into a faster or heavier chorus section, remaining calm and tranquil throughout.
“Stalks of light come from the ground, when I cry there isn't a sound.
All my feelings cannot be held, I'm happy in my new strange world”
8. CHARLOTTE THE HARLOT
As the title suggests this is a fun and flippant track, written by Dave Murray and concerning a prostitute (possibly fictional, that isn’t clear) who would go on to appear in two more Maiden songs (1982’s ’22 Acacia Avenue’ and 1990’s ‘Hooks in You’). The very British sound of this song makes it quite amusing and endearing, especially with the words “arse” and “fiver,” an musically it’s actually quite impressive considering the subject matter – quite speedy in the verses, but slowing down greatly in the middle with some melodic guitars. It’s still funny though, and has a clear Dave Murray solo section. As seen below, the band certainly aren’t endorsing the prostitution trade, even pointing out the criminal nature, a little contrary to their ‘bad boy’ image of the time.
“Taking so many men to your room, don't you feel no remorse?
You charge them a "fiver", It's only for starters
And ten for the main course.
And you've got no feelings, they died long ago,
Don't you care who you let in?
And don't you know you're breaking the law with the service you're giving”
9. IRON MAIDEN
The album ends in fine style with another of the most well-known tracks, the upbeat and distinctively Maiden self-titled track that is another constant presence of live shows. From the build up of guitar harmonies at the start to the galloping rhythms of the verses, this is one of the most enjoyable offerings on this album and the lyrics expertly reflect the band’s tongue-in-cheek extreme violence motif. It’s still more impressive on later live albums with Dickinson on the vocals and a better quality sound however, especially in terms of the drums which sound incredibly poor and tinny even on the enhanced recording.
“Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,
Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.”
VERDICT
Although many heavy metal fans (usually unshaven well-built men in their forties with green tattoo fade smearing their arms) will argue that this is the definitive Maiden album, the general impression is that it is a good debut, but nowhere near as impressive as what is to come. Although many of the trademark Iron Maiden elements are here, the style is radically different from Bruce Dickinson/Adrian Smith Iron Maiden, although there are still some good songs. My advice to any Iron Maiden fans would be to avoid this album unless you are satisfied with the poor production and less refined sound of the instruments and vocals, especially as the best tracks can be found on the band’s live albums with Bruce screaming to the gathered masses. This is better than the follow-up ‘Killers,’ but there are too many unfortunate flaws with the line-up and sound quality for me to listen to this on a regular basis: it’s not the Iron Maiden I’m used to.
Saying all that, Phantom’s ace.
Advantages: A few timeless classics, Great balance of song types, Impressive debut
Disadvantages: Poor production, Most songs are below average, Di'Anno's vocals are occasionally annoying
Iron Maiden
Killers
***
Written on 13.01.06
Iron Maiden’s second album sounds less a precursor to its acclaimed successor, 1982’s ‘The Number of the Beast,’ than a half-hearted follow up to their 1980 debut.
This isn’t entirely the fault of the band; they had been touring and developing the songs of their first album since 1975 and had used all of their best material, while the increasingly erratic behaviour of vocalist Paul Di’Anno meant that stress levels within the band were affected their output. Replacement second guitarist Adrian Smith would write some of the band’s greatest songs in later years, but his introduction here seemed to be more an unneeded distraction than an injection of new life. But anyway, onto the music and why it’s not quite my least favourite Iron Maiden album.
1. The Ides of March
2. Wrathchild
3. Murders in the Rue Morgue
4. Another Life
5. Genghis Khan
6. Innocent Exile
7. Killers
8. Prodigal Son
9. Purgatory
10. Twilight Zone
11. Drifter
The most recognisable song here is the fast and grooving ‘Wrathchild,’ a permanent presence in the band’s live sets and, coming in at under three minutes, one of the best examples of their early NWOBHM sound (that’s New Wave Of British Heavy Metal… at the time of course). ‘Killers’ is the other great song on here, the ominous opening and explosion into the main riff being the highlight of the album, despite Di’Anno letting it down on some of the verses. Aside from these two Maiden classics, the rest of the album sounds like filler, or simply songs that don’t really work; ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’ has the potential to be excellent but misses the marks along the way.
‘The Ides of March’ is a good opening instrumental, not entirely necessary as a lead into Wrathchild but only a minute in length and a rare chance for drummer Clive Burr, soon to depart after the next album, to guide the song. The other instrumental is ‘Genghis Khan,’ featuring a great Egyptian-sounding guitar solo but otherwise not of great interest, reputedly only remaining an instrumental because Steve Harris wasn’t happy with the lyrics he’d penned. The only other song to immediately distinguishes itself is ‘Prodigal Son,’ an unexpected ballad based on acoustic guitar, but featuring electric guitars in the chorus – the band wouldn’t record an entirely unplugged song for another 13 years! Prodigal Son isn’t bad, but it does stand out a little too much by sounding very much like the arbitrary acoustic song of every 80s heavy metal band, but with better lyrics.
The remaining five songs all sound fairly indistinctive, even after repeated listens over the years, and their speedy rhythm has led to many people declaring Killers, and to a lesser extent the self-titled debut, punk rock albums. This clearly isn’t the case – if Iron Maiden sound like anything else in the early days it’s their contemporaries such as Judas Priest – although listening to Di’Anno’s strained, raspy vocals, I can see why people make the connection.
The basic reason behind this album’s lack of success is that the band’s most technically accomplished songs ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Remember Tomorrow,’ and their best speedy rocking tracks ‘Prowler,’ ‘Running Free,’ ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Iron Maiden,’ were all toured to perfection and recorded for their first album, leaving little else. Set closer ‘Drifter’ was left unrecorded until this album, where it falls flat without the crowd interaction that helped speed the show along, while the decision to postpone ‘Wrathchild’ for the second album was only made because the song was already included on a compilation.
Di’Anno was effectively fired from the band after this album and the successful live video ‘Maiden Japan,’ replaced by Samson frontman Bruce Dickinson for the next album and who, despite a rather large absence throughout most of the 90s, is still the vocalist and minor songwriter today. There will always be fans who prefer Di’Anno’s more raw sound, and indeed it works quite well under the distortion of ‘Twilight Zone,’ but in too many places it makes the album’s production sound less refined, despite the quite impressive job in comparison to the previous record.
Killers isn’t a terrible album and isn’t a major disappointment either, coming this early in the band’s career. Bearing this in mind, I’d recommend it over 1990’s dodgy ‘No Prayer For the Dying’ and 1997’s tedious ‘Virtual XI,’ but don’t expect the rip-roaring sing-along chorus and galloping bass line of ‘Run to the Hills’ or the polished synth metal of ‘Can I Play With Madness.’ Killers is fast and fun, but full of potential that would remain untapped for another year.
Advantages: Fairly original, with several great and long-lasting songs
Disadvantages: Many mediocre songs, problematic vocals
Iron Maiden
Run to the Hiiiiiills
****
Written on 12.10.03
Another review focusing on smug eighties cheesy heavy metal that won't be of any real interest to anyone who has even a smattering of cultural taste. Still, it's rocktastic though.
Destined to become Maiden's most recognised and popular album, "Beast" was the first to be released to any major success after the lower quality of their previous two offerings. 1982 saw the introduction of Bruce Dickinson as the band's new frontman, replacing Paul Di'anno, and no matter what some hardcore fans may say, this was a change for the better. Dickinson's trademark high singing and less believable raspy shouting became the basic staple of the band along with bassist Steve Harris' galloping bass riffs.
The main attraction of this album to metal fans is the presence of Iron Maiden's biggest ever hits, "The Number of the Beast" and the huge "Run to the Hills." If you ever saw the Big Train sketch where a mob of fans were only satisfied when a singer performed his biggest hit again and again, this is the Maiden equivalent of that, although with more American Indians. And although unreleased in single format, album closer "Hallowed Be Thy Name" soon became one of the most popular metal anthems of all time.
There are nine tracks on this album, varying from 3 and a half to 7 minutes, making it reasonable value for money. As usual, most were written by bassist and founder Steve Harris, but everyone else had a crack at writing something:
"Invaders" is an enjoyable and upbeat start to the album, dealing with viking invasions and ravishings. The chorus seems a little too silly to be believed on first listen, but you soon get used to what sounds like the guitar equivalent of simply sliding your finger all the way along the keys of a piano and back again. We've all been there.
"Children of the Damned" begins with an acoustic guitar, making it immediately different from anything else on the album, and even when the electrics kick in it manages to stay nice and slow. Another enjoyable listen.
"The Prisoner" is an example of Maiden's desire to put their favourite TV shows into song form. Beginning with 'I am not a number, I am a free man' from the 60s show, it's very drum led and quite fun, if a little long-winded.
"22 Acacia Avenue" seems to be Maiden dealing with the issue of prostitution but it mainly comes off as a nice happy song. Dickinson's vocals are great in the chorus, and for anyone interested in chronologies and the like, this continues from "Charlotte the Harlot" in their first album. Secondary guitarist Adrian Smith wrote this one.
"The Number of the Beast" - the title track and one of the singles with a very cool video interspersing expressionist-era silent horror films with clips of hairy 1980s rockers playing a cheesy song. It's not the highlight of the album for me at all, in fact I find it quite below what the band are usually capable of, but the public seem(ed) to like it.
"Run to the Hills" is probably the most infectious and memorable song on the album, due to that damned chorus. It's fun, it's gallopy, it's not very good really but the Maiden fans seem(ed) to like it. Detailing the struggle of Native Americans when those Thanksgiving people came over.
"Gangland" is one of the Maiden songs I'd describe as rubbish. Untalented drumming begins it, and it's just not really worth mentioning. About gans or something.
"Total Eclipse" is another great song off the album, which was originally only included on a B side yadayadawhatever it's on the album now anyway. One of my two favourites on the album, along with...
"Hallowed Be Thy Name." One of Iron Maiden's progressive songs, which became a trademark of some of their next albums, this is deservedly one of their greatest songs. It begins with bell chimes and has some really great guitar parts, some poor guy's getting executed.
I listen to this album quite a lot, although it's by no means my favourite that the British rockers have done. Later eighties offerings such as "Piece of Mind," "Somewhere in Time" and my personal favourite "Powerslave" hold together much better as albums, and the songs sound much more expertly put together. Then came the big Iron Maiden decline, but this isn't the place to go on about that. This is probably the album that is easiest to listen to if you're not famliar with the genre, implying that it's a bit all-round and nothing special. If you're more interested in songs that evolve throughout and are continually interesting, I recommend one of their other albums or simply that you somehow get hold of "Hallowed Be Thy Name." Don't download it though as that would be wrong; I have to say that these days.
The cover of the album is pretty nice though, showing Maiden's mascot Eddie controlling a puppet of the devil who is in turn controlling a puppet of Eddie. They could have shown strings coming from the top of the big Eddie to suggest it going to infinity and so on to etcetera, but maybe this hurt their hairy eighties brains. It's always cheap as well. Long live heavy metal!
Advantages: Some classic songs, British rock, Bruce Dickinson's there
Disadvantages: Not a great album, Some weaker songs
Iron Maiden
Powerslave
*****
Written on 08.12.03
Powerslave was the first Iron Maiden album I heard in full, and is still my favourite today. 1982's "The Number of the Beast" introduced frontman Bruce Dickinson and started the classic Iron Maiden 'sound', 1983's "Piece of Mind" introduced drummer Nikko McBrain and Steve Harris' history-influeced lyrics, and 1984's "Powerslave" is a great album that combines everything that's great about the hairy British rockers.
Unlike some of Maiden's later albums, Powerslave is not a concept album although this could be thought from the heavily Egyptian themed booklet and covers. The themes of the songs range from a celebration of the brave English flying aces to an extensive and long-winded musical version of Samuel Coleridge's poem, 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' The guitar riffs and solos by Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are at their very best in this album, as is the basswork from Steve Harris, which is more onticeable on this than many of the other albums, and drumming from McBrain. Bruce's vocals haven't lost any of their range, and this album shows him reaching notes possibly higher than it's safe to listen to.
THE MUSIC
1. ACES HIGH
Starting the album on a high note, pardon the rubbish and unintentional pun, is one of my favourite Maiden songs. The main riff is fast, uplifting and very fun while Bruce's contrasting high and medium vocals in the chorus and verses respectively make this an instant classic. It was the first track released as a single off this album, and features on 1991's compilation "the Best of the Beast." It was recently covered by European death metal band Arch Enemy making for a much scarier song. Unlike some of Maiden's songs there is actually a lot of progression and interesting 'asides' by guitars and while the image of flying heroes may not be conjured up it's a great metal song which should be more accessible than Metallica or anything heavier, especially Arch Enemy.
2. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
Another excellent song, another of my favourites and another to be released as a single, "2 Minutes" was another song included on the Best of the Beast. A longer song at just under six minutes - not two as you might have hoped; this would have been fiendishly ironic however the song would be much worse - the song is quite a criticism of human folly, especially regarding world leaders who decide upon devastating wars that affect the future populations. As well as one of my favourite guitar riffs, some of my favourite Iron Maiden lyrics are included here: "We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies" is expertly delivered by Bruce in a medium-note voice that for once can be heard by life forms other than just dogs and bats, making this one of the more meaningful Iron Maiden songs to come out of the 80s.
"As the madmen play on words and make us all
dance to their song,
to the tune of starving millions
to make a better kind of gun."
3. LOSFER WORDS (BIG 'ORRA)
After a lyrical appraisal comes this slang-fest, but this doesn't extend to the song as all that can be heard is some guy shouting numbers at the start. It's an instrumental you see, and not one that will go down in the history books as the Beethoven or Wagner of metal, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. While Metallica's instrumentals arevery long, complex and emotive, Maiden's instrument players tend to jump at the chance to make themselves get noticed above Bruce Dickinson and come up with some nice riffs and solos to fill up the 4 minutes 12 seconds that it takes him to go about his ablusions during recording. Losfer words isn't a Maiden classic but it's nice and fun, and the high guitars near the end of the song are really good.
4. FLASH OF THE BLADE
Bruce Dickinson is back with a vengeance in this vocal-led song about someone who has to grow up quickly to take vengeance upon tjose who have slain his family. Far from being depressing and dark, this is one of the most uplifting Maiden songs I've ever heard, although all instruments clearly take a back seat to Bruce in this fantastic performance. The verses are sung in a raspy tone before the build-up and wailing of the very catchy chorus. Not a Maiden classic, but I definitely don't consider it to be a filler track: there are certain times when this is the best thing I can listen to.
5. THE DUELLISTS
Another great vocal performance, the guitars, drums and especially bass are more present in this anthem about, well, guys having a duel and the reasons behind it, as well as the inevitable deadly consequences. Bruce's vocals are very fast in some of the verses, which is certainly impressive, and his choruses are only about a note lower than in "Flash." Probably knackered or something. There's a great guitar and bass interlude in the middle of the song before the verses start again, and this is another great song that won't be very recognised but certainly has its moments. I love it.
6. BACK IN THE VILLAGE
The only song on the album that I would consider quite 'filler,' this is the only song I'm indifferent to. I occasionally skip it, and it's never as present in my mind as any of the others, although there are some great guitar sections and one of the funniest Iron Maiden lyrics: "Shellshock, in the kitchen." When read, the lyrics regarding a return home and some sort of a catastrophe are very interesting and well-written, however it doesn't translate too well into song form.
7. POWERSLAVE
The penultimate track on the album, the title track "Powerslave" deals with Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and is also a heavy and progressive metal song: can't go wrong really. Starting with one of the song's main riffs and Bruce's angry verses, it soon becomes clear that this is a well developed and epic song when the Egyptian-esque choruses kick in. The choruses, verses and especially the guitar riffs and accompanying drumming are among the most memorable Maiden songs and this is definitely a must-hear for any metal fans. I'm not sure whether it was on Best of the Beast but sod that, they put "Can I Play With Madness" on that so it's not that prestigious. The song has a break in the middle with guitars that almost sound acoustic and some interesting distortion before the best and longest guitar solo of the album. The impending doom aspect is always a great feature of Maiden songs, even when that doom is personified by album cover star Eddie dressed in unconvincing rags, and the last verse promises:
"A shell of a man preserved-
a thousand ages,
But open the gates of my Hell-
I will strike from my grave."
One of my very favourite Maiden songs, I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of rocking, everyone's at their best here and the backing "ahhhh"s by other band members don't even sound annoying like they do a little on other tracks.
8. RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
An Iron Maiden song that can divide the fans, the 13:36 epic is a winner with me mostly due to the very first notes which will thrust themselves into my mind at the most inopportune moments, but which I can then enjoy in memory form in any case. Even if you hate Maiden, take a listen to the first three seconds and you may get what I mean. I think most peoples' problem with this song is patience, as it's definitely very long, but if you're just wasting your school and college years going to school in the day, then watching Stargate and eating Pot Noodles the rest of the time you might as well immerse yourself. There won't be time later. The song is a direct reference to Samuel Coleridge's famous poem in which a seafaring man was cursed to tell his tale of blasphemy regarding the murder of an albatross, and it's very easy to tell the sections which are either original Maiden or lifted directly from the poem. See if you can tell the difference:
"As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere
And all the boards did shrink.
Water water everywhere nor any drop to drink."
"And the curse goes on and on and on at sea
And the thirst goes on and on for them and me."
Diddly-diddly-diddly ba ba bababababa (instrument sounds)
Halfway through, a bass section features a number of string and wind instruments which create a deep atmosphere and is very different from everything else on the album, and a narrative starts. Following this rather dull and quiet section comes another guitar section I could only describe as 'cheerful' which leads up to the end of the song. A masterpiece, but not for everyone.
VERDICT
I would personally recommend this album over any others Maiden have done, as this is Maiden at their prime. "Number of the Beast" is the album everyone knows, but the songs aren't anywhere near as enjoyable or metal as this; the band's chemistry also seems to be at an all-time high before all the splitting up of the 90s. "Beast" is also beaten by the fact that its booklet didn't include a nonsensical slang-fest swearathon at the end of its booklet's "Thank You" section: this does, and it's all the funnier for it. Unfortunately I can't repeat any of the phonetical swear words in case of offence. This album and the others can all be found for very low prices in CD retailers and on websites, which makes collecting them all the more simple. Up the Irons!
Advantages: Some of the best Maiden songs on one album, Every band member working at their peak, Great Egyptian artwork and theme
Disadvantages: "Back in the Village" prevents the album from attaining perfection status, Production and age means it's not as clear as newer albums, even when remastered
Iron Maiden
Live After Death
The Envious Foetus
*****
Written on 18.05.04
Over the past year, NWOBHM band Iron Maiden (that's New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, not a particularly catchy abbreviation I admit) have managed to overpower all the other bands inside my head to become my personal favourite. Their albums are surprisingly strong and full of excellent tracks, while their lyrics and song structures are, for the most part, incredible.
Live After Death was their first official live album and despite advances in digital recording techniques, this album is still widely regarded as one of the best live recordings ever made, almost twenty years later. Its influence is also so mighty that it immediately became one of my favourite albums as soon as I listened to it, even though some of the band's greatest hits were not yet born; and nor was I.
WORLD SLAVERY
Following the international success of their albums 'Number of the Beast' (1982), 'Piece of Mind' (1983) and 'Powerslave' (1984), the band embarked on what has been described as "one of the most ambitious tours in rock history," touring the planet on their World Slavery Tour from 1984 to 1985 over a total of 322 almost consecutive days.
Bearing in mind that this is only a little under a year, Iron Maiden's state upon returning to Blighty could only be described as "knackered," but the band's friendship and inspiration was such that they were able to get to work on creating another studio album almost immediately. Aside from lead singer Bruce Dickinson who, having almost suffered a breakdown due to the stress of enslaving the world through ear-splitting vocals, had to take it easy for a few months.
The dates match: early 1985. It was during this tour that I was conceived and gestated, however when it was my time to emerge the band had finally completed their tour. Coincidence? Yes, obviously.
SCREAM FOR ME, LONG BEACH
When an influential band plans to release an official live album, the location of the recording is often hotly debated. Iced Earth's 'Alive in Athens' corresponded to their great respect for their supportive Greek fans, while Metallica remained closer to home with their 'Live Sh*t' box set of US concerts.
Despite being British gentlemen, Iron Maiden were clearly well aware of their American fan base and subsequently became the first time ever that a band's concert sold out for four consecutive nights at the Long Beach Arena in Los Angeles, California. The overwhelming crowd support seems to spur the band on and provide them with even more energy as the songs across these two CDs all sound rapid, energetic and pitch-perfect. Maiden are a live band if ever there was one, and the power behind these tracks makes them even more enjoyable and dynamic than the studio versions, if a little less definitive.
DISC ONE
Intro
Aces High
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Trooper
Revelations
Flight of Icarus
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Powerslave
The Number of the Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden
Run to the Hills
Running Free
DISC TWO
Wrathchild
22 Acacia Avenue
Children of the Damned
Die With Your Boots On
Phantom of the Opera
The noticeable changes to many of these songs from the album versio ns is that many of them are played at a faster and more exciting pace, apart from some like 'Aces High' and 'The Trooper' that could not conceivably be any faster. This seems a little odd at first, but it creates a much more vibrant and enjoyable mood throughout the whole experience, and as with all live albums this IS an experience; not an album that will often get spun purely for your favourite track.
Opening with sounds of warfare and the famous "fight on the beaches" speech from Churchill, the band launch into their most recent hit (as of this album), 'Aces High,' and continue with fast and meaningful tracks for the majority of the night, even giving the excellent and reflective 'Revelations' a kick in the speedy direction. 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' is one of the highlights as this fourteen minute epic is as perfect as on the album, and it's easy to join in with the crowd's excitement as the mummified Eddie explodes onto the stage during 'Powerslave.'
The second half of the album, the extra tracks recorded a little earlier during a concert in Hammersmith, London, mainly consist of material from the band's first three albums, and although these albums sound dated and less impressive for a number of reasons, the best tracks are made even more enjoyable here; 'Running Free' is a very simple song but very infectious and a great ending to the gig, while 'Phantom of the Opera' closes the bonus disc in style.
VERDICT
Although now one of my very favourite albums, this album still has its flaws, although none of them are large enough to present a problem. The production is crystal clear, but the guitars do sound a lot more raw than on their mid-80s studio albums, and some of the tracks do not benefit from this style. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith still excel in this department however, with Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain, playing bass guitar and drums respectively, sounding even better here than on some of the albums. Bruce never hits a wrong note either, confirming his status as one of metal's mightiest vocalists; his very British humour during banter between a couple of tracks is also very enjoyable.
The issue of crowd involvement is a difficult subject to tackle, and some people have commented on the crowd not being clear enough in-between the tracks on this album. Compared to some live albums the cheers are quieter, but this also means that they do not interfere with the songs. Bruce's shouts out to the gathered throng are a little uninspiring, and he does have a tendency to tell them to "scream for him" a little too often, but he keeps the spirit alive.
As with many official live albums, especially those stretching to a number of discs, tracks are taken from different nights of the show to ensure the very best is released on the album, and this means that the crowd fade out and then back in several times during the first CD. This isn't annoying but it is a little distracting, and it shows that this was recorded at a time when cassette tapes were still very popular. I know this as I recently purchased the double cassette version for a very low price on eBay, and the fade-outs of the CD and LP conform to the side lengths given to the tape.
The final point seems a very obvious and typical one, as not everyone's favourite tracks will be on these 2 CDs. This extends to the fact that the band produced some excellent songs and albums after this point, tracks that could not be included here, but I feel that this album benefits from being recorded when it was; the band's progression is evident in every album, but it was after this point that their songs became more melodic and aided by synthesisers, something that would stand out a little here. Indeed, the band's later live albums and "best-of" collections sound very diverse, something that is to be applauded but that does not make for a great live album.
Although I have seen the reasonably impressive tribute band 'Ironically Maiden,' I have yet to see the genuine five-piece live, although any live show that the dedicated, middle-aged rockers put on will doubtless be less impressive than their Long Beach offering. In 1985, Iron Maiden were at their creative peak and I was now ready to be thrust into the world they had so melodically enslaved.
Advantages: Fantastic energy makes it an enjoyable listen, Maiden at their creative and musical peak, No one misses a note
Disadvantages: Later hits are not included, but this would spoil the style a little (not to mention it's impossible. They're not magic), Fade-outs at several points
Iron Maiden
Somewhere in Time
Golden Years
*****
Written on 06.06.04
I have written several negative reviews of Iron Maiden albums within the last month, so I justly felt it was time to celebrate one of the British band's finest offerings with their classic line-up. This was the first Iron Maiden album to be released after my birth, although in my foolishness I waited seventeen years before buying it. I hope someone reading this will realise their mistake as well, and order a copy as soon as possible.
SOMEWHERE IN TIME: 1986
Following as it did the over-ambitious World Slavery Tour, that saw Iron Maiden touring huge arenas across the world on 322 nights from 1984 and 1985, the very existence of a 1986 Maiden album seems something of a minor miracle. Speedy bass player Steve Harris and guitarist duo Adrian Smith and Dave Murray returned to Blighty with aching fingers, pseudo-operatic vocalist Bruce Dickinson suffered a minor breakdown towards the end of the tour, and as for mad drummer Nicko McBrain... well, he was probably alright.
Iron Maiden's increasing popularity and status as the biggest British rock band of the eighties partially stems from their dedication to their fans and their music, and the band were soon recording their sixth studio album Somewhere in Time. The extensive touring had clearly left a mark on Maiden, as the musical style of this new release was deliberately altered to a more melodic and progressive style, the fairly knackered band collaborating more on dividing the songwriting duties into manageable chunks: band founder and regular writer Steve Harris only wrote one half of the album this time round, the other four tracks written by the increasingly impressive Adrian Smith.
The album doesn't feel jumbled or discordant, and in fact is one of my favourite Iron Maiden albums, but it's clear that had the band taken a break before getting back to the studio, this release would have been noticeably different and more successful; its 1988 successor, the intricate and hugely popular concept album 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,' shows the level of grandeur that the Maiden of this era were capable of.
STYLE
The most noticeable change in the band's style between Powerslave and Somewhere in Time is their decision to add 'depth' to their tracks with synthesisers, and this is also the first of several albums that earned the band something of a reputation for overproduction in an album; not an inherent flaw, this gives all the instruments and vocals a much cleaner and more polished sound than the more raw heavy metal of their previous releases, and this can be seen as either a beneficial or unimpressive change. It certainly suits the progressive and very melodic heavy metal of these eight tracks.
In terms of impressive musicianship, this album is still overflowing with incredible guitar and bass work, and energetic drumming, while Bruce Dickinson's vocals seem no worse for wear after screaming 'Run to Hills' every night for ten months. Every track is detailed and interesting, and for once the band made a decision not to release any shorter tracks: no song is shorter than five minutes.
DESIGN
The cover of this album is a departure from the historical nature of their last album, and regular Maiden artist Derek Riggs has clearly taken more than a little inspiration from the film Blade Runner in designing a post-apocalyptic version of the future, featuring the ever-present mascot Eddie in full cyberpunk Robocop gear, having shot dead a criminal in typically tongue-in-cheek violence style. The band themselves are drawn in handcuffs on the back cover, beneath a cityscape littered with sly references to Iron Maiden's discography and personal history: if 'Aces High Bar' and a clock displaying the time as 23:58 mean anything to you, you've likely been sucked in to the Iron Maiden web just like me. In which case, you really need to buy this album.
TRACKS
Some fans see this as an attempted concept album that went a little haywire, but I don't see any indications of that; the title track concerns time travel, but none of the others talk about anything remotely similar. Unless there's something I don't know about long distance running. Notes by the tracks indicate the writer, which I do find important on this album above others.
1. CAUGHT SOMEWHERE IN TIME (Harris)
A little different from previous openers to the band's albums, this is a reasonably long and complex track as opposed to a short, punchy affair, but it still has the trademark speed and incredibly catchy riffs. Dickinson utilises pretty much his entire vocal range here, from subdued gravely verses to full-blown high singing in the choruses, but it?s the guitars that are the real highlight of the song. A contender for Maiden's most progressive song in terms of internal development throughout, this is a really great track, if a little complex for an album opener - fantastic solo sections towards the end as well.
"Make you an offer you can't refuse,
You've only got your soul to lose
Eternally, just let yourself go"
2. WASTED YEARS (Smith)
The first track released as a single, this clearly has more of a commercial appeal but doesn't suffer for it. Quite reflective but still featuring the trademark chugging guitars, this is Iron Maiden at their lightest and most melodic, and it sounds great: the spirit of the album is not lost, as there is still plenty of diverse guitar and bass work, with an excellent solo, and this doesn?t stand out as a commercial track in the way that the later 'Can I Play With Madness' spoiled the style of their next album. I once read that Adrian Smith wrote the song and was unsure whether to show the band for fear of producing a "sell-out" track, but the melodic chorus from Dickinson is so relaxing that Adrian Smith should be knighted (he plays a mean guitar as well). The lyrics are meaningful and hopefully inspiring, I know I think of them a lot.
"So understand,
You're wasting time always searching for those wasted years.
Face up, make a stand
And realise you're living in the golden years."
3. SEA OF MADNESS (Smith)
Back to a heavier style, this is the most varied track on the album and remains unpredictable throughout. A very heavy opening and strong bass presence in the verses leads to a very high chorus, and all this is managed within five and a half minutes. I immediately liked this track, but it took me a while to fully appreciate it due to the diverse nature that may have hindered it from becoming a Maiden 'classic,' however anything regarding insanity is usually a winner in my mind. Some of the best guitarwork of the album, this is also the first track to put across a real sense of atmosphere with the subliminal synthesisers and excellent instrumentation; I'm not sure why this doesn?t seem as impressive as the band's other work, but I really love it, and it has one of the most anticipated encore choruses in the band's history following the solos.
"Somewhere I hear a voice that's calling,
Out in the dark there burns a dream.
You got to hope when you are falling,
To find the world that you have seen."
4. HEAVEN CAN WAIT (Harris)
Possibly my favourite track on the album, this starts with a recognisable bass riff that leads into an illegally-catchy guitar riff which permeates the song, and this is also the fastest track on the album. Dickinson's vocals correspond perfectly to the changes in rhythm and are incredibly infectious in the high chorus section. This song is made longer than strictly necessary by an instrumental section in the middle, but after a few listens I appreciated it even more with this addition, and it's the perfect mix of epic metal and speedy, catchy rock to keep the listener interested in the middle of the album. With their earlier hits 'Run to the Hills' and 'The Number of the Beast' remaining the most well-known Iron Maiden tracks despite their simplicity, this is destined to remain one of the least recognised Iron Maiden gems. It even has a haunting "woah" section that's sure to go down well live.
"I'm looking down on my body below,
I lie asleep in the midst of a dream,
Is it now, could it be that the Angel of Death has come for me?"
5. THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER (Harris)
Possibly my least favourite track on the album as it tends to drag on, this is still an excellent song with one of the best opening guitar melodies and a fast-paced rhythm that conveys the notion of a long distance runner very well. That this can still sound different from the rest of the album at this point shows how talented the band were, and my only real problems here are that Bruce's vocals don't inspire in the manner of other tracks, and the riffs are a little obvious; there's still some nice stuff going on behind all this though, and I'd probably appreciate this more if I regularly ran and didn't spend time sitting behind the computer desk writing about Iron Maiden albums. Oh well, it's still got a fantastic guitar section in the middle.
"You reach the final stretch,
Ideals are just a trace,
You feel like throwing the race,
It's all so futile."
6. STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND (Smith)
The other track released as a single, this is incredibly popular with Iron Maiden fans but it took me a long time to realise why; now it's one of my favourites on the album. It begins very low-key in contrast to the melodic nature of the rest of the album and is highly bass-led, ensuring that the rather slow and reflective tempo is maintained. Bruce's almost spoken verses make this very atmospheric, aided by the best use of keyboards on the album, and with its slightly darker and less polished sound it stand out as a classic. My favourite part of the track however is the anticipated repeat of the choruses after the lengthy but melodic solo section; this makes it all feel worthwhile. The subject matter is also very interesting, inspired by Adrian Smith's meeting with a survivor of an ill-fated expedition to the Arctic that left his comrades frozen to death. Far from the often-held impression that Iron Maiden are a cheesy band. This is Adrian Smith's finest ever Maiden effort.
"What became of the men that started?
All are gone and their souls departed
Left me here in this place so all alone,
Stranger in a strange land"
7. DÉJÀ VU (Murray/Harris)
I love this track, it's classic Maiden. Beginning with a very atmospheric and distant-sounding section of guitars and bass, the song then breaks into what the band must know is an incredibly catchy melody. Technically probably not the greatest Iron Maiden track, but it has everything that an Iron Maiden song should have: catchy, upbeat verses, high vocals in the chorus and some astounding guitar work keeping it all together. The lyrics are a little less impressive compared to the album as a whole, but that can easily be forgiven for the cheap thrills this track provides. It's also the shortest on the album, and works excellently between the relative epics of tracks six and eight. I don't know how they do it.
"Have you ever talked to someone
And you feel you know what's coming next?
It feels pre-arranged.
'Cause you know that you've heard it before
And you know that this moment in time is surreal,
'Cause you know when you feel déjà vu."
8. ALEXANDER THE GREAT [356 - 323 BC] (Harris)
An incredibly unsubtle way of reintroducing Steve Harris' love of history into the band's albums, he once described this as "the greatest Iron Maiden song never played live," and it's understandable why. Clearly an epic by the band's standards, it does lack the character and catchiness of some of their other long tracks such as the incredible fourteen minute 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' a live favourite, although it's a very good song in its own right. Beginning with some spoken word, it breaks into memorable riffs and a Great (rubbish pun) chorus, but it doesn't get really impressive until half-way through when the guitars take a turn for the dark side and become very heavy and haunting, eventually culminating in one of the band's greatest high guitar harmony sections. This track could have been executed a little better, but it does serve as an excellent end to an album every heavy metal fan should own.
"Near to the East, in a part of Ancient Greece,
In an ancient land called Macedonia
Was born a son to Philip of Macedon,
The legend his name was Alexander."
VERDICT
This is one of my very favourite Iron Maiden albums as it contains some of my all-time favourite songs, and although there are obvious reasons why it may not have lived up to the standards of other albums - leading to its relative obscurity in temrs of Maiden's albums - I can't notice any flaws. There is the usual lack of coherence in terms of subject matter, but if anything this improves the album as Adrian Smith is at least Steve Harris' equal in terms of songwriting ability, finally getting his chance to show it here. The change in style also keeps the band original, and while it may not have the raw appeal of Powerslave and Piece of Mind, Somewhere in Time still catches the band in their golden age before they lost a little confidence and effort in the nineties with the departure of guitarist Smith and later vocalist Dickinson.
Iron Maiden fans would benefit immensely from this album, however I would recommend buying one of their more accessible albums first, such as Powerslave or their recent Dance of Death. The polished sound of Somewhere in Time compliments the excellent melody and power of the tracks in a way that its successor, the Seventh Son album, lost, and with a mixture of slow but still powerful tracks ('Wasted Years' and 'Stranger in a Strange Land'), large-scale epics with amazing guitar work ('Caught Somewhere in Time' and 'Heaven Can Wait') and incredibly catchy guitar riffs and choruses ('Sea of Madness' and 'Déjà vu'), this remains one of the best examples of why Iron Maiden are one of the meaningful and talented metal bands in history.
Advantages: Eight amazing tracks, Excellent musicians and the best vocals in heavy metal, Great use of synthesisers to compliment tracks
Disadvantages: Some may dislike the more epic and melodic departure
Iron Maiden
Polished Metal
****
Written on 05.04.04
Continuing in the progressive vein of their 1986 album 'Somewhere in Time,' Iron Maiden bass player, songwriter and founder Steve Harris decided that the time was right for the band to produce their 'classic' album, and discussion with the rest of the band led to the decision to attempt a difficult but creative task: a concept album.
The consistency and originality of the eight tracks have eanred this album the position of one of Maiden's most recognised albums to date, possibly more so internationally than 1982's 'The Number of the Beast,' although compared to that earlier album the style is very different. Following their incredible and draining eighteen month World Slavery Tour from 1984 to 86, Iron Maiden had presumably become fed up with performing the same kind of songs every night and decided to expand their range. 'Somewhere in Time' was their first album to feature prominent guitar and bass synthesisers to enhance the depth of the songs as well as the infamous 'over-production' that left the album with very distinctive and clean-sounding guitars, bass and drums. Songwriting duties were shared between Harris and guitarist Adrian Smith for that album and its release so soon after the crippling world tour, which reportedly led to vocalist Bruce Dickinson experiencing a minor breakdown due to stress, meant that the album was not all it could have been in most peoples' opinions. Despite the fact that I disagree with this, it is clear that 'Seventh Son' involved a lot more effort and direction.
PREMISE
As a concept album, Seventh Son's songs focus on an ancient Greek prophecy regarding the seventh son born to a man who was, himself, a seventh son. Apologies if you found that sentence patronising, but I had to clear it up. Unlike some other concept albums, the tracks do not narrate a continous story through a group of characters, but there is a definite sense from start to finish of the prophecy's conception, its consequences, and the life of the eponymous seventh son.
The myth of the seventh son of a seventh son's powers is described by Dickinson in the title track: he will have the power to heal, he will have the gift of second sight, he is the chosen one, but he must decide himself whether to take the path of good or evil. According to internet searches, there are a number of famous ancient texts, including the King James version of the Bible, which could have provided the inspiration for this record, but it is the notion of the Seventh One more than a particular story that is the focus.
Casual fans of Iron Maiden will also find it very easy to distinguish a song as being on this album due to the Seventh Son sound; unbelievably clean guitars, some of Bruce's best vocal work with the band, and the interesting use of keyboards to heighten the songs. Hearing the chorus of the title track would also give a pretty good indication that it came from this record too.
TRACKS
I am aware that many readers will find a track-by-track listing tedious and worthy of skipping, I often do myself, however the eight tracks on this album all deserve a brief exploration:
1. MOONCHILD
Beginning with a quiet acoustic incantation regarding the evil nature of the number seven, a deceptive keyboard intro that sounds very eighties leads into what is the heaviest track on the record, at leats in terms of Iron Maiden. Fantastic vocals in the chorus and great subtle guitar work makes this Bruce Dickinson/Adrian Smith opener a solid song, but one that may take a few listens to get in to. A story of Lucifer's desire to create his 'moonchild' on Earth among men.
"Seven deadly sins, seven ways to win. Seven holy paths to Hell and your trip begins...
"Seven downward hopes, seven bloodied hopes, seven are your burning fires. Seven your desires..."
2. INFINITE DREAMS
A slower, ballad-esque song and one of the four tracks eventually released seperately. Yes, Iron Maiden released half of their album as singles. It took a long time for this song to grow on me, and it still doesn't impress me as much as the rest of the album. Like many of the songs on here it is not immediately apparent that it relates to the prophecy, but the lyrics imply that a dreamer has been having visions of the arrival of the evil one.
3. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS
One of the first Maiden songs I heard and the first I hated, however over time its sheer catchiness has grown on me. Often regarded as the stinker that doesn't fit into the feel of the album I now love this song, despite its dodginess and over-use of keyboards, and it has an excellent music video featuring one of the last performaces by Monty Python member Graham Chapman before his death.
The more commerical nature of this song makes the lyrics much easier to decipher, as it is told from the viewpoint of a man, presumably the dreamer from the last song, visiting an old man for advice and help in preducting whether disaster will indeed strike. The lyrics are very reminiscent of old Maiden in their upbeat, comically evil way, which makes them all the more memorable.
4. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
Almost a rant about the fact that evil will continue to survive, this is the most popular and possibly well-known track on the album and has an excellent and memorable chorus. The keyboards are back to their less dominant position which allows the regular instruments to achieve their full potential. More fantastic vocals from Dickinson on this one, which was released with a less interesting music video that was simply the band performing live. You can't win them all, as the song demonstrates.
5. SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON
Maiden's title tracks are always progressive, heavy and complex, and this is the prime example. Definitely a song that needs time to grow on the listener, this ten-minute epic really hits its stride after the three minute mark when Bruce leaves the instrumentallists to fully strut their musical stuff; Iron Maiden's best work can be found in this song, which makes it my favourite on the album. The lyrics towards the start essentially bring the listener up to speed on what this seventh son thing is all about, as I've attempted to do myself, before leaving guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, bass player Steve Harris and crazy drummer Nicko McBrain to communicate the story in music... well alright it doesn't really do that, but with an instrumental this great, who cares?
A more straightforward opinion on this song was given by the vocalist from the excellent tribute band Ironically Maiden: "Great song that, shame about the vocals."
6. THE PROPHECY
The easiest song to overlook, this begisn with a quiet and slow guitar piece, presumably to give a breather after the last song, and despite the fact that it obviously isn't an instant classic, the change in style means it is still essential. "Now the impending disaster has come, my prediction must surely be true," begins the character, indicating that this child has been born. The song is quite slow and unimpressive, but fades out into an unusual and welcome Medieval-inspired acoustic section.
7. THE CLAIRVOYANT
In contrast, this song, released as a single also, is an instant classic. Nothing too complex, but the incredibly catchy guitars mean this song could only be taken seriously when performed by Maiden. Clearly the Clairvoyant has been having some difficulty in persuading his village-folk that Lucifer's child has been born, and it's now too late. Fans of Iron Maiden's simpler and catchier songs will find this a real treat which they may not have previously heard.
8. ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG
A negative view to end the album on, but the uplifting guitars and beat don't let the enjoyment slip up. This is a great ending to the album, despite feeling like a less impressive version of the previous song, and ends with a reprise of Bruce's acoustic intro from 'Moonchild.'
OVERALL
Iron Maiden are one of my very favourite bands, however I don't consider this album to be their finest for several reasons. If I feel like listening to an entire album, this is usually my safest and most enjoyable bet, however many of the tracks only really work when listened to in sequence. I couldn't slap in tracks 1, 2, 6, 7 or 8 when feeling like a bit of Maiden as they feel so interlinked, whereas others (especially the singles) are different and seperatr enough to work alone. I'm also not a huge fan of this 'polished Maiden' era, where the guitars sound so clinically perfect that it takes something away from the chugging rhythms present on previous albums 'The Number of the Beast,' 'Piece of Mind' and my personal favourite, 'Powerslave.' If this were not a Maiden album I don't think I would have given it a second chance initially, despite the excellent performances from Bruce Dickison and the rest of the band. Although the band are clearly enjoying themselves, there is little emotion to be felt behind this over-production.
I also hesitate to suggest that this is the band's most accessible offering; Maiden have always been chart-toppers and easier for the general, non-metal public to get into than heavier acts, but the complexity of most of these songs would leave many people feeling bored.
On the positive side though, the album should be considered a metal classic, and none of the songs feel like they're simply there for padding. Despite seeming a little short, this is interesting enough for me to listen to on full volume from start to finish and feel satisfied that Britain can produce more than just Queens and stuff.
Advantages: Iron Maiden at their instrumental and vocal best, Really interesting ideas across the songs, Can always be found cheap
Disadvantages: Not too easy to get into for the first-time listener, Eight tracks seems a little short, but it is the quality that counts
Iron Maiden
**
Written on 11.06.04
It is the end of the 1980s, a decade that saw Iron Maiden's increasing success, firstly as the most successful British heavy metal band and then as one of the biggest bands in the world. Seven studio albums and dedicated worldwide tours ensured that Iron Maiden's next release would certainly be a hit, even if the skilled musicians and lyricists lost interest in continuing their trend of reasonably flawless albums and producing meaningful and enjoyable songs.
No Prayer for the Dying featured Iron Maiden's only UK number 1 hit single.
No Prayer for the Dying was a big disappointment.
NO ADRIAN FOR NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING
Iron Maiden's classic line-up was established with their fourth album Piece of Mind, introducing Nikko McBrain as the band's permanent drummer to this day. The semi-operatic vocals of Bruce Dickinson was arguably the driving force behind Maiden's popularity, however each band member was responsible for creating the music behind the vocals and keeping it unbeatable. Bruce Dickinson was not a guarantee of Iron Maiden producing excellent music, as you will see, although his song-writing talents did play a part on occasions when he would contribute tracks.
In 1989, long-established guitarist Adrian Smith left the band to pursue other ventures and, although Adrian was one of two lead guitarists and handled only half of the guitar duties, his creativity, distinctive sound and talent for song-writing had left a positive influence on the band's albums since 1982. A permanent replacement was found in the form of Janick Gers, a man who brought a different sound to Maiden's solos but was still very talented.
DIRECTION
Having released increasingly complex and intricate albums since 1983, culminating in the 1988 concept epic 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' with keyboards and multiple guitar layers, the band consciously decided to release a more straightforward rock album reminiscent of their earlier works. Gone were the lengthy epics that the band were famous for; this album is comprised of moderate length tracks with catchy, repetitive riffs and uninspired solos. If it seems that Iron Maiden were trying and failing to release a string of successful songs in the vein of their early hits 'Run to the Hills' and 'The Number of the Beast,' that seems to be exactly what they were doing.
Unfortunately the production on this album, antithetical to the band's usual highly polished sound, was very poor: the drums sound light and tinny while the guitars even have a slightly grating edge and Steve Harris' bass can hardly be heard a lot of the time. Bruce Dickinson's vocals are not inherently affected by the production quality, but it's clear that the metal virtuoso has lost some of his desire to remain in the band even by this point: he would eventually leave to pursue a solo career in 1992.
TRACKS
1. TAILGUNNER
My favourite track on the album, despite the dodgy production sound it's a classic fast Iron Maiden anthem with the usual over-the-top vocals in the chorus. The riff is very catchy and impressive, and there's even some atmosphere to this song that’s lacking in most of the others. A nice cheap thrill at the start of the album.
"Who shot who and who fired first?
Dripping death to whet the bloodthirst
No radar lock on - skin and bone
The bomber boys are going home"
2. HOLY SMOKE
I wasn't impressed by 'Holy Smoke' when I first heard it until I listened to the lyrics and realised it was a little tongue-in-cheek stab at religious televangelists. With this humorous, satirical angle it can be appreciated more as a track and doesn't waste any time in breaking into the recognisable riff. The problems with the track are Dickinson's grating vocals in the verses and the annoying sound of the guitars towards the end: both features of the production and not a fault of the band. Actually a very good track, and one of the best examples of what Maiden were going for with this album.
"Holy Smoke, Holy Smoke,
Plenty bad preachers for the Devil to stoke.
Feed 'em in feet first this is no joke
This is thirsty work, making Holy Smoke"
3. NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING
This is where the album begins to wane, although this is still among the finest tracks on here. It’s simply the structure of this song (quiet opening-riffs and verses-bit of a solo-quiet outro) that would continue to be used on the band's albums for the next seven years and become increasingly unoriginal. The opening riff sounds very melodic, although it does feel very overused as the song continues. Dickinson's vocals also show a more melodic side here and this song would be a lot more impressive if not for the over-raw sound of the guitars and drums.
"There are times when I've wondered
And times when I've cried,
When my prayers they were answered
At times when I've lied"
4. PUBLIC ENEMA NUMBER ONE
Starting again with the riff in full swing, it's clear from the outset that this will be something of a weak link. Bruce's vocals in the verses fail to impress, the guitars sound like they're experimenting with the first tunes that come to mind and there's very little progression to keep this interesting. Saying that though, the choruses are of a slower pace and seem to be going somewhere exciting until they return to the regular riff.
"Fall on your knees today
And pray the world will mend its ways
Get to your feet again
Refugees from the heartbreak and the pain"
5. FATES WARNING
Saving the album a little, this more melodic and reflective track comes along at a very appropriate time. The guitars sound more impressive even when they return to a regular rhythm and the lyrics are, for a change, quite meaningful. Not a classic Iron Maiden song by any means, but this is one of the high points of the album and is worth listening to even though it does sound quite similar to the rest of it.
"Are we the lucky ones, saved for another day,
Or are they the lucky ones who are taken away?
Is it a hand on your shoulder from the lord above
Or the devil himself come to give you a shove?"
6. THE ASSASSIN
One of the worst efforts of the album, the changes the band have made to their usual style all fail quite dramatically. The ensemble chorus fails to inspire and this song doesn't stay memorable afterwards, sounding like a poor attempt at some of the earlier songs. It isn't easy for me to criticise these guys, but this album was largely a mistake.
"Better watch out, 'cause I'm the assassin,
Better watch out, better watch out"
7. RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP
Another track that begins softly before breaking into the riff, this isn't really bad but does sound incredibly similar to the title track and others. Bruce's vocals are better than in most of the songs in the high chorus, and the dual guitars sound good at times, but it's still pretty unoriginal. The ending is also a painfully slow reproduction of the chorus which ends up sounding less than excellent.
"Running silent, running deep, we are your final prayer,
Warriors in secret sleep, a merchantman's nightmare.
A silent death lies awaiting for all of you below,
Running silent, running deep, sink into your silent sleep"
8. HOOKS IN YOU
At first I dismissed this track but, despite its flaws, it's actually a very catchy metal track with some memorable guitars and lyrics. Written by Adrian Smith before he left the band as a third chapter to the long-running saga of Charlotte the Harlot (parts one and two were on the band's self-titled debut and 'The Number of the Beast' respectively), this is another example of what the album should have been according to the band's ideals. Nothing special, but then again that is the point. Quite good.
"I got the keys to view at number 22,
Behind my green door there's nothing to see.
Stone cold sober and sitting in silence,
Laid back and looking for sympathy.
I like a girl who knows where she's bound,
I don't like girls who've been hanging around"
9. BRING YOUR DAUGHTER... TO THE SLAUGHTER
The band.s only UK number one hit, this isn't an example of Iron Maiden at their best. Catchy and funny yes, but fairly uninspired. This was originally written by Bruce and performed with other musicians for the soundtrack to 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and while it's quite memorable it also served to gain Iron Maiden an undeserved reputation as a very cheesy metal band. Unfortunately, in the case of this album, that's unfortunately true.
"So get down on your knees honey,
Assume an attitude.
You just pray that I'll be waiting,
'Cause you know I'm coming soon!"
10. MOTHER RUSSIA
This track begins incredibly promisingly, with harmonious guitars performing a classical tune as an intro, but the uninspired main riffs and vocal style keep this far from 'epic' territory. Possibly the biggest disappointment of the album, I really don't enjoy listening to this song.
"Mother Russia, poetry majestic,
Tells the time of a great empire.
Turning round the old man ponders,
Reminiscing an age gone by"
DESIGN
The album art is still handled at this point by regular artist Derek Riggs, but like the band his usual high quality shows signs of having waned here. Due to the over-contrasting colours I was only able to work out what I was looking at once I had the album in my possession, smaller pictures on the internet not being particularly clear. In case the same problem presents itself to you the reader, the cover features the band's ever-present mascot Eddie breaking out of a coffin in a dank crypt viewed from above, much to the chagrin and, it appears, fear of a watchman replete with torch.
It's not really a bad cover, just lacking some originality and skill following Riggs' impressive artwork for the band's previous albums: a striking Egyptian pyramid design for 'Powerslave,' an intricate and highly detailed cyberpunk cityscape for 'Somewhere in Time' and a confusing but beautiful rendering for 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.' The photos of the band on the back cover and inside are also without flair, but this is typical of the record company's rushed deadlines for album booklets and therefore a feature of most Maiden albums.
VERDICT
This is one of Iron Maiden's least original and least impressive albums, proving that having Bruce in the band wasn't a guarantee of excellent musicianship. All the band members sound tired and probably a little disillusioned by the departure of Adrian, while the production quality and 'back-to-basics' approach were both, in hindsight, very bad decisions. It's understandable that Maiden would want to return to their roots, but it doesn't excuse this from being a very poor contrast to their early albums such as 'Piece of Mind' and 'Iron Maiden.' The follow-up to this album, 'Fear of the Dark,' was in some ways even less impressive and it was then Bruce Dickinson's time to leave.
Both Bruce and Adrian returned to the band in 1999 and their albums since have regained the band's former glory through constant progression rather than an attempt to look backwards. 'No Prayer For the Dying' is a disappointing chapter in the Iron Maiden chronicles and tarnishes their earlier releases which were all classics of heavy metal. I still love them though, although not in a funny way, I never went through a phase.
Iron Maiden Discography
And my foolish views out of 10
1980: Iron Maiden (7)
1981: Killers (6)
1982: The Number of the Beast (8)
1983: Piece of Mind (10)
1984: Powerslave (10)
1985: Live After Death (live) (10)
1986: Somewhere in Time (10)
1988: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (9)
1990: No Prayer For the Dying (3)
1992: Fear of the Dark (3)
1993: A Real Live Dead One (live) (5)
1993: Live at Donington (live) (6)
1995: The X Factor (6)
1996: The Best of the Beast (best of) (7)
1998: Virtual XI (3)
2000: Brave New World (8)
2001: Rock in Rio (live) (9)
2002: Edward the Great (greatest hits) (6)
2003: Dance of Death (9)
Iron Maiden
**
Written on 19.05.07
The 1998 remastering and recanonising of Iron Maiden’s works collected together 1993’s ‘A Real Live One’ and its not-very-long-awaited successor ‘A Real Dead One’ into this sensible single volume, with a fairly ridiculous title. The two separate entities compliment each other excellently, as a deliberate decision was clearly made to memorialise the band’s extensive (even at this point) history, while at the same time acting as an unofficial farewell tour for singer Bruce Dickinson, who had announced his plan to depart the band before the albums were released.
Bruce’s performance in Iron Maiden deteriorated infamously between their glory years and the ‘back-to-basics’ approach of the early 90s material, largely abandoning his trademark operatic style for an unconvincing snarl on both new studio recordings and live performances of older songs. Worn out and disillusioned, his disappointing performance on live albums from this era sadly reaches its peak on ‘A Real Dead One,’ originally the second half of the collection but rearranged to come chronologically first on this re-release, as he completely butchers favourites from the band’s first five albums. While this flaw could be generously overlooked, as it can for the excellent ‘Live at Donington’ show recorded around the same time, the problems sadly don’t end with Dickinson.
Although more recent live releases rival this collection in terms of pointlessness, particularly in the tired regurgitation of the bulk of the set-list each time, ‘A Real Live Dead One’ undeniably provides the more excruciating listening experience. Bassist and primary songwriter/control freak Steve Harris continued to push for a raw production sound in apparent embarrassment over the increasing extravagance of Iron Maiden live shows and songs throughout the 80s, and evidently failed to learn anything from the weak sound of 1990’s ‘No Prayer for the Dying’ album. The sound quality is indeed raw, but the energy required is entirely lacking in most of the band members, with the exception of mad drummer Nicko McBrain who is as reliable as he is formulaic. Anyone who has seen an Iron Maiden live video from 1990 onwards will recognise the contributions of Janick Gers, Adrian Smith’s poorer replacement, as listening to this recording you can practically see him holding his white guitar high in the air for no particular reason and jumping on the spot during the large gaps in sound where he should be soloing.
Disc 1: A Real Dead One
1.The Number of the Beast
2.The Trooper
3.Prowler
4.Transylvania
5.Remember Tomorrow
6.Where Eagles Dare
7.Sanctuary
8.Running Free
9.Run to the Hills
10.2 Minutes to Midnight
11.Iron Maiden
12.Hallowed Be Thy Name
Disc 2: A Real Live One
1.Be Quick or Be Dead
2.From Here to Eternity
3.Can I Play with Madness?
4.Wasting Love
5.Tailgunner
6.The Evil That Men Do
7.Afraid to Shoot Strangers
8.Bring Your Daughter...to the Slaughter
9.Heaven Can Wait
10.The Clairvoyant
11.Fear of the Dark
Compared to the previous live effort ‘Live After Death,’ widely acclaimed as one of the greatest live recordings of all time (and probably my favourite album ever), the sound of the guitars is noticeably weak and overpowered by the bass range and the far-too-audible crowd, especially obvious in ‘A Real Dead One’ which features much of the same material as that earlier classic, but played with only a shade of the skill and enthusiasm. The obvious area in which this album excels is the inclusion of material not found on ‘Live After Death,’ including the whole of ‘A Real Live One’ which features material recorded after 1985. Even on the other disc, where the band plays older songs, almost half of the performance consists of previously unreleased live songs, mostly from the debut album. The inherent drawback is that the songs played on ‘Live After Death’ were all really, really good songs, so while it’s nice for the collector to have something different, it’s also a shame for the casual fan who misses out on gems like ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ ‘Children of the Damned’ and ‘Powerslave’ in favour of a few more good, but unexceptional punky songs from the debut album.
Similarly, the official release of ‘Live at Donington’ offers almost exactly the same set-list of the newer songs found on the second disc in superior quality, essentially leaving only the consecutive songs ‘Prowler,’ ‘Transylvania,’ ‘Remember Tomorrow,’ ‘Where Eagles Dare’ and ‘Sanctuary’ from the first disc as the reason to buy this album, and it’s not a bad reason. It’s often said that Dickinson’s vocal style doesn’t suit the early Iron Maiden material, which was originally recorded with the gravely Paul Di’Anno, and nowhere is this more present than in these afore-mentioned songs. ‘Transylvania’ is an old instrumental that only sounds like filler here, although ‘Where Eagles Dare’ is quite a treat, the only song from 1983’s ‘Piece of Mind’ album apart from the overplayed ‘The Trooper.’ With its recognisable drum intro and powerful riffs, there’s not a lot wrong with this recording apart from Dickinson forgetting a lot of the words.
Nevertheless, the highlight of each disc comes at the end, when the band unleash their overplayed-to-death but still fantastic epics ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name,’ on the first disc, and ‘Fear of the Dark’ on the second. The drawn-out melancholy suits the tired middle-aged men perfectly, as they would unfortunately choose to demonstrate ad nauseam on several studio albums to follow before things started getting interesting again in the new millennium and ‘A Real Live Dead One’ could be all but forgotten about. Dickinson returned to the fold, eradicating the ‘farewell tour’ incentive to buy this, as did Adrian Smith, whose presence was much more important and noticeably lacking on this release. Then again, fans who feel alienated by the more progressive route taken on the last two studio albums, which culminated in the band playing the excellent ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ album in its entirety on the first leg of the recent tour, may take Steve Harris-style comfort in these largely uncomplicated heavy metal anthems. Finally, the artwork is far from legendary; ‘A Real Live One’ is nice enough with its light blue and red colour scheme and the band’s zombie mascot Eddie tearing through some live wires, but ‘A Real Dead One’ simply depicts Eddie as a D.J. in a hellish club, where he is presumably playing this substandard recording of Iron Maiden classics and mediocrity. That may explain the clenched fists and angered expression.
The recent trend of Iron Maiden’s label EMI has been to release an official live album for every major tour, apparently to prevent bootlegging but essentially to turn a greater profit, and there are only so many times the die-hard fan can bring themselves to listen to ‘Run to the Hills’ and ‘Running Free.’ As such, ‘A Real Live Dead One’ is a nice, but largely flawed memorial of a specific and turbulent period of Iron Maiden’s history, featuring a wealth of songs both old and new that would scarcely be heard elsewhere. Except, obviously, on the ‘Live at Donington’ album, which is essentially the same, only played with more expertise and spirit, and without the rubbish production job. Really, there’s no reason not to just buy that instead.
Advantages: A nice smattering of rare live songs on disc one.
Disadvantages: An inferior alternative to 'Live at Donington' in almost every way.
Iron Maiden
Live at Donington
End of an Era
***
Written on 23.06.04
In 1993, the rumours were effectively confirmed that vocalist Bruce Dickinson would be leaving Iron Maiden to pursue family interests and a solo career, and there were concerns over whether the band’s scheduled headlining date at the Donington Monsters of Rock festival (something no longer held) would still go ahead. The band did not disappoint their loyal fans and Bruce was happy to see his Iron Maiden career end on a high note with this one-off concert following the ‘Fear of the Dark’ tour. Originally only available as a bootleg, this has since been officially released as a double-CD live album.
URBAN MYTHS & GENUINE FLAWS
Although this is a historic and excellent performance by the band, there are a couple of issues that are generally raised regarding the performance of band members at this point in Iron Maiden’s career; this was likely their height of fame, with number one albums and a number one hit single. Firstly, Bruce Dickinson’s voice receives a lot of criticism, but it still sounds great. It’s obvious that he needed some time away from performing as he doesn’t sound as good as he once did, his vocals taking on a distinctly gravely tone for much of this show, but I actually don’t find that a problem with this album. Although he can still reach the high and melodic notes, and despite the fact that he’s clearly enjoying himself on the huge stage, his overall performance seems tired and fails to inspire in the way ‘Live After Death’ did so well, but doesn’t ruin the tracks in any way.
Secondly is the issue of Janick Gers; the band’s replacement guitarist is competent and very talented, but his distinctive sound unfortunately taints the tracks I’m used to hearing with Adrian Smith’s touch, and he has a tendency to milk or improvise some of the solos with unimpressive results. Although he is by far my least favourite member of the band for these reasons, I guess I’d still marry him, but only because it would provide access to Bruce and the rest.
The third point is less important, but it seems odd that Iron Maiden would release two live albums within a year (it was technically three live albums, although ‘A Real Live One’ and ‘A Real Dead One’ were two parts of a greater whole), although the poor sound quality of the other live albums released that year have impeded their sales and popularity. In fact, the Donington CD was not commercially released until 1998, only available as bootlegs, but its place in the band’s discography seems a little out of place now. Oh well, it has a cool cover.
THE SHOW
DISC ONE
1. BE QUICK OR BE DEAD
Huge crowd anticipation and ominous thunderous sound effects build up to the abrupt drum into to the opening track from the band’s most recent (at the time) album, a very fast paced track with angry vocals that makes for a great, energetic introduction and the impact of which can only be heard once the song finishes and the crowd erupt in appreciation.
2. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
The scary voice proclaiming that the number of the beast is six hundred and sixty-six gets the crowd very excited and talking along in anticipation of one of Iron Maiden’s greatest ever hits. Personally I’ve never been that impressed by this track, but on live albums it has sufficient energy to become incredibly enjoyable. This is no exception as Nicko makes excellent use of the cymbals in addition to the original dull drum beat, while the guitars sound better than ever. A classic song that the crowd get into in a big, big way and that sets the tone for the night.
3. WRATHCHILD
A popular and very catchy track from the band’s early days, this is the shortest offering of the show at less than three minutes. Although it’s not as musically impressive as the band’s later work, it’s remained a popular live favourite throughout their career and is certainly very ‘groovy’; I don’t care for the old studio version but it always sound great live with the crowd interaction, and there’s plenty of that here – and the crowd are really, really LOUD.
4. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
One of the weakest offerings of the show, this was the second single from the contemporary ‘Fear of the Dark’ album and is therefore expected, but the uninspired bluesy sound isn’t any more effective live than in the studio. There is an interesting section in the middle where the guitar become quiet and Bruce gets the crowd’s hands going, and his awe at the size of the place is quite apparent. The crowd’s solo vocals don’t work too well, but Bruce’s instruction for Janick to perform his solo, “get your engines going,” is quite a classic moment, if strange. There’s some banter at the end in which Bruce comments on how long the day has been and how it’s going to get even longer, before the band count into a unison cry…
5. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS
One of the band’s more commercial songs, the famous opening scream sounds a little dodgy here as the band try and emulate the studio effect of multiple voices, but the song still sounds excellent without the over-the-top production and keyboard effects that were always a little unnecessary anyway. The crowd love the chorus, and Dickinson’s angry barks are still able to carry out the verses perfectly, however this is still not one of their best tracks. Not as bad as a lot of people make out though, although the guitar riffs do sound like they’re straight from the kid’s TV show ‘Fun House’ (remember that?) Overall, this isn’t a track that performs perfectly live, but it’s fun.
6. WASTING LOVE
The other disappointing track on the album also comes from the ‘Fear of the Dark’ album, and is a very poor example of the band’s talents. An attempt of sorts at a love song, Bruce’s singing and the backing guitars end up sounding unnecessarily cheesy, and the band don’t even speed up the dull chorus section like they would have in the past. This is the low point of the show, and is unfortunately one of the longer tracks also.
7. TAILGUNNER
Thankfully the band regain their momentum with this speedy offering from their 1990 album. Not one of their finest openers, but it’s another of their fun World War II romps in the style of the (better) ‘Aces High’ and ‘Where Eagles Dare.’ Bruce is still excellent in the high chorus, and although this could have been replaced with something better it’s good to hear something that’s relatively new but isn’t crap. The crowd predictably lap it up.
8. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
One of the most popular Maiden songs, this takes a more melodic approach than most without losing the powerful, aggressive edge. The bridge and chorus sections are amazing and if it wasn’t for the repetition towards the end this would likely be my favourite Iron Maiden song, but it’s clear from its reception here that it’s incredibly popular. This doesn’t suffer from the lack of keyboards in the way that ‘Can I Play With Madness’ did.
9. AFRAID TO SHOOT STRANGERS
One of the best songs from the ‘Fear of the Dark’ album, although in some ways this works as a build up to the blinding tenth track. ‘Afraid to Shoot Strangers’ begins quietly with a great slow drum beat in the background, recreated perfectly by Nicko to keep the dingy, bleak atmosphere of the album, before kicking into a melodic guitar harmony and a louder, faster section. It’s the same formula the band returned to again and again during the nineties, but this is one of the earliest and greatest examples, as well as having some meaningful lyrics on the subject of leaving for war. It’s a shame that tracks like ‘Wasting Love’ and ‘From Here to Eternity’ had to be included when ones like this so perfectly sum up that particular album at its best. If anything, this sounds even better live: harmonious and memorable.
10. FEAR OF THE DARK
The highlight of the disc, this live performance of the title track of the band’s 1992 album sounds incredible here, and much better than the tame album version. The band’s performance and the impromptu crowd decisions to join in with the guitar melodies vocally earned this the distinction of being released as a single soon afterwards, complete with live music video, as well as a place on the ‘Best of the Beast’ collection. One of the rare gems to be found amongst the band’s early nineties offerings, this features some of their most impressive guitar riffs and vocals as well as an excellent mix of subdued atmospheric sections and rip-roaring aural assault; an excellent track and the best reason not to buy the ‘Fear of the Dark’ album; buy this album instead. This track was also included on the band’s 2000 live album and DVD Rock in Rio and although it’s also excellent there, for some reasons it doesn’t live up to this specific recording. A perfect ending to the disc, but then there’s more…
DISC TWO
11. BRING YOUR DAUGHTER …TO THE SLAUGHTER
The second disc opens with Iron Maiden’s only UK number one single and as such is an incredibly popular track, but I find it one of the cheesiest and silliest tracks they’ve ever done, even exceeding their own ‘tongue-in-cheek’ standards of the past. The chorus repeats far too much and there’s nothing of real interest in the track, although the ‘woah’ section towards the end was clearly designed with a live audience in mind and sounds quite good. Not an impressive start to the side in my opinion though.
12. THE CLAIRVOYANT
Still in hit single territory, this is one of the band’s catchiest tracks from their 1988 album and features a guitar riff that would be illegal if it came from any other band; thankfully, Maiden manage to make it sound incredible. Again, the lack of keyboards makes this less impressive than on the studio album as it’s not a heavy track, and Bruce’s vocals don’t have the haunting quality of the original CD, but I know I’d love to see it live so I’m glad it’s included. The crowd again get into the chorus, but can’t really be heard over the band’s sound this time.
13. HEAVEN CAN WAIT
One of my favourite inclusions here as it isn’t included on any other live recording and is one of the best tracks from the excellent and overlooked 1986 ‘Somewhere in Time’ album. The guitars don’t sound as polished or skilful as on that album, but that doesn’t spoil the enjoyment and the crowd can be heard as loud as Bruce when he asks them to sing the catchy chorus. The ‘woah-oh-oh’ section takes on a different feel from the album; while the studio version was haunting and atmospheric here, the live version is powerful and rousing, although spoiled a little by some unnecessary banter from Bruce.
14. RUN TO THE HILLS
One of the band’s most well-known anthems, this is basically an essential part of any Iron Maiden show anywhere and anywhen, and although it’s not one of my favourite I have to admit that its galloping rhythm hasn’t been matched since 1982, and the chorus is very infectious. The crowd can be heard clearly and the only problem again is with some of the guitars, which make parts of the song sound less credible than they usually do. Still, a very enjoyable and classic song that has at least been moved from its tedious position as the final track of every show – there’s still plenty more to come when the band return.
15. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
Fading back in as the band retake the stage, this fantastic long track from their 1984 ‘Powerslave’ album shows that they haven’t forgotten about that excellent release. With some of the band’s best lyrics and great musical progression this has always been one of my favourite Maiden tracks, and the sound of the crowd shouting “midnight” in the chorus really shows the scale of this show. A bit of vocal experimentation from Dickinson is welcome, but this is pretty much the same here as on the album.
16. IRON MAIDEN
The band’s self-titled track from their self-titled debut album has remained another live favourite and despite not being anywhere near as intricate or developed as their later works it’s still really fun and features great guitar and bass work. The crowd are very familiar with the great lyrics that are of a similar theme to ‘Bring Your Daughter’ but don’t go into ‘stupid’ territory. After an extended solo, Bruce tells members of the crowd that Iron Maiden’s going to get them, then the band leave the stage to four minutes of tedious crowd chants.
17. HALLOWED BE THY NAME
After the boring crowd bit comes another of the band’s most famous tracks, the epic conclusion to their ‘Number of the Beast’ album with one of the most recognised heavy metal riffs ever devised. The quiet build up receives due appreciation before the main riffs explode into being and drive the song through to its conclusion. An incredible track, although it has been included on live albums before and this is something that takes away the necessity for all of these later offerings as they can easily be found elsewhere.
18. THE TROOPER
One of my favourite Iron Maiden tracks, a classic from the ‘Piece of Mind’ album that is not otherwise represented here. Great driving melodies, but it sounds much better on earlier live releases and the studio album due to Adrian Smith’s influence. Another of the band’s historical romps, this time concerning the Crimean war, and it’s among the heaviest tracks the band have produced while also remaining hugely accessible.
19. SANCTUARY
Another track from the first album, this is very popular but I find it sounds far too old fashioned and could have easily been replaced by something more impressive from either that album or something more recent. The crowd enjoy singing along again, predictably, but I find this quite dull apart from a brief gap in the music in which Bruce reflects on why the band enjoy playing in England best of all, and short accolades for each member of the band. The solo sounds better than on the original album as do the vocals, not being handled by Paul Di’Anno, but it’s not the kind of song I enjoy sitting down to listen to.
20. RUNNING FREE
A trademark set closer, this is another song I’m not fond of but which works well with the crowd interaction… and there’s a lot of it. Bruce gets quite tiresome with his banter and praise, but fans of the band’s early work will enjoy it: at least it isn’t extended to hell like in ‘Live After Death.’
VERDICT
Although this was a landmark concert and the sound of the crowd is a definite bonus, this falls very distant from being the definitive Iron Maiden live album. Musically it isn’t the band at their best; having spent the entire previous decade recording and playing music around the world, they are clearly in need of some time away that they never permitted themselves. Secondly, the choice of songs is a lot less impressive than it could have been, with too many cuts from overly dull albums and the repetition of tracks featured on previous live albums.
This can all be forgiven however when remembering that this show was never intended to be officially released, and therefore the band made their song decisions on what they most wanted to play, which would obviously include a lot of recent as opposed to classic material. If anything, this shows that the band play to the best of their ability at every single show, and that you’d have to stay up pretty late (and feed them a lot of alcohol) to catch them at anything less than their best.
The atmosphere on this album from the crowd is unmatched in Iron Maiden’s live discography; even though the more recent ‘Rick in Rio’ was recorded in front of a quarter of a million people, the sound recording isn’t as clear on that album and most of the 250,000 screaming fans are rendered mute. Song-wise however, ‘Rock in Rio’ features an excellent mix of old and current songs from the band, while the earlier ‘Live After Death’ (1985) features the very best of their first five albums. For this reason I would recommend both of these as Iron Maiden live albums showcasing their entire career; ‘Live at Donington’ fills in the middle gap with a couple of different and notable tracks, but isn’t really worth owning unless you’re a Maiden completist or were one of the lucky many to have attended the Monsters of Rock festival on that fateful day.
Advantages: A lot of great Maiden tracks, Some tracks not previously released live, Amazing crowd response
Disadvantages: Many tracks have been released on previous live albums, Bruce's vocals are clearly suffering, Not the band at their best
Iron Maiden
The X Factor
Blaze of Glory?
***
Written on 22.05.04
I will assume, at this early juncture, that nobody reading this review will have yet understood the title. Rest assured, by the end of this review you will have the information necessary to truly be ashamed at the weakness of the pun. And the next one.
INTRODUCTION: ONCE BRUCED
When vocalist Bruce Dickinson left British heavy metal band Iron Maiden in 1992, the band's popularity began to decrease, despite consistent album releases. Most Maiden fans, including myself, consider 2000's album 'Brave New World,' and the more recent 'Dance of Death,' to be the only albums comparable to the band's golden years, otherwise known as the eighties. These recent albums saw the return of Bruce Dickinson, as well as guitarist Adrian Smith who had left the band in 1989, and it seemed obvious that the "classic" Maiden line-up (plus a third guitarist who just sort of stayed) was all that was necessary to ensure a great album. Like many obvious solutions, this is wrong.
Contrary to some peoples' beliefs, Bruce Dickinson's voice was not the only reason for Iron Maiden's success, although it was largely responsible. Between 1982 and 1988, the five members of Iron Maiden collaborated in writing and creating music for five classic studio albums that all performed excellently in the music charts while remaining faithful to the spirit of heavy metal. Many people forget that after this point, aided slightly by Adrian Smith's afore-mentioned departure, Iron Maiden became a very mediocre and unimpressive band; they could even be called 'lazy.' Their 1990 and 1992 albums all contained far too many poor tracks and it was after this point that Bruce decided to call it a day and pursue other ventures.
The departure of Bruce meant that Iron Maiden had to seek out a new vocalist, leading to bassist and band founder Steve Harris calling on Blaze Bayley, formerly of British band Wolfsbane. Blaze was never intended to be a substitute for Bruce as he possessed a different vocal range and style, so when the band released 'The X-Factor' in 1995, their musical style had noticeably taken a rather substantial turn.
STYLE
Iron Maiden are best known for their fast and upbeat rock anthems: Steve Harris' galloping bass, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith harmoniously handling some guitar riff or solo, and Bruce Dickinson operatically delivering some catchy choruses. While their music often deviated into more sombre and emotional territory, the image of the fun and loud metal band that were somehow avoiding the cheese factor - until the early nineties that is - had now been replaced with this very dark and serious affair. Even the album cover, featuring the band's always present mascot Eddie strapped in an electric chair, makes for more sombre artwork than Maiden's past covers, which have never gone further than tongue-in-cheek violence.
There are a number of reasons for this: for a start, Iron Maiden's musical style had reached a stage where change was vital. Each of their eighties albums showed the band's progression into new territory with great success, but 'No Prayer for the Dying' and 'Fear of the Dark' never escaped ineffective soft rock territory. The dark nature of the album is also a reflection of some of the band's problems; when your famous vocalist leaves you, following the lead of one of your guitarist friends, and when your wife leaves you (in the case of Steve Harris), times have certainly been better. The band, especially Steve, still drew some inspiration for their songs from literature and films, but the examples here are all infinitely less positive than their earlier tributes to 'The Prisoner' and Frank Herbert's novel 'Dune.'
Every track has a medium to slow tempo, and there are no chirpy guitars leading the listener out of the musical abyss; this album is sinister, meaningful, sorrowful and very well-played. 'The X Factor' sounds less typical Iron Maiden than anything else they have released; in many ways, they are almost a different band.
TRACKS
1. SIGN OF THE CROSS
The album begins with the haunting, atmospheric chanting of monks before the instruments slowly make themselves heard, only kicking into full swing after three minutes. This is perhaps one of the best songs on the album and has a great, deep chorus and some nice high guitars that manage to keep the tone, although at eleven minutes it is very long, something that is not completely saved by the tempo changes and instrumental sections, great though they are. The song deals with the themes of the book 'The Name of the Rose,' which was made into a film starring Sean Connery that included a sex scene my History class were shown, on the subject of the oppressive Catholic Church of bygone days, although like most of Maiden's historical songs you have to pay attention to the lyrics to understand this; the music alone doesn't suggest anything other than a very impressive track that showcases Maiden's musicians with their best performances in many years.
"There'll be penance to pay when it's judgement day
And the guilty'll bleed when the moment comes"
2. LORD OF THE FLIES
A less impressive track after the epic nature of the first, this is clearly based on William Golding's tale of stranded children surviving and battling each other on a deserted island. The track comes in at a much more manageable six minutes and has some very different sounding guitars from the onset, and Bruce's voice is standable, if a little too staccato for its own good at some points. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end, accompanied by some needed "woah" vocals, but this is a very average track that doesn't grab my attention.
"Feeling so high on this much adrenalin,
Excited but scary to believe what we've become"
3. MAN ON THE EDGE
The obvious choice for a single, this is a reasonably short and fast-paced anthem that begins with some light guitars and has a riff that harks back to Maiden's classic era. Blaze's vocals, especially in the chorus, fit the music perfectly and this results in one of the best tracks on the album, as well as one of the least depressing despite its lyrics concerning a troubled businessman.
"A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge,
Each step get closer to losing his head"
4. FORTUNES OF WAR
This fairly lengthy track begins with some soft and reflective guitars and bass and offers Blaze the opportunity to try a more melancholy voice. The song becomes heavier after a few minutes, a formula that has become tiresome by this point in the band's career but which usually leads to a great track, and this is no exception. Background orchestral keyboards add to the grand scale and the guitars sound excellent here, perfectly suited to Blaze's style, especially as he chants the chorus towards the end. This is an example of a track that doesn't seem to drag on, despite coming in at seven and a half minutes. Very catchy, in a sad sort of way.
"People say 'don't worry,'
Say that time's a perfect healer,
That the nightmares they will come to pass"
5. LOOK FOR THE TRUTH
This song's soft opening is a little unnecessary after the similar start and finish of the last track, but it has quite a good, heavy riff once it begins properly. The problem with this track is that it seems far from original at this point in the album, relying on techniques used to much greater effect earlier on.
"Here comes the nightmare that never ends;
Here is the dream that makes monsters of men"
6. THE AFTERMATH
This track begins with a very effective haunting melody involving all the instruments and extra depth, presumably added with keyboards. A fairly bluesy track, Blaze's voice sounds great in the verses. Concerning the consequences of war, expanding upon the fourth track, this doesn't sound as depressing as it could be, thanks to some great use of high guitars. The listener may feel in need of hearing something positive and uplifting by this stage, but this doesn't count against this as a stand-alone track. An early example of what has become a trademark of more recent Maiden albums in echoing the vocal rhythm with the guitar towards the end; I think this would have made a successful single, had it been released.
"After the war,
Left feeling no one has won.
After the war
What does a soldier become?"
7. JUDGEMENT OF HEAVEN
Tackling the religious angle, this song begins quite differently in a way that would not suggest it was Iron Maiden, or even metal, but the tone throughout seems fairly optimistic. The guitars are given a rare oppo rtunity (on this album) to shine, playing some great solo and bridge sections. Blaze's vocals have a great tune to them, and this actually sounds uncannily like the band?s later track 'The Thin Line Between Love and Hate' on Brave New World album. The difference is, this is a song with a great groove and lyrics, and the other one is just a poor song. Because of the great guitars and the less sinister style, this is one of the album's finest and most memorable tracks.
"You're searching in the dark,
clutching at straws to find a way.
You take the Tarot cards and throw them to the wind"
8. BLOOD ON THE WORLD'S HANDS
This track begins with a very rare event; a bass solo by Steve Harris! Never self-indulgent or overpowering, it serves greatly into creating a dingy atmosphere before the guitars, drums and vocals can be introduced. The lyrics are a little repetitive and on my first listen it seemed that there were hardly any at all; the excellent mood created by the instruments, especially the afore-mentioned bass, must have mesmerised me to the point where I hadn't realised. One of the most pessimistic offerings on the album, this comments on various aspects of social and political decline that is "out of control."
"One day another killing,
Somewhere there's someone starving,
Another a savage raping"
9. THE EDGE OF DARKNESS
As the title suggests, this is a dark track, although that much would have been expected if you had been listening since the opening chants of 'Sign of the Cross.' Again, this track's structure is a re-use of the overused style of 'slow build up > heavy section > solos and choruses > soft outro' that pe rmeates so many tracks. This lack of originality counts against this track in terms of being memorable or impressive, but Janick Gers and Dave Murray have another excellent guitar solo section. It's a shame this comes so late on in the album as the latter half of the song has some great melodies that will never be played enough to fully appreciate.
"When you've faced the heart of darkness
Even your soul begins to bend"
10. 2 A.M.
This track is very nearly a ballad but not quite, another Iron Maiden staple since the early days that was definitively shown with their classic 'Infinite Dreams.' Juxtaposing soft sections with heavy verses somehow seems different to the rest of the album, even though it essentially isn?t, but the amazing dual guitar sections save this from being another piece of filler. If I could compose a song made of my favourite parts of Maiden's entire album catalogue, the guitar melody from late in this song would definitely feature heavily: that's how good it is. A forerunner of sorts to the single 'Virus,' composed specially the following year for the band's 'Best of the Beast' collection.
"Hold on for something better
That just drags you trough the dirt.
Do you just let go or carry on
And try to take the hurt"
11. THE UNBELIEVER
Ending the album in style, this eight minute song wastes no time messing around with acoustics, opening with a catchy riff and a very unusual style of vocal and guitar interaction proving that progression is at the heart of Iron Maiden, a heart that has surely been tarnished blacker by this release. The style of this song doesn't sit well in my ears and I find it difficult to grasp what's supposed to be the riff at times, but I still quite like it for its originality. Nicko McBrain gets a special drum section as well, something unheard of for Iron Maiden up to this point. Overall, a very good and inventive track that closes the album far less depressingly than it could have easily been.
"Try to release the anger from within,
Forgive yourself a few immortal sins.
Do you really care what people think?
Are you strong enough to release the guilt?"
VERDICT
This is not a bad album, but there are a few reasons that it falls short of being a great album, and none of these are to do with Bruce Dickinson's departure, the most tiresome criticism offered to dismiss this. Blaze is a very good vocalist and he suits the style of this album flawlessly, but it is the style itself that leads to the problems. Many of the songs are overlong, and by sacrificing spirit and enthusiasm for atmosphere the band have produced something less commercially appealing, requiring something of an effort on the listener's part.
This is not an album I could listen to continuously in any mood, something I can and regularly practice with Maiden's earlier albums, but that's not to say it isn't a great collection of songs. It's just that there are no truly excellent or inspirational offerings to pick out, and listening to the whole album can be a depressing affair. Iron Maiden fans should check this album out first if they are planning to buy it as the style, as well as the vocalist, does make it seem like a very different band most of the time. But adapt and improve, as John Cleese noted when robbing a lingerie shop in Monty Python, and the guitars, bass and drums are all still excellent and highly inventive.
I have no doubt in stating that the departure from the band's usual style was a smart move, and kept them original; this was their best album since the classic 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' in 1988, but the band still had a lot of problems to work out. The follow-up, 1996's 'Virtual XI,' was the last album to feature Blaze Bayley and was both an improvement and a disappointment in different ways. 'The X Factor' is a solid album that never strays from its set tone, and in the end, it's still an album released by the musical virtuosos Iron Maiden, proving that you can?t keep a good New Wave of British Heavy Metal band down. And why 'The X Factor?': this was the band's tenth studio album.
And Bruce is back on the high notes now anyway - check out their 2003 hit single 'Wildest Dreams' if any confirmation is needed.
Advantages: Original and creative, Excellent musical skill and a great vocalist
Disadvantages: Very moody and depressing, May disappoint Maiden fans, Tracks are too long, and there are no real instant classics
Iron Maiden
Best of the Beast
*****
Written on 16.04.04
When an artist or band releases a compilation of their subjective finest material it can either be a sign of pride, laziness or desperation. Fortunately for fans of heavy metal, this collection of tracks by British rock legends Iron Maiden is firmly entrenched in the pride side of the scale.
As anyone who recognises my stupid name and reads these things I write may know, I am a fan of Iron Maiden's music. Their fusion of hard rock, melodic guitars and high vocals may sound like unenlightened noise to some, but it makes my Earth a better place. And I am right.
The strength of this collection lies in the care and attention given to it by those involved; band emperor and bass player Steve Harris has once again shown his determination in producing a great album to act as a celebration of Iron Maiden
THE TRACKS
As all but one of the sixteen tracks appear on previous Iron Maiden albums I won't explore them all in the depth I would usually find appropriate; with a collection such as this, it is more vital to point out the order and style of the tracks included. Following is the tracklist, with abbreviations indicating the original album source.
1. The Number of the Beast (NOTB)
2. Can I Play With Madness (SSOASS)
3. Fear of the Dark (Live)
4. Run to the Hills (NOTB)
5. Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter (NPFTD)
6. The Evil That Men Do (SSOASS)
7. Aces High (PS)
8. Be Quick or Be Dead (FOTD)
9. Two Minutes to Midnight (PS)
10. Man on the Edge (XF)
11. Virus (New)
12. Running Free (Live)
13. Wasted Years (SIT)
14. The Clairvoyant (SSOASS)
15. The Trooper (POM)
16. Hallowed Be Thy Name (NOTB)
- NOTB: The Number of the Beast (1982)
- POM: Piece of Mind (1983)
- PS: Powerslave (1984)
- SIT: Somewhere in Time (1986)
- SSOASS: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)
- NPFTD: No Prayer for the Dying (1990)
- FOTD: Fear of the Dark (1992)
- XF: The X-Factor (1995)
Steve Harris and Dave Murray have truly given a lot of thought and effort into deciding the tracklist of this album, as although not everyone will be completely satisfied ("where's my bloody Wrathchild then?") it does give a broad scope of Iron Maiden's adapting styles and subject matter over the years. The only thing that seem to be missing quite badly is any material from the band's first two albums, featuring vocalist Paul Di'Anno- there is a live version of the early song 'Running Free' but this is taken off one of their later live albums with Bruce Dickinson. I don't really find this a problem, as I'm not so much a fan of their very early stuff, but it does seem to be lacking on this single disc version.
The necessary immortal singles from the band have to be released, whether anyone likes it or not: the album starts with the infamous 'THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST,' condemned as a Devil-worshipping song by some women in America who couldn't read lyrics, and despite sounding dated and not a great example of what the band are capable of, makes a strong opener. This is especially due to the spooky, spoken intro quoting the Book of Revelation. 'CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS' is another short, popular song to follow, but is from a noticeably different Maiden era- the over-done synthesisers, polished guitars and high vocals of their Seventh Son era have produced a song that isn't popular with a lot of people, but which has a lot of potential acclaim. Personally, I think it's very fun and the subject matter of prophecies and damnation tie in very well with the previous track.
With track 3, the band are given their time to shine with a fantastic live version of 1992 'FEAR OF THE DARK': far more energetic and inspired than the studio version, this complex song features some great and catchy guitars throughout its epic length and really gets this album going. With the opening three songs, this album has managed to encapsulate ten years of the band.
'RUN TO THE HILLS' is Iron Maiden's most well-known song and comes from the same era as the first track, but is noticeably catchier and shows greater talent. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for track 5, the quite silly 'BRING YOUR DAUGHTER... TO THE SLAUGHTER.' Very memorable and written by Bruce Dickinson in a very Iron Maiden style, this doesn't inspire me in the way that most of their other songs do, despite being their only UK number one hit. This privilege also led it to be deemed 'turkey of the year' by a great many people, which also unfortunately adds to the image of Iron Maiden as a silly metal band. It's a shame that in instances such as this, that certainly appears true, and there are far more deserving tracks from this song's album that are not included here.
Track 6, 'THE EVIL THAT MEN DO' is the perfect example of Maiden bringing their talented music to the masses by creating a love song with great guitars. The other famous single from Seventh Son, this is technically a lot better than 'Can I Play With Madness' as nothing is over the top, and it has excellent verses, chorus and bridge sections. 'ACES HIGH' has fantastic high vocals and an upbeat guitar riff, and would have worked better earlier in the album. Its subject matter of World War II pilots makes it stand out amidst the "demonic" songs, and it is one of my favourites. 'BE QUICK OR BE DEAD' is popular but less impressive than most, and features a fast drum opening; again, the lyrics deal with something different, in this instance the exploitation of musicians and celebrities by the press.
'2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT' is one of my all-time favourite Iron Maiden songs due to its intelligent lyrics, great chorus and low-key riffs, but I have to admit that it doesn't work as well as it could on this album; the song needs time to grow on the listener, and so it seems ill-placed amidst these popular hits. It?s still one of the most worthy additions however, and is the last truly impressive song for a while on this disc.
'MAN ON THE EDGE' comes from the band's 'X-Factor' album, featuring their new (now departed) vocalist, Blaze Bayley. Not having the range of Bruce, this album is often seen as the least impressive Maiden offering as all the band members seemed a little less enthusiastic, and this single is no indication of the band's greatness; if they didn't need to showcase their new vocalist, there is no chance that this track would feature. 'VIRUS,' in contrast, comes from roughly the same era but is a very good song. The token track to be unique to this release, this shows that Iron Maiden can still make great music, and is worthy of a place on here despite not having the flair of their earlier work. Another long one.
Back to the past, and the only song from the band's early days, albeit performed live at a later date, comes with 'RUNNING FREE.' The set closer for countless Iron Maiden live shows over the decades, the infectious chorus always gets a great crowd response, although the simplicity of the song itself does sound very reminiscent of 70s pop-rock bands such as Kiss. Not a favourite, but it's good to hear the delighted crowd making some noise, and I find it better than having a Paul Di'Anno track here. 'WASTED YEARS' follows with its polished sound taken from the band's 1986 album, and the high, relaxed chorus vocals make this another of my favourites... it's just a shame that nothing else from that album is present, as it's one of my very favourites. Following in a similar style comes 'THE CLAIRVOYANT,' another song from Seventh Son that sounds in some ways like a fusion of tracks 2 and 6; the uplifting and memorable chorus, as well as a high guitar section throughout that could only be taken seriously from Iron Maiden, this is a classic track that rightfully deserves to be recognised.
Approaching the end of the album, Maiden throw in one of their most popular and hardest tracks; 1983's 'THE TROOPER.' The perfect mix of hard riffs, galloping bass and melodic guitars, this hit brings excitement to the album before the darkness of the closing track, the classic 'HALLOWED BE THY NAME.' The most famous of the band's longer, progressive tracks, this is a dying man's elegy as he awaits execution, and features some of Maiden's very best guitar work. There could be no finer ending than this.
STRENGTHS
The first noticeable thing when listening to the album is how well the older tracks have been remastered; the drums pound, the guitars wail and the bass clanks along as good as ever. This does make the recording quality of some of the tracks seem a little dated, but these versions do sound much better than the older CD releases. It was likely the success of this album that led to EMI re-releasing Maiden's first twelve albums (including live releases) in 1998.
I'm more a fan of Maiden's longer tracks, some of which aren't included here, but I appreciate a great single when I hear it, and the best ones are all on here. My personal favourite tracks on this album are 'The Trooper,' 'Aces High' and 'The Clairvoyant' (in terms of short songs), with '2 Minutes to Midnight,' 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' and the fantastic live rendition of 'Fear of the Dark' in terms of longer songs.
PROBLEMS
As a fan of the band who already owns some albums I should be expected to rant about the low quality of this album, but I have surprisingly few problems with it. The obvious concern everyone has with these albums is that some of your favourite songs aren't present while ones you value less are, but for this only occurs in a few places, already mentioned. And if I'm being honest, my "perfect" Iron Maiden collection wouldn't serve as a fitting tribute as much as this one, basically being the majority of their 1983 to 1988 tracks. Although it reached number one in the charts, 'Bring Your Daughter' is still a pretty silly song that doesn't show the band at their best, and I don't really like 'Man on the Edge,' but they had to have something else featuring Blaze.
'Heaven Can Wait' would have been a fitting and useful addition to the tracklist, especially as the album it is originally from hardly gets any credit, and a couple of tracks could have been arranged better. '2 Minutes to Midnight' seems inappropriately placed, and the track 'Powerslave' would seem a more fitting replacement to keep the album memorable.
DESIGN
The artwork and information have not been neglected on this release. The lyrics to all sixteen tracks have been reprinted inside a reasonably thick booklet, with original artwork or relevant photos included alongside each song. In instances where the track has been released as a single (and let's face, it that's the majority on any "best-of"), the artwork for that release's cover has been included, which is very interesting for anyone who enjoys Derek Riggs' paintings of the band's undead mascot Eddie in various guises.
On the subject of Riggs' artwork, the album cover for this release features an amalgamation of the Eddie designs from previous albums, recreated and composited into a shambling horde that's "gonna get yer" (Bruce Dickinson, The Number of the Beast). The gang includes mummified Eddie, cyberpunk Eddie, homicidal axe-wielding Eddie and lobotomised Eddie, all of which will be terrifyingly familiar to fans of the band's discography.
Another interest ing side to the booklet comes with the comprehensive list of all the band's albums and single releases, with B-sides listed, and information on where the credit is due by detailing the band members in each song; there are four line-up changes on this album alone and that's without Paul Di'Anno's presence. Iron Maiden are still traditionalists at heart however, and therefore could not release a collection without including 'hilarious' pictures of themselves in 'wacky' situations. This only means a couple of small snapshots of Bruce dressed as a pirate, Nicko wearing glasses upside down (it's the hilarious way round) and Steve standing in a bin for some reason, but it's good. There is also a large promotional photo on the back of the booklet of the band's line-up at the time this CD was released; the prominence of Blaze suggests he was planning on sticking around for longer than fate would allow, which is one album.
OTHER EDITIONS
As if these sixteen tracks weren?t enough, Iron Maiden released two further versions of this album along with this one, neither of which are commercially available any longer. A four-LP vinyl collection included far more than necessary, while the 2-disc CD version included a hardback book charting the life of the band. More of an item for the hardcore fans, the 2-disc edition is arranged in reverse chronological order, the first disc heading from 'Virus' back to the Seventh Son album, and the second travelling into the first two records. While the greater amount of tracks make this more desirable, and a number of my favourites are indeed included, it seems extraneous in light of the single disc release that already acts as a solid celebration of Maiden.
Comparisons between Best of the Beast and last year's release 'Edward the Great' are inevitable, but this album is the superior; Edward the Great is a 'Greatest Hits' collection, something which admittedly seems silly in light of this collection's existence, and as such only features the tracks released as singles in chronological order. I like 'Flight of Icarus' as much as anybody (and probably a great deal more than you reading this), but that album includes none of the excellent progressive tracks that make Maiden so great.
If you like Iron Maiden but don't want to buy one of their 'proper' albums, which do tend to be a little on the short side but are always very cheap, I'd recommend this album to you. Everything that's good about Iron Maiden is on this disc, and if it misses out some of your favourites just buy the albums you like, you whining cheapskate. Forever and ever, up the Irons.
Advantages: Very well chosen and appropriate, Excellent remastering, Very long and value for money at 80 minutes
Disadvantages: Some things not to my taste
Iron Maiden
Virtual XI
Lightning Misses Again
**
Written on 31.05.04
Bruce Dickinson’s departure from British heavy metal band Iron Maiden meant that the band’s general appeal inevitably waned, and new vocalist Blaze Bayley was never fully accepted as a replacement during his five years with the band. I have written a lot of Iron Maiden reviews as there is so much to write about, but rest assured that I am running out of albums in that regard.
Following the very dark but grand scale of The X Factor, Maiden returned to a more high spirited musical style with Virtual XI, and as such it has the potential to be a great album. Unfortunately, the nineties were a decade of quite bad decisions on the part of Maiden, and for every excellent epic there’s a dull track with annoying vocals.
These sight tracks, mostly of substantial length, are a bit of a let-down by the band’s standards, but this album was thankfully the last of Iron Maiden’s uninspired records to be released.
1. FUTUREAL
The album begins with this short, punchy number that’s reminiscent of Maiden’s past album openers ‘Aces High’ and ‘Be Quick or Be Dead.’ The upbeat heavy metal style makes it clear from the onset that this is a very different record to The X Factor, and Blaze’s vocals, while obviously not being up to the standards of metal virtuoso Dickinson, suit the song’s rhythm well. No interesting developments or changes, this is a very straightforward rock track coming in at under three minutes with some catchy vocals and riffs. Very reminiscent of a Di’Anno-era Maiden.
“Whenever anyone seems
to treat me like a freak
It makes me see I'm the
only one who feels
That I know what is real”
2. THE ANGEL AND THE GAMBLER
Just when Maiden seemed to be getting back on track, they produce their cheesiest song ever. There is really very little to save this overlong, seventies-style blues-rock track from spoiling the album and to make things worse the band released it as a single (with a music video that really should have waited a couple of years before attempting computer graphics). This isn’t just my bigoted opinion as I’ve hardly read any positive comments on the song: in short, Maiden should never use a Hammond organ in their songs, especially when that song tediously drags out to ten minutes.
“Don’t you think I’m a saviour?
Don’t you think I could save ya?
Don’t you think I could save your life?” (Sigh)
3. LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE
This is a progressive track that has the potential to be great, but is dragged down by a little unoriginality. Although anything is welcome after ‘The Angel and the Gambler.’ Blaze’s vocals sound a little out of place in the mellow parts of the song, but are suited to the hard rock riffs once they kick in, and there are some great distorted solos in the latter part of the song that remind me of the better parts of The X Factor, however there isn’t much to distinguish this as a great Maiden track rather than simply the third track on an album. In typical Maiden style, the title isn’t a metaphor for luck happening twice: it is literally a track about lightning hitting the same spot twice!
“Is it the rolling of thunder that scares you
Is it the crashing of clouds that hold fear
But all I know as I sit in a corner alone
It takes me back to my childhood again”
4. THE CLANSMAN
Based on the film ‘Braveheart,’ this is by far my favourite track on the album, and the only one I consider to be an Iron Maiden classic. A soft opening is a Dave Murray/Steve Harris trademark that has been increasingly annoying and tedious since the Fear of the Dark album, but the energy and epic scale of this song makes up for that, even using light orchestration in the mellow sections. Although it lasts for nine minutes the enjoyment never lets up, with the rousing choruses of “Freedom” and “No we can’t let them take any more” – if only the rest of the album had been this good it would surely have been a winner, but as such it stands as one of Blaze Bayley’s finest moments with the band. The only problem is that some of the band’s later tracks such as ‘Blood Brothers’ and ‘Face in the Sand’ use a similar formula and as such would make this appear less original in a live set; that didn’t stop the tribute band Ironically Maiden from screaming it out early this year.
“Freedom!”
5. WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
Another soft opening before the rather slow-paced but catchy song properly begins. This is a fairly average track, but I really like the guitars – reminiscent of ‘Virus,’ my favourite song from the Blaze Bayley years released specially for the ‘Best of the Beast’ collection – and Blaze’s vocals are great in this one too. A more reflective metal song than the rest, this is the kind of track that gains more appreciation with each listen, it even has a brief ‘woah’ section towards the end that is obviously designed with live crowds in mind. Again, the title is far more literal than readers may at first assume.
“My telescope looks out
into the stars tonight,
A little speck of light
seems twice the size tonight.
The Calculations are so fine,
can it be growing all the Time?”
6. THE EDUCATED FOOL
A very good track, this is very straightforward until an excellent high guitar section separates the end section and Blaze sings in a different style. This track is tarnished only by its place in the album, as by now it’s all been heard before and the listener is in need of something radically different to stay interested. Still a very good track, but not on par with some, and confirmation if anything that this album lacks some originality.
“I want to leave my life on my own
I want to lift the unturned stone
I want to walk right into the fire
I want to live out all my desires”
7. DON’T LOOK TO THE EYES OF A STRANGER
Yet another song that begins quietly before becoming heavy, it isn’t too bad but is another track spoiled by its length and the sheer repetitiveness of the chorus. The guitar melodies are good but nothing too spectacular, and Blaze attempts some unwise high vocals that are much more suited to Bruce Dickinson’s talents. There are a few changes within the song but all of these involve the music becoming unbearably slow and not very interesting; this track should have been planned and executed a lot better.
“Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Don't look trough the eyes of a fool
Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Somebody's watching when the light goes down”
8. COMO ESTAIS AMIGOS
An excellent end to the album, this sombre and respectful track has some great acoustic guitar sections and effective use of orchestration similar to ‘The Clansman’ in the background. Despite it being written and composed by Blaze Bayley and Janick Gers, two men who were not ‘original’ Maiden members, it’s one of the better tracks on the album and has some of the best guitar solo work on the CD. This is the kind of song that can easily take the listener to a nice place for a while before they hear the fade out and realise they’ve listening to an Iron Maiden album. Quite different and refreshing.
“And if we do forget them
and the sacrifice they made,
Will the wickedness and sadness
come to visit us again?”
VERDICT
Virtual XI, Iron Maiden’s eleventh studio album, is often regarded as their weakest effort, although The X Factor is also usually a contender for that dishonour. Having only previously heard the brilliant epic ‘The Clansman’ and the quite fun ‘Futureal’ I found this hard to accept, but having listened to the album in its entirety I agree that this is probably the band’s low point.
Steve Harris’ songwriting talents are far below his usual standard, and the very existence of ‘Angel and the Gambler’ makes me question the band’s sanity; Iron Maiden redefined heavy metal in the 1980s while also bringing it to the masses, but this album only serves to alienate loyal fans and newcomers to the band. No wonder this was their first album to be released on a virtually unknown record label after they were dropped from EMI. This seems a little harsh, but it’s the fact that Iron Maiden are letting themselves and their fans down so badly with this release that annoys me; thankfully I have the safe knowledge that they were soon able to sort everything out, and there are a couple of excellent tracks on here.
Blaze Bayley’s vocals receive undue criticism here; he’s obviously not as good as Bruce Dickinson, but his different range and style leads to a different sound for the band. It’s simply the lack of any genuine originality or flair that left the band in a decline after their excellent ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ album in 1988. Bruce Dickinson left in 1992 for very just reasons, and it was only the return of Bruce and departed guitarist Adrian Smith in 2000 that got the band back on the road to excellence. Up the Irons, I suppose.
Alright then, if this isn’t a good example of the band, what is? (a.k.a. Recommended Iron Maiden albums, you know, if you like that sort of thing):
POWERSLAVE (1984) – Eight killer tracks, from fast hits to true epics.
LIVE AFTER DEATH (1985) – Incredibly energetic performance with songs from the band’s first five years, some sounding much better than on the studio albums.
SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON (1988) – Really interesting sound, great lyrics and a running storyline. Sort of.
DANCE OF DEATH (2003) – Not quite as good as the band’s eighties works, but their best album in many years. I have very high hopes for their next album, whenever that will be.
Advantages: A couple of very good tracks, but these are included elsewhere (live compilations, etc.), Maiden have retreated from the dark place of the previous album
Disadvantages: The tracks are not very inventive and most are far too long, Blaze's vocals don't suit the songs as much as on the previous album, The production is a little cheap, and the label drop obviously caused the band more disillusionment
Iron Maiden
Brave New World
***
Written on 15.04.04
In the year 2000, British metal pioneers Iron Maiden released their most acclaimed album in over a decade, due in no small part to the return of the screaming Bruce Dickinson to the band. One successful single brought Iron Maiden back into the spotlight for fans old, new and hairy alike. 'Brave New World,' while not being a fitting title if applied to the twenty-year old, world-touring band itself, does represent the start of the modern Maiden era which continued in 2003 with their successful 'Dance of Death,' whether you like this fact or not.
HISTORY
Arguably the leading force in heavy metal music throughout the 1980s, differences of interest by band members led to the amicable departure of guitarist Adrian Smith in 1988 and frontman Bruce Dickinson in 1992. Try as they might, the Iron Maiden that survived with ex-Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley could never return the band to their peak of performance and although the hardcore fan base and band dedication remained, it became clear that Maiden were on the way out when they were dropped by their major record labels.
By 1999, all that was to change; Adrian Smith had expressed an interest in returning, performing as a third guitarist alongside Janick Gers, having appeared as a guest musician at several Maiden concerts anyway, but the main interest lay in the return of Dickinson fresh from his moderately successful solo projects. Iron Maiden instrumentals are intricately layered affairs that keep the listener engaged, but the real power of the band clearly lay in Dickinson's excellent vocal range. Picked up by record giants EMI, where they still remain today, Iron Maiden had bounced back in a way that Alan Partridge didn't.
STYLE
Musical development has always been an important issue for Iron Maiden. In the 80s they went from being a rock and roll band producing songs that sounded almost punk rock, to a heavy metal band capable of producing ballads and epics, and finally a progressive heavy metal band utilising keyboards and the full range of guitars to add to the music. Through the 90s Maiden abandoned the synthesisers in the majority of their tracks and returned to producing more straightforward heavy metal, but the influence of progressive metal bands from America and Europe was clear on their 'Virtual XI' album. 'Brave New World' sticks with these heavily progressive elements while allowing the band's newfound confidence to again shine through.
TRACKS
1. THE WICKER MAN
In typical Iron Maiden tradition, the album begins with a short and punchy number released as a single. The song doesn?t survive many listens in the manner of their earlier classics, but the chorus and excellent guitar work made this a popular release. The main delight lies in hearing Bruce Dickinson singing about horror films again after all these years.
"Hand of fate is moving and the finger points to you. He knocks you to your feet and so what are you gonna do?"
2. GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR
The first long(ish) song at over six minutes, this seems to showcase the instrumentalists of the band and allows Dickinson's great vocals to aid the songs rather than overwhelm them. The beginning is a little mysterious and slow before the heavy riff kicks in and the band's latest sea-bound tale is told. Not in the same league as 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' but at under half the length of that 1984 epic it isn't aiming to; just a really great song with interesting bridge and chorus sections, definitely a highlight of the album. The speed of the guitar solo is also fantastic, especially when the squeaking of Dave Murray's fingers become audible at the end. Lyrics regarding curses and the un-rude version of seamen are also welcome.
"As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea; the sirens of the rocks, they beckon me."
3. BRAVE NEW WORLD
Maiden's title tracks always suggest something longer, harder and better than the majority of their tracks, although in some ways 'Brave New World' isn't all it could have been. A dull, slow and quiet opening isn't typically Maiden and could be seen a little too "prog" for a lot of people, although when the song gets going it's very memorable and has the usual infectious chorus. There is no sense of this being a Maiden classic however. For anyone who's wondering, the song and indeed the album cover are based upon Aldous Huxley's 1931 book of the same name, and the lyrics convey some of the messages of danger present in Huxley's nightmare future.
"You are planned, you are damned, in this brave new world."
4. BLOOD BROTHERS
A very different, experimental song from the band features a full orchestration throughout in addition to clean-sounding guitars and bass, which would undoubtedly make this popular with fans of more orchestral musical tastes, but I like a bit of metal. I have nothing against symphony aspects of metal songs, but in this instance they are far too overpowering and do make the song drag on much longer than necessary. The lyrics urge the human race to work together and stop hurting each other as we're all in the same boat, and the loud chorus features some of Bruce's best vocals.
"Keep on making the same old mistakes, makes tipping the balance so easy."
5. THE MERCENARY
The word "filler" can be applied to this, as it is the first unremarkable and unoriginal offering of the album. Not a bad listen, but the vocals and instruments do seem a little less enthusiastic in narrating this tale of a man who kills for money. The lyrics are also annoyingly repetitive for Iron Maiden standards, giving the impression of a last-minute studio job. Despite being forgettable, this is still worth listening to as a breather between the longer songs.
"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive."
6. DREAM OF MIRRORS
Another very experimental and ultimately very different song, this one also isn't to my taste, mainly due to its length. The first three minutes are led by a quiet bass riff with occasional guitar whines, vocals and sparse drum whacks creating a deliberate sense of emptiness which does get tedious. The chorus is repeated too many times during the nine-and-a-half minutes, and it only really seems to get going at the end, which doesn't redeem it. Still, the band seem to relish this song and it apparently went down quite well during their 'Metal 2000' tour. I wasn't clever enough to like them or have heard them back then though, sadly.
"Dread to think what might be lurking, that my dream is reoccurring."
7. THE FALLEN ANGEL
This song is nothing new, but I really like it. Iron Maiden at their simple, short and punchy best, with a truly excellent mix of high guitars and vocals in the chorus, even if it does sound like a rip-off of the first track. The song knows when it is time to end though, unlike many of the others, and for this reason, as well as its ability to convey lyrics regarding an approaching Armageddon in an upbeat and fun way, this is one of my favourites on the album.
"As I wait for Armageddon and it's coming my way. It's an honour to be chosen and I wait for the day."
8. THE NOMAD
The only true epic on the album, 'The Nomad' is a very diverse and well-played Iron Maiden song. If their earlier classic 'Alexander the Great' was "the best Iron Maiden song never played live" (Steve Harris), this is another in that tradition. The layers of instruments and lack of any commercial or "pop" appeal make this a straight-to-disc song of high calibre, and its lyrics of a mysterious wanderer in the desert bring a fresh tone to the album. The orchestration on this track is excellent and almost subliminal, and does not take over the song as it did in track four. This is how the other long tracks should have sounded, although obviously not identical as that would be rubbish.
"Legend has it that you speak in ancient tongue, but no one's spoke to you and lived to tell the tale."
9. OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET
A catchy and memorable song, this begins with some high pitched guitars before Bruce softly sings the title, five words that you will hear far more than expected in these seven minutes, and the heaviest riff on the album kicks in. The lyrics are again a little repetitive and the song drags on again, but the quality of the playing and the vocal range make this one of the best on the album. Well done. The slow, fade-out ending of this track also shows that it really, really should have been the end of the album?
"Nations cry, underneath decaying skies above. You are guilty, the punishment is death for all who live."
10. THE THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE
An accurate description of this song would be, Iron Maiden's least interesting moment fused with the worst 80s pop song. Another description would be god-awful. There is unfortunately nothing at all to redeem this song, which sounds very half-hearted and so unlike the high quality Maiden fans are used to; it is depressingly slow, has uninteresting lyrics, and leaves the listener thinking "that was a crap album. Oh wait, that Nomad and them early ones, whatever they were called I can't remember, they were good. A bit long but still."
"At what point do we begin, fighter spirit a will to win. But what makes a man decide, take the wrong or righteous road."
VERDICT
The band has returned to its former glory, but this album may have been released too soon. The nine songs are very interesting, especially for fans of modern progressive metal, but lack the commercial appeal of their earlier work. Bruce's vocals haven?t lost anything, but the use of three guitarists seems unnecessary at this point; their full potential is shown in their 2003 release. Despite almost obsessive production by bassist/songwriter Steve Harris, who also composed the orchestrations and played the keyboards, the majority of songs seem unnecessarily long and this counts against the album a little. On the positive side, when compared to the band's other releases this is refreshing and different at least, but unfortunately isn't up to the band's own high standards.
'Brave New World' will be remembered as the album that saw the return of Bruce, and Maiden got great again. For fans of the band I would recommend their latest release 'Dance of Death,' which advances the style of this album while also being less over-the-top and with much better songs, or some of their early albums; anything from 1982 to 88. Up the Irons!
Advantages: Some classic songs, Mix of Maiden's styles, Not just re-treading old ground
Disadvantages: Let down by overlong songs and some unwise decisions, Some people will dislike the 'prog' elements
Iron Maiden
Rock in Rio
Return of the Beast
****
Written on 10.06.05
The nineties were a turbulent time for English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Guitarist and sometime-songwriter Adrian Smith had left the band in 1989, and the two disappointing albums that followed led to the departure of legendary vocalist and also-sometime-songwriter Bruce Dickinson in ’'92. Try as he might, the gruff vocals of replacement Blaze Bayley kept the band out of the limelight and even saw them dropped from their record label, but a change of heart all round prior to the turn of the millennium resulted in Iron Maiden becoming once again a force to be reckoned with in heavy music.
Bruce and Arian were back, the 'Brave New World' album was their finest in over ten years and they were slated to headline the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil as the last date of the Brave New World tour, playing to a quarter of a million fans.A classic performance and an inevitable album with shiny hologram cover.
ROCK IN RIO
(Disc 1)
1. Intro
2. The Wicker Man
3. Ghost of the Navigator
4. Brave New World
5. Wrathchild
6. 2 Minutes to Midnight
7. Blood Brothers
8. Sign of the Cross
9. The Mercenary
10. The Trooper
As with any Iron Maiden performance since the early days, the show begins with whatever bombastic classical performance they have commandeered to introduce their new single. In this case, I have read that it's the theme to 'First Knight' - I can't verify this, but it's bloody epic. Owning the Rock in Rio DVD also, it's hard to disassociate this introduction from the spectacular flashing and neons of the show, but the effect when Adrian, Dave and Janick burst into the guitar intro to 'THE WICKER MAN' is much the same. This song is loud, fast and fun.
Proud of their latest release and not afraid to show it, the band proceed to play the first six tracks from the album in order, throughout the show. While some wait for as long as disc two, no time is wasted in playing 'GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR' and 'BRAVE NEW WORLD' back-to-back before returning to earlier classics. It speaks volumes of the band's respect for themselves and their fans that they would save the safe, overplayed songs until the end, and louder volumes that the crowd love these first offerings with so much passion. These two are similar in style, a blend of the band's progressive-metal experimentation and traditional heavy epic style, and both feature excellent choruses, solos and softer sections, clocking in as fairly lengthy tracks.
"SOMETHING OLD?..."
Some minimal Bruce banter introduces the second leg of the first disc (probably inappropriate as I have divided the double album into five legs, which I believe is impossible unless a child has been torturing a fly), and this inevitably leads to older material. What may be surprising is that the next track, 'WRATHCHILD,' is really old. 1981-old, when the band were something that only heavy metal snobs liked, with the original unreliable vocalist Paul Di'Anno. 'Wrathchild' is a great song, probably the only classic from the band's second album and one that makes it into every live setlist; it has a great groove, it's short and punchy, and Bruce is excellent on the lower-pitched vocals.
Sixth is '2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT,' a song from 1984 that would be in danger of becoming a forgotten masterpiece if Adrian and Bruce didn't insist the band play it all the time. Meaningful anti-war sentiments, one of the band's best choruses and some brilliant solo-work, it's great that this classic from the band's golden age got on here. The Live After Death version is still superior though, perhaps because I'm such a curmudgeon. 'BLOOD BROTHERS' sees the band returning to their new material, the fourth offering from the Brave New World album, and although it's got great folky touches and is a great example of the three guitarists, it's still a bit of a rip-off of earlier song 'The Clansman' (which appears on disc 2 anyway).
"INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH"
Long songs are always difficult to pull off, but 'SIGN OF THE CROSS' is an undisputed classic that proved Iron Maiden's talent when Bruce left (the song opens their first album with Blaze), perhaps because it's almost an instrumental. Excellent guitar harmonies and melodies are well worth waiting for, and even excuse the overlong chanting intro. 'THE MERCENARY' is an average track from the new album, a little weak positioned second to last on the disc and easy to overlook, and Bruce's rendition of Tennyson leads to the closing track of the first disc, the excellent classic 'THE TROOPER.' Fast, galloping, waily, it's everything that's good about pre-synthesiser Maiden and sounds great here.
"...SOMETHING NEW?..."
(Disc 2)
1. Dream of Mirrors
2. The Clansman
3. The Evil That Men Do
4. Fear of the Dark
5. Iron Maiden
6. The Number of the Beast
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name
8. Sanctuary
9. Run to the Hills
The second disc unconventionally opens with a ten-minute song, the last to come from the new album in the form of 'DREAM OF MIRRORS.' Long and tedious, this song was thankfully one of the last examples to date of Steve Harris' "overlong song syndrome," something that permeated most of their nineties material. The closing harmonies are incredible, but not really worth the build-up when considering that two average length classics could have easily been inserted ('Aces High' and 'Infinite Dreams.' Just consider it. Consider it I said! You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you.) The length is especially annoying considering it's followed up by 'THE CLANSMAN,' another ten-minuter that has already appeared in a similar form on disc one. Some great acoustic bass work from Harris, but Bruce's vocals aren't really shown off in this Blaze-era epic.
The second disc gets a lot more interesting with one of my favourite Maiden tracks, 'THE EVIL THAT MEN DO.' The perfect formula of verse to chorus, including the great reprise, this nevertheless suffers a little from the song's age and the lack of synthesisers. Cheesy though it is, this song really doesn't sound right without it, and the out-of-tune guitars are also a little distracting. 'FEAR OF THE DARK' is many people's favourite Iron Maiden hit, but I've always found it a little dull. Nevertheless, fear is a dish that is best served live - it's just a shame that it was done so much more memorably in the 1992 Donington show, also available on CD.
"SOMETHING FROM OUR JURASSIC PERIOD"
The lone guitar intro of 'IRON MAIDEN' signals the final stage of the show, otherwise known as "really old stuff that you've been waiting for all along really." The band's title track is fun, catchy and a great example of their original sound, coming as it does from their first album, but it's not as technically sophisticated as anything that came after and it stands out somewhat. 'THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST' is THAT song, the one you always hear the annoying budding guitarist play through the walls, and although it's fun, I've simply heard it too much to ever need to hear it again. The same thankfully cannot be said about 'HALLOWED BE THY NAME' - overplayed, yes, but a classic metal ballad with powerful lyrics and memorable riffs and melodies. This is easily one of the band's finest moments.
'SANCTUARY' disappointingly isn't anywhere near as good, my least favourite track in this show, but fans of the very early albums may like it. The sound is a little too Judas Priesty for me, although not as good. 'RUN TO THE HILLS' is the perfect ending, an overplayed track that still sounds good because of the galloping bass rhythm and fun, if completely irrelevant, lyrics. On the live DVD, Bruce picks up a mock skull that has been thrown on stage and hastily ad-libs Hamlet's "alas poor Yorick" sentiment between lines of the chorus without faltering in the slightest, but this is omitted from the CD release for obvious reasons. It would have been nice though.
LIVE AFTER LIVE AFTER DEATH
I hate to do this to you, but 1985's 'Live After Death' still remains the greatest example of Iron Maiden's live prowess, and evermore shall be so. This caught the band at their creative and technical peak, with classic songs from their first five albums. Later official releases from 1991 and 1992 see the band in a state of decline; Bruce's vocals suffer, Adrian Smith's replacement Janick Gers is just plain annoying, and the new songs that dominate aren't all that good. But as I said, the Brave New World album was fantastic.
Rock in Rio almost offers Iron Maiden fans a worthy follow-up to Live After Death. Despite the repetition of some tracks, it is for the most part a representation of the years that have passed and the work the band have done. The tracks from Brave New World are a little overpowering in number, but are worthy enough to do so, while the brief snippets from Fear of the Dark, The X Factor and Virtual XI show the best sides of those otherwise average albums. I still have one gripe though: the band's incredible 1986 and 1988 albums Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son are not fairly enough represented to deem this a worthy successor in its own right.
SCREAM FOR ME BRAZIL
For a live album, Rock in Rio has excellent sound quality. The DVD version suffers occasional lapses in sound, thanks to the temporary nature of the stage set-up, but glitches in volume have been fixed completely for the surround sound CD. Both discs are mostly full of classics old and new, but there are points when even the most ardent fan may find their patience tested. Short songs tend to be grouped together, as do long songs, but the guitars, bass, drums and vocals are all on top form and sound very live thanks to the (limited) experimentation and errors.
The crowd can be heard fairly loud behind the music but never gets in the way, except perhaps in some of Bruce's quieter vocals (get a studio album and stop complaining), and I would recommend this to any fans of heavy metal new or old. The booklet is full of photos of the band looking middle-aged, but thankfully the slipcase has a nice hologram design, as do the discs. 2003's follow-up album 'Dance of Death' is even more spectacular than Brave New World, and doubtless excerpts from that masterpiece will find their way into Iron Maiden's ever-expanding repertoire.
Up the Irons!
Iron Maiden
Rock in Rio (DVD)
****
Written on 16.06.04
I love my Maiden, me. I also love my live albums, although already owning Iron Maiden's definitive 'Live After Death' from 1985 I saw no need to buy any of their other official live releases. That is, until I saw this DVD of one of their modern shows selling for only a few English pounds on eBay.
Following the reunion of Iron Maiden's classic line-up in 2000, the band's status in the music world immediately returned to its former glory. The album 'Brave New World' made it sound as if vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith had never left the band, and their world tours were again booked into the largest arenas. In 2001, Maiden headlined the staggeringly-huge Brazilian metal festival that is 'Rock in Rio,' playing to a crowd of quarter of a million South American fans, and probably a couple of overly-loyal groupies from other parts of the world. The show was recorded on TV cameras and played to a global television audience of millions, while the official CD and DVD releases soon followed.
MUSIC
Iron Maiden's first official live release in ten years includes hits across their discography, but is clearly biased towards promoting their Brave New World album, as over half of that CD is played in order, with a couple of songs in between. Musically the band play perfectly live and always have done, although without the polishing effects of the studio, every tracks sounds a little more raw and powerful on this show. There is a good mix of longer, epic tracks and short metal anthems, although there is obviously a difference with this release compared to Maiden's other live shows: this one can be seen.
SIGHT & SOUND
It's safe to say that this live release has not been "fixed" in the studio afterwards as it sounds very, very live: several small mistakes and deliberate changes make this a great DVD to own even if you already own the studio albums. The picture quality is very good, with camera angles changing all the time and focusing on what is deemed most important. The thing to remember when watching this, however, is that the Rock in Rio festival was a very brief event that was assembled quite hastily, and as such there are occasional brief drops in the sound volume which sort themselves out very quickly. (These aren't even very noticeable when watching in Dolby 5.1). Aside from an appearance by a slightly badly-made 'Eddie' (the Iron Maiden mascot beast) and visual cues and backdrops during a couple of songs, the bulk of the DVD experience is watching Brazilian fans punching the air and falling over each other in excitement as middle-aged British men sweat and play their instruments. What more could you ask for?
DISC ONE
1. INTRO
2. THE WICKER MAN
3. GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR
4. BRAVE NEW WORLD
The show begins with some ominous and moody orchestral sounds accompanied by huge cheering from the gathered masses before Iron Maiden leg it onto the stage and blast into the first three tracks from their most recent album (at the time), Brave New World. 'The Wicker Man' is one of their great metal openers that gets the crowd going before the longer and more progressive sound of 'Ghost of the Navigator' and 'Brave New World,' the latter of which features a chorus that is very easy for the crowd to get into.
5. WRATHCHILD
6. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
"Something old?" asks Bruce in a pseudo-evil voice before introducing the band's 1981 hit 'Wrathchild' as something from their "Jurassic period." Although I'm not a big fan of the band's first couple of albums due to the less impressive vocalist and the pretty shoddy production, anything from the self-titled Iron Maiden or Killers performed live sounds great, 'Wrathchild' being no exception with its great groove. '2 Minutes to Midnight' is one of my favourite Maiden songs taken from 1984's Powerslave album and contains some of their most interesting lyrics written by Bruce and Adrian Smith; possibly not as immediately popular as some of their others, but it has a fantastic chorus and bridge section.
7. BLOOD BROTHERS
8. SIGN OF THE CROSS
Now that some of the Jurassic and Cretaceous stuff's out of the way, the band return to more recent climes with the fourth track from Brave New World, 'Blood Brothers.' This sounds quite epic live, with its multi-guitar layering and synthesised orchestral accompaniment, although I do find it a little dull. The same can be said for 'Sign of the Cross,' originally on he band's darkest album The X Factor from 1995, as although I really like it, it could have easily been replaced with something shorter and more fun. Bruce is excellent on this though, despite not being on the original recording.
9. THE MERCENARY
10. THE TROOPER
'The Mercenary' is a song that only exists here due to the promotion of Brave New World as it isn't anything special; another quiet short and punchy track but definitely not of Maiden's best, especially when the similar-sounding but more impressive 'Wicker Man' has already been included. 'The Trooper,' on the other hand, is an old track that Maiden have to play live as it's one of the most classic heavy metal anthems ever produced. I dare you not to love the speedy guitar harmony in the verses. Definitely one of the finest songs on here.
11. DREAM OF MIRRORS
12. THE CLANSMAN
Another couple of epics from their more recent catalogue with varying degrees of success, although the crowd still lap it up. 'Dream of Mirrors' is one of my least favourite Maiden tracks from the Brave New World album as it only gets going within the last couple of minutes, however contrary to some public opinion I absolutely love 'The Clansman.' The only track on here from the band's otherwise poor Virtual XI album, the harmonic guitars and orchestration make this a more fun and catchy version of 'Blood Brothers,' while the rousing, Braveheart-inspired chorus of "Freedom!" is enough to get even the most ardent metal hater screaming at his TV. I don't know why he left it on this long if he hates metal though.
13. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
14. FEAR OF THE DARK
'The Evil That Men Do' is one of the band's most popular songs, with good reason- it's fun, musically excellent and the perfect length, although it's a shame that this is the only track on here from the Seventh Son album. Bruce introduces it with a passage from whatever piece of literature the title is taken from, and the three guitarists are at their best here: oh yes, this is also the song in which the band's mascot Eddie runs onto the stage and has a pathetically executed fight with Janick Gers. 'Fear of the Dark' is the song that got me into Iron Maiden originally, but it's lost some of its appeal over time as it sounds very similar to a lot of their 1990s material. Fortunately, not much of that is included on here, so the great guitar work can still be enjoyed. The last example of more modern Iron Maiden before the band truly head into their Jurassic and Triassic periods and some of their most well-known songs:
15. IRON MAIDEN
16. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
17. HALLOWED BE THY NAME
'Iron Maiden' is the self-titled track from the self-titled album that quite rapidly showed its age in the Maiden catalogue, but which is still very fun when played live. The guitars are less intricate and professional than on their later tracks but still sound great, while Bruce again proves his superiority to Paul Di'Anno. In one of the show's rare theatrical endeavours, Bruce sings from inside a dungeon-style room with dancing young ladies surrounding him. It's quite amusing. 'The Number of the Beast' is one of the tracks that made the band famous in 1982 and the crowd really love this despite it not being one of my favourites, while the early epic 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' deserves to be included on every live show ever as it is ace.
18. SANCTUARY
19. RUN TO THE HILLS
'Sanctuary' is my last favourite track here as it does sound very seventies, despite coming from a 1980 album, and it's extended a little too much as well, although the final track is both expected and quite a treat; 'Run to the Hills' is arguably the most well-known British heavy metal anthem ever produced, and this brings the show to an excellent conclusion. Bruce even ad-libs a great "alas poor Yorick, I knew him well" between lines of the chorus when a plastic skull is thrown on stage. What a guy.
DISC TWO
The second DVD is a lot shorter and is mainly present to bulk out the set, but it's quite interesting to see the band members discussing their careers and taking part in sports of varying entertainment value. As usual, drummer Nikko McBrain is the most amusing as he plays golf with guitarist Dave Murray and comments on the songs that are hardest to play as well as some times he'd screwed up in the past and other guitarist Adrian Smith talks about how he got into music and why America is a good place for fishing. The other interviews with bassist Steve Harris at a football match, third guitarist Janick Gers wandering some streets and vocalist Bruce Dickinson fencing and then spending longer than necessary in a flight simulator are probably not something I'd watch again though.
VERDICT
This is a great Iron Maiden show, although the bias towards new material does exclude a lot of the band's most classic songs so this may not be as excellent an introduction to the band as it would at first appear. Iron Maiden have released a couple of live videos before, although these were always of less interest than the CD and vinyl versions as the sound quality was poorer, while tracks could also not be skipped and selected as desired, however these concerns are no more with the DVD format.
The visuals can get a little dull, but I'd recommend this over the CD version for a couple of reasons: firstly, it's a chance to see how the band play their instruments and act on stage, but more importantly it would be silly to buy this on CD when you would be much better off buying 'Live After Death' that includes a lot of the band's best tracks, omitted here.
Bruce never misses a note with his quasi-operatic vocals, while the rest of the band are clearly loving the experience throughout; the distinction between all three guitarist can be easily discerned and this gives the DVD and the CD more energy than some of the studio releases. Iron Maiden are a band that are at their most enjoyable live, something I will experience firsthand someday. All I would say is, this is not worth the £18.99 charged by Amazon; I was much more satisfied with the £5.56 I paid on eBay.
Iron Maiden
Eddie's Archive
***
Written on 10.03.07
The reunion of Iron Maiden’s classic line-up in 1999 revitalised its energy and has consistently improved its output, each new release being better than the last and the most recent album ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ matching the greatness of their classic period. EMI have taken full advantage of this resurgence of interest in the ageing East End boys, peddling endless live albums and best-of compilations each year and occasionally offering something genuinely original for the hardcore fans. The monstrous ‘Eddie’s Archive,’ released in 2002, is a compact and mostly-well-thought-out gateway to rare and classic ’Maiden material that was released alongside the appalling and unnecessary greatest hits collection ‘Edward the Great’ for the n00bies.
The Archive is itself a nice collectable piece, a metal box moulded with the face of the band’s ever-present zombie mascot Eddie, and includes three previously unreleased double-disc albums. Also included are a nice shot glass and a family tree of the band’s discography and changing line-up, which is especially helpful when viewed alongside the time-spanning ‘Best of the B’sides’ included here. Two of the albums are live, ‘The BBC Archives’ featuring material from 1979, ’80, ’82 and ’88, and the excellent ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’ capturing a single show in ’82. The final album collects together almost every B-side the band has ever recorded, saving penniless fans the trouble of collecting expensive 7” singles and allowing those who already have them all to save the wear and tear on the records, as well as insist that you really need to have the original artwork and everything or it isn’t as good, but secretly wishing they’d saved their money and waited for this.
In the interest of completeness, a goal to which this Archive occasionally forgets to adhere, I will list the tracks for all three albums before reviewing each one in brief, and taking the collection as a whole as the conclusion. This means there’s going to be lots of song titles.
PART 1: THE BBC ARCHIVES
Disc 1
1. Iron Maiden
2. Running Free
3. Transylvania
4. Sanctuary
5. Wrathchild
6. Run to the Hills
7. Children of the Damned
8. The Number of the Beast
9. 22 Acacia Avenue
10. Transylvania
11. The Prisoner
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name
13. Phantom of the Opera
14. Iron Maiden
Disc 2
1. Prowler
2. Remember Tomorrow
3. Killers
4. Running Free
5. Transylvania
6. Iron Maiden
7. Moonchild
8. Wrathchild
9. Infinite Dreams
10. The Trooper
11. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
12. The Number of the Beast
13. Hallowed Be Thy Name
14. Iron Maiden
The first thing that’s obvious when browsing the tracklist of these CDs is the repetition of songs, especially the titular ‘Iron Maiden’ which crops up a ridiculous four times; two times per disc. That’s because this is a collection of four archived shows from the 1980s, and that namesake piece either opens or closes all of them. The first four tracks stem from a Friday Rock Show session in 1979, allowing fans to experience the long- (and easily-) forgotten line-up featuring Tony Parsons on guitar. The rest of the collection comes from live festivals, arranged out of chronological order in order to fit them onto the CDs. The 1980 line-up, with Paul Di’Anno on vocals and Dennis Stratton on lead guitar, performs at Reading for the first six tracks of disc 2, while the mic is handed over to Bruce Dickinson (and the second guitar to Adrian Smith) for the 1982 Reading festival which occupies the last ten tracks of the first disc. The remainder of disc 2 jumps ahead to the 1988 Monsters of Rock festival at Donington with a similar line-up, although drummer Clive Burr had long been replaced by Nicko McBrain.
It’s great to have these shows from different eras placed alongside each other, but as you’ve probably just seen, the uneven time travelling is a little off-putting. It’s also a shame to consider just how much was left out, not only from the shows featured – the 1988 show was a little longer, as seen in the ‘Maiden England’ video release – but from the rest of Iron Maiden’s career. The Di’Anno material is suitably rare, but the 1982 concert could easily have been replaced with something from a later time, especially considering that the ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’ CDs in this same archive come from roughly the same time and feature all the same songs in almost exactly the same order. At least the 1988 material provides something of a relief from this nostalgia for the early days, finally granting an official live release for the songs from ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’: ‘Moonchild,’ ‘Infinite Dreams,’ and the title track. The rest of this collection has been performed and re-released so many times as to be unnecessary, however rare these specific performances of those songs may be.
PART 2: BEAST OVER HAMMERSMITH
Disc 1
1. Murders in the Rue Morgue
2. Wrathchild
3. Run to the Hills
4. Children of the Damned
5. The Number of the Beast
6. Another Life
7. Killers
8. 22 Acacia Avenue
9. Total Eclipse
Disc 2
1. Transylvania
2. The Prisoner
3. Hallowed Be Thy Name
4. Phantom of the Opera
5. Iron Maiden
6. Sanctuary
7. Drifter
8. Running Free
9. Prowler
The most solid third of this collection, this really should have been Iron Maiden’s first live album way back in 1982, but was never released. Showcasing the band at the very start of their ‘classic’ period, recorded several days before the landmark ‘Number of the Beast’ album was released, this excellent concert features almost the entire album amidst the best songs from the first two albums, all given a new perspective with Dickinson’s operatic vocals. He hasn’t quite established the familiar air siren wail just yet, but that’s what makes this early material all the more interesting, especially when compared to 1985’s definitive ‘Live After Death.’ This remains the final recording to feature drummer Clive Burr. The concert was also recorded on film under the same title, and can now be found on ‘The History of Iron Maiden part 1: The Early Days’ DVD, which is also great.
The band’s early sound is captured perfectly here, as are the hints of the epic heavy metal monster Iron Maiden would become, with the lengthy classic ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ setting the template for pretty much every album-closing track forever afterward. Everything is played precisely, but with enough cute errors to authenticate the performance; it’s just a shame that the set-list here is almost exactly the same as that on the BBC Archives. Highlights include the cool opener ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue,’ the ever-reliable ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and the entire performance of the ‘Number of the Beast’ material, wisely omitting the two weakest songs and even performing the B-side ‘Total Eclipse,’ which was later added to re-releases of the album anyway, and as such finds no place in:
PART 3: BEST OF THE B’SIDES
Disc 1
1. Burning Ambition
2. Drifter (live)
3. Invasion
4. Remember Tomorrow (live)
5. I’ve Got the Fire
6. Cross-Eyed Mary
7. Rainbow’s Gold
8. King of Twilight
9. Reach Out
10. That Girl
11. Juanita
12. The Sheriff of Huddersfield
13. Black Bart Blues
14. Prowler ’88
15. Charlotte the Harlot ’88
Disc 2
1. All In Your Mind – 4:31
2. Kill Me Ce Soir – 6:17
3. I’m a Mover – 3:29
4. Communication Breakdown – 2:42
5. Nodding Donkey Blues – 3:17
6. Space Station No. 5 – 3:47
7. I Can’t See My Feelings – 3:50
8. Roll Over Vic Vella – 4:48
9. Justice of the Peace – 3:33
10. Judgement Day – 4:04
11. My Generation – 3:37
12. Doctor Doctor – 4:50
13. Blood on the World’s Hands (live) – 6:07
14. The Aftermath (live) – 6:45
15. Futureal (live) – 3:01
16. Wasted Years ’99 (live) – 5:07
The part of the collection that’s naturally the most valuable even for fans who own all the albums, but not the 7” singles, this collection of 31 non-album songs is arranged in precise chronological order across the usual two discs. The most noticeable problem comes in the omission of certain songs found on the old singles, such as the cover of Thin Lizzy’s ‘Massacre’ that would otherwise come towards the end of disc one. As the running time for each CD comes in with around 20 minutes to spare each, it’s likely that this was due to contractual problems, which is a shame, though nothing to get really annoyed about considering the wealth of material here. (In fact, even further B-sides have spawned from the two studio albums produced since this collection, already necessitating some kind of future re-release by those greedy geezers at EMI).
The new artwork features an old-school Eddie, though unfortunately not painted by the truly old-school Derek Riggs, mischievously displaying his wrinkly walnut b’side through the window of a tour bus for our appreciation. This is the bloke that knifed Margaret Thatcher to death on the cover of the 1980 single, so it’s nice to see that the years have seasoned his transgressions somewhat. Disc one encompasses the B-sides from the band’s first ten years, from the ‘Running Free’ single to ‘Infinite Dreams,’ while disc two covers the turbulent 1990s. The best thing about these B-sides are that they’re almost completely frivolous and pointless, whether they’re a silly comedy song, regurgitated live version or, as is most often the case, a cover song of a band Iron Maiden likes. This means that there’s no noticeable drop in quality between the two decades, unlike the substantial drop reflected in the band’s more bona fide material. The only immediate clue that the listener is being taken on a historical journey is the changing of vocals from Di’Anno to Dickinson and then Blaze Bayley, with Dickinson returning for the finale, though more attentive or familiar listeners will notice the sound quality alternately improve and degenerate as the band moves between ‘eras.’
It’s great to have all of these songs presented here in this chronological manner, and although it may anger real completists, it was a wise decision to exclude repetitions, such as the endless live versions of ‘Number of the Beast’ and ‘Drifter.’ The covers are mostly adequately performed, the source material ranging from dangerously popular to hopelessly obscure, and it’s nice to hear the band’s apparent influences even when the legacy is hard to see. The re-recorded versions of older studio material, the titles marked with a year, are all pretty unnecessary, as Dickinson doesn’t offer much to the Di’Anno songs. It’s always nice to see the infamous live version of ‘Remember Tomorrow’ surfacing in these collections, as this track was originally included on the ‘Maiden Japan’ E.P. when Di’Anno was still singing. The ‘Number of the Beast’ single subsequently featured exactly the same performance, but with Dickinson overdubbed in a feeble attempt to warm him to new fans. The good part comes at the end, when Dickinson’s ‘thank you’ is followed by one from Di’Anno that someone forgot to erase. The live tracks on the second disc are valuable as the only official live songs recorded with Blaze.
The most interesting tracks are those that were never released on albums, such as ‘Justice of the Peace’ and ‘Judgement Day’ from 1994 that would have made their way onto ‘The X Factor’ album if a CD could only hold more than 80 minutes of music. The self-satisfied comedy songs ‘The Sheriff of Huddersfield’ and ‘Black Bart Blues’ don’t invite repeated listens but can be quite entertaining, though Dickinsons’ Yorkshireman impression of record label boss Rod Smallwood really smacks of a cheap Monty Python imitation. The funniest B-side of all isn’t included here, either for reasons of time or taste: the classic ‘Mission From ’Arry’ from the ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’ 7”, a seven minute argument between Nicko McBrain and Steve Harris over an on-stage miscommunication secretly recorded by Dickinson, which ends with Harris discovering the tape recorder and exclaiming, in muffled audio proximity, ‘some c***’s recording this.’
The most disappointing aspect of Eddie’s Archive is its lack of diversity, epitomised in its inclusion of both the 1982 Reading show and the 1982 Hammersmith show that are almost exactly the same. The B-sides collection is really this archive’s saving grace, as the inclusion of live tracks with Blaze Bayley makes up for his lack of appearance on the archives, although there still seem to be enormous chunks of the band’s history completely left out. The recent release of ‘The Early Days’ on DVD has hopefully got this Di’Anno nostalgia out of everybody’s system, and I eagerly anticipate further instalments of ‘The History of Iron Maiden’ series. In 2002, Eddie’s Archive was collectable and problematic, but fairly complete. Five years later it’s out of date and fairly pointless, the original ‘limited edition’ print being predictably extended due to demand, as per usual.
If the BBC Archives are truly the only Maiden material stored in Radio 1’s vaults, this collection is forgivable, but still the weakest link in this box set (aside from the tangible extras, which at least could have been tackier). ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’ is a great live album that could stand alone, and the ‘Best of the B’Sides,’ although entirely fan-oriented, would also succeed as an independent product. There are lots of fans worldwide, that’s why they could ever make this ugly metal casket in the first place. EMI are sure to re-release this archive some time in a minutely revamped form, probably with a free badge or Eddie chew. “Up the Irons!”, or whatever.
Iron Maiden
****
Written on 25.06.04
What a rubbish title.
Although many people were saddened when Armageddon failed to strike at the dawn of the Millennium, despite the fact that it was technically scheduled to occur over a thousand years earlier and that Christ must have been born in at least 4 BC to make his story more historically plausible, but I digress, Iron Maiden fans worldwide were celebrating the release of the heavy metal band's best album in over ten years, as well as the return of the band's classic line-up. Plus an extra guitarist who just didn't really want to leave.
'Visions of the Beast' was one of several products released to celebrate (and probably cash in on) these developments, featuring the comprehensive list of nearly every Iron Maiden music video released between 1981 and 2001. The only videos that were excluded were those released to promote live albums, when the tracks had already featured in "studio' form: for example, 'Run to the Hills' has been released as a single three times, but only the original video is included here.
This is an excellent collection that manages to show Iron Maiden's progress and development (and occasional lack of) in their twenty year career, and it's also interesting to see how the band's changing attitudes results in different styles of song and music video.
THE VISIONS
1. WOMEN IN UNIFORM (live at the Rainbow, 1981)
2. WRATHCHILD (live at the Rainbow, 1981)
Two tracks with the band's original singer Paul Di'Anno and drummer Clive Burr, showing the early days of the band. Not as impressive as what is to come, but this makes for a nice, relevant start to the DVD despite the poorer picture and sound quality. 'Wrathchild' has remained a live favourite to this day.
3. RUN TO THE HILLS
4. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
Probably the two most well-known and widely seen songs and videos, this pair of metal anthems were released in 1982 from the phenomenally successful 'Number of the Beast' album, the debut of frontman Bruce Dickinson. 'Run to the Hills' incorporates very low budget, very pink live footage with sped up black and white film clips of American Indians and cowboys getting up to all sorts of mischief from some silent film, the most notable scene being the dialogue card reading "Injuns!" The unwarranted controversy regarding 'The Number of the Beast' is reflected in the video, which features clips from more silent films, this time in the horror genre. The dodgy coloured lights are still present in the performance sections of the video, but the skin isn't quite as pink this time round.
5. FLIGHT OF ICARUS
6. THE TROOPER
One of the funniest Maiden videos accompanies the over the top but excellent song 'Flight of Icarus,' with new drummer Nicko McBrain dressed as the Grim Reaper standing by the sea and things. There are plenty of strange close-ups on eyes and a cool silly section with Dave Murray's flying guitar solo. 'The Trooper,' one of Maiden's best songs according to me, follows the same format as their earlier offerings in terms of using films clips relevant to the theme, in this case the Crimean War.
7. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
8. ACES HIGH
A ticking clock is revealed in some sand before the first single from the Powerslave album begins. '2 Minutes to Midnight' is thought-provoking and musically intricate, although the video is essentially the band playing on their Egyptian-themed stage. The band's World War II flying aces dedication 'Aces High' begins with Churchill's famous speech before a familiar technique is used: the band are shown performing in the studio with colourful lights, while clips from black and white films relevant to the song are played. Not that original, but the song is a killer.
9. WASTED YEARS
10. STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
'Wasted Years' seems to be quite a rushed video, but then again none of them have the artistic effort of something like Nine Inch Nails. The only new footage is of the band playing in a dark room, filmed in moody black and white to suit the melodic and very catchy track, while clips of previous videos and "home video" footage of the band on tour and playing football illustrates the point that they haven't wasted their time with Iron Maiden. 'Stranger in a Strange Land' is another excellent track in the same vein, but the music video is simply the song being played live. This is one of my favourite Iron Maiden tracks.
11. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS
12. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
13. THE CLAIRVOYANT
14. INFINITE DREAMS
'Can I Play With Madness' is a bit of a dodgy, commercial sounding song with too much emphasis on keyboards, but the video is a classic. One of the last performances by Monty Python's Graham Chapman before his death sees him as a curmudgeonly school teacher disciplining a pupil before stumbling across a bizarre alcove underground, linking to the 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' album that this batch of videos hail from. The other videos are less impressive, being only live performances overlaid with the sound of the studio track, but all three are amazing songs that are among the band's very best. This is perhaps the most enjoyable and melodic part of the DVD, before the band experienced something of a major decline.
15. HOLY SMOKE
16. BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE SLAUGHTER
'Holy Smoke' is a fairly average track with a very funny and very low budget music video made in a shed and a field, featuring such stupid sights as Dave Murray playing a solo while standing in a brook. Although the song is a tongue-in-cheek criticism of televangelists, I couldn't help laughing hard at the poor quality of this video when I first saw it - definitely a highlight of the DVD, and a great way to end the first disc.
The over-the-top 'Bring Your Daughter' opens the second disc, and was Iron Maiden's only UK number one hit single to date, despite the fact that it's pretty average and quite silly. A mixture of enhanced concert footage and clips from some old film featuring the less than gratuitous sacrifice of a lady in a dungeon. You don't see any breasts or blood though, not that I get a perverse kick out of seeing those two things combined.
17. BE QUICK OR BE DEAD
18. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
19. WASTING LOVE
These three videos continue the back-to-basics side of the band from their 1992 'Fear of the Dark' album, and for once some degree of effort has gone into producing good quality music videos. As cheesy as the final product may be. 'Be Quick...' is a very fast-paced song complimented by fast moving images of phones, tabloids, men and other things to do with the media world while the band play in what appears to be a dock of some kind, or the top of a building. 'From Here to Eternity' is one of the most memorable videos as it goes a little too far into cheese rock territory with its motorbike chick and hellish imagery, but it's all good fun. Finally, 'Wasting Love' is a slow, balladic track (that I personally consider to be one of their all time worst songs) with a slow, dark music video featuring obscured sex and a man tattooing upon himself the names of loose women he's slept with; by the end it is quite an impressive list, although that's probably not the point they're trying to make.
20. FEAR OF THE DARK (live at Donington 1992)
21. HALLOWED BE THY NAME (live at Donington 1992)
These two videos were released after Bruce Dickinson left the band with the famous final show at 1992's Donington Monsters of Rock festival, and both are incredible epic Maiden songs that were very well chosen from the concert; Fear of the Dark sounds much better than the studio version, while 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' was a ten-year-old track (at that point) that was long overdue for a single release.
22. MAN ON THE EDGE
23. AFRAID TO SHOOT STRANGERS (live, 1995)
24. LORD OF THE FLIES (live, 1995)
With Bruce gone, the band eventually recruited new singer Blaze Bayley and released the very dark but interesting 'The X Factor' album, which dealt with more sombre issues than the band had previously tackled, reflected in the music videos. 'Man on the Edge' is anthemic and fast, the music video showing businessmen leaping to their deaths from buildings in a display that is both depressing and hilarious. 'Afraid to Shoot Strangers' incorporates news-based footage of contemporary wars in the Gulf and Iraq with the band playing on stage, while 'Lord of the Flies' follows the same formula, but sees the band visiting some abandoned ruins. I don't really get that one.
25. VIRUS
26. THE ANGEL AND THE GAMBLER
27. FUTUREAL
'Virus' was a new track recorded especially for 1996's 'Best of the Beast' collection, but this is a largely unimpressive and dull video consisting of zoom-ins on the band in a dark purple room for six minutes. Fortunately things get less bleak with the move onto the 'Virtual XI' album, and although 'The Angel and the Gambler' is officially the poorest track Maiden have ever dared come up with (as I am the authority on such matters), the video is a scream due to the heavy incorporation of very, very bad looking CGI aliens. The band also play cards with a computerised version of their mascot Eddie and eventually beat him, which he isn't too happy about. As I say, crap song though. 'Futureal' is simply the band live but it's quite a good track, if not up to their earlier and later standards.
28. THE WICKER MAN
29. OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET
30. BRAVE NEW WORLD (live at Rock in Rio 2001)
The final batch of videos shows the current line-up, with the return of Bruce and Adrian to the band. 'The Wicker Man' is upbeat and classic, the video featuring a man driving out into a field and being attacked by Eddie while the band mess around with white sphere things outdoors. 'Out of the Silent Planet' is a live video (but the studio version of the song again), while 'Brave New World' is an extract of the song being played genuinely live in Rio de Janeiro from their other official DVD.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The second disc features re-workings for several music videos by 'Camp Chaos', retaining the band footage but replacing the live action and film clips with animations relevant to the song. These videos, for 'Run to the Hills,' 'The Number of the Beast,' 'Flight of Icarus' and 'The Wicker Man,' eventually found their way onto music channels where they seem to have replaced the originals in circulation. The animations are quite enjoyable and a nice extra, but you shouldn't play around with Maiden (or With Madness for that matter). The disc also includes a full discography for the band, including all singles released.
VERDICT
Watching this DVD is basically like watching an Iron Maiden-only music channel (wouldn't that be great? Don't pretend you disagree), and as such is the kind of thing I enjoy putting on occasionally when I feel like watching something on TV, but don't wish to deface my eyes and mind with something like Big Brother or anything with Noel Edmonds, to be more current. I'm impressed that, for once, a collection of Iron Maiden bothers to include all the vocalists, despite the fact that Bruce Dickinson clearly has the most gifted voice ever bestowed upon a human.
It's also fortunate that some of the lengthier tracks were released as live singles and could therefore be included here, as judging the band by their shorter, punchier efforts alone doesn't give the full impression of their music; combining 'Aces High,' 'The Evil That Men Do,' 'Fear of the Dark' and 'The Number of the Beast' does however. So for this reason, I'm confident that most Maiden fans will feel satisfied by this DVD, coming in at over three hours. The sound quality is perfect, or at least as good as is possible due to the age of some tracks, and although the picture quality on some videos isn't as sharp as that on music channels, this doesn't spoil the experience. I can still somehow smell ham during the 'Run to the Hills' video though.
Seeing the almost-complete collection of music videos here puts music channels to shame, since only around five of these videos are ever screened on a regular basis. I've sat through 'Can I Play With Madness' and 'Number of the Beast' countless times, but had never seen over half of these videos until I got hold of this DVD. Considering the channel 'Scuzz' held an Iron Maiden week several months ago and failed to include the vast majority of these videos, this would make an ideal gift for an Iron Maiden fan. If you know any hairy middle-aged men with faded spider tattoos on their faces that is.
It's worth buying for the daft 'Holy Smoke' video anyway.
Iron Maiden
Dance of Death
Maiden Are Back!
*****
Written on 24.03.04
The most successful band to come out of what it often dubbed the NWOBHM, New Wave of British Heavy Metal - a term seldom used today mainly due to the innacuracy of the "new" part - Iron Maiden have been bringing out hard rocking songs that appeal to quite a wide range of people since their debut in 1980. Last year saw the release of Dance of Death, their thirteenth studio album, which is undeniable proof that Maiden never died. They just went worse during the 90s.
The previous album released in 2000, Brave New World, won much acclaim for the reintroduction of frontman Bruce Dickinson and rhythm guitarist/sometime songwriter Adrian Smith and was certainly the band's best work for over a decade. The powerful choruses of their old work were back, while the progressive metal element of their past few albums still remained and worked in verying degrees of success. 2003's Dance of Death is not a return to Maiden's roots, but a clear and talented progression that results in what I consider to be one of the band's finest offerings.
THE TRACKS
The album begins with the first released single, "WILDEST DREAMS." A great chorus and powerful guitar riffs make this an instant classic and an uplifting start to the album. Continuing in a similar vein is the second single to be released, "RAINMAKER," a slightly slower song with great lyrics and even better vocals from Bruce. These two songs are clearly Iron Maiden at their energetic best, but also have a very modern sound that shows band mastermind and bass virtuoso Steve Harris knows how to move with the times, however the third track is less enjoyable.
Now released as a single as well, "NO MORE LIES" is another of the band's unnecessarily lengthy songs, and it also seems a little incoherent with the very heavy chorus and quiet, melodic opening. A bit of a throwback to the band's style during the 90s in my opinion.
After the drawn-out third track, "MONTSEGUR" is an amazing track. One of my very favourites, this song is in the vein of all those heavy and complex tracks on the band's older albums that were never as recognised as the singles. The best chorus on the album with Bruce's amazing vocals and perfect use of the guitar threesome, this tale of Catholic oppression in bygone days manages to leave the listener wanting more after the 5:50 are up.
"DANCE OF DEATH" is the title track which, with this band, usually means it's going to be great. A track you appreciate more with each listen, the first three minutes are a relatively unimpressive but atmospheric build-up to main riff of the songs, accompanied with violins, that is one of the stand out parts of this whole album. Very compelling lyrics concerning a man's wanderings in the Everglades leading him to a carnival of souls, all instruments are given their due time to shine in the latter half; true Seventh Son style! This is a great epic.
After the intense title track comes the filler, but it's still good in its own right. "GATES OF TOMORROW" has a good chorus but Bruce's voice gets a little irritating in the rest of the song, and there's nothing too impressive here. "NEW FRONTIER" still doesn't measure up to some of the tracks but is another great and relatively short song with a fantastic chorus, also marking the song-writing debut of drummer Nikko McBrain. And it's about a Frankingstein so it can't be bad! This is another contender for release as a single.
Just when you thought it was safe, another epic track looms, possibly the most complex on the entire album. "PASCHENDALE" is Adrian Smith and Steve Harris' take on poetry from the First World War, and a dying solider's tale. This track is great when it gets going, and there are some really interesting guitar solos, but I've had World War I overload with my English Literature course so I'm sure I'll listen to this more after the exams are over. I'll still try and slip some lyrics into my papers though! Very memorable choruses.
"FACE IN THE SAND" is the only track, aside from "Gates of Tomorrow," that I would class as 'filler' in that it doesn't really offer anything new, but there is very good use of orchestration in a similar style to "Blood Brothers" from the previous album. It's this similarity that prevents this track from standing out, however. The penultimate track, "AGE OF INNOCENCE," is another of the great short songs with a chorus that could be mistaken for a cover of a pop song; this isn't to say it isn't true metal however, just look at the Darkness, commercial and widely appealing but still sticking to their roots. "Age of Innocence" is a message on current issues such as burglar protection and politicians, a far cry from th band's days singing about a monster going to get 'em.
The album ends in a very untraditional way with Maiden's first solely acoustic song, "JOURNEYMAN." My least favourite track simply because I don't like acoustic songs that much, this still distinguishes itself and acts as a great and low-key ending to the album.
VERDICT
Many people will say that the band could never achieve the success or appeal of their classic 80s albums, but Dance of Death casts this into some doubt. I don't hold this album in the same light as "Powerslave" (1984) or "Somewhere in Time" (1986), and it's clearly not as influential or ground-breaking as "Number of the Beast" (1982) or "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" (1988), but I prefer it to both of these albums. Don't take this from a fan of this album, but from someone with a full knowledge of Maiden's discography.
So whether you could be bothered to read my descriptions or not, this is Iron Maiden's most diverse album and contains songs to appeal to all fans of previous albums. Bruce Dickinson is clearly the necessary frontman to make the band achieve its success, while the three guitarists are also used to great effect on this album. It's great to know that, at last, it's the same Iron Maiden line-up they had from 1983 through to 1988. Oh, plus Janick Gers.
Advantages: Shows the band can adapt to the times, Not just a re-working of old songs and tunes
Disadvantages: Not every song is an instant classic, The band aren't bringing out albums as fast as they used to, but still... Up the Irons!
Iron Maiden
Run For Your Lives
***
Written on 11.02.06
The lazy, pointless and emotionless Edward the Great represents the bottom rung on the hierarchy of album releases. At the top you have studio albums (all 13 of them in this case), great live albums (Live After Death), then the disappointing stuff like B-side collections (Eddie's Archive), rubbish live albums (A Real Live Dead One), best-of compilations (Best of the Beast) and finally, the greatest hits (this, apparently).
Perhaps I'm being unfair, as 1999's Ed Hunter, another pointless best-of coupled with a terrible cash-in computer game, surely represents the band's most embarrassing and poorly though out release so far, but unlike Edward the Great saw a fairly limited and select release, and didn't go for the same air of veneration that this highly selling collection did, released after the band shot to popularity again a year later. Last year's re-release of the single of The Number of the Beast, identical to its original release, was at least for a charitable cause.
I'm not a fan of greatest hits collections, but I see the appeal, especially as they can often be bought quite cheaply. And Iron Maiden's popular heavy metal style does suit the format, most of their albums containing short radio-friendly songs that were released as top selling singles, but as such the listener receives a very narrow scope of the band's abilities and style. Not to mention the repetitiveness of hearing fast-paced galloping anthems 'The Number of the Beast,' 'Flight of Icarus' and 'The Trooper' in succession.
1. Run to the Hills
2. The Number of the Beast
3. Flight of Icarus
4. The Trooper
5. 2 Minutes to Midnight
6. Wasted Years
7. Can I Play With Madness
8. The Evil That Men Do
9. The Clairvoyant
10. Infinite Dreams
11. Holy Smoke
12. Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter
13. Man on the Edge
14. Futureal
15. The Wicker Man
16. Fear of the Dark [Live at Rock in Rio]
Iron Maiden are one of the most famous and imitated heavy metal bands, releasing several number one albums in the 80s and even a number one hit single ('Bring Your Daughter,' oddly one of the weakest songs here). A best-of collection was inevitable... and was released in 1996 under the title Best of the Beast. Where that album was an enjoyable and honest representation of the band's first sixteen years, even including a really good and previously unreleased additional song, Edward the Great offers nothing at all to fans who already own the albums. This is fair; the target market of albums like this is people who have heard a couple of the band's poppy songs and liked them, or rock DJs who hate this 80s rubbish but need to satisfy the irritating Maiden fans with stupid long hair that looks like girls' hair.
The album at least makes no attempt to hide its nature as a quick money-making scheme, although the introduction from Steve Harris struggles to make it sound like it's an important release for newcomers to the band. The tracks are clinically arranged in order of release, from Bruce Dickinson's introduction in 1982 through their prog-influenced phase of '86-'88, their disappointing return to form in the early 90s, the Blaze Bayley years and finally the return of Bruce and guitarist Adrian Smith for the Brave New World album.
This means that the album sounds quite familiar and samey in parts before shifting around in quality, and although I assume this is a genuine selection of the highest selling singles, a little more variety could have been introduced by replacing some of the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son material (tracks 7 to 10, representing half of that seminal album!) with tracks like 'Running Free' and 'Wrathchild' from the first two albums, sung by Paul Di'anno. But then, of course, the album couldn't open with their most popular song. Perhaps the recent DVD release of Maiden's early days, and tours and festivals where they only played pre-1985 material to publicise this DVD, have increased awareness of the Di'anno era. But in 2002, all the publicists cared about was milking Bruce Dickinson's return.
The songs on here are all quite good, sometimes even great, but are spoiled by the presence of too many other "only quite good" songs of similar style across 80 minutes. There's no dip in sound quality, all of these tracks being the common remasters (this was another reason to buy Best of the Beast in 1996, back before the studio albums all underwent the same process), but essentially this is an album that works best when played in very limited doses, rather than an entire Iron Maiden greatest hits experience, which is just about as exciting as it sounds. My favourites are 'The Trooper,' perfecting the band's trademark gallopy rock anthem style (along with 'Aces High,' which oddly isn't included here), 'The Evil That Men Do' and 'Infinite Dreams,' both emotive pieces overly polished with shiny synthesisers, and '2 Minutes to Midnight,' the only song from my favourite studio album Powerslave. There's no point whingeing on about songs that should have been included but weren't, as this time the sales figures for each single are a valid excuse. But saying that...
You may wonder why I'm making such a fuss about an album that shamelessly admits that it exists only to take people's money. That's because of the final track, a live recording of 'Fear of the Dark' taken from 2002's Rock in Rio live album. A track that wasn't even released as a single! If you're going to be black-hearted and cold in compiling an album like this, at least be consistent. 'Fear of the Dark' is a great song, and has been released previously as a live version, far superior to the bland studio original, from the spectacular Monsters of Rock show at Donington in 1992.
'Hallowed Be Thy Name,' an even better song of the same fast/slow, epic style, was also released from that show. Either of those tracks could have been included here, earlier in the chronological order, mind, and people like me would shut up about it. But then, EMI weren't trying to shift leftover copies of that live album in 2002.
If you're looking for a cheap (often £5.99) way of owning some heavy metal classics from the 80s, and you can look past the rushed, ugly cover art, Edward the Great might be what you're after. In terms of length, it's certainly better value for money than the original studio albums, which include longer and more experimental pieces that won't necessarily appeal to someone who likes 'Run to the Hills.'
I'd greatly recommend the earlier collection Best of the Beast over Edward the Great for its superior choice of songs, including all of the most popular ones on here - the only new tracks on here to have been released since then are 'The Wicker Man,' good but not essential, and the 'Fear of the Dark' live thing that I've already moaned about, and Best of the Beast boasts such gems as 'Hallowed Be Thy Name,' 'Aces High' and 'Virus.' Or you could just wait until Iron Maiden release their next studio album later this year, and EMI inevitably release another best-of, perhaps including whatever is their most recent three-minute single and an even more inferior live version of 'Fear of the Dark.' Or buy one of their great live albums to hear how good the band really are.
The Milking of Iron Maiden's Return to Popularity by the Evil Greedy Executives at EMI Timeline
1999 Bruce Dickinson returns, Ed Hunter released, the band's second best-of collection but the first one in 3 years
2000 Brave New World studio album released
2002 Rock in Rio live album released, the band's first live album in 10 years
2002 Rock in Rio live DVD released, the band's first DVD ever
2002 Edward the Great released, the band's third best-of collection but the first one in 3 years
2002 Eddie's Archive box set released, a collection of non-album material and early live shows
2003 Dance of Death studio album released
2003 Visions of the Beast DVD released, including all of the band's music videos to the present. The band's second DVD ever
2004 The History of Iron Maiden part 1: The Early Days DVD released, with interviews and early concerts. The band's third DVD ever
2005 Death on the Road live album released, the band's first live album in 3 years
2005 Death on the Road live DVD released, the band's etc. etc.
Iron Maiden
Death on the Road
*****
Written on 30.07.08
The inevitable live release from Iron Maiden's 2005 tour, 'Death on the Road' can be either cynically viewed as yet another successful attempt by EMI Records to squeeze every last penny out of loyal Iron Maiden fans, or as a worthwhile addition to their already bulging discography. My reaction lies in both camps: while I can't deny this is a solid and highly enjoyable live album, it does seem very unnecessary so shortly after the previous live release 'Rock in Rio' that many fans will doubtless consider definitive.
The major difference between 'Rock in Rio' and this later release (and there are sadly quite a few similarities in the form of repeated songs) is that this album features a wealth of material from the band's then-current full-length 'Dance of Death,' which is good because that was a high quality album, certainly a large step up from the previous 'Brave New World' that dominated the Rio release. The band's enthusiasm for their own recent material is gratifying, as over half of its material is performed here at the cost of a few extra classics, and needles to say it's all done to perfection. My main gripe is the inevitable presence of unshakeable Maiden staples that are understandably fan favourites, but are getting a little old and repetitive after being present on so many releases, though this only makes it even more enjoyable when the band plucks a comparatively obscure offering from the archives such as the forgotten 'Lord of the Flies.'
(The even-more-inevitable DVD edition followed this a year later).
Disc 1
1. Wildest Dreams
2. Wrathchild
3. Can I Play With Madness
4. The Trooper
5. Dance of Death
6. Rainmaker
7. Brave New World
8. Paschendale
9. Lord of the Flies
Disc 2
1. No More Lies
2. Hallowed Be Thy Name
3. Fear of the Dark
4. Iron Maiden
5. Journeyman
6. The Number of the Beast
7. Run to the Hills
Iron Maiden
*****
Written on 30.07.08
Still going strong by their fourteenth album, the modern Iron Maiden sound (developed since the return of singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999) has reached its peak by this point, whether fans like it or not. Despite some claims, this isn't up there with the band's classic period that spanned the 1980s and burnt out as soon as the nineties kicked in, but to its credit it doesn't attempt to return to that sound, pushing forward with a distinctive, heavy-going and more consistent sound than the band has displayed for nigh on twenty years.
Many of the songs here are overlong or repetitive, but the album is arranged so well that it really isn't an issue to the patient listener. Even the similar-sounding sections of songs, such as the triplet rhythms, are excusable for tying the whole thing together musically, if not lyrically, and there's a clear sense of direction from the comparatively short pop metal opener 'Different World' through to the darkest recesses of the thrashy 'Lord of Light' and dirgey finale 'The Legacy.' Anyone who enjoyed the darker sound of the band's overlooked 1995 album 'The X Factor' should enjoy the style being applied more consistently and with greater flair here, but those searching for upbeat, cheesy heavy metal in the style of 'Can I Play With Madness' will be greatly disappointed.
1. Different World
2. These Colours Don't Run
3. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
4. The Pilgrim
5. The Longest Day
6. Out of the Shadows
7. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
8. For the Greater Good of God
9. Lord of Light
10. The Legacy
Advantages: Most consistent Iron Maiden album since 1988.
Disadvantages: Songs are too long and too similar.
Iron Savior
Megatropolis
***
Written on 30.07.08
The German power metal scene is one of the more repetitive sub-genres of the heavy metal world, so it's nice to hear the occasional band such as Iron Savior breaking through its generic barriers and offering something a little different, even if this difference extends only to the gruffer vocals that forsake the genre's typical high wails. Another band based entirely in the sound Judas Priest pioneered with their 1991 classic 'Painkiller,' this isn't the most original album in the world, but its science fiction concept and occasional fun guitar riff keep it entertaining on a fairly superficial level, despite being even more sub-Painkiller than Primal Fear's entire career.
There's not a great variety of material on offer here, and to be perfectly honest, most of the songs are either dull or incredibly generic. There are a couple that stand out, from the rocking opener 'Running Riot' that's unfortunately cursed with a Twisted Sister style unison chorus, to the faster title track with a fun guitar solo, and fortunately the album doesn't resort to ballads. One of the more interesting aspects is that the conceptual album, which links together as a sequential narrative, is only the sixth part of a larger science fiction epic that spans the band's entire discography, so it's easy to see why the vocals take central prominence in many songs, with the instruments assigned to background duty.
1. Running Riot
2. The Omega Man
3. Flesh
4. Megatropolis
5. Cybernetic Queen
6. Cyber Hero
7. A Tale From Down Below
8. Still I Believe
9. Farewell and Good Bye
Advantages: Interesting concept and fun, Judas Priest style heavy metal.
Disadvantages: Owes everything to 'Painkiller' and the German post-'Painkiller' tradition.
Jean-Michel Jarre
Oxygene
Relic of the New Age
**
Written on 29.09.05
One of the most famous composers of electronic 'new age' music, Jean-Michel Jarre became a surprising overnight success with the release of 'Oxygene' in 1976. Synthesiser technology was infiltrating musical genres steadily, the invention of the Moog sampler adding endless possibilities for artists relying heavily on instruments with circuitry.
Oxygene's historical release predated Kraftwerk's radio-friendly ditties by a few years, but albums composed entirely of synthesisers had already been achieved by the likes of Klaus Schulze and Vangelis. With this forty-minute suite, Jarre trims the epic scale from the likes of Tangerine Dream's 'Stratosfear' and instead offers listeners a melodic, catchy and upbeat musical experience that was, for its time, and only for its time, accomplished and unique.
1. Oxygene, Pt. 1 (7.42)
2. Oxygene, Pt. 2 (8.08)
3. Oxygene, Pt. 3 (2.54)
4. Oxygene, Pt. 4 (4.14)
5. Oxygene, Pt. 5 (10.23)
6. Oxygene, Pt. 6 (6.20)
The success of Oxygene's sales is surprising until the success of the dance-esque 'Oxygene, Pt. 4' single and the composer's lavish, Guinness-record-breaking stage shows are taken into account. The most concise and memorable offering, Part 4 bears odd similarities to Gershon Kingsley's earlier dance hit 'Popcorn' (a track Jarre had previously covered as 'Popcorn Orchestra'), but more restrained and, fitting the tone of the album, relaxed and spacey.
Oxygene holds together well as a whole, despite the longer tracks occasionally pushing patience, but the distinctions between phases are made clear, especially on repeated listens. Split into two halves due to the nature of the original vinyl, there is no dip in sound or fade-out until the close of track three. Parts 1 and 2 are held together by rolling waves and wind beneath the layers of synth to make a sixteen minute piece of music that avoids epic status for its reliance on repeating rhythms over and over. In contrast, part 3's limited presence really feels like an extra couple of minutes needed to be added to balance out the side lengths, but this isn't distracting enough to reduce Oxygene's relaxing mood.
The second half is more up-and-down, the afore-mentioned Part 4 opening as a funky, catchy space anthem before Parts 5 and 6 cause the album to drag on and outstay its relatively short welcome. By this point the atmospheric sound effects have pretty much overtaken anything original being performed on the keyboards, serving only to lengthen the chilled-out mood rather than to add anything of musical worth.
Oxygene represented a step forward as synthesised music entered the public domain, but its only real worth now is as a relic of the seventies. Jean-Michel Jarre's moods and melodies may have set the tone for 21st century ambient music, but on its own merits 'Oxygene' doesn't stand the test of time. The follow-up 'Equinoxe' continues in the same vein but impresses more with a greater shifting of rhythm and speed, but music fans seeking and emotional connection to synthesisers need to look elsewhere to the likes of Vangelis (his epic 'Heaven and Hell' or the soundtrack to 'Blade Runner') and progressive rock works such as Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here.'
Crystal clear production and a sense of nostalgia and innovation don't render Oxygene of any interest to the average consumer, but it holds a special place in the history and evolution of popular music.
Jean-Michel Jarre
Equinoxe
****
Written on 18.10.05
After gaining unprecedented success with ‘Oxygene,’ French electronic composer Jean-Michel Jarre began work on a follow-up.
‘Equinoxe,’ a forty-minute musical journey performed on synthesiser, organ, keyboards, mellophonium, mellotron, Farfisa organ and rhythm programmer, owes a great debt to its predecessor but also manages to sound more accomplished and spectacular as a result. Equinoxe seems to rectify the mistakes made by Oxygene, the little things that didn’t affect its popularity but did affect its chances of being taken seriously as an electronic classic.
STYLE
Equinoxe is divided into eight (fairly-) distinctive parts. As would be expected, especially by those who have heard Oxygene, the parts are designed to flow together to create one vast musical experience, varying between soft, fairly inanimate parts to relax the mind and disco-anticipating hooks and ditties repeated without apparent end.
There is a natural feeling to Equinoxe; this music has dated, it sounds in places like a simplistic video game score, but its effect has not diminished. Anyone partial to electronic music should seek out Equinoxe over any of Jarre’s other work as it almost perfects the mood / substance balance in a way that only his more impressive peer Vangelis has truly mastered.
SIDE ONE
1. Equinoxe part 1 (2:23)
2. Equinoxe part 2 (5:01)
3. Equinoxe part 3 (5:11)
4. Equinoxe part 4 (6:54)
If Jarre intended Equinoxe to represent the course of a day, the introductory track certainly evokes a sense of early morning, beginnings, brightness and hope, led by high, slow keyboards. This track sounds like electronics imitating nature, something Vangelis later tried with the eccentric ‘Soil Festivities’ (1984).
Initially seeming somewhat disappointing, tracks two and three seem to revert to the subdued ambience of Oxygene’s less memorable moments, until repeated listens or a sharp ear detect that there is a great deal more going on: the rolling wave sounds and layered spectral sounds evoke a more atmospheric and vivid image than Oxygene ever did, part two sounding sombre and sleepy and part three seeming noticeably more lively, led by an evolving melody.
Equinoxe becomes unexpectedly and quite brilliantly exciting and dramatic as the memorable melody and beat of the fourth part quietly begins, before launching into one of Jarre’s most famous compositions. This is the highlight of the album for me, the perfect blend of ethereal ambience and exciting keyboards, the track fading in an out to excellent deeper sounds and what almost sounds like synthesised vocals or a keyboard-created demon. There is so much going on in this track, it’s difficult to associate it with anything tangible: it’s spacey, majestic and 70s.
SIDE TWO
5. Equinoxe part 5 (3:47)
6. Equinoxe part 6 (3:23)
7. Equinoxe part 7 (7:24)
8. Equinoxe part 8 (5:04)
The album fades out between tracks four and five, a sad feature of double-side vinyl production that could have been done without here. Not that the lack of segue affects the enjoyment of Equinoxe part 5, the track released as a single and thus the most catchy and accessible by default, but it would have been interesting to hear the bridge between this and its predecessor. Track five is no less accomplished than the other efforts, and thankfully doesn’t sound out of place or particularly ‘poppy’ as sections of Oxygene did. There are too many great synthesiser effects going on every moment to describe or even take in, but this songs is essentially carried through on a medium range melody accompanied and attacked by all kinds of high keyboard ditties and background effects. It’s a lot of fun, and is nipped in the bud before it lasts for too long, fading unnoticeably into the more rhythm-focused sixth part. This part is the weakest section of the album, not entirely unnecessary but serving only to maintain the flow for several dull minutes.
Part 7 eventually gets round to adding some spice to the beat of the vinyl’s second side that is now becoming stale, mimicking part 4 in its more dramatic and high-reaching style but possibly even besting it in terms of its progression and subtle build up, as well as uncanny ability to maintain interest over its lengthy duration. The album concludes in a very unusual style that confounds me over the issue of whether I enjoy or loathe it. Jarre’s organ comes into play, casting a distinctive sound over the music that breaks the trance and evokes, if anything, a lonely, windswept pier at Blackpool rather than the grand locations and uplifting moods of the first three parts.
This is saved from being the track to skip by the fade-in of sounds from earlier and elsewhere in the album, guiding the listener to an ambient conclusion on an extended, fading note that seemed so lacking in the previous album.
VERDICT
Equinoxe won’t be to everyone’s taste, and isn’t as groundbreaking as 1976’s ‘Oxygene,’ but this is far more than a lazy cash-in on that album’s success. The structure and style is continued and noticeably evolved, the difference sounding remarkable after only two years. Equinoxe is relaxing, soothing, exciting, spacey, progressive, strange, bouncy, haunting and beautiful. As with classical music and more contemporary instrumentals, it isn’t clear exactly what Jarre is trying to evoke, but the abstract artwork and anonymous tracks leave this to the listener’s disgression.
Fans of this album should also investigate the work of Vangelis (the album ‘Spiral,’ released the same year as this, seems like an I-was-here-first assault of Jarre’s style… but isn’t quite as good as his more moody pieces!) while Tangerine Dream’s ‘Phaedra’ and ‘Stratosfear’ sound like the real inspiration for Jarre’s ambient backdrop.
Oxygene belongs to the seventies, its only real value in the 21st century being as a historic novelty. Equinoxe belongs in the record collection of every fan of progressive rock and electronic music. Addictive.
Advantages: Relaxing, fairly complex, but easy to listen to
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, very similar to 'Oxygene,' short
Judas Priest
Rocka Rolla
***
Written on 04.09.07
The first release from Judas Priest is quite different from the sound and image they would very soon become associated with, as the loud young Brummies ditched their hippie look, prog aspirations and disappointing drummer and producer to begin recording the definitive albums of early heavy metal. ‘Rocka Rolla’ is an infamously flawed record, but this is largely due to unexpected problems with the studio equipment and personnel more than the material, which is often of a surprisingly high standard. Even if the band members themselves look down on this release, they are the first to admit that there are some great early classics scattered throughout... it’s just that the whole thing doesn’t sound quite right.
Having established a large local fan-base with their loud, melodic, masculine rock, the burgeoning Judas Priest were quickly manhandled into a studio and assigned the famous local record producer Rodger Bain, whose results with the early albums of their contemporaries Black Sabbath are justifiably praised. Gull Records were confident that Bain would capture the heavy sound they were hoping to promote and gave him totalitarian control of the recording process, something the band looks back on as a big mistake as they were completely under his thumb. Nevertheless, it was a decision they were understandably content and confident to go along with at the time, if it meant paving the path to fame. Unfortunately, Bain’s eventual results were severely disappointing, failing to capture the energy of the studio and ending up with a very thin sound that affected all the instruments. He also unwisely, and for whatever reason, decided to eliminate the band’s most popular songs from the track-list, requiring them to come up with what often sounds like filler, rather than the timeless material that would eventually find its way onto ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ commonly seen as the first ‘real’ Priest album.
‘Rocka Rolla’ should not be easily written off, especially as part of the band’s problem with the album is their lack of ownership or royalties from its sales, something Gull Records have taken full advantage of over the years with far too many re-releases attempting in vain to remedy a thirty-year-old problem with new technology. The band’s dissatisfaction even extends to the original cover art, a bottlecap design with the album’s title written in copy-cat Coca Cola font, which for some reason they later decided to swap for Mel Grant’s ‘The Steel Tsar,’ an average-looking image that may have had the right apocalyptic message, but wasn’t quite as cool or distinctive as the original, especially as Grant’s painting had also been used for a book of the same name, and for a random early video game box. The band’s dislike of the album’s overall style may be due to its association more with traditional rock than metal, something that is partially appropriate in this mixed bag of radio-friendly pop rock and high-concept suites. It may lack the distinctive Priest sound, but it’s an interesting listen, and it’s clear the band is really onto something.
1. One for the Road
2. Rocka Rolla
3. Winter
4. Deep Freeze
5. Winter Retreat
6. Cheater
7. Never Satisfied
8. Run of the Mill
9. Dying to Meet You
10. Caviar and Meths
The album begins on a disappointing note with the repetitive and bland ‘One for the Road,’ based on a tedious blues riff that lacks the usual Judas Priest energy in all areas apart from Rob Halford’s voice, which is up to its usual high standards regardless of production. After taking far too long to fade out, the album begins to reveal its real charms with the great title track, a typical Priest song about love and rock with plenty of great harmonies, solos and riffs from Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. It’s a little derivative, with contemporary influences all over the place – the verse sounds like Roxy Music, while the chorus sounds like David Bowie – but the guitars are distinctly Priest. Halford even offers a brief harmonica section similar to Black Sabbath’s ‘The Wizard,’ completing this eccentric and enjoyable, but sadly forgotten piece.
The most creative section of the album comes in the ‘Winter’ suite, spanning tracks three to five but almost always mislabelled or wrongly edited on CD releases. In its true form, the opener ‘Winter’ is a good slow song that unfortunately can’t really be described as heavy due to the production, though that was certainly the intention. The introduction is haunting in a primitive way, with whispered vocals before the drum kicks it into a ‘proper’ song, and once again Halford steals the show. ‘Deep Freeze’ is essentially nothing more than a spacey interlude between the two halves of the suite, similar to Sabbath’s ‘FX’ in that its target audience will be easily impressed stoned people who enjoy the effect of a guitar whine fading in and out of volume for a minute and a half (‘woah dude, he’s going closer to the microphone, and then moving far out. Do you have any bread?’) Overall, the effect is closer to depicting a UFO than anything winter-based. Unfortunately, the final piece of this trio doesn’t live up to the first, attempting the kind of proggy soft song that would be perfected later in the album but coming off as somehow unconvincing, Halford’s voice sounding less impressive in a more downbeat style. It was still an interesting experiment overall, but perhaps explains why the band hasn’t attempted anything similarly conceptual since (at least, not until next year’s highly anticipated Nostradamus album).
‘Cheater’ is the first song that really sounds like classic Judas Priest, with a fantastically simple and violent subject matter – a man finds his wife in bed with another man, and shoots them both in primal vengeance – and it’s hard to resist joining in with the chorus towards the end, and thereby clearly condoning the speaker’s actions. This is stupid and fun heavy metal the way it was supposed to be, leaving behind the conceptual nonsense, although it doesn’t offer a lot musically, the guitars sounding thin and similar to the first song. ‘Never Satisfied’ is similarly cool, the main riff and chorus sounding so stereotypical of early Priest that it could belong to any song on the first four albums. It lacks the power of the title song, but Halford holds the notes like he is famous for, including a final extended wail that sadly has to take second place to the more famous ‘Victim of Changes.’
The final phase of the album plays more along the lines of mellow progressive rock, and offers a great distinctive sound in the band’s discography that they carry off surprisingly well. ‘Run of the Mill’ is the better of the two, mostly acoustic but occasionally launching into a rockier riff, although the reliance on a very dull backing drum-beat is a little irritating. Halford has really cracked the croon after the disappointment of the fifth track, and sounds just as good as he would later in the earlier sections of ‘Victim of Changes.’ There’s even a rare spot in the limelight for Ian Hill’s bass, and Halford puts in his finest performance of the record with the final reprise of the chorus, which easily ranks alongside anything else he would accomplish up to the 1990s. ‘Dying to Meet You’ is much the same, only less impressive, beginning slow and changing later on to the extent that it’s essentially two different songs tagged together. It sounds good in isolation, and at least isn’t a wimpy ballad that would really spoil things, but grants Downing greater lenience in unleashing some quite cool and lengthy solos. The main problem comes with the lyrics Halford takes so much time to communicate, which are quite terrible even for a band not renowned for its poetry. The final song is a missed opportunity, the introduction to epic live favourite ‘Caviar and Meths’ that was apparently ‘too long’ to fit onto the record. The guitars work brilliantly to compliment each other despite playing different tunes, but this snippet primarily makes me sad and angry that we didn’t get more of it.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend ‘Rocka Rolla’ to anyone who enjoys the early Judas Priest albums up to the excellent ‘Stained Class,’ before a desire to be American took over and affected the quality of the band’s output for a decade of highs and lows. The production is a big problem, extending to the background hiss that still hasn’t been eliminated by re-masters, but many of the songs fit excellently into the band’s established style, and the ones that don’t offer something completely and excitingly different. Many of the songs are far too short, or far too repetitive (leading to the paradox of tracks such as ‘One for the Road’ that is too short to get anything out of, but that also takes far too long to finish), but the majority are real classics with that great and slightly amateurish first-album feel. It’s clear that this album should never really have existed in the form that it does, its successor ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ being more true to the band’s live shows of the time, but all the same it’s an album with a lot to offer, even if some of its more elaborate aspirations (specifically the ‘Winter’ trilogy) don’t really go anywhere. I’m tempted to give it four stars, but I think three would be more accurate, it’s really quite good.
Advantages: A nicely diverse album of early material.
Disadvantages: Poor production and bad decisions don’t catch the band at its best.
Judas Priest
Sad Wings of Destiny
Conqueror of All
****
Written on 11.09.07
Released in 1976 when the popularity of heavy metal was beginning to wane, Judas Priest’s second album injected new life, speed and energy into the genre, and along with its successors paved the way for what would ultimately be defined as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Still commonly regarded as one of the band’s finest releases, it was unarguably a vast improvement over the messy and long-forgotten debut ‘Rocka Rolla,’ abandoning its blues-tinged, hard rock sound – for the most part – in favour of a highly charged approach that was in equal shares melodic and aggressive, based on the shrieking vocal talents of Rob Halford and the dual guitar harmonies and discordance of Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing.
Even at first glance, with the album’s hellish cover art, vicious song titles and new gothic logo, it’s clear that Judas Priest has begun to define itself as a heavy metal band rather than the slightly confused hippies who recorded an album in 1974, and the presence of old live favourites from the early seventies (refused inclusion on the previous album due to the incompetence of producer Rodger Bain) makes this in some ways the first ‘true’ Judas Priest album, although ownership disputes with Gull Records sadly mean that the band still won’t receive any of the proceeds for albums released before ‘Sin After Sin.’ More focused than its predecessor, ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ still finds time to experiment with softer songs and longer compositions comprised of numerous changes, while the arguable song cycle that leads to its conclusion may demonstrate that the interest in lofty and progressive ideals has not been entirely eliminated by the desire to achieve commercial success.
A peculiar feature of this release is that its two original sides on the vinyl LP were switched around when the time came to re-issue the album on CD, causing the original opening ‘Prelude’ to be moved to the fifth track. This move was probably for the best, as the first few songs are among the band’s most popular, still being live staples today, and ‘Deceiver’ wouldn’t really work as a satisfying ending in the same way that ‘Island of Domination’ achieves, while making the opening fade-in of ‘Victim of Changes’ more relevant in its new context. Of course, any stubborn fans intent on recreating the original experience can simply stick the CD player on repeat, start from track five, and stop complaining.
1. Victim of Changes
2. The Ripper
3. Dreamer Deceiver
4. Deceiver
5. Prelude
6. Tyrant
7. Genocide
8. Epitaph
9. Island of Domination
Originally under the title of ‘Whiskey Woman,’ ‘Victim of Changes’ is undeniably one of the most well-loved and accomplished Judas Priest songs, so it’s regrettable that my initial response has to be: ‘this isn’t as good as the live version.’ The same could be said for many tracks later released on the definitive ‘Unleashed in the East’ live album, however inauthentic and plagued by studio tampering that may be, but this song in particular has a long tradition of excelling in the live format, explaining its presence on the ‘Metal Works’ compilation in place of this original. It’s a great song split into several parts, though the transitions are all smooth and natural, with some classic riffs and great solo spots for the guitars, the bass and in particular the ear-piercing screams of Rob Halford. The resurgence of the main riff towards the end in the lead-up to his final screams has to be one of the best executed moments in the band’s entire discography, but this song really does suffer from the lack of crowd interaction in the quieter and slower moments. An excellent heavy metal song, but one that could never be successfully captured onto disc.
‘The Ripper’ is Priest’s classic short piece about Jack the Knife, led primarily by Halford’s squeaking narrative and with one of the band’s most memorable choruses. The simplicity of this song is its real charm, ushering in an entirely New Wave of British Heavy Metal without even knowing it, and clearly directly inspiring much of what Iron Maiden did in the first few years, both musically and thematically. The central section features a cool creeping guitar riff that speeds up subtly as it goes, which may or may not be attempting to imitate the eponymous Ripper’s stalking antics, though I like to think that it is. Once again, Halford lets rip a piercing scream at the end for good measure. Wisely, the next song ‘Dreamer Deceiver’ takes a complete detour from the sounds already established, beginning with a murky acoustic guitar and soft singing that sets an effective tranquil atmosphere. Once again, this can be traced as the direct inspiration for many softer metal songs from the late seventies to the present day, even if it gets a little dull and repetitive along the way. Halford’s more energetic screams in the second half are a nice touch, and work strangely well despite the rest of the music staying the same, and there’s a really long and mellow guitar solo that I can’t help but love.
Confusingly and unwisely bearing a similar title to the previous song, ‘Deceiver’ was formerly the final song of the album (see earlier explanation), but works much better being shoved into the middle, where its mediocrity doesn’t really get in the way. It isn’t a bad song, it’s just disappointingly generic after the great pieces that have come so far, the riff failing to stay memorable for sounding just like every other medium speed guitar line the band would play throughout the seventies. Things become much more interesting with the ominous ‘Prelude,’ a little strange in the middle of the album but nonetheless perfect in bringing in the second half of offerings. The deep, booming piano is joined by a church organ and high guitar, leading into one of the finest songs of the album, the suitably monstrous ‘Tyrant.’ This song showcases everything that was great about Priest’s classic early period, with a great heavy riff, slow and pounding chorus and an irresistible break into a second, lesser-used chorus that’s as fun as hell. To make things even better, Tipton and Downing execute a full dual guitar solo, remaining ever so slightly out of tune with each other in a performance that really has to be heard. Unlike the first song, I can’t specifically remember whether the ‘Unleashed in the East’ version is superior, but in this instance the record really does it justice.
Although technically not associated, the similar subject matter of ‘Genocide’ has always linked this song with its predecessor in my mind, perhaps exacerbated by the lofty ‘Prelude’ deceiving me into delusions of a song cycle along the lines of the first album’s ‘Winter’ suite. This song essentially stands alone as another cool, early metal song, but it somehow lacks the energy of ‘Tyrant’ and the earlier pieces until the very end where everything speeds up and Halford has to yell along at an exhausting pace. Thankfully, perhaps sensing that the sound has started to become repetitive, the album offers up its greatest deviation yet with the entirely piano- and vocal-led ‘Epitaph.’ This is bound to be a very challenging song for Priest fans or metal fans in general, as the performance by Tipton (on piano) and Halford severs all connections to the sound being pioneered elsewhere on the recording, though overall the experiment is a success. Supplementing his deep croon with a very strange higher pitch in the chorus that sounds almost like a choirboy, Halford is impressive here, if not quite at his best. It’s an interesting song to break the album up, but not really the sort of thing anyone would get this CD out of their collection specifically to listen to. A nice touch is that it fades directly into the final song ‘Island of Domination’ (again, not helping my paranoia in searching for patterns and song suites that aren’t really there). The energy of ‘Tyrant’ is back, even if this song doesn’t live up to the monumental task of beating that earlier classic, but it’s still a great song based on all the usual ingredients: shrieking Halford and a pounding chorus. The band considered re-recording this for the follow-up album ‘Sin After Sin’ for some reason, but there isn’t any problem with the original.
‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ is a heavy metal classic, though one that may take some getting used to for younger fans or those more accustomed to modern music. It’s a melodic and very heavy album, though not in the way a Suffocation album is heavy, and despite the praise heaped onto the later ‘British Steel’ release, leaves behind most of the blues influence of early heavy metal (exempting songs such as ‘Victim of Changes’ which were old live favourites), paving the way for the fast and catchy metal of the early eighties that are more commonly accredited to the punk explosion. The few weak songs and unsuccessful experiments prevent it from being my personal favourite Priest album, and the inclusion of superior live versions of some songs on the excellent ‘Unleashed in the East’ a few years later makes these studio recordings a little redundant. Still, this is a great source for those songs and many others, containing definitive heavy metal classics and some great unknown treats too.
Advantages: Early heavy metal classics, and some of the band’s finest songs.
Disadvantages: Format becomes repetitive quite quickly, requiring some drastic experimentation.
Judas Priest
Sin After Sin
Sacrifice to Vice
**
Written on 17.09.07
A shorter review this time, because I don’t have an awful lot to say about this slab of metal history. Having been dropped from Gull Records after the excellent ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ which remains a Judas Priest classic to this day, the band was fortuitously picked up by major label Columbia in a commendable display of foresight. Consequently, this third album is sometimes viewed as the first ‘true’ Priest album, which is wrong both factually and morally.
‘Sin After Sin’ was recorded and released in early 1977, and continued to develop the band’s distinctive sound towards the famous and much-imitated style that would dominate eighties metal while also remaining largely commercial. Nonetheless, there is a noticeable lack of the energy and aggression that characterised the previous album, to the extent that a more relaxed tone dominates and the band even heads into the previously avoided territory of rock ballads. The production values have shifted up a notch, which isn’t necessarily a good thing as I found that the raw and dirty screeching of earlier songs like ‘The Ripper’ worked to their advantage, and now the crisp-yet-stilted seventies guitar tone can be more clearly heard. Frontman Rob Halford is still captured at his screaming best, and his softer crooning is utilised as it had been on the previous albums, but apart from young and rapid session drummer Simon Phillips, the rest of the band seems to lack a certain drive that it previously displayed, settling for a thinner and more repetitive sound that ends up sounding quite bland and tedious as the album draws on.
Opening track ‘Sinner’ is a fan favourite, and one of the better pieces here, though aside from Halford’s surprising performance in the chorus there isn’t anything to take it to the level of earlier classics. The guitar sound is thin and slightly hidden in the background, which the usually reliable Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing don’t try to alleviate by going all-out on solos, and like almost all songs on this album it seems to have lasted for far too long by the conclusion. Another regrettable aspect of this album is that many of its chorus vocals sound reminiscent of the regrettable ‘hair metal’ scene that dominated American metal in the eighties (the muscular blokes in make-up and ridiculous wigs playing power ballads), all of which can conceivably be traced back to this collection of songs. ‘Last Rose of Summer’ in particular sounds exactly like the generic acoustic ballads of bands like Poison that would later prove inexplicably popular despite being drab, dull and long. Halford’s croon is quite good, but it was demonstrated on the first two albums far more impressively.
The cover of Joan Baez’s ‘Diamonds and Rust’ keeps the beginning of the album fairly interesting, and it’s a shame that little the band wrote themselves could approach this standard on this record. Once again, Halford is the only real asset as he sings the borrowed vocal line, but it was a live favourite that’s captured well in the higher budget studio. ‘Starbreaker’ is commonly seen as the heavy song of this release for reasons I can’t quite understand, as it entirely lacks the power the band is capable of projecting. The drum intro is disappointing, the guitars are once again repetitive and predictable even in the chorus, and the hand clapping towards the end seems like a joke. From this point onwards, the album only gets worse.
‘Let Us Prey/Call for the Priest’ promises a more complex song along the lines of ‘Victim of Changes,’ but the splitting into two halves merely constitutes a switch from dull acoustic introduction to fast rock conclusion. It’s an okay song, but entirely average especially for this band, even seeming to once again borrow the vocal melody from elsewhere, in this case Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s ‘Karn Evil 9’ and lasting for longer than my attention span permits... which is really saying something, considering the ELP song I just referenced. ‘Raw Deal’ is, distressingly, even longer, and followed up by yet another power ballad as can be discerned merely from the title of ‘Here Come the Tears.’ Fortunately, the album manages to end on a slightly above-average note with the hard rocking ‘Dissident Aggressor,’ a song I’m quite fond of that lives up to the band’s standards at the time in a way that almost nothing else here manages. The song is short and concise, and everyone is back on form, even though the guitars could do with a bit of a kick – thankfully, Slayer would later provide this when covering the song for their ‘South of Heaven.’
A largely negative review there of an album that should have been an integral link in the indestructible chain of heavy metal, but instead hangs limply and out of sight between the two excellent albums on either side of it. It may have been due to fatigue, or even a deliberate decision to make something more accessible and mellow (in the way the band would later follow up the hard ‘British Steel’ with the soft ‘Point of Entry’), but it’s not really worth fans of contemporary metal checking out. If it has any legacy, it’s likely to have been towards areas I’d rather forget existed.
1. Sinner
2. Diamonds and Rust
3. Starbreaker
4. Last Rose of Summer
5. Let Us Pray/Call for the Priest
6. Raw Deal
7. Here Come the Tears
8. Dissident Aggressor
Advantages: A couple of early Judas Priest classics.
Disadvantages: Mostly dull and repetitive, noticeably lacking in energy.
Judas Priest
Killing Machine
****
Written on 07.08.08
'Killing Machine' is a real turning point in Judas Priest's career, departing from the heavy, dark, blues-influenced works of their earlier career and instantly jumping to something simpler, shorter and more accessible to the American market, an a commercial attitude that would unfortunately be the band's undoing in the following decade. While there are too many weak or otherwise distinctly average songs here to proclaim the album a classic, its significance shouldn't be understated, and there are a few more classic Judas Priest tracks here that the heavy metal world would be a less fun planet without.
Leaving behind the often thought-provoking lyrics of their previous albums, the subject matter here is pretty much what came to be expected of the band, right down to the band's new leather and bikes image. While its successor 'British Steel' is often hailed as the band's masterpiece, in truth the genesis of many of its best ideas can be found right here, from the heavy riff of 'Delivering the Goods' to the short, energetic and incredibly catchy 'Hell Bent for Leather' that was later diluted as 'Breaking the Law,' and the cheesy anthemic chorus of 'Take on the World' that would be remade as the slightly less irritating 'United.' The band's experiments with ballads work with mixed success, 'Evening Star' being mostly awful while 'Before the Dawn' is surprisingly effective in its mix of acoustic and electric guitars, which was still something of a novelty in 1978.
1. Delivering the Goods
2. Rock Forever
3. Evening Star
4. Hell Bent for Leather
5. Take on the World
6. Burnin' Up
7. Killing Machine
8. Running Wild
9. Before the Dawn
10. Evil Fantasies
Judas Priest
Unleashed in the East
*****
Written on 07.08.08
One of the classic heavy metal live albums, 'Unleashed in the East' is such an effective summary of Judas Priest's seventies career that it's hard to even care that much of it was probably polished up in the studio. With nine solid tracks culled from the band's second to fifth albums (the first album is a bit of an oddball in the discography), this still displays the band's early blues-rock influence and places their dark, epic style next to the more simplistic style developed on the then-recent 'Killing Machine,' an album that receives greater representation on later re-releases of the live album.
The sound quality here is perfect, bringing out the full power of the instruments, and it's primarily for this reason that I would recommend this over the earlier studio albums themselves for newcomers, or those approaching the band from their later releases. The sound is as heavy as the band intended to sound before the inevitable weakening of album production, making for an authentic live sound and atmosphere, and all songs from the speedy opener 'Exciter' to sinister finale 'Tyrant' have never sounded more energetic.
1. Exciter
2. Running Wild
3. Sinner
4. The Ripper
5. The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
6. Diamonds and Rust (Joan Baez cover)
7. Victim of Changes
8. Genocide
9. Tyrant
Judas Priest
British Steel
****
Written on 07.08.08
An album that came along at the right time, with the right promoters and an iconic album cover, Judas Priest's 'British Steel' is a household name among rock fans, often awarded the same level of recognition as 'Metallica,' 'Ace of Spades' 'The Number of the Beast' and 'Machine Head.' The thing these albums have in common is obviously that they contain each band's biggest hits, but are some distance from being the finest work they have produced.
'British Steel' is full of accessible songs based around repetition, which can sometimes (in the case of the ad nauseam riff in 'Rapid Fire' and anthemic choruses of 'United' and 'Living After Midnight') become incredibly annoying by the end. Elsewhere, the simplicity is a distinct advantage, the band's biggest hit 'Breaking the Law' being an undeniably fun song about stealing. This focus on accessibility doesn't mean that the band's former progressive talents have been lost entirely though, evidenced by the overlooked gem 'The Rage' that contains some great instrumentation throughout, and the excellent plodder 'Metal Gods' that achieves a more compelling atmosphere than the aforementioned later anthems could even begin to hope for.
1. Rapid Fire
2. Metal Gods
3. Breaking the Law
4. Grinder
5. United
6. You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise
7. Living After Midnight
8. The Rage
9. Steeler
Judas Priest
Point of Entry
***
Written on 07.08.08
A disappointment after the popular 'British Steel,' 'Point of Entry' jumps across the ocean to imitate a distinctly American version of the heavy metal that Judas Priest helped to create in the first place. With recurring themes of highways, deserts, firearms and other distinctly non-British things, this mostly weak album would be the perfect example of a band compromising its sound to attract a mainstream audience and alienating their existing fan base, if only the later abomination 'Turbo' didn't achieve this so much better.
The main difference between this album and its predecessor is that 'Point of Entry' is a more mellow and relaxed affair on the whole. Even the slightly faster or heavier songs collapse into lighter choruses, and while this change of direction isn't necessarily a bad thing, it does make the later tracks in particular seem lacking in character. 'Heading Out to the Highway' is an enjoyable enough opener, but one that can't avoid comparison to the superior likes of 'Breaking the Law' and 'Hell Bent for Leather,' and it's only really the central section of the album with the atmospheric 'Desert Plains' and grand 'Solar Angels' that the album really impresses. Needless to say, these songs would find their way onto later compilations, meaning the need to buy this album is minimal.
1. Heading Out to the Highway
2. Don't Go
3. Hot Rockin'
4. Turning Circles
5. Desert Plains
6. Solar Angels
7. You Say Yes
8. All the Way
9. Troubleshooter
10. On the Run
Judas Priest
*****
Written on 07.08.08
Fixing everything that was wrong with the lacklustre 'Point of Entry,' Judas Priest returned fiercer, louder and more exciting than ever with their classic 'Screaming for Vengeance,' inaugurating a new era for the band and kick-starting the speed metal genre overnight. The sound developed here is still pretty much the one that characterises the band today, with heavy guitar riffs from K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton pierced by Rob Halford's powerful shrieks, the latter escalating in intensity as the album reaches its conclusion.
This was clearly devised as a heavy metal album for heavy metal fans, and I'm grateful that the band momentarily abandoned its pursuit of the rock mainstream to focus on crafting the music they really wanted to. While this is still accessible to a small extent, with weaker material such as '(Take These) Chains' and the overlong 'You've Got Another Thing Comin'' seemingly targeting the glam metal crowd, the majority would scare away casual listeners but is a real treat for hard rock fans, the energetic 'Electric Eye' and shrieking 'Devil's Child' bookending the record perfectly. With the arguable exception of 'Painkiller,' the band would never release anything this good again.
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Riding on the Wind
4. Bloodstone
5. (Take These) Chains
6. Pain and Pleasure
7. Screaming for Vengeance
8. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
9. Fever
10. Devil's Child
Judas Priest
Defenders of the Faith
****
Written on 07.08.08
Having achieved their favoured style on 'Screaming for Vengeance,' Judas Priest took the fairly obvious route of copying it almost exactly for 'Defenders of the Faith,' another album geared towards fans of their heavier side. The energetic opener 'Freewheel Burning' almost goes too far in trying to prove the band's speed and intensity, the stand-out moment being Rob Halford's hasty delivery of fast-paced lyrics in the second half, but it's a great introductory song that consciously belongs to a tradition stretching back to 'Exciter.'
The guitar tone is consistently heavy throughout the album, preventing any song from becoming a fully-fledged ballad, and the evil 'Jawbreaker' and 'The Sentinel' are clear inspirations for later speed metal bands such as Helloween. The band still remembers how to craft an instantly catchy song, demonstrated in the form of 'Eat Me Alive,' and it's only really the last few tracks that let the side down, the latter duo in particular sounding like Led Zeppelin at their least inspired.
1. Freewheel Burning
2. Jawbreaker
3. Rock Hard Ride Free
4. The Sentinel
5. Love Bites
6. Eat Me Alive
7. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
8. Night Comes Down
9. Heavy Duty
10. Defenders of the Faith
Advantages: More great eighties heavy metal.
Disadvantages: Nothing new after 'Screaming for Vengeance.'
Judas Priest
Painkiller
*****
Written on 07.06.06
The Painkiller is an intergalactic cyborg warrior. Faster than a laser bullet, he rides the Metal Monster, its buzzsaw wheels wreaking vengeance against those who… well, that’s not entirely clear. But no matter; this is the ultimate heavy metal album. I don’t use that word lightly.
After the horrible disco-disgrace of ‘Turbo’ in 1986, Priest attempted to reclaim their status as Metal Gods with their last album of the decade, the poorly received ‘Ram it Down.’ A tracklist composed of self-aggrandising song titles such as ‘Heavy Metal’ and ‘Monster of Rock’ didn’t deceive fans, who saw through the band’s attempts to reclaim their former heaviness and reduce (but for some reason, retain) those damn guitar synthesisers and synthetic drum beats. Iron Maiden’s back-to-basics regression was a disappointment, and Metallica were beginning to lose the plot. Mankind was on its knees, pleading for a saviour from the skies.
Then came 1990’s ‘Painkiller.’ The decade that saw the decline of the finest metal bands of the eighties somehow spawned this powerful, relentless, hard-hitting metal classic, one of the most definitive albums of metal, British or otherwise. Painkiller’s aggressive sound is perhaps a deterrent to those who appreciated their classic heavy metal pioneering of the late seventies and early eighties, but it restored strength and credibility to the band at the time they most needed it, the popularity of British steel waning in the face of American thrash.
Painkiller is a landmark album for European metal, taking influence from the so-called ‘speed metal’ developed by Germany’s Helloween, themselves heavily influenced by Priest and their contemporaries, and combining its velocity with the long-standing excellence of the (now-classic) K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton dual guitar assault. Newcomer Scott Travis on drums has remained in the band to this day, and his mark on this album contributes to its original sound; as testament to his input, the first track opens with an extended drum intro.
21st century bands such as Primal Fear owe their fundamental sound entirely to Painkiller, while the Birmingham-born heavy metal sound they developed alongside Black Sabbath is inescapably present throughout modern metal, internationally. Although Rob Halford was to leave the band for the next decade, Priest continued to develop the hard edge of Painkiller for their two albums with vocalist Tim ‘The Ripper’ Owens (now in Iced Earth), but ‘Jugulator’ and ‘Demolition’ would turn out to be nothing but weak imitators of this metal classic. Loud ones nevertheless.
Judas Priest, ‘Painkiller’ (Columbia, 1990)
1. Painkiller
2. Hell Patrol
3. All Guns Blazing
4. Leather Rebel
5. Metal Meltdown
6. Night Crawler
7. Between the Hammer and the Anvil
8. A Touch of Evil
9. Battle Hymn
10. One Shot at Glory
11. Living Bad Dreams (bonus on CD re-issue)
Despite a couple of mediocre songs, Painkiller is as close to perfection as metal albums get, without needing to resort to fancy touches such as a thematic concept. The intensity of the recognisable title track continues for most of the album, slipping up intentionally only for the more commercial-sounding ‘A Touch of Evil’ and its successors, the brief interlude ‘Battle Hymn’ (sadly not a Manowar cover) and the anthemic ‘One Shot at Glory.’ This latter section of the album is most reminiscent of Priest’s earlier big-seller ‘British Steel’ ten years earlier, in its emphasis on rousing sing-along-friendly choruses and the distinct eighties radio rock angle of ‘A Touch of Evil’ that’s reminiscent of Michael Jackson in places.
Despite these concessions to popular taste, the roaring guitars and slamming drums dominate the album, most present on the intense and memorable offerings ‘Painkiller,’ ‘Night Crawler’ and ‘All Guns Blazing,’ the latter especially memorable for Halford’s bold, screaming introduction. These fast and heavy tracks set the tone for the band’s original music to the present day, songs such as ‘Hellrider’ on their latest album ‘Angel of Retribution’ being nothing more than re-hashes of this style. As for the rest of the album, the (ever-so-slightly) slower ‘Hell Patrol,’ ‘Metal Meltdown’ and ‘Between the Hammer and the Anvil’ suffer slightly in comparison, failing to impress alongside these monsters of rock.
Despite being nominated for a Grammy award in 1991, for the admittedly obscure category of Best Metal Performance, Painkiller isn’t immediately accessible in the style of ‘British Steel’ or (shudder) ‘Turbo,’ but it’s widely regarded among metal fans as the band’s finest offering. Painkiller is loud, powerful music that dares to stand proud as heavy metal in an era when thrash and death metal were wowing the kids with pointless aggression and mindless shock lyrics. Sure, lyrics and image still aren’t Priest’s strong point, this album featuring a song titled ‘Leather Rebel’ and the album cover struggling to depict their latest fictional space avenger, but this is music where any real sense of meaning to what’s being screeched is irrelevant in the face of such powerful vocals. I’m struggling to find faults with this album, aren’t I? There are some, don’t worry.
Painkiller is certainly repetitive, and doesn’t sound as immediately impressive in 2006 as it would have done in 1990. Roughly half of the album bobs along on the strength of the tracks that precede and follow. The album glorifies violence, which is a bad thing, right? Rob Halford’s bald. Forget it – Painkiller is an excellent album.
So why listen to Painkiller, if it’s not all about the volume? Tipton and Downing’s guitars had finally reached a point in which their roaring grooves perfectly compliment Halford’s rousing falsetto in ‘Hell Patrol,’ and provide the perfect yelling backdrop for his inhuman screeches on the title track. Plunging into short bursts of guitar solo at impossible-to-predict tangents and extending songs into near-jam sessions as they draw to explosive conclusions, Priest’s guitars would never (to date) be as impressive again.
To hear Halford tackle the seemingly incompatible vocal duties of ‘Painkiller’ (undoubtedly the finest track here) and ‘A Touch of Evil,’ or to be honest, most of the album that isn’t the first track. To witness a song beginning with atmospheric rainfall that doesn’t descend into a ballad. To hear the illegally catchy chorus riff of ‘Metal Meltdown.’ To relate to the story of the ‘Leather Rebel.’
These are the reasons to listen to Painkiller - one of the essential albums of metal.
Advantages: Quintessential, genre-defining metal
Disadvantages: The usual daft lyrics; won't appeal to casual listeneners
Judas Priest
****
Written on 11.08.08
Numerous Judas Priest best-of compilations have been released over the last decade or so, and 1993's 'Metal Works' is neither the most comprehensive nor the most tastefully arranged, and is mostly notable for its coincidental release shortly before singer Rob Halford left the band. However, excluding songs from their first two studio albums (presumably due to ongoing contractual issues with Gull Records), this is merely an incomplete celebration of his time fronting the band from 'Sin After Sin' through to 'Painkiller.'
The arrangement of songs seems arbitrary for the most part, and in some cases dubious, especially as the pairing of a few songs reveals how formulaic the band can be (e.g. 'Breaking the Law' and 'Hell Bent for Leather' are pretty much the same song). The speed and sound quality jump around as the seventies, eighties and early nineties sounds are placed back-to-back, and while this at least keeps things exciting, it also makes it harder to enjoy as it's likely that fans won't be into the entire Judas Priest back catalogue. To its credit, the album claims to have been put together by the band members themselves rather than an outside observer, which implies that the band really, really likes the 'Screaming for Vengeance' and 'Painkiller' albums, but can take or leave the rest.
Disc 1
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Victim of Changes (Live)
4. Painkiller
5. Eat Me Alive
6. Devil's Child
7. Dissident Aggressor
8. Delivering the Goods
9. Exciter
10. Breaking the Law
11. Hell Bent for Leather
12. Blood Red Skies
13. Metal Gods
14. Before the Dawn
15. Turbo Lover
16. Ram It Down
17. Metal Meltdown
Disc 2
1. Screaming for Vengeance
2. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
3. Beyond the Realms of Death
4. Solar Angels
5. Bloodstone
6. Desert Plains
7. Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days
8. Heading Out to the Highway (Live)
9. Living After Midnight
10. A Touch of Evil
11. The Rage
12. Night Comes Down
13. Sinner
14. Freewheel Burning
15. Night Crawler
Judas Priest
Jugulator
***
Written on 11.08.08
The replacement of Rob Halford with new vocalist Tim Owens was inevitably controversial among fans, comparable to Bruce Dickinson's departure from Iron Maiden around the same time. While Owens is still more than capable of hitting the high screams of his predecessor and idol, the result is often quite irritating as he pushes it a little too far, but it isn't Owens who lets this album down. Rather, it's the band's conscious attempt to reinvent itself as a meaner, heavier force for the 1990s, which seems to extend to copying Slayer and Pantera.
The predominant sound here is slow, aggressive and very heavy, a significant departure from the band's trademark high-octane anthems, and it's too much to digest as a whole album. Certain songs such as the varied 'Jugulator,' 'Death Row' with its catchy chorus and the long finale 'Cathedral Spires' would work very well if placed alongside more traditional material, but the rest of the album is something a chore to sit through. While the style may appeal to those who enjoyed the slowing-down of thrash metal practiced by the likes of Pantera and Machine Head, this sounds distinctly unlike a Judas Priest album, with only minimal leftovers from the 'Painkiller' days.
1. Jugulator
2. Blood Stained
3. Dead Meat
4. Death Row
5. Decapitate
6. Burn In Hell
7. Brain Dead
8. Abductors
9. Bullet Train
10. Cathedral Spires
Judas Priest
'98 Live Meltdown
****
Written on 11.08.08
With a terrible title like that, this half-hearted live release from the 'Jugulator' tour isn't going to win over fans who considered Rob Halford irreplaceable, but Tim 'The Ripper' Owens does an adequate job filling in, at least on the more contemporary tracks. His attempts to tackle the older, seventies material are a little lacking, and make the whole thing sound more like a release from a local Judas Priest tribute act.
As a live album, there's nothing to surprise fans here. Most of the best-loved songs are here regardless of quality, though the exclusion of some such as 'Exciter' and 'Turbo Lover' are a little unusual. To promote the then-latest album, there are five new songs interweaved with old material, but fortunately the overview of the back catalogue is very fair, only missing out the lesser albums. The sound quality is high, as expected from an official live release, but no effort has been made to package this as a worthwhile addition to a fan's collection, making it just another outdated live release in the long run.
Disc 1
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Metal Gods
4. Grinder
5. Rapid Fire
6. Blood Stained
7. The Sentinel
8. Touch of Evil
9. Burn in Hell
10. The Ripper
11. Bullet Train
12. Beyond the Realms of Death
13. Death Row
Disc 2
1. Metal Meltdown
2. Nightcrawler
3. Abductors
4. Victim of Changes
5. Diamonds and Rust
6. Breaking the Law
7. The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)
8. Painkiller
9. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
10. Hell Bent for Leather
11. Living After Midnight
Judas Priest
Nostradamus
****
Written on 11.08.08
Judas Priest's latest album is their most ambitious work to date, a double-disc concept album based around the life and prophecies of Michele de Nostredame. Like Haggard's similarly themed albums, the band doesn't get too involved in the debate of whether Nosty's ability to see into the future was genuine, or obviously just not, but the framework is set in place for an entertaining album that borders on a rock opera, especially with Rob Halford's orations.
This isn't the most instantly gratifying or accessible Priest album, but it's still their more creative and focused release for over fifteen years. At almost two hours in length, this is pretty heavy-going, and the repetitive styles mean that it's not an album you could easily digest in one sitting. At the same time, even with the ever-present orchestration complimenting the rock instruments, it's not particularly complex, and there are enough fun songs scattered around to maintain the interest of heavy metal fans, especially 'Prophecy,' 'Persecution,' 'Visions' and 'Nostradamus,' the latter bringing back the classic Priest chorus style and regrettably drawing attention to how dissimilar the rest of the album sounds.
This isn't a great album, not even a particularly epic one, but it should satisfy those who enjoy conceptual rock albums. The frequent interludes bulk out the tracklist to a misleading extent, mostly spoken word pieces reminiscent of Iced Earth's 'Night of the Stormrider,' but anyone who was dreading a repeat of Manowar's shockingly self-indulgent 'Gods of War' release will be gratified that this band at least remembers how to play simplistic, enjoyable heavy metal, underneath the Wagnerian polish.
Disc 1
1. Dawn of Creation
2. Prophecy
3. Awakening
4. Revelations
5. The Four Horsemen
6. War
7. Sands of Time
8. Pestilence and Plague
9. Death
10. Peace
11. Conquest
12. Lost Love
13. Persecution
Disc 2
1. Solitude
2. Exiled
3. Alone
4. Shadows in the Flame
5. Visions
6. Hope
7. New Beginnings
8. Calm Before the Storm
9. Nostradamus
10. The Future of Mankind
Jungle Rot
Fueled By Hate
***
Written on 11.08.08
Jungle Rot are an unexciting American death metal band standing stoically in the face of progression. Their groove-laden style of death metal remains firmly in the Florida style of the early 1990s, which means more of the same for unadventurous Deicide fans who live for grunted vocals, machine gun drums and catchy guitar riffs. While I'm always a little disappointed to see bands pursuing an outdated style and bringing nothing of their own identity to it, Jungle Rot are at least more than competent at what they do.
I suppose a die-hard Jungle Rot fan (if there are any) would be able to recognise their favourite band instantly, but for the rest of the death metal community, this is simply another copycat act bringing its own riffs to the table for our temporary enjoyment. The guitar riffs are the strongest element, catchy if not memorable, while the grunted vocals are easy enough to decipher, even rhyming in the verses in that delightful Neanderthal death metal manner.
1. Intro
2. Face Down
3. Let Them Die
4. Fractured
5. Gain Control
6. Gasping for Air
7. Low Life
8. Scars of the Suffering
9. Symbols of Hate
10. No Surrender
11. Habit Fulfilled
12. More Demon Souls
Jungle Rot
War Zone
***
Written on 11.08.08
Jungle Rot are masters of the craft of producing exactly the same thing time and time again. 'War Zone' will hold no surprises whatsoever to those who heard the previous album, nor anyone who has heard a death metal album from the early 1990s before the genre started to break into new, exciting directions. Bands such as Jungle Rot cater for those stalwart metal snobs who prefer the style in its purest form, specifically the aspect of hearing pretty much the same song over and over again.
I can't fairly rate this album down merely for being unoriginal, as the execution of the style is really very good. The groove-based guitar riffs are impressive in songs such as 'Savage Rite,' and there's enough structural variety in each song to keep them interesting as independent entities, even if listening to the whole thing becomes rather tedious. The only song to really break out of the repetitive style is the slower finale 'Killing Spree,' but even this isn't enough to raise this above the level of mediocrity. If this had been released fifteen years earlier, it might have been a death metal classic. But where would it have stolen all of its ideas from then?
1. Victims of Violence
2. Cut in Two
3. Savage Rite
4. They Gave Their Lives
5. Strong Shall Survive
6. Decapitated
7. Ready for War
8. Ambushed
9. Fight for Life
10. Territoriality
11. Killing Spree
My main issue with the music is that it's all so slow and dull, plodding along at the pace of an average Judas Priest track and only becoming faster and more energetic in 'Battalions' and 'Cursed We Are.' Ice Dale unleashes some pretty cool solos all over the place, but the guitar riffs are predominantly boring and overly repetitive, and no amount of down-tuning is going to convince fans that this is the same guy who played in Enslaved. This album entirely fails to combine the twin world of black metal and classic heavy metal, if this was ever its intention.
1. The Storm I Ride
2. Warriors
3. Between Two Worlds
4. Battalions
5. Mountains
6. Days of North Winds
7. Far Beyond the Quiet
8. Cursed We Are
Iced Earth
*****
Written on 27.07.08
Iced Earth's first three albums of the early nineties are heavy metal classics, combining many of the finest elements of eighties metal with the benefit of hindsight, before record label pressure reduced the band to little more than a Metallica copy-cat. The sound expressed on these first three albums is highly distinctive and each sounds very different to its companions, the self-titled debut being perhaps the least dark and heavy in comparison, but still essentially a meaner and faster take on the classic metal sound of bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
Singer Gene Adam seems to be the main bone of contention for fans with regard to this album, and while it's clear that he's the least talented of Iced Earth's various frontmen, his high wailing sound keeps the album distinctive, and he's equally capable of low-end rasps, even if neither pitch is particularly effective. Songwriter and rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer packs a great deal into each song, and while 'When the Night Falls' may be a little long and repetitive, the sheer quality of material on here means that no track is expendable, even the acoustic interlude 'Solitude.'
1. Iced Earth
2. Written on the Walls
3. Colors
4. Curse the Sky
5. Life and Death
6. Solitude
7. The Funeral
8. When the Night Falls
Advantages: Progressive heavy metal, without showing it.
Disadvantages: Gene Adam is the band's weakest vocalist.
Night of the Stormrider
*****
Written on 27.07.08
Iced Earth's second album is their most ambitious and arguably the band's finest work (at least, if I was doing the arguing). With seven instant metal classics bridged by two equally valid interludes in the form of the shorter 'Before the Vision' and 'Reaching the End,' this is the band's first and darkest concept album, its greatest achievement being that it possesses all the power, darkness and grandeur of a Wagner symphony without resorting to orchestration, beyond the apocalyptic opening choir that sets the tone perfectly.
This is a seriously fast and heavy album, dominated by Jon Schaffer's distinctive guitar triplets, and the most perfect synthesis of the classic British heavy metal and American thrash sounds that I've ever heard, unfortunately coming a few years too late for the mainstream to care, in the wake of heavy metal's death to grunge at the start of the decade. The music is uniformly dark and epic but still manages to be varied, with 'Pure Evil' sounding almost Slayer-like in its intensity, 'Desert Rain' boasting a catchy chorus in the style of Judas Priest and finale 'Travel in Stygian' rivalling Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' in its execution.
This is one of my all-time favourite metal albums.
1. Angels Holocaust
2. Stormrider
3. The Path I Choose
4. Before the Vision
5. Mystical End
6. Desert Rain
7. Pure Evil
8. Reaching the End
9. Travel in Stygian
Advantages: Excellent concept and coherent yet varied musical performance, Iced Earth's best.
Disadvantages: John Greely's vocals often go over the top.
Burnt Offerings
Bitter Cold Winds Freeze the Tears That Fall
*****
Written on 29.08.04
Iced Earth were the victim of their record label. Following disappointing sales of the American metal band’s first two albums, band founder Jon Schaffer fought to get Iced Earth the publicity and recognition he felt they deserved. The band’s third album, Burnt Offerings, marks the beginning and end of an era: after this dark, gloomy, heavy, melancholy record the music retreated to a more simplified style than the accomplished musicianship and complex structures of this early release, but this is also the debut of the exceptional Matthew Barlow on vocals.
Jon Schaffer has publicly expressed his disappointment at this album, much to the bewilderment of many Iced Earth fans. It certainly bridges a gap between the sounds the band were really looking for and does sound similar in places, but the atmosphere and musical skill is virtually unmatched by anything the band have produced before or since. This album was created in a very hostile time, but in my opinion this is one of the finest accomplishments in the metal world from start to finish. Then again, I am a little too passionate about all this metal stuff.
STYLE
Iced Earth’s later albums follow in the far more traditional heavy metal footsteps of bands such as Iron Maiden and Metallica, becoming disappointingly less impressive and original with each subsequent release, but there are few traces of this new sound in their earlier works. This album in particular combines the best elements of thrash, gothic and power metal and sounds unlike anything else.
Barlow’s vocals are a huge step ahead of those of his predecessors, and he remained with the band until 2000. Where the self-titled album was spoiled slightly by Gene Adams’ wails and John Greely’s work on ‘Night of the Stormrider’ never felt fully accomplished, Barlow brings power, aggression and sorrow to the vocals here, using a ‘clean voice’ expertly when it is called for, but also managing guttural sounds in the demonic tracks.
The other excellent feature of this album is Schaffer’s guitar work: the riffs are fast and hard, while the high sections are used to sound both melodic and demonic. Slayer spent years thrashing out speedy riffs and discordant solos in their quest for the ultimate ‘evil’ sound, but in places this album truly sounds like Hell itself. This is obviously aided somewhat by the necessary backing chants used sparingly to great effect.
THE BURNT OFFERINGS
1. Burnt Offerings
2. Last December
3. Diary
4. Brainwashed
5. Burning Oasis
6. Creator Failure
7. The Pierced Spirit
8. Dante’s Inferno:
i. Denial, Lust, Greed
ii. The Prodigal, the Wrathful, Medusa
iii. The False Witness, Angel of Light
The only song that stands out as sounding very different here is the two-minute interlude THE PIERCED SPIRIT that effectively bridges the gap between the bulk of the album and the final epic. This acoustic passage is light and reflective and offers some time to recover from the intensity of the other tracks, which are all modern metal masterpieces.
BURNT OFFERINGS opens the album and as soon as I heard it, this became one of my favourite songs of all time. The dingy atmosphere is clear right from the start with a piano and high guitar intro leading into an excellent and Hell-encapsulating riff. Barlow’s vocals are at their very best here, ranging from raspy and vicious verses to his sorrowful deep vocals in the chorus. The hellish atmosphere created here is incredible, and for me this is the real gem of the album, with a killer guitar solo to boot. LAST DECEMBER is a little shorter and more straightforward but contains the catchiest and most melodic chorus of the album; this is also where the feelings of loss and sadness are strongest, in the tale of two lovers who can only be together through a mutual suicide pact in the frozen winter.
DIARY and BRAINWASHED are the fastest and most openly aggressive tracks on the album and as such I don’t have the same fondness for them as I do for the more complex and meaningful tracks, but these still make for very entertaining listening. Diary is the shorter and simpler of the two, but there are some excellent guitar sections within Brainwashed that make it another classic Iced Earth track, with some very clear analogies to the nature of the music industry and record labels, touching issues that Schaffer himself has had unpleasant experience with.
BURNING OASIS and CREATOR FAILURE form the part of the album that is easy to overlook, but that rewards the patient listener. Both of these tracks feature more of the complex layered guitars of the title track and greater use of Barlow’s clean vocals in the melodic sections. The aggression and resentful lyrics never quite let up however, but these are still a huge step ahead of other thrash bands’ attempts at deeper song styles.
The album closes with the fifteen minute epic DANTE’S INFERNO, based on the first part of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy which I have read, struggled with and enjoyed, and recreated excellently and very fittingly with this complex and progressive track. Beginning slowly and quietly, this song travels through tempo, melody, heaviness and the use of symphonic and choral accompaniment to create something that may be a little too much for some people, but that is clearly the metal equivalent of Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries.’
VERDICT
This album will be enjoyed by anyone whose interest in metal extends to the full-blown depths of despair and anger, but it strangely doesn’t leave the listener feeling hostile in any way. The eight tracks here are all masterpieces that sound excellent and fitting when placed together, but that could perhaps be appreciated even more when listened to separately as part of a live set or compilation. ‘Burnt Offerings’ is the song that does it for me, as ‘Dante’s Inferno’ is a little too long even for me (and I’ve sat through my fair share of twenty minute plus tracks), with ‘Last December’ holding up the emotional side of the disc. The artwork, taken from classic illustrations to Dante’s epic, suits the mood of this CD perfectly, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in that side of metal who would otherwise never have come across this record.
Jon Schaffer is a musical genius and Matt Barlow is one of the most impressive vocalists on the metal scene, and this 1996 achievement is their combined masterwork. 1998’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ and the incredible collection ‘Alive at Athens’ have kept Iced Earth in the metal mainstream, but little has come close to the sheer force of Burnt Offerings
Advantages: Powerful, meaningful and involving, Excellently crafted and written, Talented musicians and vocals
Disadvantages: Tracks sound similar at first, Not for all moods, Not to everyone's taste
The Dark Saga
From the Depths of Hell
****
Written on 06.08.04
Iced Earth are one of my favourite bands, perhaps my very favourite (although there are a couple of other contenders also beginning with 'I'). The band's most impressive feature is their ability to constantly update and evolve their sound with each album, meaning that no two sound alike, although with their earlier works this was also down to the ever-changing procession of vocalists. It's not all down to creativity and progression though: Matthew Barlow's vocals are incredible, while Jon Schaffer's rhythm guitars show the kids the real advantage of skipping school to knuckle down some serious string practice (not that he did that; the guy has a history degree).
Iced Earth's 1996 album is based around Todd McFarlane's 'Spawn' series of comic books and graphic novels, a hugely popular cult series in America and one that I flirted around with for a while when I was twelve, mainly because I was fascinated by the pictures of blood and Hell. Bloody hell.
For those of you who aren't familiar with 'Spawn,' and therefore probably don't have glasses or suffer from massive obesity, it is the tragic story of a man (Al Simmons) who, when he died, was taken to Hell and eventually escaped, albeit as a tattered, demonic version of his former self. In the comics he fights against Hellish creatures and street gangs against the back alley setting of a dark American city, but the driving plot (and the one covered on this album) is his overwhelming feelings of love and loss concerning his wife, who has now become involved with his former best friend. The Hellspawn also seeks redemption for his soul by carrying out tasks set by the forces of heaven.
STYLE
Like all of Iced Earth's albums, this is very consistent and reasonably diverse, but the musical style and structure underwent a distinct change after 'Burnt Offerings': the debut of vocalist Matthew Barlow was dark, violent, atmospheric, haunting and had an overall epic sound, aided by the fifteen minute closing track, but 'The Dark Saga' sounds trimmed and less intense by comparison. This is partly due to the band's continuous battles with the record label who desired a more straightforward style to attract more consumers (think Metallica's self-titled black album), but it was also down to the decisions of Schaffer and the band in creating music based around the specific subject matter.
Unlike 'Burnt Offerings' (which sounded in places like it really was the sound of Hell, but Hell if it was cool like in music videos), this doesn’t convey any sense of story merely through the music for the most part, sounding primarily like a strong and well-structured collection of metal tracks with an overall bleak and violent atmosphere, although the final offering does sound strangely angelic amidst the shouting.
THE SAGA
1. Dark Saga
2. I Died For You
3. Violate
4. Hunter
5. The Last Laugh
6. Depths of Hell
7. Vengeance is Mine
8. The Suffering part I - Scarred
9. The Suffering part II - Slave to the Dark
10. A Question of Heaven
This is an excellent metal album and the quality of the song-writing and instruments makes the less intense style a bonus rather than a disappointment. As a concept album there are several recurring guitar riffs and drum beats to keep the musical flow, every song featuring similar-sounding instruments a lot more than in the band's other albums. The guitars, drums, bass and vocals range from fast, violent, thrash metal to melodic, reflective songs, with a lot more in-between.
The album begins fairly slow and measured with 'DARK SAGA,' setting the scene from the album standpoint, but also a great stand-alone track. Many features of this song, especially the mock-acoustic guitar melodies and explosion of riffs after a quiet build-up, appear throughout the album. 'I DIED FOR YOU' is the first of the power ballads incorporating excellent acoustic work but again breaking into heavier riffs for the chorus, the clarity of the vocals being an advantage here in understanding the storyline.
'VIOLATE,' 'THE LAST LAUGH,' 'DEPTHS OF HELL' and 'VENGEANCE IS MINE' are all fairly similar sounding in their speed and aggression, Barlow's vocals taking a raspier, guttural sound for the persona of the demonic characters. Although these would clearly go down well at the band's live shows (and indeed do, judging by the fantastic 'Alive in Athens' collection), they are the weakest links on this album, not really fitting into the sombre mood and suffering in comparison to the band's earlier, more successful thrash tracks.
The finest tracks on this album are those with a little more depth and originality, in the form of the catchy and slightly upbeat 'HUNTER,' the brooding 'SCARRED' and 'SLAVE TO THE DARK' and my favourite on the CD, 'A QUESTION OF HEAVEN.' This closing track incorporates the best elements of the previous songs and adds extra acoustic and choral vocal touches to create something stirring and very emotional; Barlow's vocals are at their very best here, and it's primarily this epic tale of redemption that saves the album from being the mediocre offering in Iced Earth's discography.
VERDICT
Although it's a number of steps away from being a modern metal classic, 'The Dark Saga' is an interesting offering from an excellent band, although many of the tracks do sound like they could use some fine tuning and refinement. This is the start of the band's more slick and raw era however, and special credit is due to 'I Died For You' and 'A Question of Heaven' which are the band's first and best attempts at the power ballad style they repeated on their later releases. The drums and guitars don't exactly shine here either, the focus being primarily on keeping the flow and dingy atmosphere, however there are a couple of classic memorable guitar riffs that I often catch myself accidentally humming (especially 'Hunter').
Fans of eighties-era Metallica will doubtless enjoy this album, but it certainly isn't the finest or most memorable offering from Iced Earth. For intense, epic metal, their first three albums ('Iced Earth,' 'Night of the Stormrider,' 'Burnt Offerings') are phenomenal, while 199'’s 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' continues with and improves the Dark Saga sound to create a much more worthwhile investment. Spawn fans will probably love this too: it has to be better than the terrible film adaptation.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Morph Them in the Likeness of Man
*****
Written on 19.08.04
Iced Earth are one of the most impressive metal bands, combining elements of their successful forefathers Metallica and Iron Maiden to create a sound that is both heavy and melodic. I don't let the fact that they were about ten years too late spoil the experience.
Their appeal is a step away from mainstream metal acts, but the band have still amassed a legion of loyal and casual fans across the world with their consistently impressive and interesting albums that keep shifting the music in a slightly different direction.
'Something Wicked This Way Comes' is often seen as their most perfect album, although others see its structure and varied style as a weakness when compared to their more intense past offerings. Either way, I found this the perfect introduction to what has become my favourite band.
SOUND
The most noticeable aspect of this album is the structure: the first ten tracks alternate between speedy metal tracks and slower, acoustic-influenced semi-ballads. This can be a little off-putting and predictable at first, but it gives the album a very interesting sound, even if some of the acoustic passages begin to sound similar.
Although Iced Earth were experimenting with lighter songs as far back as their debut, their modern style was established with 1996's 'The Dark Saga': gone were the lengthy, experimental epics, replaced with something more straightforward and accessible. The Dark Saga's mix of thrashy speed metal and a couple of classic power ballads is expanded on in this 1998 album, although it does lack the excellent brooding, dark atmosphere of that earlier release.
Jon Schaffer is the man behind Iced Earth, and his rhythm guitars are again one of the highlights of the album, but there is increasing focus on the powerful vocals of Matt Barlow in leading the songs, especially with his emotional performance on the slower tracks. This is still a heavy metal album, but the diversity means that it can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys rock in its various incarnations.
1 Burning Times ♂
2. Melancholy (Holy Martyr) ♀
3. Disciples of the Lie ♂
4. Watching Over Me ♀
5. Stand Alone ♂
6. Consequences ♀
7. My Own Saviour ♂
8. Reaping Stone ♀
9. 1776 ♂
10. Blessed Are You ♀
~ "Something Wicked" trilogy ~
11. Prophecy
12. Birth of the Wicked
13. The Coming Curse
I have noted above the alternating style of track. The ♂ symbol indicates a speedy, heavy track (a man's track, obviously), while the ♀ symbol shows a slower, more reflective track that is obviously a bit more girly. There's nothing wrong with being girly though, as you'll see.
THE FAST...
In terms of the main album, there are some songs that are obviously classics; others that are less impressive, however judging by the incredible 3-CD live album 'Alive in Athens,' the band consider most of them worthy of a live performance. Out of the faster (odd-numbered) tracks, there is quite a degree of variation: DISCIPLES OF THE LIE is long, aggressive and loud, while STAND ALONE is shorter, punchier and more of a celebratory anthem.
BURNING TIMES is an excellent mid-tempo opener, MY OWN SAVIOUR has some of the best guitars of the album, and the instrumental 1776 is one of the high points of the whole album as it's incredibly catchy. Long live instrumentals, even if they do have irrelevant names.
...THE SLOW...
I love a good metal ballad, but I don't like a mediocre one: bands who rush out a slower song and stick in some acoustics just to make their albums a little more diverse are sods. Thankfully, Jon Schaffer and Iced Earth are masters of many styles, and they know when to make a slow song touching, emotional or menacing. The stand-out tracks are very obviously MELANCHOLY and WATCHING OVER ME, both very moving songs that become heavier part way through but never lose their atmosphere or impact, and both of these were released on a promo for the album at a later date. 'Watching Over Me' is Schaffer's dedication to his friend who died in a motorbike accident, although I can't decide which is the more powerful song. These are definitely the songs to check out if you're new to the band.
Following the two classic slow songs was clearly a difficult matter, and the remaining tracks CONSEQUENCES, REAPING STONE and BLESSED ARE YOU don't have the same impact or entertainment, but are still great additions to the album. The rousing chorus of 'Blessed Are You' makes it a definite crowd-pleaser, while 'Reaping Stone' is the most mysterious and foreboding of the album, which is nice.
...AND THE WICKED
For me, the real highlight of this album comes with the 'Something Wicked' trilogy at the end, a section of the disc that sounds and feels very different and is exempt from the fast/slow rule of the previous songs. In the style of Iced Earth's earlier concept albums such as 'Night of the Stormrider,' Schaffer has constructed songs based around an epic storyline that he's so proud of, he's given it a copyright.
PROPHECY is my personal favourite track of the whole album, its slow first half leading to one of the catchiest guitar riffs I've ever heard (and I've heard many), while THE COMING CURSE features operatic backing vocals, a piano and orchestration to build to a huge climax. BIRTH OF THE WICKED is a little less impressive, basically acting as central filler in the way 'The Empire Strikes Back' didn't.
VERDICT
The important thing to know about this album is whether or not it's to your taste, and the earlier description of Iron Maiden meets Metallica seems to be the general idea, at least in terms of the majority of tracks. Mixing together the sounds of Metallica's 'Ride the Lightning' and Maiden's 'Piece of Mind' would create a discordant mess of overlapping guitar solos and different voices shouting over each other, but it would also somehow sound like this.
Iced Earth's thrash offerings may be nothing new, but their slow songs are excellent and at their peak here before the band moved into power metal territory. Now that I've heard the band's whole discography, I'm not so sure this is my favourite album: it's diverse and enjoyable, but a couple of tracks are a little inconsistent. Their earlier work is more gratifying for fans of intricate, epic music with very dark atmosphere, but considering their less impressive recent releases, this is a great place to enter the Iced realm.
'Alive in Athens,' which followed this album, is a flawless collection of live songs from the band's whole career, while a compilation has recently been released by Century Media serving a similar purpose. Iced Earth are the modern metal gods; for so it is written and so it will be shall.
Horror Show
6 6 6
****
Written on 10.07.06
Matt Barlow’s final album with Iced Earth takes a fitting shift to vocal-centric power metal, leaving the technical, thrashy guitar riffs of the band’s back catalogue behind them. Perhaps due to the band’s friendship and side projects with members of Blind Guardian and the resurgence in heavy metal’s popularity, Iced Earth pulls itself from the infernal ‘dark metal’ style they had been categorised under by critics terrified of un-classifiable music and reinvents itself as a power metal band for one album only.
Since Barlow’s introduction in 1994 and the record label’s prompt that the band simplify and commercialise their sound shortly thereafter, Iced Earth’s music moved progressively towards a more traditional heavy metal style with the release of each album, despite the occasional excess in album concepts and orchestral arrangements. Schaffer’s furiously fast rhythm guitars started to act more as a consistent background hum in tandem with the drums, and Barlow’s alternately booming and screaming vocals took centre stage. By the release of ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ in 1998, Iced Earth’s sound was an almost perfect fusion of the English heavy metal sound of Iron Maiden and the American thrash of Metallica. It’s just a shame the band was ten years too late to enjoy the same success as their predecessors.
2001’s ‘Horror Show’ is an important album for the band, as like many American musicians, the September 11th attacks would have a profound effect on the musical direction of subsequent releases. Whereas 2004’s ‘The Glorious Burden’ burdens itself with communicating ideals of peace, justice and necessary conflict, ‘Horror Show’ is an innocent celebration of famous monsters and scary movies.
Iced Earth, ‘Horror Show’ (Century Media, 2001)
1. Wolf
2. Damien
3. Jack
4. Ghost of Freedom
5. Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh’s Curse)
6. Jekyll and Hyde
7. Dragon’s Child
8. Frankenstein
9. Dracula
10. Phantom Opera Ghost
11. Transylvania
As the tracklist suggests, each song is a specific ‘tribute’ to a movie monster, though some are less obvious than others (and I object to the mis-spelling of track 8, which everyone knows should be ‘Frankingstein’). Influenced by heavy metal and led by rhythm guitar triplets, the dominant sound on this album is a speedy one, but there are deliberate exceptions in the ballads and introductions. ‘Damien’ and ‘Ghost of Freedom’ are the two songs here that maintain a plodding pace, the former a near-epic with chants that’s reminiscent lyrically of Iron Maiden and musically of Black Sabbath. ‘Ghost of Freedom’ has been described as Iced Earth’s answer to Metallica’s melancholy ‘Fade to Black,’ but that comparison is far off the mark: ‘Ghost’ is one of the less impressive pieces here, its repetitive, jingoistic lyrics (‘don’t tread on meeee’) sounding out of place on this album, and only saved from obscurity by Barlow’s excellent delivery. ‘Frankenstein’ is mid-paced and sound similar to the Sabbath-esque ‘Reaping Stone’ on the band’s previous album, but is less interesting. Perhaps, sadly and ironically, influence needs to be more prominent and obvious to be successful.
Most songs follow a predictable but wholly enjoyable fast heavy metal style, but this sound does wear a little thin as the album continues and songs that don’t mark themselves out tend to get lost as filler. ‘Jack,’ ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and ‘Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh’s Curse)’ all fall by the wayside, which is disappointing, and the only song that really impresses and succeeds in this basic form is the excellent opener ‘Wolf.’ ‘Im-Ho-Tep’ does deserve commendation for not resorting to that damn ‘authentic Egyptian electric guitar riff’ attempted in every other metal band’s Egyptian song. Everyone has one. Iced Earth has three.
Including ‘Wolf,’ the four most impressive songs on this album all follow very different pathfinders, and all sound excellent and distinctive as a result. ‘Dragon’s Child’ and ‘Dracula’ are the closest the album comes to European power metal, the former relying on a catchy chorus over easily-dismissed guitar riffs and the latter forming the more epic finale of the album. ‘Dracula’ is split into two parts: a slow build-up led by acoustic guitar and fretless bass that explodes into slow, measured loud sections, and the second half, which is incredibly fast and exciting and features Barlow’s finest vocals ever in a completely over-the-top, awe-inspiring screaming performance. If Barlowe hadn’t left after this album, the follow-up would have been much, much better. ‘Phantom Opera Ghost’ is something of a melodramatic final song (‘Transylvania’ is an instrumental cover of Iron Maiden, and doesn’t appear on all versions of the CD). Featuring grating female vocals that turn the song into a mini rock opera, this isn’t exactly the heavy metal answer to Andrew Lloyd Webber, but it’s a nice long song, and it lasts.
Every Iced Earth album stands proud and distinct in the band’s discography, ‘Horror Show’ a little more than others. The end of one era and the beginning of another, as ‘The Glorious Burden’ relies on much the same Iron Maiden / Judas Priest influenced sound as this collection, only with more lyrics about how fantastic the USA is. ‘Horror Show’ is an accessible way for newcomers to get into the band, especially for newcomers with a background in the types of music mentioned in this review. The beauty of Iced Earth’s back-catalogue is that there’s enough diversity to please different breeds of metal fan, from the dingy, epic thrash of their early years to their brief flirtation with a (commercial) Metallica-esque sound.
‘Horror Show’ is more of an instantly likeable release than some of the heavier earlier offerings, but over time provides less replay value due to its relatively superficial nature. A nice collection of songs about monsters for people who like heavy metal.
Advantages: An enjoyable, varied collection of songs and styles
Disadvantages: Weaker tracks, and a lack of focus in places
Tribute to the Gods
**
Written on 27.07.08
There are two fundamental ways to approach a cover song: either a band adapts the old song to their own distinctive style and attempts to make it their own, or they remain pedantically faithful to the original and end up sounding inevitably inferior and redundant. Unfortunately, for this collection of cover songs of their favourite artists, Iced Earth opted for the latter.
To be fair to this album, it was originally only available as part of the otherwise excellent 'Dark Genesis' boxset that contained their earliest albums, and could be forgiven as an unnecessary extra. But then someone had the bright idea to market it as a genuine full-length release, and it has to be treated as such. Not only is the selection of bands and songs repetitive and incredibly obvious, but Iced Earth's versions are uniformly worse than the originals, simply for trying to hard to match them exactly. It's hard to listen to their takes on your favourite bands without wincing a little at Matt Barlow's over-enthusiastic wailing, reminiscent of Kiss' Paul Stanley even when he isn't even singing a Kiss song.
1. Creatures of the Night (Kiss cover)
2. The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden cover)
3. Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover)
4. Burnin' for You (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
5. God of Thunder (Kiss cover)
6. Screaming for Vengeance (Judas Priest cover)
7. Dead Babies (Alice Cooper cover)
8. Cities on Flame (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
9. It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (AC/DC cover)
10. Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)
11. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden cover)
The Reckoning
O, Say Can You See...
***
Written on 25.10.05
Following September 11th, many Americans found their lives and views in a sort of crisis and were spurred on to make drastic lifestyle changes. While for some this basically meant leaving New York, a rare breed of people, or specifically Matt Barlowe, the former vocalist of American heavy metal band 'Iced Earth,' decided to become a lawyer.
Barlowe's incredible vocal talents were what attracted me to this band in the first place, and so I was very disappointed to hear that he had left them behind so soon after I became a fan. It took 3 years for the band to release 'The Glorious Burden,' the first album with their new vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens, and it was preceded by this short E.P. to whet fans' appetites while the new album was being polished off.
THE LONG, HARD ROAD OUT OF HELL
Owens is a very different vocalist from Barlowe, but thankfully he suits the new style of music that the band, under direction of its founder, songwriter and guitar axeman Jon Schaffer, decided to take. While their early albums 'Iced Earth,' 'Night of the Stormrider' and 'Burnt Offerings' possessed a very distinctive thundering sound that met somewhere between Iron Maiden and Slayer, Century Media records essentially told Schaffer to stop messing around creating epics that spearhead the genre into the 21st century and to instead start ripping off popular bands and sell more CDs. So he did. But it still sounded great.
'The Dark Saga' acts as a Metallica album about Spawn, 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' alternates between thrash and power ballad with every odd and even numbered track and 'Horror Show,' Barlowe's swan song, owes more than a little debt to the European power metal bands such as Blind Guardian with whom Schaffer had been working.
The tendency for Iced Earth to rely increasingly on the vocals over musicianship and originality culminates in 'The Reckoning.' Four tracks that mainly highlight the band's softer side, there's still no hiding the band's rather poor decision to become a Judas Priest for the 21st century, when Judas Priest themselves are already doing so much better.
THE RECKONING
The title track of this E.P. is as good an introduction as any to the new musical style and the manic vocals of "Ripper" Owens (who earned his name for his over-the-top performances of that Judas Priest song while he was in the band). A quiet build up launches into the really very high vocals of the chorus and the chugging of guitars for a while, before a softer instrumental section where Owens goes for a more wailing approach until the riff breaks out again. Jon Schaffer's riffs are one of Iced Earth's best features, and this song does remind me how fantastic he is, if providing quite a dramatic and unusual introduction to their new sound and vocals for the uninitiated. The song rather sloppily fades out over the riff in the third minute of the song, but would be naturally extended on the album proper.
Schaffer is also a great acoustic guitar player, as he showed on the softer half of 1998's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes,' and this side of the band has a strong presence here. Their September 11th anthem 'When the Eagle Cries' is presented in all its unplugged glory here, predating the more powerful electric version on 'The Glorious Burden' but offering a nice contrast to the opening track. This version of the song can also be found on the limited edition version of The Glorious Burden which includes the extra epic disc and is really the only version worth buying. 'Eagle' isn't a technically masterful song, but it's emotional and touching, if a little too patriotic for people across the sea.
'Valley Forge' begins with an acoustic section and Iron Maiden-esque narration style by Owens before the galloping riff kicks in and leads to the great ensemble chorus. This is my favourite song on here, a great heavy metal song with a cool extended solo, if a little predictable in structure, and fares a lot better when presented among acoustic songs rather than its haphazard ninth track placing on the later album. With the ominous vocal introduction and build-up to a rip-roaring guitar finale, I feel this would have been a stronger opening to the E.P. and even an alternate focus of the title.
'Hollow Man' is an annoyingly catchy acoustic ballad, the second on this collection which gives a false impression that The Glorious Burden will feature many songs in this vein (in fact it's only these two). Schaffer's guitar sounds exactly the same as it did during 'Melancholy (Holy Martry),' 'Watching Over Me' and every other acoustic song from Something Wicked, the difference being Owens' vocals, which are at their most restrained and bellowing here in the chorus, and sound all the better for it. A good ending that sticks in the listener's head, but after the unplugged 'Eagle' and the acoustic sections of 'Valley' it could have been replaced with something better and more varied for the fans.
VERDICT
'The Glorious Burden' sold well, but it isn't a direction I'm so far enjoying in the life of this changeable and formerly impressive metal band. It's fun and simple, but adds nothing to the thirty-year-old sound it's trying to replicate. The second disc of the album features a half-hour epic symphonic heavy metal suite divided into three intensely patriotic songs lamenting and celebrating 'Gettysburg 1863,' and this is the only truly original and impressive aspect of the album.
'The Reckoning' restricts itself to the simpler, more commercial side of the album and sounds tame and unimpressive by comparison, but serves its function of informing newcomers and long-time fans of the band's sound and style. Three of the four songs are based directly on American history and there is a strong focus on acoustic guitars that don't permeate the later album in the same way, but this was an interesting and worthwhile release that was sadly only useful for the few months before the album came out.
The unplugged 'When the Eagle Cries' can commonly be found as the eleventh track of the album's first disc, when buying the special edition, while 'The Reckoning' and 'Valley Forge' are presented in their uncut entirety on the album, although this E.P. only trims about one minute from each, probably in order to stick to its decreed running length.
E.P.s are a funny business, occasionally released in incredibly limited quantity as an excuse for an album and including otherwise unreleased songs but sometimes, like this, existing simply because the term "single" doesn't attract the heavy metal CD consumer.
The Glorious Burden
The Home of the Brave
****
Written on 10.05.04
In 2004, American heavy metal band Iced Earth released their first album in over three years to mixed reviews. Some long-time fans were disappointed at the change in vocalist, while some non-Americans found the patriotic themes irrelevant and irritating. Other people just loved the wailing guitars.
BACKGROUND
The rather turbulent and interesting history of Iced Earth, often considered one of the finest but least recognised modern heavy metal bands, is plain to see upon viewing their discography. Two unsuccessful albums with two different and equally unimpressive vocalists led to their first outing with Matt Barlow in the dark and thrashy 'Burnt Offerings.' Barlow's deep and powerful vocals pushed the band into more commercial territory, no doubt aided by the record company, and their albums 'Dark Saga,' 'Something Wicked this Way Comes' and 'Horror Show' were all hugely successful in the metal world.
Following the release of this final album in 2000, Matt Barlow left and the future looked bleak for Iced Earth, and it didn't help that guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer broke his back (temporarily and non-fatally). The band finally brought out their latest album, 'The Glorious Burden,' with ex-Judas Priest vocalist Tim "The Ripper" Owens handling the screams, and his very different vocal style certainly has an impact on the rest of the music. His nickname is a lot more innocent than it sounds, as his performance on Priest's song 'The Ripper' was always greatly appreciated by the band.
STYLE
All of Iced Earth's albums have held distinctive styles, while still being very recognisable as the same band, but this release is noticeably in a different league than the power metal of 'Horror Show.' At first I wasn't sure whether I liked it, but as the album progresses it shows itself to be a completely solid and excellent metal album. Some of the band's past work has been noted as a fusion between the 1980s metal kings Metallica and Iron Maiden, some of the biggest influences on the band, but there is more of a European power metal influence to 'The Glorious Burden,' with Judas Priest influences coming from Owens.
As with all Iced Earth releases of recent years, there are no lengthy epic tracks or impressive guitar solos; the focus is on punchy three to five minute metal anthems with great choruses, interesting lyrics and memorable guitar riffs. This album attains these goals perfectly, but the quality of the more complex bonus disc does suggest that it could have benefited more from a grander approach. The historical subject matter and high vocals make this far less aggressive than some of the bands other albums and as a result it may be more upbeat in places. The music is still fast and quite hard, with many more high guitar sections, complimented with Maiden/Priest high screams, and there are also a couple of slow songs thrown in for good measure. Theoretically, any fans of classic heavy metal bands should like this a lot.
TRACKS
The patriotic theme of this album is thrust down the listener's eardrums as soon as this familiar anthem THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER is played. As I'm always a sucker for some high guitar harmony I love the sound of this intro, although I doubt this electric guitar solo will ever replace the more traditional approach.
DECLARATION DAY kick-starts the album with some impressive drumming and guitars. A great high chorus leaves nothing to the imagination regarding the Ripper's abilities, and he sounds very reminiscent of European vocalists such as Hans Kershi from Blind Guardian here. A great opening song, although Owens' vocals do go over the top as the song progresses; not a song to listen to immediately if you are not accustomed to the new style.
WHEN THE EAGLE CRIES is the first ballad on the album dealing with the effects of 9/11, but not really to my taste. Owens sounds more like Maiden's Bruce Dickinson here, and although the chorus is very infectious and catchy it's only really the guitars that I like here. There is an acoustic bonus track of this song on the special edition release of this album, and this is likely the most accessible track here.
Released earlier than the album in order to introduce fans to the new vocalist, no song could do the job better than THE RECKONING. The start of the song features some great high vocals that actually remind me of the band?s previous albums, and the upbeat guitar riff makes this one of the best tracks on the album. The only real problem I have with it is that the chorus sounds a little "proggy," but Jon Schaffer's guitars are as fast and excellent as ever. Interesting changes in tone towards the end of the song.
GREENFACE is fast and heavy, but nothing different to what has come before. This features one of the few impressive guitar solos of the album, but aside from that there is nothing astounding or classic about this. The song deals with SWAT team-style operations, and was reportedly recorded for the band's friends in the military.
ATILLA comes in at over five minutes and is therefore one of the longer tracks, but not particularly the most impressive. Schaffer's high guitar sections are again the highlight, but Owens' attempts at more aggressive vocals during the verses don't really work, and it does sound a little obvious that the guitarist has written his lyrics. When the bridge and chorus become lighter he once again excels at higher notes, and he is given the opportunity of a long-winded scream that is always a treat.
RED BARON / BLUE MAX is my favourite track on the album, as it is very short but impressive. Energetic and powerful, Owens' vocals actually blend in to the music and don't overwhelm it for a change, apart from in the incredibly over-the-top chorus which sounds fantastic. If the rest of the album followed some of these examples it would be a better disc.
HOLLOW MAN is the second ballad track, and I prefer it to the more popular 'Eagle Cries.' Schaffer's guitars are pleasantly reminiscent of the 'Something Wicked' album and the Ripper again manages the emotional vocals expertly. Another great track that picks up at the end.
VALLEY FORGE opens very unusually with almost a capella vocals by Owens before he is subliminally joined by the bass and guitar. Another energetic song that improves with every listen and contains the most impressive guitar solo section on the whole album; inspiring, fitting and not at all distracting, this is how good guitar parts should be played.
WATERLOO is another five-minuter that allows the band to go into more detail. This is catchy, punchy and an excellent closing track. A modern metal classic, and I would argue Owens' best and catchiest vocals in both the verses and the chorus, I much prefer it when he doesn?t go overboard on the high notes a la 'the Darkness.'
EXTRA TRACKS
Not available on the regular edition of this CD, but the special edition is currently readily available on websites. An acoustic version of 'When the Eagle Cries' completes disc one, while the second disc is comprised of a thirty-eight minute epic track with orchestral accompaniment. That's right, basically everything that the band wanted to experiment with, but didn't want amidst the fast metal anthems of their first disc.
GETTYSBURG (1863) is divided into three parts, each of which represents one day in the three day battle:
HOLD AT ALL COSTS is quite a slow, chugging monster of a track and features amazing guitar sections towards the end as the orchestral elements make themselves known. The song ends with some gunfire and warfare sounds, which all good metal albums should contain.
HIGH WATER MARK continues in the same vein and can get a little tiresome and repetitive, with far too many instrumentals, but it is nonetheless a good continuation of the song. Very lengthy at 17 minutes however.
THE DEVIL TO PAY truly ends the album in style, and in some ways manages to be another ballad among other things during the twelve and a half minutes. Every instrument gets some time alone to show what it's capable of, and the symphony creates a fantastic atmosphere throughout. A little overlong, but this is forgivable considering the length of most of the early tracks. Not as classic as similar works by other bands.
The subject matter of most of these songs concerns the American War of Independence as well as more international conflicts ('Atilla the Hun' and 'Red Baron' tales for example), but it is all executed in an appreciative manner, a far cry from the trench poetry of World War I. The messages are that war is regrettable but inspiring, and peace should be appreciated, and Jon Schaffer is clearly a history buff as much as Steve Harris from Iron Maiden.
VERDICT
The pro-American nature of this album should not be seen as having any contemporary political motivations, it is simply an appreciation of past glories and as such does not put me off in any way, especially as most Iron Maiden songs I listen to on a daily basis are about fighting German and Russians.
As may be apparent, I was saddened by Matt Barlow's departure from the band as his powerful and haunting vocals in some of their popular power ballads are what attracted me to this band in the first place, but the Ripper's high vocals are great when I'm in an Iron Maiden mood (which is pretty much all the time, even when I'm asleep, based on a recent dream I had). This album does keep getting better as it goes on, and the trilogy on the second disc deserve to be kept apart due to their different style.
Iced Earth are not the greatest songwriters or musicians the metal scene has ever seen, but their albums never try and suggest otherwise. 'The Glorious Burden' is fast and catchy heavy metal and contains some really great tracks, and is only really let down by the similarity and uninspired nature of some songs. I wasn't really disappointed by this album, but it doesn't inspire me or appeal to me as much as some of their earlier efforts. I would strongly recommend the double disc special edition as the tracks on the second disc bring this album to a more complex and involving, epic level. If the rest of the album stuck to this style, it would be a lot more interesting, but would possibly suffer for it; a difficult balancing act and a very good album.
The Blessed and the Damned
*****
Written on 27.07.08
Century Media's 2004 compilation of Iced Earth material attempts to be something more than a standard "best-of" by contriving a heaven vs. hell scenario in its artwork that's supposed to be reflected in the arrangement of the songs on each respective disc, but ultimately doesn't really work. Roughly half of Iced Earth's work is highly conceptual, meaning that shifting protagonists and themes destroy any sense of coherence here, but taken as a simple collection of damn fine Iced Earth songs from throughout their career, it can't really be faulted, with even distribution from all albums released up to 2001.
My favourite aspect of the album is that it forsakes the awful and somewhat offensive re-makes of earlier songs as found on the appalling 'Days of Purgatory' release, instead placing the originals alongside later works without feeling the need to have Matt Barlow tackle them all. The inclusion of random live tracks from 'Alive in Athens' feels a little out of place, but makes sense when viewing this album as an effective sampler for Iced Earth's catalogue, and as much as I'd enjoy rating it down by one star for failing to bring anything new to the field for fans who already own the previous albums, the sheer quantity of excellent material doesn't permit me to do so. I'd still recommend 'Alive in Athens' over this as a more definitive and better sequenced collection of the band's first ten years, only missing out the somewhat weaker 'Horror Show' material.
Disc 1
1. Burning Times
2. Wolf
3. The Hunter
4. Curse the Sky
5. Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
6. Stormrider
7. Burnt Offerings
8. Travel in Stygian (Live)
9. Dark Saga
10. Written on the Walls
11. Damien
Disc 2
1. Angels Holocaust
2. Desert Rain
3. Last December
4. Watching Over Me
5. Pure Evil (Live)
6. The Path I Choose
7. I Died For You
8. Disciples of the Lie
9. When the Night Falls
10. Jack
11. Iced Earth
12. Violate (Live)
Overture of the Wicked
A Painful Vision Indeed
**
Written on 01.08.07
As a generous taster of their forthcoming mammoth double-album concept project, Florida heavy metal band Iced Earth released this four-track E.P. of mostly exclusive material on June 4th, essentially an extended single of ‘Ten Thousand Strong,’ a song from the forthcoming album, but complimented by controversial re-recordings of older material with the more recent singer, Tim “The Ripper” Owens.
Iced Earth’s tendency to re-write history and essentially disregard their past triumphs in favour of promoting the strength of their current incarnation has been in evidence since Matt Barlow first joined in 1994, and is the band’s most consistently irritating feature. Barlow’s vocal performance was incredible, a powerful mix of rumbling, emotive rasps and rare high pitched screams that trashed all of his contemporary metal singers by comparison, and he only improved with each release, making it regrettable news that following the September 11th attacks he felt the need to ‘re-evaluate’ his life and quit the band, amusingly turning up later in a police band with his ginger Viking locks all shaved off. Barlow’s performance in the band was so impressive and well-received, on both new material and old classics from the first two albums, that Iced Earth released the 3-CD box-set ‘Days of Purgatory’ in 1997 to essentially re-record all of the older material with the band’s new voice. Even worse, and perhaps due to personal grievances or ownership conflicts, lyrics such as those to ‘Written on the Walls’ were replaced entirely under the new title ‘Cast in Stone,’ which became the official version of the song thereafter.
Barlow’s replacement by Tim Owens, fresh out of Judas Priest after his idol Rob Halford returned to the fold and a second-rate replacement was no longer needed, was an interesting and unusual move for Iced Earth, operating as always under the leadership of guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer, who seems to have something of ‘Star Wars’ revisionist creator George Lucas in him. Owens, known affectionately as “The Ripper” due to his alleged supremacy at tackling that early Priest number, possessed a very different range to Barlow and his long-forgotten predecessors, essentially the same range Rob Halford occupied on later Judas Priest material such as their classic ‘Painkiller.’ Ear-splitting shrieks held for longer than was thought humanly possible were something Iced Earth fans were not necessarily accustomed to, and although the first album with Owens entitled ‘The Glorious Burden’ was largely mediocre, sub-Judas Priest played at a faster tempo, The Ripper made his presence felt and put in a commendably energetic performance, particularly on the epic ‘Gettysburg’ trilogy. The larger concern was how the new singer would tackle Iced Earth’s vast back catalogue in a live setting, particularly after the unbelievable performance of Barlow recorded for posterity on the earlier ‘Alive in Athens’ live album, one of my favourite albums of all time. Until the release of this E.P. I had avoided seeking the answer, fearing that Owens’ range would not be suited to the older, darker and more thrash-oriented material, and that every second would be filled with excruciating and infuriating resentment that this shrieking slap-head newbie was ruining the whole thing.
1. Ten Thousand Strong
2. Prophecy
3. Birth of the Wicked
4. The Coming Curse
The concept of Iced Earth’s forthcoming double album release, one album to be released later this year followed by another in 2008, is based entirely on a fictional mythology created by Schaffer for the band’s 1998 release, ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes.’ Billed as the ‘Something Wicked Trilogy,’ these three songs (tracks two to four on this E.P.) came at the end of the album, which otherwise contained unrelated material on the usual depressing topics, and detailed a 10,000 year prophecy of the incarnation of evil that would lead to mankind’s downfall. The songs were excellent, and Schaffer obviously placed a great degree of importance on the trilogy as it formed that album’s cover art and was always played in its entirety at live shows, but he nevertheless felt that there was something more to be had from ‘Something Wicked,’ hence the forthcoming ‘Something Wicked Part 1’ and ‘Part 2’ albums that expand the mythology to over two hours of music, extrapolated from the musical and lyrical themes of the original (much as Dream Theater’s jokingly titled song ‘Metropolis Part 1’ eventually lead to the concept album ‘Metropolis Part 2’ after much fan insistence). As the original trilogy itself would not appear on either of the new albums, but was integral to the listener’s understanding of it all, the tracks were re-recorded with Owens on lead vocals, Brent Smedley on drums, Tim Mills on lead guitar and Jon Schaffer, the only permanent band member and the only one remaining from the original trilogy, handling both guitar and bass, in the absence of a bass player due to the bad behaviour of James “Bo” Wallace. It was essentially ‘Days of Purgatory’ all over again, an unnecessary refreshing of classic material, but this time with a less popular singer.
To diffuse the anticipation, I will reveal that these re-workings are very disappointing, not only in terms of Owens’ sub-standard and unsuitable performance, but also in terms of the structural changes and simplifications made to the original, something that Schaffer and the others must have known would only ignite hostility in fans. The excellent pace of the originals, and the breaks into higher volume and intensity are completely absent in these new versions, where Owens simply slides with minimal effort from verse to chorus and back again without his usual enthusiasm, particularly the opening scream of ‘Prophecy’ and the ending of ‘The Coming Curse,’ which for some reason has the choir at the end completely removed and the dank introduction replaced with a primitive guitar riff. The overall style is in the vein of the stripped-down sound present on the weaker tracks from ‘The Glorious Burden,’ but without the great performance of The Ripper to carry it through, as he seems either bored or tired here. Schaffer’s relentlessly scratching triplets still serve as the backbone of the songs and are flawlessly executed as always, the guitarist playing with tremendous speed and wrist integrity while the other musicians play his music to an acceptable, but unremarkable standard. The lack of atmospheric background sounds also causes these songs to hold together less well as a trilogy than the original, and the links can only be discerned from the lyrics, when decipherable. If the listener had never heard the originals they would probably find something more to enjoy here than I did, but would still perhaps be unsettled by the out-of-place vocals.
My expectations for the epic albums, which seem destined to be infinitely less grand and atmospheric than the band’s earlier releases, particularly Schaffer’s definitive concept release ‘Night of the Stormrider,’ are not that great, and I will get them merely out of loyalty and the desire to have some new sub-Judas Priest material to listen to, having exhausted the Primal Fear and Gamma Ray discographies. ‘Ten Thousand Strong,’ the only original song here and one which will allegedly be slightly reworked for the album version, is perfectly suited to the new Owens/Schaffer Iced Earth and as such is the best song on this extended single, though still nothing too exciting. The chorus has the same driving enthusiasm as the best material of ‘The Glorious Burden,’ and at least had some effect as I caught myself wondering what the generic Judas Priest/Primal Fear/Gamma Ray song was in my head, eventually realising it was this. The new Iced Earth is far more suited to fans of classic heavy metal, albeit played much faster and with clearer production, rather than the more interesting and varied progressive thrash-type material of their earlier releases that holds up so well today.
Iced Earth used to be described as an inspired meeting of Iron Maiden and Metallica, among other elements, that unfortunately arrived on the scene ten years too late, but now the band is merely one of many Judas Priest clones playing re-hashed material three decades strong. Schaffer plans to write an accompanying graphic novel to explain his vision in more detail, which will likely hold up a lot better than the musical version.
Advantages: Focus song 'Ten Thousand Strong' is a solid and memorable speed metal anthem.
Disadvantages: Unleashes a golden shower all over Iced Earth's golden era.
I Walk Among You
***
Written on 27.07.08
Following in the tradition of last year's equally disappointing 'Overture of the Wicked,' here Iced Earth release a mini taster of their forthcoming album in the form of a single song, padded out with a couple of entirely unnecessary re-workings of older songs with a new vocalist. For long-time fans of the band, the most notable feature of this release is the return of favoured singer Matt Barlow, who left the band after the September 11th attacks to join the police force and shave his head, but now seems to have seen the light again. Unlike his predecessor Tim "The Ripper" Owens' butchering of classic Iced Earth material on 'Overture of the Wicked,' here Barlow is only permitted to spoil songs from the previous full-length 'Framing Armageddon,' which wasn't up to the band's highest standards in the first place.
As for the new song itself, 'I Walk Alone' is a pretty good Iced Earth song, plodding along at a steady pace with a catchy chorus but not really achieving anything outside of this. Barlow sounds like he's never been away, continuing with the over-the-top constant wailing of his 'Horror Show' performance that will inevitably become irritating once the full album is released, but not as irritating as The Ripper. The former vocalist's style is mimicked faithfully in the overdubs of 'Setian Massacre' and 'The Clouding,' more obviously in the former, but I can't help feeling cheated once again by the lack of genuine new material here, self-covers exempted.
1. I Walk Alone
2. Setian Massacre
3. The Clouding
The Adversary
***
Written on 28.07.08
Following the break-up of influential black metal band Emperor, which had effectively been the solo project of Ihsahn in its final years, the Norwegian musician went the full way to egotistical solo career territory, free of the constraints and expectations of the Emperor name but inevitably facing similar pressure from its existing fan base.
'The Adversary' is quite a good album, but muddled and messy, as Ihsahn dabbles in various metal genres with no sense of a satisfying fusion. 'Invocation' sounds like a weaker version of Emperor's later years, 'Called By the Fire' is especially grating in its entirely clean vocals that sound as bad as a pre-pubescent Vintersorg, and the ten-minute finale 'The Pain is Still Mine' is a wussier ballad than I thought an Emperor alumnus capable of. Ihsahn's guitar work is complex enough without being overly showy, not relying on complex solos like Dream Theater, but this is far from a shining example of progressive metal, inferior even to Emperor's oft-maligned 'Prometheus.'
1. Invocation
2. Called By the Fire
3. Citizen
4. Homecoming
5. Astera ton Proinon
6. Panem et Circenses
7. And He Shall Walk In Empty Places
8. Will You Love Me Now?
9. The Pain is Still Mine
angL
***
Written on 25.08.08
The sophomore album to Ihsahn's solo project kicks off right from where The Adversary left off. The first track "Misanthrope" kicks in with the constant heavy hitting drums, and guitar riffs, and shrilling screams of Ihsahn. Not only do we see his signature screams, but also a lot of his true talent in his singing. Such as in the second track "Scarab" which has many well placed transitions, and is a quite a highlight on this album truly showing the art of progressive black metal. The many classical influences that showed in The Adversary, are still here in this album, along with a special guest front man of Opeth: Mikael Åkerfeldt.
Mikael and Ihsahn worked on the track "Unhealer" together which is a heavy black metal duet that is somewhat of a unique track. Just think of Opeth & Emperor mixed in together, quite a unique sound to me. As for the rest of the album I couldn't ask for more, the work done here is beautiful. The addition of synth keys placed so well, and the transitions just seem so perfect. The first 3 tracks are done so well, and it only gets better with the other 6 too. If you enjoy listening to black metal, and progressive music I highly recommend checking this album out.
1. Misanthrope
2. Scarab
3. Unhealer
4. Emancipation
5. Malediction
6. Alchemist
7. Elevator
8. Threnody
9. Monolith
Pure Holocaust
***
Written on 28.07.08
Immortal are one of the more contentious bands of Norwegian black metal, as praised as they are ridiculed inside and outside the metal community, the latter being largely for their corpse-paint obsession. 'Pure Holocaust' is the band's second album and a defining work of second-wave black metal of the early nineties, even if it's not an album I could comfortably sit through for its entire thirty-odd-minute length.
The classic duo of Abbath on bass, vocals and drums and Demonaz on guitar makes for an effective combination that remains roughly the same throughout the album, songs mainly being distinguished by the occasional melodic lead guitar melody, especially good in 'A Sign For the Norse Hordes to Ride' before 'The Sun No Longer Rises' lets rip with the album's most memorable riff. The songs are short and to the point, and while I wouldn't go so far as to call the minimalistic sound "epic," it's heavily atmospheric and evocative of harsh, frostbitten landscapes.
1. Unsilent Storms in the North Abyss
2. A Sign For the Norse Hordes to Ride
3. The Sun No Longer Rises
4. Frozen By Icewinds
5. Storming Through Red Clouds and Holocaustwinds
6. Eternal Years on the Path to the Cemetery Gates
7. As the Eternity Opens
8. Pure Holocaust
Battles in the North
**
Written on 28.07.08
Taking the relentless frosty sound of 'Pure Holocaust' to an undesirable extreme, Immortal's most poorly conceived album artwork belies a fittingly poor album. To its credit, the improved production quality does render the experience genuinely unsettling, creating the mood of being trapped in a fierce snowstorm from which you shall never return, but this doesn't exactly make for the most enjoyable listening experience, unless you're the sort of sadist that enjoys modern Behemoth.
The main problem I have with this album is that it sounds half-hearted and even unfinished in places, the ends of songs cutting off abruptly without a satisfying resolution and the drumming relying again and again on the same techniques of pummelling blast beats that get really irritating as early as the second track. This isn't a particularly brutal album by black metal standards, but it is loud and relentless, and is also Immortal's fastest, but fortunately they would learn to start writing actual music hereafter with the departure of Demonaz.
1. Battles in the North
2. Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms
3. Descent into Eminent Silence
4. Throned By Blackstorms
5. Moonrise Fields of Sorrow
6. Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons
7. At the Stormy Gates of Mist
8. Through the Halls of Eternity
9. Circling Above in Time Before Time
At the Heart of Winter
****
Written on 28.07.08
Depending on the listener's preference, Immortal's fifth album is either the point at which they sold out, or actually started to make decent music for the first time. A far cry from the short, sharp, icy shocks of their earlier material, the songs are now longer, denser and more intricate, possessing actual structure for the first time rather than simply focusing on hammering out some blast beats for three minutes.
Abbath is a much more impressive guitarist than his predecessor Demonaz, even if his riffs and melodies borrow distinctly from the heavy metal tradition, in many places sounding like dead ringers for Iron Maiden, if that band played black metal. Horgh's drums are also more developed and intelligent than Abbath's on previous albums, and while the overall sound isn't exactly softer than the previous albums, the shift in focus from brutality to an extended metal experience is a welcome one, even if a couple of songs run a little over time.
1. Withstand the Fall of Time
2. Solarfall
3. Tragedies Blows at Horizon
4. Where Dark and Light Don't Differ
5. At the Heart of Winter
6. Years of Silent Sorrow
Sons of Northern Darkness
***
Written on 28.07.08
Believed for a while to be Immortal's swan song before the recent news of a reform, 'Sons of Northern Darkness' sounds a lot different from the band's earlier works, applying a somewhat mechanical black metal style to thrash-derived structures and riffs. As with all of the band's later albums, the songs are longer and more involved than their earlier outbursts, and each song makes effective use of speed changes, though often remains slow and tedious for slightly too long to remain gripping.
Abbath's vocals will take some getting used to for newcomers or even those initiated into black metal, as his distinctive croaking style sounds disappointingly like some sort of ill cyborg. The greatest element here is Horgh's drumming, an improvement over his already impressive earlier work and by far the best drum performance of an Immortal album, though considering the horrific drums of some of their earlier work ('Battles in the North' in particular), I guess that isn't the greatest compliment.
'Tyrants' sounds like something Amon Amarth might have done, and 'Beyond the North Waves' shows a previously unseen epic side to the band by making effective use of keyboards.
1. One By One
2. Sons of Northern Darkness
3. Tyrants
4. Demonium
5. Within the Dark Mind
6. In My Kingdom Cold
7. Antarctica
8. Beyond the North Waves
Wintereich
***
Written on 29.07.08
Immortal Souls play a recognisably Finnish strand of melodic death metal, their emphasis on melodic lead guitars from E. Särkioja and Pete Loisa smacking of Children of Bodom, though if anything sounding even happier. Mostly avoiding the genre's more recent disintegration into metalcore (only 'Color of My Sky' comes close in its breakdown-style riffs), this is nevertheless quite an old and tired sound that loses its appeal after the first few tracks.
The melodic lead melodies and classic heavy metal style solos are the main appeal here, to the point that the verse and bridge sections actually seem to intrude between them, and while the guitar playing itself is fast and fun, it doesn't take long for the guitarists to start copying themselves, and the solos are all a little indulgent. The tracklist is separated into four 'chapters,' but this doesn't engender a more epic sound; this is fairly average Finnish melodeath.
1. Nightfrost
2. Feareaper
3. Frozen Inside
4. Icon of Ice
5. Color of My Sky
6. Constant
7. Idlestate
8. Heart of Cold
9. Winter of My Discontent
10. Black Water
11. Winterreich
Lunar Strain
****
Written on 29.07.08
'Lunar Strain' isn't exactly one of the classics of Swedish melodic death metal, nor is it the strongest debut (At the Gates' 'The Red in the Sky is Ours' takes the crown), but it's still a highly enjoyable and impressive release that paves the way for the band's second, more consistent album. Featuring alumni of Dark Tranquillity, a band that In Flames never quite topped, this album mixes aggression with melody and a highly prominent acoustic folk edge that bears the distinctive Gothenburg metal sound.
The main issue with this album is the frequency of interludes, or at least songs that feel somehow too short or incomplete. While this is permissible with experiments such as the female singing of 'Everlost, Part 2,' the violin and metal instrumental 'Hårgalåten' feels underused. The more substantial songs are all impressive and varied, from the apocalyptic opening riff of 'Behind Space' to the slower, mournful lead melodies of 'Everlost, Part 1,' and the vocal performance of Mikael Stanne is the most vicious that the band would ever put out.
1. Behind Space
2. Lunar Strain
3. Starforsaken
4. Dreamscape
5. Everlost, Part 1
6. Everlost, Part 2
7. Hårgalåten
8. In Flames
9. Upon an Oaken Throne
10. Clad in Shadows
Advantages: Strong melodic death metal in its original incarnation.
Disadvantages: Awkward incorporation of folk elements at times, and a few too many short songs.
The Jester Race
*****
Written on 29.07.08
In Flames' second album is their finest work and one of the defining albums of Gothenburg metal before the genre deteriorated almost instantly. While it doesn't quite measure up to Dark Tranquillity's masterpiece 'The Gallery,' I certainly rate it above anything released by At the Gates.
The most noticeable thing about this album is the prevalence of acoustic folk elements, from the excellent balance of acoustic and metal elements in the opener 'Moonshield' (arguably the band's finest song) to the distinctly festive instrumental 'Wayfaerer,' which, along with the earlier and lighter 'The Jester's Dance,' forms a less significant and more concise instrumental portion of the album in contrast to the slightly muddled debut.
The folk elements, though restrained (and not over the top as in something like Finntroll) will doubtless deter death metal purists, but the album is still packed with enough mean and heavy performances in the form of 'Lord Hypnos' and others to cross genres.
1. Moonshield
2. The Jester's Dance
3. Artifacts of the Black Rain
4. Graveland
5. Lord Hypnos
6. Dead Eternity
7. The Jester Race
8. December Flower
9. Wayfaerer
10. Dead God in Me
Whoracle
****
Written on 29.07.08
'Whoracle' is a significant release in In Flames' discography, the point at which they began to move away from the traditional folk influences of their earlier work towards a fusion of melody and aggression reminiscent of Iron Maiden with a sore throat. 'Whoracle' succeeds much better than the somewhat laughable later release 'Clayman' in bridging the genres of classic heavy metal and death metal, but the band's execution of the classic metal guitar style rarely avoids sounding unbearably cheesy.
This isn't a great album by any means, but there are enough decent and varied songs to make it enjoyable and worthy of repeated listens. 'Jotun' and 'Food for the Gods' are both fairly upbeat and easily digested melodic songs, 'Dialogue With the Stars' is a fun but repetitive looping instrumental, 'The Hive' and 'Morphing into Primal' try to be a little more aggressive and end up failing as a result, and 'Worlds Within the Margin' and 'Episode 666' opt for a more satisfying steady approach. 'Jester Script Transfigured' is an interesting downbeat song a little reminiscent of Opeth, and the album's weakest point is its finale, the lacklustre Depeche Mode cover leading into a frankly boring instrumental outro.
1. Jotun
2. Food for the Gods
3. Gyroscope
4. Dialogue With the Stars
5. The Hive
6. Jester Script Transfigured
7. Morphing into Primal
8. Worlds Within the Margin
9. Episode 666
10. Everything Counts (Depeche Mode cover)
11. Whoracle
Colony
***
Written on 29.07.08
In Flames further their descent into growling heavy metal with 'Colony,' a distinct bridging point between the folky melodic death metal of the band's previous releases and the metalcore-inspiring style they adopted in a couple of albums' time. By this point, the band has clearly lost the plot as far as combining brutality with melody as neither extreme is handled with any particular skill, the melodic lead guitars sounding cheesy and derivative of eighties metal from the onset and the heavier songs being repetitive and overly shouty, but the more understated songs that don't try as hard are still quite enjoyable.
'Embody the Invisible' and 'Scorn' are both spoiled to an extent by the aforementioned lead guitar style, while songs such as 'Ordinary Story' and the title track make effective use of gloomy, atmospheric verses and strong, steady riffs to remain satisfying, even if they don't particularly stand out. Anders Friden sings in the chorus of 'Coerced Coexistence' and a couple thereafter, an aspect of the band premiered briefly in the Depeche Mode cover of the previous album, but his singing voice isn't anything special, and perhaps explains why he spends the rest of his time growling.
1. Embody the Invisible
2. Ordinary Story
3. Scorn
4. Colony
5. Zombie Inc.
6. Pallar Anders Visa
7. Coerced Coexistence
8. Resin
9. Behind Space '99
10. Insipid 2000
11. The New Word
Clayman
Frightened By Your Own Smell
****
Written on 15.03.06
An intermediate release for Sweden’s In Flames, Clayman marks the end of the band’s melodic death metal era before they inexplicably moved onto pastures ‘nu.’ With 11 songs of varying degrees of mediocrity, Clayman isn’t a bad album, but one that fails consistently to learn what it is that it wants to try to sound like.
As each In Flames release departs further and further from the melodic death metal sound they pioneered, it’s useful to trace this decadence back through their discography and find the point at which the band really started to lose it. After the genre-defining The Jester Race and Whoracle, 1999’s Colony was a bit of a let-down, if only for eradicating the final traces of the Scandinavian folk influence that had been increasingly absent with each album. Although a strange and acquired taste, these acoustic and woodwind touches gave the band’s music its distinctive and much-imitated sound. By the release of Clayman in 2000, In Flames were even toning down the harsh death metal sound to a more approachable heavy metal style, resulting in an album that’s as simplistically enjoyable as it is lacking in direction.
1. Bullet Ride
2. Pinball Map
3. Only for the Weak
4. …As the Future Repeats Today
5. Square Nothing
6. Clayman
7. Satellites and Astronauts
8. Brush the Dust Away
9. Swim
10. Suburban Me
11. Another Day in Quicksand
As expected, Clayman boasts a mixture of styles, but never strays too far from its general diluted death metal core. Arbitrary ballads and instrumentals are avoided, and there is a sense that the band was happy with every song, as none stand out as particularly unimpressive. The customary exciting opener ‘Bullet Ride’ makes way for some slower tracks, and this alternating style continues throughout. The titular ‘Clayman’ stands out as the most speedy and aggressive song on here, a fairly obvious anthem of integrity, while the later offering ‘Swim’ is perhaps the fastest and certainly the bounciest offering, a fun sci-fi piece that’s one of my favourites here despite its flimsy reliance on the leading guitar melodies.
‘Pinball Map’ is a great plodding song with a powerful chorus, followed by the divisive ‘Only for the Weak,’ notable and perhaps infamous for its dominating 80s-style keyboard riff. Well I like it anyway. A failed epic comes in the shape of ‘Satellites and Astronauts,’ not quite the death metal answer to ‘Space Oddity,’ but the band have always been best at more concise offerings: ‘Square Nothing’ is a repetitive but excellent metal track, while ‘Suburban Me’ is perhaps the only song here in which the band really find their Clayman feet, a fusion of melodic death and classic heavy metal that really works, especially in the rousing chorus and cool ‘hair metal’ solo, as well as an interesting anticipation of the ‘raindrops riff’ from Iron Maiden’s ‘Rainmaker’ released three years later. The closing track is a bit of a disappointment after this, but nothing compared to the band’s later releases.
Clayman is dominated by solo-crazy guitars, which makes it automatically good (obviously), but unfortunately there’s very little to the songs beyond the bland but fairly fun surface. The main problem is the album’s uncomfortable middle ground between genres: at times the death metal growls seem very out of place against the harmonious backdrop, so it’s odd that vocalist Anders Fridén didn’t continue to include the ‘clean voice’ sections present on their previous and later albums.
Clayman’s certainly something of a missed opportunity: a nice collection of songs from a band beginning their decline, but nothing more substantial than that. It’s apparent that the album could have benefited from more work, evidenced by the rushed-looking cover adapting Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man to ‘Clayman’ form (i.e. colouring it grey) and adding some unconvincing CGI flames. There’s even a spelling mistake on the back cover in the track listing for ‘“Sattelites” and Astronauts.’ The menacing demonic face in the background has never quite become the band’s logo, however hard they’ve tried.
‘Suburban Me’ is the best song here, even if it does sound like an uninspired death metal cover of a generic 80s heavy metal single, but there are some nice and memorable guitar riffs and chorus sections in ‘Swim,’ ‘Pinball Map,’ ‘Square Nothing’ and, according to the listener’s bias against rubbish 80s synth, ‘Only for the Weak.’ It’s a good song.
Probably an improvement on its predecessor Colony, but sadly In Flames’ final spark. 1997’s Whoracle remains their best.
Advantages: Talented musicians, enjoyable metal songs
Disadvantages: Uncomfortable mix of genres: death metal vocals are out of place
Reroute to Remain
**
Written on 29.07.08
'Reroute to Remain' could easily be branded as In Flames' 'sell-out' album, though discerning listeners will have noticed the quality of their output slipping for a number of years previously. The style here is now far removed from their original, though is still essentially melodic death metal, albeit in a modernised form that's intended to be more acceptable to the standard, unadventurous reader of 'Kerrang!' magazine. Most songs are fairly slow and dull, and become incredibly repetitive as the album plods on, while Anders Friden now insists on combining his overly harsh yell with his irritatingly hoarse clean singing in almost every song.
The band is so overproduced by this point that it sounds robotic, like a less skilled Fear Factory, and the riffs borrow more from groove metal than the band's own legacy. The band proves that it's long lost its knack for incorporating acoustic guitar effectively in 'Dawn of a New Day' and 'Metaphor,' and songs like 'Trigger' are worthless outside of the focal chorus. The most positive thing I could find about this album is that the cheesy melodic guitars of 'Clayman' have now largely been eradicated, though the riffs the band replaces them with are scarcely an improvement, and ultimately more forgettable.
1. Reroute to Remain
2. System
3. Drifter
4. Trigger
5. Cloud Connected
6. Transparent
7. Dawn of a New Day
8. Egonomic
9. Minus
10. Dismiss the Cynics
11. Free Fall
12. Dark Signs
13. Metaphor
14. Black and White
A Sense of Purpose
**
Written on 29.07.08
In Flames aren't going to surprise anyone with their latest album, unless fans had been yearning in vain for a return to the sound of the olden days. The strain of melodic death metal present in the previous 'Soundtrack to Your Escape' and 'Come Clarity' is furthered here, and every aspect of the album, from its artwork to the angst-ridden lyrics and Ander Friden's vocal performance, seem reminiscent of a melodeath version of Korn.
The songs here are all largely the same, making this far from exciting or novel. To its credit, it doesn't try too hard to be needlessly angry or cross over into metalcore territory, but even the attempts to diversify with something of a post-metal crescendo in the long 'The Chosen Pessimist' or the acoustic guitar in 'Alias' fail to really impress, betraying the fact that the band has been going for some time now, and should have perfected its sound rather than witnessed its gradual decline.
1. The Mirror's Truth
2. Disconnected
3. Sleepless Again
4. Alias
5. I'm the Highway
6. Delight and Angers
7. Move Through Me
8. The Chosen Pessimist
9. Sober and Irrelevant
10. Condemned
11. Drenched in Fear
12. March to the Shore
Omnio
*****
Written on 29.07.08
The second In the Woods... album fails to remedy any of the supposed drawbacks of its predecessor, yet somehow manages to be an excellent album, and the band's crowning achievement. Abandoning the last traces of black metal from their sound, these long songs now focus more on experimentation and diversity, most evident and successful in the multi-layered male and female vocals that take a little getting used to, especially if you're averse to Vintersorg-style melodramatic Viking croons, but make this a highly distinctive release.
There's an excellent, perhaps perfect balance between hard and soft elements here, as songs move fluidly between movements and cause great anticipation as to what's coming next, even if songs fail to be distinguishable on the first listen. The band makes effective use of violins and mournful lead guitar melodies without going over the top with instrumental theatrics, and while this perhaps isn't as emotionally satisfying or draining as a more traditional doom metal album from the likes of My Dying Bride, the atmosphere is still consistent and enjoyable throughout.
1. 299,796 km/s
2. I Am Your Flesh
3. Kairos!
4. Weeping Willow
5. Omnio? - Pre
6. Omnio? - Bardo
7. Omnio? - Post
Above the Weeping World
****
Written on 29.07.08
I was very pleasantly surprised by Insomnium's 2006 release; a modern melodic death metal album that's actually any good, though admittedly it does base its sound entirely in the classic mould of Dark Tranquillity circa their defining masterpiece 'The Gallery.' This Finnish band returns the (Swedish) melodeath genre to its roots, and aided by superior production quality and a great performance from all band members, this is an album that will certainly be loved by anyone who enjoyed the melodic death genre in the nineties before it petered out in the new millennium.
The guitars are the most impressive element here, churning out some memorable melodies that could easily be Dark Tranquillity off-cuts, and the only band member who fails to make a lasting impression is the vocalist, whose growls are the standard butch shouting fare, balanced out by ineffective softer growls in the frequent atmospheric sections. This is where the otherwise excellent album falters slightly as it starts to run its limited range of ideas into the ground and tracks start to sound similar, but taking one or two at a time, this is still one of the best melodic death metal experiences releases this decade.
1. The Gale
2. Mortal Share
3. Drawn to Black
4. Change of Heart
5. At the Gates of Sleep
6. The Killjoy
7. Last Statement
8. Devoid of Caring
9. In the Groves of Death
Blade of Triumph
***
Written on 29.07.08
Denmark's Iron Fire are yet another modern band repeating a tired heavy metal formula and ruining any powerful impact it may have had through the prevalence of overly melodic vocals. Martin Steene isn't a bad singer, but his soft style doesn't suit the tales of conquest and glory, and robs what little power the generic instrumentation may have had.
With that major gripe out of the way, this is an average album of heavy/power metal, but nothing that genre fans won't have heard before. Some of the choruses and guitar riffs are catchy, but most are forgettable or otherwise unimpressive, 'Dawn of Victory' taking the biscuit for the least exciting metal rendition of the theme from Holst's 'Mars, the Bringer of War' that I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot - bands plunder that riff all the time). The overly melodic songs all too frequently descend into unnecessary softer sections, and to make matters worse, 'Legend of the Magic Sword' is simply a really, really bad ballad, in the tradition of most metal ballads.
1. Dragonheart
2. Bloodbath of Knights
3. Dawn of Victory
4. Lord of the Labyrinth
5. Bridges Will Burn
6. Follow the Sign
7. Steel Invaders
8. Jackal's Eye
9. Legend of the Magic Sword
10. Gladiator's Path
11. Blade of Triumph
Iron Maiden
Birth of the Beast
***
Written on 18.06.04
The debut release from one of the biggest British rock bands in history is much different to what the band would become famous for, although writing them here there doesn’t seem to be that much difference: Iron Maiden are most well-known for their mixture of fast-paced heavy metal anthems and longer, more intricate epics, and that’s exactly what this album entails, although the music here is geared towards a more raw and simple style, added to by the more traditional and less operatic vocals of Paul Di’Anno. Anyone who is a fan of Iron Maiden for Bruce Dickinson’s inimitable screams will not automatically appreciate the different sound of the band’s early years, although the inclusion of many of these songs in the band’s live set-lists shows how classic a debut this is considered by many to be.
STYLE
As this is Iron Maiden’s first release, and because the band at this point consisted of only two fifths of what is considered their classic line-up, the sound is understandably very different from what would come later, but as shown with the later ‘Live After Death’ and ‘Rock in Rio’ albums it is able to integrate perfectly into the band’s evolving style. Paul Di’Anno’s vocals are more gravely than those of Dickinson, and occupy a generally lower register, while the drumming of Clive Burr was never anything more than straightforward (Burr would remain in the band until 1982 when he was replaced by current drummer Nikko McBrain).
Founder, songwriter and bass player Steve Harris is the driving force behind the band’s music and has continued to be to this day, although his speedy bass work isn’t able to make itself as clear on this album due to the rather unimpressive production values that give this album a less refined sound than it perhaps deserved. Dave Murray is still present as one of the guitarists, although his regular associate Adrian Smith would not join the band for another year; the different sound of the guitars on this album are due to the collaboration with Dennis Stratton.
TRACKS
1. PROWLER
The opening track isn’t particularly astounding or interesting, but it’s a great way to start the album as well as the band’s early era. An almost constant distorted high guitar melody permeates most of the verses and instrument sections, while Di’Anno’s voice suits the plodding, dark rhythm perfectly. Catchy and fun (I just caught myself quite embarrassingly attempting the guitar sound through use of my mouth) this is occasionally played live by the current line-up and always goes down well.
“Walking through the city, looking oh so pretty,
I've just got to find my way.
See the ladies flashing. All there legs and lashes.
I've just got to find my way.”
2. SANCTUARY
Quite a good song, but a track that certainly shows its age and the limitations of the production quality; the guitars sound very seventies in their grind, the drums are ineffective and too soft, the bass is unimpressive and the vocals don’t even suit it as well as they could. Although all that criticism could simply be due to the fact that this isn’t my kind of music: this is more typically ‘NWOBHM’ than is the norm for the band, and I’m surprised it’s remained an almost constant presence in their live sets over the years. The police siren towards the end is also a little silly.
“I know you'd have gone insane if you saw what I saw,
So now I've got to look for Sanctuary from the law”
3. REMEMBER TOMORROW
Quite surprisingly, the album offers a light ballad-style song at this relatively early point. This sounds very different to everything else the band have produced, but is one of my favourite tracks on this album for that exact reason. The acoustic guitars in harmony compliment the soft singing of the verses, while the heavier riff breaking in with the chorus is one of the most impressive and distinct on here. My only slight problem is that Di’Anno goes a little too high pitched in the chorus momentarily, but the fantastic galloping guitar rhythm half way through more than makes up for that. Many prominent metal bands have been known to cover this track live, including Metallica and In Flames, indicating its influence and popularity; the poor production doesn’t really affect this track either, and Harris’ bass can be hardly very clearly at times.
“Unchain the colours before my eyes,
Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire”
4. RUNNING FREE
Perhaps the most well-known song on the album, this always goes down incredibly at Iron Maiden shows and is extended beyond proportion in the band’s excellent ‘Live After Death’ album from 1985. Saying that, it’s not one I’m particularly fond of as it sounds quite similar to previous offerings in its driving drum beat and verse structure, although the guitar harmonies do sound great. The vocals again aren’t up to that much, but do suit the music; it’s just a shame the lyrics are rubbish. There are several live versions of this on the band’s other albums with Bruce on the vocals that sounds a little better, but still a pretty basic heavy metal song that owes more to Motorhead and Judas Priest than the band’s own distinctive style and talents.
“Just sixteen, a pickup truck, out of money, out of luck.
I've got nowhere to call my own, hit the gas, and here I go.
I’m running free yeah, I’m running free”
From a fairly mixed bag of enjoyable and unimpressive offerings comes the album’s finest hour, and a song that is surprisingly among my favourite Maiden tracks; the epic:
5. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Beginning with a distinctive dual guitar melody that sounds very foreboding, dark and above all the exact tune associated with the eponymous masked Phantom, this is seven and a half minutes of incredible guitar and bass skill that will not be forgotten in a hurry. While the fitting of Di’Anno’s vocals to the guitar tune seems a bit contrived, the rest of the verses sound excellent and truly haunting, something that Bruce Dickinson arguably does not succeed as well in when performing this song (I think he does, but then again I would marry the guy). Halfway through comes a melodic break from the fast, overpowering riffs and a bass solo that leads into some really pleasant-sounding guitar harmony – after a nice session of this the riffs return for a final verse. By far the high point of the album, and Maiden’s early years in general. The solos are killer also.
“You're standing in the wings, there you wait for the curtain to fall.
Knowing the terror and holding you have on us all.”
6. TRANSYLVANIA
As an Iron Maiden instrumental, ‘Transylvania’ is one of the most musically complex and interesting tracks on here with some catchy guitar licks and a dominant bass presence at last, although its position in the album after the equally detailed ‘Phantom’ does offer it less appreciation that it perhaps would have achieved had some simpler tracks been placed in-between. As Di’Anno isn’t present here, the main difference in sound between the band’s albums comes from Stratton’s guitar work, as his distinctive solo is less impressive than those of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. The band’s later recruit, Janick Gers, isn’t particularly inspiring however. This track ends by fading into the next song, and doesn’t outstay its welcome at only four minutes.
7. STRANGE WORLD
Like ‘Remember Tomorrow,’ this begins melodically and quietly, with the drums muted somewhat to allows the guitars and bass to create a harmonious atmosphere. There is something that prevents this from being an excellent track however, in the shape of the quite annoying vocals from Di’Anno; he again attempts some of the higher notes and ends up sounding like a middle-aged cockney woman rather than a rebellious young man, who is still a cockney. Quite atypically, this songs never breaks into a faster or heavier chorus section, remaining calm and tranquil throughout.
“Stalks of light come from the ground, when I cry there isn't a sound.
All my feelings cannot be held, I'm happy in my new strange world”
8. CHARLOTTE THE HARLOT
As the title suggests this is a fun and flippant track, written by Dave Murray and concerning a prostitute (possibly fictional, that isn’t clear) who would go on to appear in two more Maiden songs (1982’s ’22 Acacia Avenue’ and 1990’s ‘Hooks in You’). The very British sound of this song makes it quite amusing and endearing, especially with the words “arse” and “fiver,” an musically it’s actually quite impressive considering the subject matter – quite speedy in the verses, but slowing down greatly in the middle with some melodic guitars. It’s still funny though, and has a clear Dave Murray solo section. As seen below, the band certainly aren’t endorsing the prostitution trade, even pointing out the criminal nature, a little contrary to their ‘bad boy’ image of the time.
“Taking so many men to your room, don't you feel no remorse?
You charge them a "fiver", It's only for starters
And ten for the main course.
And you've got no feelings, they died long ago,
Don't you care who you let in?
And don't you know you're breaking the law with the service you're giving”
9. IRON MAIDEN
The album ends in fine style with another of the most well-known tracks, the upbeat and distinctively Maiden self-titled track that is another constant presence of live shows. From the build up of guitar harmonies at the start to the galloping rhythms of the verses, this is one of the most enjoyable offerings on this album and the lyrics expertly reflect the band’s tongue-in-cheek extreme violence motif. It’s still more impressive on later live albums with Dickinson on the vocals and a better quality sound however, especially in terms of the drums which sound incredibly poor and tinny even on the enhanced recording.
“Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,
Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.”
VERDICT
Although many heavy metal fans (usually unshaven well-built men in their forties with green tattoo fade smearing their arms) will argue that this is the definitive Maiden album, the general impression is that it is a good debut, but nowhere near as impressive as what is to come. Although many of the trademark Iron Maiden elements are here, the style is radically different from Bruce Dickinson/Adrian Smith Iron Maiden, although there are still some good songs. My advice to any Iron Maiden fans would be to avoid this album unless you are satisfied with the poor production and less refined sound of the instruments and vocals, especially as the best tracks can be found on the band’s live albums with Bruce screaming to the gathered masses. This is better than the follow-up ‘Killers,’ but there are too many unfortunate flaws with the line-up and sound quality for me to listen to this on a regular basis: it’s not the Iron Maiden I’m used to.
Saying all that, Phantom’s ace.
Advantages: A few timeless classics, Great balance of song types, Impressive debut
Disadvantages: Poor production, Most songs are below average, Di'Anno's vocals are occasionally annoying
Killers
His Blood Lust Defies All His Needs
***
Written on 13.01.06
Iron Maiden’s second album sounds less a precursor to its acclaimed successor, 1982’s ‘The Number of the Beast,’ than a half-hearted follow up to their 1980 debut.
This isn’t entirely the fault of the band; they had been touring and developing the songs of their first album since 1975 and had used all of their best material, while the increasingly erratic behaviour of vocalist Paul Di’Anno meant that stress levels within the band were affected their output. Replacement second guitarist Adrian Smith would write some of the band’s greatest songs in later years, but his introduction here seemed to be more an unneeded distraction than an injection of new life. But anyway, onto the music and why it’s not quite my least favourite Iron Maiden album.
1. The Ides of March
2. Wrathchild
3. Murders in the Rue Morgue
4. Another Life
5. Genghis Khan
6. Innocent Exile
7. Killers
8. Prodigal Son
9. Purgatory
10. Twilight Zone
11. Drifter
The most recognisable song here is the fast and grooving ‘Wrathchild,’ a permanent presence in the band’s live sets and, coming in at under three minutes, one of the best examples of their early NWOBHM sound (that’s New Wave Of British Heavy Metal… at the time of course). ‘Killers’ is the other great song on here, the ominous opening and explosion into the main riff being the highlight of the album, despite Di’Anno letting it down on some of the verses. Aside from these two Maiden classics, the rest of the album sounds like filler, or simply songs that don’t really work; ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’ has the potential to be excellent but misses the marks along the way.
‘The Ides of March’ is a good opening instrumental, not entirely necessary as a lead into Wrathchild but only a minute in length and a rare chance for drummer Clive Burr, soon to depart after the next album, to guide the song. The other instrumental is ‘Genghis Khan,’ featuring a great Egyptian-sounding guitar solo but otherwise not of great interest, reputedly only remaining an instrumental because Steve Harris wasn’t happy with the lyrics he’d penned. The only other song to immediately distinguishes itself is ‘Prodigal Son,’ an unexpected ballad based on acoustic guitar, but featuring electric guitars in the chorus – the band wouldn’t record an entirely unplugged song for another 13 years! Prodigal Son isn’t bad, but it does stand out a little too much by sounding very much like the arbitrary acoustic song of every 80s heavy metal band, but with better lyrics.
The remaining five songs all sound fairly indistinctive, even after repeated listens over the years, and their speedy rhythm has led to many people declaring Killers, and to a lesser extent the self-titled debut, punk rock albums. This clearly isn’t the case – if Iron Maiden sound like anything else in the early days it’s their contemporaries such as Judas Priest – although listening to Di’Anno’s strained, raspy vocals, I can see why people make the connection.
The basic reason behind this album’s lack of success is that the band’s most technically accomplished songs ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Remember Tomorrow,’ and their best speedy rocking tracks ‘Prowler,’ ‘Running Free,’ ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Iron Maiden,’ were all toured to perfection and recorded for their first album, leaving little else. Set closer ‘Drifter’ was left unrecorded until this album, where it falls flat without the crowd interaction that helped speed the show along, while the decision to postpone ‘Wrathchild’ for the second album was only made because the song was already included on a compilation.
Di’Anno was effectively fired from the band after this album and the successful live video ‘Maiden Japan,’ replaced by Samson frontman Bruce Dickinson for the next album and who, despite a rather large absence throughout most of the 90s, is still the vocalist and minor songwriter today. There will always be fans who prefer Di’Anno’s more raw sound, and indeed it works quite well under the distortion of ‘Twilight Zone,’ but in too many places it makes the album’s production sound less refined, despite the quite impressive job in comparison to the previous record.
Killers isn’t a terrible album and isn’t a major disappointment either, coming this early in the band’s career. Bearing this in mind, I’d recommend it over 1990’s dodgy ‘No Prayer For the Dying’ and 1997’s tedious ‘Virtual XI,’ but don’t expect the rip-roaring sing-along chorus and galloping bass line of ‘Run to the Hills’ or the polished synth metal of ‘Can I Play With Madness.’ Killers is fast and fun, but full of potential that would remain untapped for another year.
Advantages: Fairly original, with several great and long-lasting songs
Disadvantages: Many mediocre songs, problematic vocals
The Number of the Beast
Run to the Hiiiiiills
****
Written on 12.10.03
Another review focusing on smug eighties cheesy heavy metal that won't be of any real interest to anyone who has even a smattering of cultural taste. Still, it's rocktastic though.
Destined to become Maiden's most recognised and popular album, "Beast" was the first to be released to any major success after the lower quality of their previous two offerings. 1982 saw the introduction of Bruce Dickinson as the band's new frontman, replacing Paul Di'anno, and no matter what some hardcore fans may say, this was a change for the better. Dickinson's trademark high singing and less believable raspy shouting became the basic staple of the band along with bassist Steve Harris' galloping bass riffs.
The main attraction of this album to metal fans is the presence of Iron Maiden's biggest ever hits, "The Number of the Beast" and the huge "Run to the Hills." If you ever saw the Big Train sketch where a mob of fans were only satisfied when a singer performed his biggest hit again and again, this is the Maiden equivalent of that, although with more American Indians. And although unreleased in single format, album closer "Hallowed Be Thy Name" soon became one of the most popular metal anthems of all time.
There are nine tracks on this album, varying from 3 and a half to 7 minutes, making it reasonable value for money. As usual, most were written by bassist and founder Steve Harris, but everyone else had a crack at writing something:
"Invaders" is an enjoyable and upbeat start to the album, dealing with viking invasions and ravishings. The chorus seems a little too silly to be believed on first listen, but you soon get used to what sounds like the guitar equivalent of simply sliding your finger all the way along the keys of a piano and back again. We've all been there.
"Children of the Damned" begins with an acoustic guitar, making it immediately different from anything else on the album, and even when the electrics kick in it manages to stay nice and slow. Another enjoyable listen.
"The Prisoner" is an example of Maiden's desire to put their favourite TV shows into song form. Beginning with 'I am not a number, I am a free man' from the 60s show, it's very drum led and quite fun, if a little long-winded.
"22 Acacia Avenue" seems to be Maiden dealing with the issue of prostitution but it mainly comes off as a nice happy song. Dickinson's vocals are great in the chorus, and for anyone interested in chronologies and the like, this continues from "Charlotte the Harlot" in their first album. Secondary guitarist Adrian Smith wrote this one.
"The Number of the Beast" - the title track and one of the singles with a very cool video interspersing expressionist-era silent horror films with clips of hairy 1980s rockers playing a cheesy song. It's not the highlight of the album for me at all, in fact I find it quite below what the band are usually capable of, but the public seem(ed) to like it.
"Run to the Hills" is probably the most infectious and memorable song on the album, due to that damned chorus. It's fun, it's gallopy, it's not very good really but the Maiden fans seem(ed) to like it. Detailing the struggle of Native Americans when those Thanksgiving people came over.
"Gangland" is one of the Maiden songs I'd describe as rubbish. Untalented drumming begins it, and it's just not really worth mentioning. About gans or something.
"Total Eclipse" is another great song off the album, which was originally only included on a B side yadayadawhatever it's on the album now anyway. One of my two favourites on the album, along with...
"Hallowed Be Thy Name." One of Iron Maiden's progressive songs, which became a trademark of some of their next albums, this is deservedly one of their greatest songs. It begins with bell chimes and has some really great guitar parts, some poor guy's getting executed.
I listen to this album quite a lot, although it's by no means my favourite that the British rockers have done. Later eighties offerings such as "Piece of Mind," "Somewhere in Time" and my personal favourite "Powerslave" hold together much better as albums, and the songs sound much more expertly put together. Then came the big Iron Maiden decline, but this isn't the place to go on about that. This is probably the album that is easiest to listen to if you're not famliar with the genre, implying that it's a bit all-round and nothing special. If you're more interested in songs that evolve throughout and are continually interesting, I recommend one of their other albums or simply that you somehow get hold of "Hallowed Be Thy Name." Don't download it though as that would be wrong; I have to say that these days.
The cover of the album is pretty nice though, showing Maiden's mascot Eddie controlling a puppet of the devil who is in turn controlling a puppet of Eddie. They could have shown strings coming from the top of the big Eddie to suggest it going to infinity and so on to etcetera, but maybe this hurt their hairy eighties brains. It's always cheap as well. Long live heavy metal!
Advantages: Some classic songs, British rock, Bruce Dickinson's there
Disadvantages: Not a great album, Some weaker songs
Powerslave
Answers a Prison for Oneself
*****
Written on 08.12.03
Powerslave was the first Iron Maiden album I heard in full, and is still my favourite today. 1982's "The Number of the Beast" introduced frontman Bruce Dickinson and started the classic Iron Maiden 'sound', 1983's "Piece of Mind" introduced drummer Nikko McBrain and Steve Harris' history-influeced lyrics, and 1984's "Powerslave" is a great album that combines everything that's great about the hairy British rockers.
Unlike some of Maiden's later albums, Powerslave is not a concept album although this could be thought from the heavily Egyptian themed booklet and covers. The themes of the songs range from a celebration of the brave English flying aces to an extensive and long-winded musical version of Samuel Coleridge's poem, 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' The guitar riffs and solos by Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are at their very best in this album, as is the basswork from Steve Harris, which is more onticeable on this than many of the other albums, and drumming from McBrain. Bruce's vocals haven't lost any of their range, and this album shows him reaching notes possibly higher than it's safe to listen to.
THE MUSIC
1. ACES HIGH
Starting the album on a high note, pardon the rubbish and unintentional pun, is one of my favourite Maiden songs. The main riff is fast, uplifting and very fun while Bruce's contrasting high and medium vocals in the chorus and verses respectively make this an instant classic. It was the first track released as a single off this album, and features on 1991's compilation "the Best of the Beast." It was recently covered by European death metal band Arch Enemy making for a much scarier song. Unlike some of Maiden's songs there is actually a lot of progression and interesting 'asides' by guitars and while the image of flying heroes may not be conjured up it's a great metal song which should be more accessible than Metallica or anything heavier, especially Arch Enemy.
2. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
Another excellent song, another of my favourites and another to be released as a single, "2 Minutes" was another song included on the Best of the Beast. A longer song at just under six minutes - not two as you might have hoped; this would have been fiendishly ironic however the song would be much worse - the song is quite a criticism of human folly, especially regarding world leaders who decide upon devastating wars that affect the future populations. As well as one of my favourite guitar riffs, some of my favourite Iron Maiden lyrics are included here: "We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies" is expertly delivered by Bruce in a medium-note voice that for once can be heard by life forms other than just dogs and bats, making this one of the more meaningful Iron Maiden songs to come out of the 80s.
"As the madmen play on words and make us all
dance to their song,
to the tune of starving millions
to make a better kind of gun."
3. LOSFER WORDS (BIG 'ORRA)
After a lyrical appraisal comes this slang-fest, but this doesn't extend to the song as all that can be heard is some guy shouting numbers at the start. It's an instrumental you see, and not one that will go down in the history books as the Beethoven or Wagner of metal, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. While Metallica's instrumentals arevery long, complex and emotive, Maiden's instrument players tend to jump at the chance to make themselves get noticed above Bruce Dickinson and come up with some nice riffs and solos to fill up the 4 minutes 12 seconds that it takes him to go about his ablusions during recording. Losfer words isn't a Maiden classic but it's nice and fun, and the high guitars near the end of the song are really good.
4. FLASH OF THE BLADE
Bruce Dickinson is back with a vengeance in this vocal-led song about someone who has to grow up quickly to take vengeance upon tjose who have slain his family. Far from being depressing and dark, this is one of the most uplifting Maiden songs I've ever heard, although all instruments clearly take a back seat to Bruce in this fantastic performance. The verses are sung in a raspy tone before the build-up and wailing of the very catchy chorus. Not a Maiden classic, but I definitely don't consider it to be a filler track: there are certain times when this is the best thing I can listen to.
5. THE DUELLISTS
Another great vocal performance, the guitars, drums and especially bass are more present in this anthem about, well, guys having a duel and the reasons behind it, as well as the inevitable deadly consequences. Bruce's vocals are very fast in some of the verses, which is certainly impressive, and his choruses are only about a note lower than in "Flash." Probably knackered or something. There's a great guitar and bass interlude in the middle of the song before the verses start again, and this is another great song that won't be very recognised but certainly has its moments. I love it.
6. BACK IN THE VILLAGE
The only song on the album that I would consider quite 'filler,' this is the only song I'm indifferent to. I occasionally skip it, and it's never as present in my mind as any of the others, although there are some great guitar sections and one of the funniest Iron Maiden lyrics: "Shellshock, in the kitchen." When read, the lyrics regarding a return home and some sort of a catastrophe are very interesting and well-written, however it doesn't translate too well into song form.
7. POWERSLAVE
The penultimate track on the album, the title track "Powerslave" deals with Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and is also a heavy and progressive metal song: can't go wrong really. Starting with one of the song's main riffs and Bruce's angry verses, it soon becomes clear that this is a well developed and epic song when the Egyptian-esque choruses kick in. The choruses, verses and especially the guitar riffs and accompanying drumming are among the most memorable Maiden songs and this is definitely a must-hear for any metal fans. I'm not sure whether it was on Best of the Beast but sod that, they put "Can I Play With Madness" on that so it's not that prestigious. The song has a break in the middle with guitars that almost sound acoustic and some interesting distortion before the best and longest guitar solo of the album. The impending doom aspect is always a great feature of Maiden songs, even when that doom is personified by album cover star Eddie dressed in unconvincing rags, and the last verse promises:
"A shell of a man preserved-
a thousand ages,
But open the gates of my Hell-
I will strike from my grave."
One of my very favourite Maiden songs, I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of rocking, everyone's at their best here and the backing "ahhhh"s by other band members don't even sound annoying like they do a little on other tracks.
8. RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
An Iron Maiden song that can divide the fans, the 13:36 epic is a winner with me mostly due to the very first notes which will thrust themselves into my mind at the most inopportune moments, but which I can then enjoy in memory form in any case. Even if you hate Maiden, take a listen to the first three seconds and you may get what I mean. I think most peoples' problem with this song is patience, as it's definitely very long, but if you're just wasting your school and college years going to school in the day, then watching Stargate and eating Pot Noodles the rest of the time you might as well immerse yourself. There won't be time later. The song is a direct reference to Samuel Coleridge's famous poem in which a seafaring man was cursed to tell his tale of blasphemy regarding the murder of an albatross, and it's very easy to tell the sections which are either original Maiden or lifted directly from the poem. See if you can tell the difference:
"As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere
And all the boards did shrink.
Water water everywhere nor any drop to drink."
"And the curse goes on and on and on at sea
And the thirst goes on and on for them and me."
Diddly-diddly-diddly ba ba bababababa (instrument sounds)
Halfway through, a bass section features a number of string and wind instruments which create a deep atmosphere and is very different from everything else on the album, and a narrative starts. Following this rather dull and quiet section comes another guitar section I could only describe as 'cheerful' which leads up to the end of the song. A masterpiece, but not for everyone.
VERDICT
I would personally recommend this album over any others Maiden have done, as this is Maiden at their prime. "Number of the Beast" is the album everyone knows, but the songs aren't anywhere near as enjoyable or metal as this; the band's chemistry also seems to be at an all-time high before all the splitting up of the 90s. "Beast" is also beaten by the fact that its booklet didn't include a nonsensical slang-fest swearathon at the end of its booklet's "Thank You" section: this does, and it's all the funnier for it. Unfortunately I can't repeat any of the phonetical swear words in case of offence. This album and the others can all be found for very low prices in CD retailers and on websites, which makes collecting them all the more simple. Up the Irons!
Advantages: Some of the best Maiden songs on one album, Every band member working at their peak, Great Egyptian artwork and theme
Disadvantages: "Back in the Village" prevents the album from attaining perfection status, Production and age means it's not as clear as newer albums, even when remastered
Live After Death
The Envious Foetus
*****
Written on 18.05.04
Over the past year, NWOBHM band Iron Maiden (that's New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, not a particularly catchy abbreviation I admit) have managed to overpower all the other bands inside my head to become my personal favourite. Their albums are surprisingly strong and full of excellent tracks, while their lyrics and song structures are, for the most part, incredible.
Live After Death was their first official live album and despite advances in digital recording techniques, this album is still widely regarded as one of the best live recordings ever made, almost twenty years later. Its influence is also so mighty that it immediately became one of my favourite albums as soon as I listened to it, even though some of the band's greatest hits were not yet born; and nor was I.
WORLD SLAVERY
Following the international success of their albums 'Number of the Beast' (1982), 'Piece of Mind' (1983) and 'Powerslave' (1984), the band embarked on what has been described as "one of the most ambitious tours in rock history," touring the planet on their World Slavery Tour from 1984 to 1985 over a total of 322 almost consecutive days.
Bearing in mind that this is only a little under a year, Iron Maiden's state upon returning to Blighty could only be described as "knackered," but the band's friendship and inspiration was such that they were able to get to work on creating another studio album almost immediately. Aside from lead singer Bruce Dickinson who, having almost suffered a breakdown due to the stress of enslaving the world through ear-splitting vocals, had to take it easy for a few months.
The dates match: early 1985. It was during this tour that I was conceived and gestated, however when it was my time to emerge the band had finally completed their tour. Coincidence? Yes, obviously.
SCREAM FOR ME, LONG BEACH
When an influential band plans to release an official live album, the location of the recording is often hotly debated. Iced Earth's 'Alive in Athens' corresponded to their great respect for their supportive Greek fans, while Metallica remained closer to home with their 'Live Sh*t' box set of US concerts.
Despite being British gentlemen, Iron Maiden were clearly well aware of their American fan base and subsequently became the first time ever that a band's concert sold out for four consecutive nights at the Long Beach Arena in Los Angeles, California. The overwhelming crowd support seems to spur the band on and provide them with even more energy as the songs across these two CDs all sound rapid, energetic and pitch-perfect. Maiden are a live band if ever there was one, and the power behind these tracks makes them even more enjoyable and dynamic than the studio versions, if a little less definitive.
DISC ONE
Intro
Aces High
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Trooper
Revelations
Flight of Icarus
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Powerslave
The Number of the Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden
Run to the Hills
Running Free
DISC TWO
Wrathchild
22 Acacia Avenue
Children of the Damned
Die With Your Boots On
Phantom of the Opera
The noticeable changes to many of these songs from the album versio ns is that many of them are played at a faster and more exciting pace, apart from some like 'Aces High' and 'The Trooper' that could not conceivably be any faster. This seems a little odd at first, but it creates a much more vibrant and enjoyable mood throughout the whole experience, and as with all live albums this IS an experience; not an album that will often get spun purely for your favourite track.
Opening with sounds of warfare and the famous "fight on the beaches" speech from Churchill, the band launch into their most recent hit (as of this album), 'Aces High,' and continue with fast and meaningful tracks for the majority of the night, even giving the excellent and reflective 'Revelations' a kick in the speedy direction. 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' is one of the highlights as this fourteen minute epic is as perfect as on the album, and it's easy to join in with the crowd's excitement as the mummified Eddie explodes onto the stage during 'Powerslave.'
The second half of the album, the extra tracks recorded a little earlier during a concert in Hammersmith, London, mainly consist of material from the band's first three albums, and although these albums sound dated and less impressive for a number of reasons, the best tracks are made even more enjoyable here; 'Running Free' is a very simple song but very infectious and a great ending to the gig, while 'Phantom of the Opera' closes the bonus disc in style.
VERDICT
Although now one of my very favourite albums, this album still has its flaws, although none of them are large enough to present a problem. The production is crystal clear, but the guitars do sound a lot more raw than on their mid-80s studio albums, and some of the tracks do not benefit from this style. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith still excel in this department however, with Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain, playing bass guitar and drums respectively, sounding even better here than on some of the albums. Bruce never hits a wrong note either, confirming his status as one of metal's mightiest vocalists; his very British humour during banter between a couple of tracks is also very enjoyable.
The issue of crowd involvement is a difficult subject to tackle, and some people have commented on the crowd not being clear enough in-between the tracks on this album. Compared to some live albums the cheers are quieter, but this also means that they do not interfere with the songs. Bruce's shouts out to the gathered throng are a little uninspiring, and he does have a tendency to tell them to "scream for him" a little too often, but he keeps the spirit alive.
As with many official live albums, especially those stretching to a number of discs, tracks are taken from different nights of the show to ensure the very best is released on the album, and this means that the crowd fade out and then back in several times during the first CD. This isn't annoying but it is a little distracting, and it shows that this was recorded at a time when cassette tapes were still very popular. I know this as I recently purchased the double cassette version for a very low price on eBay, and the fade-outs of the CD and LP conform to the side lengths given to the tape.
The final point seems a very obvious and typical one, as not everyone's favourite tracks will be on these 2 CDs. This extends to the fact that the band produced some excellent songs and albums after this point, tracks that could not be included here, but I feel that this album benefits from being recorded when it was; the band's progression is evident in every album, but it was after this point that their songs became more melodic and aided by synthesisers, something that would stand out a little here. Indeed, the band's later live albums and "best-of" collections sound very diverse, something that is to be applauded but that does not make for a great live album.
Although I have seen the reasonably impressive tribute band 'Ironically Maiden,' I have yet to see the genuine five-piece live, although any live show that the dedicated, middle-aged rockers put on will doubtless be less impressive than their Long Beach offering. In 1985, Iron Maiden were at their creative peak and I was now ready to be thrust into the world they had so melodically enslaved.
Advantages: Fantastic energy makes it an enjoyable listen, Maiden at their creative and musical peak, No one misses a note
Disadvantages: Later hits are not included, but this would spoil the style a little (not to mention it's impossible. They're not magic), Fade-outs at several points
Somewhere in Time
Golden Years
*****
Written on 06.06.04
I have written several negative reviews of Iron Maiden albums within the last month, so I justly felt it was time to celebrate one of the British band's finest offerings with their classic line-up. This was the first Iron Maiden album to be released after my birth, although in my foolishness I waited seventeen years before buying it. I hope someone reading this will realise their mistake as well, and order a copy as soon as possible.
SOMEWHERE IN TIME: 1986
Following as it did the over-ambitious World Slavery Tour, that saw Iron Maiden touring huge arenas across the world on 322 nights from 1984 and 1985, the very existence of a 1986 Maiden album seems something of a minor miracle. Speedy bass player Steve Harris and guitarist duo Adrian Smith and Dave Murray returned to Blighty with aching fingers, pseudo-operatic vocalist Bruce Dickinson suffered a minor breakdown towards the end of the tour, and as for mad drummer Nicko McBrain... well, he was probably alright.
Iron Maiden's increasing popularity and status as the biggest British rock band of the eighties partially stems from their dedication to their fans and their music, and the band were soon recording their sixth studio album Somewhere in Time. The extensive touring had clearly left a mark on Maiden, as the musical style of this new release was deliberately altered to a more melodic and progressive style, the fairly knackered band collaborating more on dividing the songwriting duties into manageable chunks: band founder and regular writer Steve Harris only wrote one half of the album this time round, the other four tracks written by the increasingly impressive Adrian Smith.
The album doesn't feel jumbled or discordant, and in fact is one of my favourite Iron Maiden albums, but it's clear that had the band taken a break before getting back to the studio, this release would have been noticeably different and more successful; its 1988 successor, the intricate and hugely popular concept album 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,' shows the level of grandeur that the Maiden of this era were capable of.
STYLE
The most noticeable change in the band's style between Powerslave and Somewhere in Time is their decision to add 'depth' to their tracks with synthesisers, and this is also the first of several albums that earned the band something of a reputation for overproduction in an album; not an inherent flaw, this gives all the instruments and vocals a much cleaner and more polished sound than the more raw heavy metal of their previous releases, and this can be seen as either a beneficial or unimpressive change. It certainly suits the progressive and very melodic heavy metal of these eight tracks.
In terms of impressive musicianship, this album is still overflowing with incredible guitar and bass work, and energetic drumming, while Bruce Dickinson's vocals seem no worse for wear after screaming 'Run to Hills' every night for ten months. Every track is detailed and interesting, and for once the band made a decision not to release any shorter tracks: no song is shorter than five minutes.
DESIGN
The cover of this album is a departure from the historical nature of their last album, and regular Maiden artist Derek Riggs has clearly taken more than a little inspiration from the film Blade Runner in designing a post-apocalyptic version of the future, featuring the ever-present mascot Eddie in full cyberpunk Robocop gear, having shot dead a criminal in typically tongue-in-cheek violence style. The band themselves are drawn in handcuffs on the back cover, beneath a cityscape littered with sly references to Iron Maiden's discography and personal history: if 'Aces High Bar' and a clock displaying the time as 23:58 mean anything to you, you've likely been sucked in to the Iron Maiden web just like me. In which case, you really need to buy this album.
TRACKS
Some fans see this as an attempted concept album that went a little haywire, but I don't see any indications of that; the title track concerns time travel, but none of the others talk about anything remotely similar. Unless there's something I don't know about long distance running. Notes by the tracks indicate the writer, which I do find important on this album above others.
1. CAUGHT SOMEWHERE IN TIME (Harris)
A little different from previous openers to the band's albums, this is a reasonably long and complex track as opposed to a short, punchy affair, but it still has the trademark speed and incredibly catchy riffs. Dickinson utilises pretty much his entire vocal range here, from subdued gravely verses to full-blown high singing in the choruses, but it?s the guitars that are the real highlight of the song. A contender for Maiden's most progressive song in terms of internal development throughout, this is a really great track, if a little complex for an album opener - fantastic solo sections towards the end as well.
"Make you an offer you can't refuse,
You've only got your soul to lose
Eternally, just let yourself go"
2. WASTED YEARS (Smith)
The first track released as a single, this clearly has more of a commercial appeal but doesn't suffer for it. Quite reflective but still featuring the trademark chugging guitars, this is Iron Maiden at their lightest and most melodic, and it sounds great: the spirit of the album is not lost, as there is still plenty of diverse guitar and bass work, with an excellent solo, and this doesn?t stand out as a commercial track in the way that the later 'Can I Play With Madness' spoiled the style of their next album. I once read that Adrian Smith wrote the song and was unsure whether to show the band for fear of producing a "sell-out" track, but the melodic chorus from Dickinson is so relaxing that Adrian Smith should be knighted (he plays a mean guitar as well). The lyrics are meaningful and hopefully inspiring, I know I think of them a lot.
"So understand,
You're wasting time always searching for those wasted years.
Face up, make a stand
And realise you're living in the golden years."
3. SEA OF MADNESS (Smith)
Back to a heavier style, this is the most varied track on the album and remains unpredictable throughout. A very heavy opening and strong bass presence in the verses leads to a very high chorus, and all this is managed within five and a half minutes. I immediately liked this track, but it took me a while to fully appreciate it due to the diverse nature that may have hindered it from becoming a Maiden 'classic,' however anything regarding insanity is usually a winner in my mind. Some of the best guitarwork of the album, this is also the first track to put across a real sense of atmosphere with the subliminal synthesisers and excellent instrumentation; I'm not sure why this doesn?t seem as impressive as the band's other work, but I really love it, and it has one of the most anticipated encore choruses in the band's history following the solos.
"Somewhere I hear a voice that's calling,
Out in the dark there burns a dream.
You got to hope when you are falling,
To find the world that you have seen."
4. HEAVEN CAN WAIT (Harris)
Possibly my favourite track on the album, this starts with a recognisable bass riff that leads into an illegally-catchy guitar riff which permeates the song, and this is also the fastest track on the album. Dickinson's vocals correspond perfectly to the changes in rhythm and are incredibly infectious in the high chorus section. This song is made longer than strictly necessary by an instrumental section in the middle, but after a few listens I appreciated it even more with this addition, and it's the perfect mix of epic metal and speedy, catchy rock to keep the listener interested in the middle of the album. With their earlier hits 'Run to the Hills' and 'The Number of the Beast' remaining the most well-known Iron Maiden tracks despite their simplicity, this is destined to remain one of the least recognised Iron Maiden gems. It even has a haunting "woah" section that's sure to go down well live.
"I'm looking down on my body below,
I lie asleep in the midst of a dream,
Is it now, could it be that the Angel of Death has come for me?"
5. THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER (Harris)
Possibly my least favourite track on the album as it tends to drag on, this is still an excellent song with one of the best opening guitar melodies and a fast-paced rhythm that conveys the notion of a long distance runner very well. That this can still sound different from the rest of the album at this point shows how talented the band were, and my only real problems here are that Bruce's vocals don't inspire in the manner of other tracks, and the riffs are a little obvious; there's still some nice stuff going on behind all this though, and I'd probably appreciate this more if I regularly ran and didn't spend time sitting behind the computer desk writing about Iron Maiden albums. Oh well, it's still got a fantastic guitar section in the middle.
"You reach the final stretch,
Ideals are just a trace,
You feel like throwing the race,
It's all so futile."
6. STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND (Smith)
The other track released as a single, this is incredibly popular with Iron Maiden fans but it took me a long time to realise why; now it's one of my favourites on the album. It begins very low-key in contrast to the melodic nature of the rest of the album and is highly bass-led, ensuring that the rather slow and reflective tempo is maintained. Bruce's almost spoken verses make this very atmospheric, aided by the best use of keyboards on the album, and with its slightly darker and less polished sound it stand out as a classic. My favourite part of the track however is the anticipated repeat of the choruses after the lengthy but melodic solo section; this makes it all feel worthwhile. The subject matter is also very interesting, inspired by Adrian Smith's meeting with a survivor of an ill-fated expedition to the Arctic that left his comrades frozen to death. Far from the often-held impression that Iron Maiden are a cheesy band. This is Adrian Smith's finest ever Maiden effort.
"What became of the men that started?
All are gone and their souls departed
Left me here in this place so all alone,
Stranger in a strange land"
7. DÉJÀ VU (Murray/Harris)
I love this track, it's classic Maiden. Beginning with a very atmospheric and distant-sounding section of guitars and bass, the song then breaks into what the band must know is an incredibly catchy melody. Technically probably not the greatest Iron Maiden track, but it has everything that an Iron Maiden song should have: catchy, upbeat verses, high vocals in the chorus and some astounding guitar work keeping it all together. The lyrics are a little less impressive compared to the album as a whole, but that can easily be forgiven for the cheap thrills this track provides. It's also the shortest on the album, and works excellently between the relative epics of tracks six and eight. I don't know how they do it.
"Have you ever talked to someone
And you feel you know what's coming next?
It feels pre-arranged.
'Cause you know that you've heard it before
And you know that this moment in time is surreal,
'Cause you know when you feel déjà vu."
8. ALEXANDER THE GREAT [356 - 323 BC] (Harris)
An incredibly unsubtle way of reintroducing Steve Harris' love of history into the band's albums, he once described this as "the greatest Iron Maiden song never played live," and it's understandable why. Clearly an epic by the band's standards, it does lack the character and catchiness of some of their other long tracks such as the incredible fourteen minute 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' a live favourite, although it's a very good song in its own right. Beginning with some spoken word, it breaks into memorable riffs and a Great (rubbish pun) chorus, but it doesn't get really impressive until half-way through when the guitars take a turn for the dark side and become very heavy and haunting, eventually culminating in one of the band's greatest high guitar harmony sections. This track could have been executed a little better, but it does serve as an excellent end to an album every heavy metal fan should own.
"Near to the East, in a part of Ancient Greece,
In an ancient land called Macedonia
Was born a son to Philip of Macedon,
The legend his name was Alexander."
VERDICT
This is one of my very favourite Iron Maiden albums as it contains some of my all-time favourite songs, and although there are obvious reasons why it may not have lived up to the standards of other albums - leading to its relative obscurity in temrs of Maiden's albums - I can't notice any flaws. There is the usual lack of coherence in terms of subject matter, but if anything this improves the album as Adrian Smith is at least Steve Harris' equal in terms of songwriting ability, finally getting his chance to show it here. The change in style also keeps the band original, and while it may not have the raw appeal of Powerslave and Piece of Mind, Somewhere in Time still catches the band in their golden age before they lost a little confidence and effort in the nineties with the departure of guitarist Smith and later vocalist Dickinson.
Iron Maiden fans would benefit immensely from this album, however I would recommend buying one of their more accessible albums first, such as Powerslave or their recent Dance of Death. The polished sound of Somewhere in Time compliments the excellent melody and power of the tracks in a way that its successor, the Seventh Son album, lost, and with a mixture of slow but still powerful tracks ('Wasted Years' and 'Stranger in a Strange Land'), large-scale epics with amazing guitar work ('Caught Somewhere in Time' and 'Heaven Can Wait') and incredibly catchy guitar riffs and choruses ('Sea of Madness' and 'Déjà vu'), this remains one of the best examples of why Iron Maiden are one of the meaningful and talented metal bands in history.
Advantages: Eight amazing tracks, Excellent musicians and the best vocals in heavy metal, Great use of synthesisers to compliment tracks
Disadvantages: Some may dislike the more epic and melodic departure
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Polished Metal
****
Written on 05.04.04
Continuing in the progressive vein of their 1986 album 'Somewhere in Time,' Iron Maiden bass player, songwriter and founder Steve Harris decided that the time was right for the band to produce their 'classic' album, and discussion with the rest of the band led to the decision to attempt a difficult but creative task: a concept album.
The consistency and originality of the eight tracks have eanred this album the position of one of Maiden's most recognised albums to date, possibly more so internationally than 1982's 'The Number of the Beast,' although compared to that earlier album the style is very different. Following their incredible and draining eighteen month World Slavery Tour from 1984 to 86, Iron Maiden had presumably become fed up with performing the same kind of songs every night and decided to expand their range. 'Somewhere in Time' was their first album to feature prominent guitar and bass synthesisers to enhance the depth of the songs as well as the infamous 'over-production' that left the album with very distinctive and clean-sounding guitars, bass and drums. Songwriting duties were shared between Harris and guitarist Adrian Smith for that album and its release so soon after the crippling world tour, which reportedly led to vocalist Bruce Dickinson experiencing a minor breakdown due to stress, meant that the album was not all it could have been in most peoples' opinions. Despite the fact that I disagree with this, it is clear that 'Seventh Son' involved a lot more effort and direction.
PREMISE
As a concept album, Seventh Son's songs focus on an ancient Greek prophecy regarding the seventh son born to a man who was, himself, a seventh son. Apologies if you found that sentence patronising, but I had to clear it up. Unlike some other concept albums, the tracks do not narrate a continous story through a group of characters, but there is a definite sense from start to finish of the prophecy's conception, its consequences, and the life of the eponymous seventh son.
The myth of the seventh son of a seventh son's powers is described by Dickinson in the title track: he will have the power to heal, he will have the gift of second sight, he is the chosen one, but he must decide himself whether to take the path of good or evil. According to internet searches, there are a number of famous ancient texts, including the King James version of the Bible, which could have provided the inspiration for this record, but it is the notion of the Seventh One more than a particular story that is the focus.
Casual fans of Iron Maiden will also find it very easy to distinguish a song as being on this album due to the Seventh Son sound; unbelievably clean guitars, some of Bruce's best vocal work with the band, and the interesting use of keyboards to heighten the songs. Hearing the chorus of the title track would also give a pretty good indication that it came from this record too.
TRACKS
I am aware that many readers will find a track-by-track listing tedious and worthy of skipping, I often do myself, however the eight tracks on this album all deserve a brief exploration:
1. MOONCHILD
Beginning with a quiet acoustic incantation regarding the evil nature of the number seven, a deceptive keyboard intro that sounds very eighties leads into what is the heaviest track on the record, at leats in terms of Iron Maiden. Fantastic vocals in the chorus and great subtle guitar work makes this Bruce Dickinson/Adrian Smith opener a solid song, but one that may take a few listens to get in to. A story of Lucifer's desire to create his 'moonchild' on Earth among men.
"Seven deadly sins, seven ways to win. Seven holy paths to Hell and your trip begins...
"Seven downward hopes, seven bloodied hopes, seven are your burning fires. Seven your desires..."
2. INFINITE DREAMS
A slower, ballad-esque song and one of the four tracks eventually released seperately. Yes, Iron Maiden released half of their album as singles. It took a long time for this song to grow on me, and it still doesn't impress me as much as the rest of the album. Like many of the songs on here it is not immediately apparent that it relates to the prophecy, but the lyrics imply that a dreamer has been having visions of the arrival of the evil one.
3. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS
One of the first Maiden songs I heard and the first I hated, however over time its sheer catchiness has grown on me. Often regarded as the stinker that doesn't fit into the feel of the album I now love this song, despite its dodginess and over-use of keyboards, and it has an excellent music video featuring one of the last performaces by Monty Python member Graham Chapman before his death.
The more commerical nature of this song makes the lyrics much easier to decipher, as it is told from the viewpoint of a man, presumably the dreamer from the last song, visiting an old man for advice and help in preducting whether disaster will indeed strike. The lyrics are very reminiscent of old Maiden in their upbeat, comically evil way, which makes them all the more memorable.
4. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
Almost a rant about the fact that evil will continue to survive, this is the most popular and possibly well-known track on the album and has an excellent and memorable chorus. The keyboards are back to their less dominant position which allows the regular instruments to achieve their full potential. More fantastic vocals from Dickinson on this one, which was released with a less interesting music video that was simply the band performing live. You can't win them all, as the song demonstrates.
5. SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON
Maiden's title tracks are always progressive, heavy and complex, and this is the prime example. Definitely a song that needs time to grow on the listener, this ten-minute epic really hits its stride after the three minute mark when Bruce leaves the instrumentallists to fully strut their musical stuff; Iron Maiden's best work can be found in this song, which makes it my favourite on the album. The lyrics towards the start essentially bring the listener up to speed on what this seventh son thing is all about, as I've attempted to do myself, before leaving guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, bass player Steve Harris and crazy drummer Nicko McBrain to communicate the story in music... well alright it doesn't really do that, but with an instrumental this great, who cares?
A more straightforward opinion on this song was given by the vocalist from the excellent tribute band Ironically Maiden: "Great song that, shame about the vocals."
6. THE PROPHECY
The easiest song to overlook, this begisn with a quiet and slow guitar piece, presumably to give a breather after the last song, and despite the fact that it obviously isn't an instant classic, the change in style means it is still essential. "Now the impending disaster has come, my prediction must surely be true," begins the character, indicating that this child has been born. The song is quite slow and unimpressive, but fades out into an unusual and welcome Medieval-inspired acoustic section.
7. THE CLAIRVOYANT
In contrast, this song, released as a single also, is an instant classic. Nothing too complex, but the incredibly catchy guitars mean this song could only be taken seriously when performed by Maiden. Clearly the Clairvoyant has been having some difficulty in persuading his village-folk that Lucifer's child has been born, and it's now too late. Fans of Iron Maiden's simpler and catchier songs will find this a real treat which they may not have previously heard.
8. ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG
A negative view to end the album on, but the uplifting guitars and beat don't let the enjoyment slip up. This is a great ending to the album, despite feeling like a less impressive version of the previous song, and ends with a reprise of Bruce's acoustic intro from 'Moonchild.'
OVERALL
Iron Maiden are one of my very favourite bands, however I don't consider this album to be their finest for several reasons. If I feel like listening to an entire album, this is usually my safest and most enjoyable bet, however many of the tracks only really work when listened to in sequence. I couldn't slap in tracks 1, 2, 6, 7 or 8 when feeling like a bit of Maiden as they feel so interlinked, whereas others (especially the singles) are different and seperatr enough to work alone. I'm also not a huge fan of this 'polished Maiden' era, where the guitars sound so clinically perfect that it takes something away from the chugging rhythms present on previous albums 'The Number of the Beast,' 'Piece of Mind' and my personal favourite, 'Powerslave.' If this were not a Maiden album I don't think I would have given it a second chance initially, despite the excellent performances from Bruce Dickison and the rest of the band. Although the band are clearly enjoying themselves, there is little emotion to be felt behind this over-production.
I also hesitate to suggest that this is the band's most accessible offering; Maiden have always been chart-toppers and easier for the general, non-metal public to get into than heavier acts, but the complexity of most of these songs would leave many people feeling bored.
On the positive side though, the album should be considered a metal classic, and none of the songs feel like they're simply there for padding. Despite seeming a little short, this is interesting enough for me to listen to on full volume from start to finish and feel satisfied that Britain can produce more than just Queens and stuff.
Advantages: Iron Maiden at their instrumental and vocal best, Really interesting ideas across the songs, Can always be found cheap
Disadvantages: Not too easy to get into for the first-time listener, Eight tracks seems a little short, but it is the quality that counts
No Prayer for the Dying
Fustigation of the Beast
**
Written on 11.06.04
It is the end of the 1980s, a decade that saw Iron Maiden's increasing success, firstly as the most successful British heavy metal band and then as one of the biggest bands in the world. Seven studio albums and dedicated worldwide tours ensured that Iron Maiden's next release would certainly be a hit, even if the skilled musicians and lyricists lost interest in continuing their trend of reasonably flawless albums and producing meaningful and enjoyable songs.
No Prayer for the Dying featured Iron Maiden's only UK number 1 hit single.
No Prayer for the Dying was a big disappointment.
NO ADRIAN FOR NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING
Iron Maiden's classic line-up was established with their fourth album Piece of Mind, introducing Nikko McBrain as the band's permanent drummer to this day. The semi-operatic vocals of Bruce Dickinson was arguably the driving force behind Maiden's popularity, however each band member was responsible for creating the music behind the vocals and keeping it unbeatable. Bruce Dickinson was not a guarantee of Iron Maiden producing excellent music, as you will see, although his song-writing talents did play a part on occasions when he would contribute tracks.
In 1989, long-established guitarist Adrian Smith left the band to pursue other ventures and, although Adrian was one of two lead guitarists and handled only half of the guitar duties, his creativity, distinctive sound and talent for song-writing had left a positive influence on the band's albums since 1982. A permanent replacement was found in the form of Janick Gers, a man who brought a different sound to Maiden's solos but was still very talented.
DIRECTION
Having released increasingly complex and intricate albums since 1983, culminating in the 1988 concept epic 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' with keyboards and multiple guitar layers, the band consciously decided to release a more straightforward rock album reminiscent of their earlier works. Gone were the lengthy epics that the band were famous for; this album is comprised of moderate length tracks with catchy, repetitive riffs and uninspired solos. If it seems that Iron Maiden were trying and failing to release a string of successful songs in the vein of their early hits 'Run to the Hills' and 'The Number of the Beast,' that seems to be exactly what they were doing.
Unfortunately the production on this album, antithetical to the band's usual highly polished sound, was very poor: the drums sound light and tinny while the guitars even have a slightly grating edge and Steve Harris' bass can hardly be heard a lot of the time. Bruce Dickinson's vocals are not inherently affected by the production quality, but it's clear that the metal virtuoso has lost some of his desire to remain in the band even by this point: he would eventually leave to pursue a solo career in 1992.
TRACKS
1. TAILGUNNER
My favourite track on the album, despite the dodgy production sound it's a classic fast Iron Maiden anthem with the usual over-the-top vocals in the chorus. The riff is very catchy and impressive, and there's even some atmosphere to this song that’s lacking in most of the others. A nice cheap thrill at the start of the album.
"Who shot who and who fired first?
Dripping death to whet the bloodthirst
No radar lock on - skin and bone
The bomber boys are going home"
2. HOLY SMOKE
I wasn't impressed by 'Holy Smoke' when I first heard it until I listened to the lyrics and realised it was a little tongue-in-cheek stab at religious televangelists. With this humorous, satirical angle it can be appreciated more as a track and doesn't waste any time in breaking into the recognisable riff. The problems with the track are Dickinson's grating vocals in the verses and the annoying sound of the guitars towards the end: both features of the production and not a fault of the band. Actually a very good track, and one of the best examples of what Maiden were going for with this album.
"Holy Smoke, Holy Smoke,
Plenty bad preachers for the Devil to stoke.
Feed 'em in feet first this is no joke
This is thirsty work, making Holy Smoke"
3. NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING
This is where the album begins to wane, although this is still among the finest tracks on here. It’s simply the structure of this song (quiet opening-riffs and verses-bit of a solo-quiet outro) that would continue to be used on the band's albums for the next seven years and become increasingly unoriginal. The opening riff sounds very melodic, although it does feel very overused as the song continues. Dickinson's vocals also show a more melodic side here and this song would be a lot more impressive if not for the over-raw sound of the guitars and drums.
"There are times when I've wondered
And times when I've cried,
When my prayers they were answered
At times when I've lied"
4. PUBLIC ENEMA NUMBER ONE
Starting again with the riff in full swing, it's clear from the outset that this will be something of a weak link. Bruce's vocals in the verses fail to impress, the guitars sound like they're experimenting with the first tunes that come to mind and there's very little progression to keep this interesting. Saying that though, the choruses are of a slower pace and seem to be going somewhere exciting until they return to the regular riff.
"Fall on your knees today
And pray the world will mend its ways
Get to your feet again
Refugees from the heartbreak and the pain"
5. FATES WARNING
Saving the album a little, this more melodic and reflective track comes along at a very appropriate time. The guitars sound more impressive even when they return to a regular rhythm and the lyrics are, for a change, quite meaningful. Not a classic Iron Maiden song by any means, but this is one of the high points of the album and is worth listening to even though it does sound quite similar to the rest of it.
"Are we the lucky ones, saved for another day,
Or are they the lucky ones who are taken away?
Is it a hand on your shoulder from the lord above
Or the devil himself come to give you a shove?"
6. THE ASSASSIN
One of the worst efforts of the album, the changes the band have made to their usual style all fail quite dramatically. The ensemble chorus fails to inspire and this song doesn't stay memorable afterwards, sounding like a poor attempt at some of the earlier songs. It isn't easy for me to criticise these guys, but this album was largely a mistake.
"Better watch out, 'cause I'm the assassin,
Better watch out, better watch out"
7. RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP
Another track that begins softly before breaking into the riff, this isn't really bad but does sound incredibly similar to the title track and others. Bruce's vocals are better than in most of the songs in the high chorus, and the dual guitars sound good at times, but it's still pretty unoriginal. The ending is also a painfully slow reproduction of the chorus which ends up sounding less than excellent.
"Running silent, running deep, we are your final prayer,
Warriors in secret sleep, a merchantman's nightmare.
A silent death lies awaiting for all of you below,
Running silent, running deep, sink into your silent sleep"
8. HOOKS IN YOU
At first I dismissed this track but, despite its flaws, it's actually a very catchy metal track with some memorable guitars and lyrics. Written by Adrian Smith before he left the band as a third chapter to the long-running saga of Charlotte the Harlot (parts one and two were on the band's self-titled debut and 'The Number of the Beast' respectively), this is another example of what the album should have been according to the band's ideals. Nothing special, but then again that is the point. Quite good.
"I got the keys to view at number 22,
Behind my green door there's nothing to see.
Stone cold sober and sitting in silence,
Laid back and looking for sympathy.
I like a girl who knows where she's bound,
I don't like girls who've been hanging around"
9. BRING YOUR DAUGHTER... TO THE SLAUGHTER
The band.s only UK number one hit, this isn't an example of Iron Maiden at their best. Catchy and funny yes, but fairly uninspired. This was originally written by Bruce and performed with other musicians for the soundtrack to 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and while it's quite memorable it also served to gain Iron Maiden an undeserved reputation as a very cheesy metal band. Unfortunately, in the case of this album, that's unfortunately true.
"So get down on your knees honey,
Assume an attitude.
You just pray that I'll be waiting,
'Cause you know I'm coming soon!"
10. MOTHER RUSSIA
This track begins incredibly promisingly, with harmonious guitars performing a classical tune as an intro, but the uninspired main riffs and vocal style keep this far from 'epic' territory. Possibly the biggest disappointment of the album, I really don't enjoy listening to this song.
"Mother Russia, poetry majestic,
Tells the time of a great empire.
Turning round the old man ponders,
Reminiscing an age gone by"
DESIGN
The album art is still handled at this point by regular artist Derek Riggs, but like the band his usual high quality shows signs of having waned here. Due to the over-contrasting colours I was only able to work out what I was looking at once I had the album in my possession, smaller pictures on the internet not being particularly clear. In case the same problem presents itself to you the reader, the cover features the band's ever-present mascot Eddie breaking out of a coffin in a dank crypt viewed from above, much to the chagrin and, it appears, fear of a watchman replete with torch.
It's not really a bad cover, just lacking some originality and skill following Riggs' impressive artwork for the band's previous albums: a striking Egyptian pyramid design for 'Powerslave,' an intricate and highly detailed cyberpunk cityscape for 'Somewhere in Time' and a confusing but beautiful rendering for 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.' The photos of the band on the back cover and inside are also without flair, but this is typical of the record company's rushed deadlines for album booklets and therefore a feature of most Maiden albums.
VERDICT
This is one of Iron Maiden's least original and least impressive albums, proving that having Bruce in the band wasn't a guarantee of excellent musicianship. All the band members sound tired and probably a little disillusioned by the departure of Adrian, while the production quality and 'back-to-basics' approach were both, in hindsight, very bad decisions. It's understandable that Maiden would want to return to their roots, but it doesn't excuse this from being a very poor contrast to their early albums such as 'Piece of Mind' and 'Iron Maiden.' The follow-up to this album, 'Fear of the Dark,' was in some ways even less impressive and it was then Bruce Dickinson's time to leave.
Both Bruce and Adrian returned to the band in 1999 and their albums since have regained the band's former glory through constant progression rather than an attempt to look backwards. 'No Prayer For the Dying' is a disappointing chapter in the Iron Maiden chronicles and tarnishes their earlier releases which were all classics of heavy metal. I still love them though, although not in a funny way, I never went through a phase.
Iron Maiden Discography
And my foolish views out of 10
1980: Iron Maiden (7)
1981: Killers (6)
1982: The Number of the Beast (8)
1983: Piece of Mind (10)
1984: Powerslave (10)
1985: Live After Death (live) (10)
1986: Somewhere in Time (10)
1988: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (9)
1990: No Prayer For the Dying (3)
1992: Fear of the Dark (3)
1993: A Real Live Dead One (live) (5)
1993: Live at Donington (live) (6)
1995: The X Factor (6)
1996: The Best of the Beast (best of) (7)
1998: Virtual XI (3)
2000: Brave New World (8)
2001: Rock in Rio (live) (9)
2002: Edward the Great (greatest hits) (6)
2003: Dance of Death (9)
A Real Live Dead One
A Fairly Terrible Quite Good Live Album
**
Written on 19.05.07
The 1998 remastering and recanonising of Iron Maiden’s works collected together 1993’s ‘A Real Live One’ and its not-very-long-awaited successor ‘A Real Dead One’ into this sensible single volume, with a fairly ridiculous title. The two separate entities compliment each other excellently, as a deliberate decision was clearly made to memorialise the band’s extensive (even at this point) history, while at the same time acting as an unofficial farewell tour for singer Bruce Dickinson, who had announced his plan to depart the band before the albums were released.
Bruce’s performance in Iron Maiden deteriorated infamously between their glory years and the ‘back-to-basics’ approach of the early 90s material, largely abandoning his trademark operatic style for an unconvincing snarl on both new studio recordings and live performances of older songs. Worn out and disillusioned, his disappointing performance on live albums from this era sadly reaches its peak on ‘A Real Dead One,’ originally the second half of the collection but rearranged to come chronologically first on this re-release, as he completely butchers favourites from the band’s first five albums. While this flaw could be generously overlooked, as it can for the excellent ‘Live at Donington’ show recorded around the same time, the problems sadly don’t end with Dickinson.
Although more recent live releases rival this collection in terms of pointlessness, particularly in the tired regurgitation of the bulk of the set-list each time, ‘A Real Live Dead One’ undeniably provides the more excruciating listening experience. Bassist and primary songwriter/control freak Steve Harris continued to push for a raw production sound in apparent embarrassment over the increasing extravagance of Iron Maiden live shows and songs throughout the 80s, and evidently failed to learn anything from the weak sound of 1990’s ‘No Prayer for the Dying’ album. The sound quality is indeed raw, but the energy required is entirely lacking in most of the band members, with the exception of mad drummer Nicko McBrain who is as reliable as he is formulaic. Anyone who has seen an Iron Maiden live video from 1990 onwards will recognise the contributions of Janick Gers, Adrian Smith’s poorer replacement, as listening to this recording you can practically see him holding his white guitar high in the air for no particular reason and jumping on the spot during the large gaps in sound where he should be soloing.
Disc 1: A Real Dead One
1.The Number of the Beast
2.The Trooper
3.Prowler
4.Transylvania
5.Remember Tomorrow
6.Where Eagles Dare
7.Sanctuary
8.Running Free
9.Run to the Hills
10.2 Minutes to Midnight
11.Iron Maiden
12.Hallowed Be Thy Name
Disc 2: A Real Live One
1.Be Quick or Be Dead
2.From Here to Eternity
3.Can I Play with Madness?
4.Wasting Love
5.Tailgunner
6.The Evil That Men Do
7.Afraid to Shoot Strangers
8.Bring Your Daughter...to the Slaughter
9.Heaven Can Wait
10.The Clairvoyant
11.Fear of the Dark
Compared to the previous live effort ‘Live After Death,’ widely acclaimed as one of the greatest live recordings of all time (and probably my favourite album ever), the sound of the guitars is noticeably weak and overpowered by the bass range and the far-too-audible crowd, especially obvious in ‘A Real Dead One’ which features much of the same material as that earlier classic, but played with only a shade of the skill and enthusiasm. The obvious area in which this album excels is the inclusion of material not found on ‘Live After Death,’ including the whole of ‘A Real Live One’ which features material recorded after 1985. Even on the other disc, where the band plays older songs, almost half of the performance consists of previously unreleased live songs, mostly from the debut album. The inherent drawback is that the songs played on ‘Live After Death’ were all really, really good songs, so while it’s nice for the collector to have something different, it’s also a shame for the casual fan who misses out on gems like ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ ‘Children of the Damned’ and ‘Powerslave’ in favour of a few more good, but unexceptional punky songs from the debut album.
Similarly, the official release of ‘Live at Donington’ offers almost exactly the same set-list of the newer songs found on the second disc in superior quality, essentially leaving only the consecutive songs ‘Prowler,’ ‘Transylvania,’ ‘Remember Tomorrow,’ ‘Where Eagles Dare’ and ‘Sanctuary’ from the first disc as the reason to buy this album, and it’s not a bad reason. It’s often said that Dickinson’s vocal style doesn’t suit the early Iron Maiden material, which was originally recorded with the gravely Paul Di’Anno, and nowhere is this more present than in these afore-mentioned songs. ‘Transylvania’ is an old instrumental that only sounds like filler here, although ‘Where Eagles Dare’ is quite a treat, the only song from 1983’s ‘Piece of Mind’ album apart from the overplayed ‘The Trooper.’ With its recognisable drum intro and powerful riffs, there’s not a lot wrong with this recording apart from Dickinson forgetting a lot of the words.
Nevertheless, the highlight of each disc comes at the end, when the band unleash their overplayed-to-death but still fantastic epics ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name,’ on the first disc, and ‘Fear of the Dark’ on the second. The drawn-out melancholy suits the tired middle-aged men perfectly, as they would unfortunately choose to demonstrate ad nauseam on several studio albums to follow before things started getting interesting again in the new millennium and ‘A Real Live Dead One’ could be all but forgotten about. Dickinson returned to the fold, eradicating the ‘farewell tour’ incentive to buy this, as did Adrian Smith, whose presence was much more important and noticeably lacking on this release. Then again, fans who feel alienated by the more progressive route taken on the last two studio albums, which culminated in the band playing the excellent ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ album in its entirety on the first leg of the recent tour, may take Steve Harris-style comfort in these largely uncomplicated heavy metal anthems. Finally, the artwork is far from legendary; ‘A Real Live One’ is nice enough with its light blue and red colour scheme and the band’s zombie mascot Eddie tearing through some live wires, but ‘A Real Dead One’ simply depicts Eddie as a D.J. in a hellish club, where he is presumably playing this substandard recording of Iron Maiden classics and mediocrity. That may explain the clenched fists and angered expression.
The recent trend of Iron Maiden’s label EMI has been to release an official live album for every major tour, apparently to prevent bootlegging but essentially to turn a greater profit, and there are only so many times the die-hard fan can bring themselves to listen to ‘Run to the Hills’ and ‘Running Free.’ As such, ‘A Real Live Dead One’ is a nice, but largely flawed memorial of a specific and turbulent period of Iron Maiden’s history, featuring a wealth of songs both old and new that would scarcely be heard elsewhere. Except, obviously, on the ‘Live at Donington’ album, which is essentially the same, only played with more expertise and spirit, and without the rubbish production job. Really, there’s no reason not to just buy that instead.
Advantages: A nice smattering of rare live songs on disc one.
Disadvantages: An inferior alternative to 'Live at Donington' in almost every way.
Live at Donington
End of an Era
***
Written on 23.06.04
In 1993, the rumours were effectively confirmed that vocalist Bruce Dickinson would be leaving Iron Maiden to pursue family interests and a solo career, and there were concerns over whether the band’s scheduled headlining date at the Donington Monsters of Rock festival (something no longer held) would still go ahead. The band did not disappoint their loyal fans and Bruce was happy to see his Iron Maiden career end on a high note with this one-off concert following the ‘Fear of the Dark’ tour. Originally only available as a bootleg, this has since been officially released as a double-CD live album.
URBAN MYTHS & GENUINE FLAWS
Although this is a historic and excellent performance by the band, there are a couple of issues that are generally raised regarding the performance of band members at this point in Iron Maiden’s career; this was likely their height of fame, with number one albums and a number one hit single. Firstly, Bruce Dickinson’s voice receives a lot of criticism, but it still sounds great. It’s obvious that he needed some time away from performing as he doesn’t sound as good as he once did, his vocals taking on a distinctly gravely tone for much of this show, but I actually don’t find that a problem with this album. Although he can still reach the high and melodic notes, and despite the fact that he’s clearly enjoying himself on the huge stage, his overall performance seems tired and fails to inspire in the way ‘Live After Death’ did so well, but doesn’t ruin the tracks in any way.
Secondly is the issue of Janick Gers; the band’s replacement guitarist is competent and very talented, but his distinctive sound unfortunately taints the tracks I’m used to hearing with Adrian Smith’s touch, and he has a tendency to milk or improvise some of the solos with unimpressive results. Although he is by far my least favourite member of the band for these reasons, I guess I’d still marry him, but only because it would provide access to Bruce and the rest.
The third point is less important, but it seems odd that Iron Maiden would release two live albums within a year (it was technically three live albums, although ‘A Real Live One’ and ‘A Real Dead One’ were two parts of a greater whole), although the poor sound quality of the other live albums released that year have impeded their sales and popularity. In fact, the Donington CD was not commercially released until 1998, only available as bootlegs, but its place in the band’s discography seems a little out of place now. Oh well, it has a cool cover.
THE SHOW
DISC ONE
1. BE QUICK OR BE DEAD
Huge crowd anticipation and ominous thunderous sound effects build up to the abrupt drum into to the opening track from the band’s most recent (at the time) album, a very fast paced track with angry vocals that makes for a great, energetic introduction and the impact of which can only be heard once the song finishes and the crowd erupt in appreciation.
2. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
The scary voice proclaiming that the number of the beast is six hundred and sixty-six gets the crowd very excited and talking along in anticipation of one of Iron Maiden’s greatest ever hits. Personally I’ve never been that impressed by this track, but on live albums it has sufficient energy to become incredibly enjoyable. This is no exception as Nicko makes excellent use of the cymbals in addition to the original dull drum beat, while the guitars sound better than ever. A classic song that the crowd get into in a big, big way and that sets the tone for the night.
3. WRATHCHILD
A popular and very catchy track from the band’s early days, this is the shortest offering of the show at less than three minutes. Although it’s not as musically impressive as the band’s later work, it’s remained a popular live favourite throughout their career and is certainly very ‘groovy’; I don’t care for the old studio version but it always sound great live with the crowd interaction, and there’s plenty of that here – and the crowd are really, really LOUD.
4. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
One of the weakest offerings of the show, this was the second single from the contemporary ‘Fear of the Dark’ album and is therefore expected, but the uninspired bluesy sound isn’t any more effective live than in the studio. There is an interesting section in the middle where the guitar become quiet and Bruce gets the crowd’s hands going, and his awe at the size of the place is quite apparent. The crowd’s solo vocals don’t work too well, but Bruce’s instruction for Janick to perform his solo, “get your engines going,” is quite a classic moment, if strange. There’s some banter at the end in which Bruce comments on how long the day has been and how it’s going to get even longer, before the band count into a unison cry…
5. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS
One of the band’s more commercial songs, the famous opening scream sounds a little dodgy here as the band try and emulate the studio effect of multiple voices, but the song still sounds excellent without the over-the-top production and keyboard effects that were always a little unnecessary anyway. The crowd love the chorus, and Dickinson’s angry barks are still able to carry out the verses perfectly, however this is still not one of their best tracks. Not as bad as a lot of people make out though, although the guitar riffs do sound like they’re straight from the kid’s TV show ‘Fun House’ (remember that?) Overall, this isn’t a track that performs perfectly live, but it’s fun.
6. WASTING LOVE
The other disappointing track on the album also comes from the ‘Fear of the Dark’ album, and is a very poor example of the band’s talents. An attempt of sorts at a love song, Bruce’s singing and the backing guitars end up sounding unnecessarily cheesy, and the band don’t even speed up the dull chorus section like they would have in the past. This is the low point of the show, and is unfortunately one of the longer tracks also.
7. TAILGUNNER
Thankfully the band regain their momentum with this speedy offering from their 1990 album. Not one of their finest openers, but it’s another of their fun World War II romps in the style of the (better) ‘Aces High’ and ‘Where Eagles Dare.’ Bruce is still excellent in the high chorus, and although this could have been replaced with something better it’s good to hear something that’s relatively new but isn’t crap. The crowd predictably lap it up.
8. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
One of the most popular Maiden songs, this takes a more melodic approach than most without losing the powerful, aggressive edge. The bridge and chorus sections are amazing and if it wasn’t for the repetition towards the end this would likely be my favourite Iron Maiden song, but it’s clear from its reception here that it’s incredibly popular. This doesn’t suffer from the lack of keyboards in the way that ‘Can I Play With Madness’ did.
9. AFRAID TO SHOOT STRANGERS
One of the best songs from the ‘Fear of the Dark’ album, although in some ways this works as a build up to the blinding tenth track. ‘Afraid to Shoot Strangers’ begins quietly with a great slow drum beat in the background, recreated perfectly by Nicko to keep the dingy, bleak atmosphere of the album, before kicking into a melodic guitar harmony and a louder, faster section. It’s the same formula the band returned to again and again during the nineties, but this is one of the earliest and greatest examples, as well as having some meaningful lyrics on the subject of leaving for war. It’s a shame that tracks like ‘Wasting Love’ and ‘From Here to Eternity’ had to be included when ones like this so perfectly sum up that particular album at its best. If anything, this sounds even better live: harmonious and memorable.
10. FEAR OF THE DARK
The highlight of the disc, this live performance of the title track of the band’s 1992 album sounds incredible here, and much better than the tame album version. The band’s performance and the impromptu crowd decisions to join in with the guitar melodies vocally earned this the distinction of being released as a single soon afterwards, complete with live music video, as well as a place on the ‘Best of the Beast’ collection. One of the rare gems to be found amongst the band’s early nineties offerings, this features some of their most impressive guitar riffs and vocals as well as an excellent mix of subdued atmospheric sections and rip-roaring aural assault; an excellent track and the best reason not to buy the ‘Fear of the Dark’ album; buy this album instead. This track was also included on the band’s 2000 live album and DVD Rock in Rio and although it’s also excellent there, for some reasons it doesn’t live up to this specific recording. A perfect ending to the disc, but then there’s more…
DISC TWO
11. BRING YOUR DAUGHTER …TO THE SLAUGHTER
The second disc opens with Iron Maiden’s only UK number one single and as such is an incredibly popular track, but I find it one of the cheesiest and silliest tracks they’ve ever done, even exceeding their own ‘tongue-in-cheek’ standards of the past. The chorus repeats far too much and there’s nothing of real interest in the track, although the ‘woah’ section towards the end was clearly designed with a live audience in mind and sounds quite good. Not an impressive start to the side in my opinion though.
12. THE CLAIRVOYANT
Still in hit single territory, this is one of the band’s catchiest tracks from their 1988 album and features a guitar riff that would be illegal if it came from any other band; thankfully, Maiden manage to make it sound incredible. Again, the lack of keyboards makes this less impressive than on the studio album as it’s not a heavy track, and Bruce’s vocals don’t have the haunting quality of the original CD, but I know I’d love to see it live so I’m glad it’s included. The crowd again get into the chorus, but can’t really be heard over the band’s sound this time.
13. HEAVEN CAN WAIT
One of my favourite inclusions here as it isn’t included on any other live recording and is one of the best tracks from the excellent and overlooked 1986 ‘Somewhere in Time’ album. The guitars don’t sound as polished or skilful as on that album, but that doesn’t spoil the enjoyment and the crowd can be heard as loud as Bruce when he asks them to sing the catchy chorus. The ‘woah-oh-oh’ section takes on a different feel from the album; while the studio version was haunting and atmospheric here, the live version is powerful and rousing, although spoiled a little by some unnecessary banter from Bruce.
14. RUN TO THE HILLS
One of the band’s most well-known anthems, this is basically an essential part of any Iron Maiden show anywhere and anywhen, and although it’s not one of my favourite I have to admit that its galloping rhythm hasn’t been matched since 1982, and the chorus is very infectious. The crowd can be heard clearly and the only problem again is with some of the guitars, which make parts of the song sound less credible than they usually do. Still, a very enjoyable and classic song that has at least been moved from its tedious position as the final track of every show – there’s still plenty more to come when the band return.
15. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
Fading back in as the band retake the stage, this fantastic long track from their 1984 ‘Powerslave’ album shows that they haven’t forgotten about that excellent release. With some of the band’s best lyrics and great musical progression this has always been one of my favourite Maiden tracks, and the sound of the crowd shouting “midnight” in the chorus really shows the scale of this show. A bit of vocal experimentation from Dickinson is welcome, but this is pretty much the same here as on the album.
16. IRON MAIDEN
The band’s self-titled track from their self-titled debut album has remained another live favourite and despite not being anywhere near as intricate or developed as their later works it’s still really fun and features great guitar and bass work. The crowd are very familiar with the great lyrics that are of a similar theme to ‘Bring Your Daughter’ but don’t go into ‘stupid’ territory. After an extended solo, Bruce tells members of the crowd that Iron Maiden’s going to get them, then the band leave the stage to four minutes of tedious crowd chants.
17. HALLOWED BE THY NAME
After the boring crowd bit comes another of the band’s most famous tracks, the epic conclusion to their ‘Number of the Beast’ album with one of the most recognised heavy metal riffs ever devised. The quiet build up receives due appreciation before the main riffs explode into being and drive the song through to its conclusion. An incredible track, although it has been included on live albums before and this is something that takes away the necessity for all of these later offerings as they can easily be found elsewhere.
18. THE TROOPER
One of my favourite Iron Maiden tracks, a classic from the ‘Piece of Mind’ album that is not otherwise represented here. Great driving melodies, but it sounds much better on earlier live releases and the studio album due to Adrian Smith’s influence. Another of the band’s historical romps, this time concerning the Crimean war, and it’s among the heaviest tracks the band have produced while also remaining hugely accessible.
19. SANCTUARY
Another track from the first album, this is very popular but I find it sounds far too old fashioned and could have easily been replaced by something more impressive from either that album or something more recent. The crowd enjoy singing along again, predictably, but I find this quite dull apart from a brief gap in the music in which Bruce reflects on why the band enjoy playing in England best of all, and short accolades for each member of the band. The solo sounds better than on the original album as do the vocals, not being handled by Paul Di’Anno, but it’s not the kind of song I enjoy sitting down to listen to.
20. RUNNING FREE
A trademark set closer, this is another song I’m not fond of but which works well with the crowd interaction… and there’s a lot of it. Bruce gets quite tiresome with his banter and praise, but fans of the band’s early work will enjoy it: at least it isn’t extended to hell like in ‘Live After Death.’
VERDICT
Although this was a landmark concert and the sound of the crowd is a definite bonus, this falls very distant from being the definitive Iron Maiden live album. Musically it isn’t the band at their best; having spent the entire previous decade recording and playing music around the world, they are clearly in need of some time away that they never permitted themselves. Secondly, the choice of songs is a lot less impressive than it could have been, with too many cuts from overly dull albums and the repetition of tracks featured on previous live albums.
This can all be forgiven however when remembering that this show was never intended to be officially released, and therefore the band made their song decisions on what they most wanted to play, which would obviously include a lot of recent as opposed to classic material. If anything, this shows that the band play to the best of their ability at every single show, and that you’d have to stay up pretty late (and feed them a lot of alcohol) to catch them at anything less than their best.
The atmosphere on this album from the crowd is unmatched in Iron Maiden’s live discography; even though the more recent ‘Rick in Rio’ was recorded in front of a quarter of a million people, the sound recording isn’t as clear on that album and most of the 250,000 screaming fans are rendered mute. Song-wise however, ‘Rock in Rio’ features an excellent mix of old and current songs from the band, while the earlier ‘Live After Death’ (1985) features the very best of their first five albums. For this reason I would recommend both of these as Iron Maiden live albums showcasing their entire career; ‘Live at Donington’ fills in the middle gap with a couple of different and notable tracks, but isn’t really worth owning unless you’re a Maiden completist or were one of the lucky many to have attended the Monsters of Rock festival on that fateful day.
Advantages: A lot of great Maiden tracks, Some tracks not previously released live, Amazing crowd response
Disadvantages: Many tracks have been released on previous live albums, Bruce's vocals are clearly suffering, Not the band at their best
The X Factor
Blaze of Glory?
***
Written on 22.05.04
I will assume, at this early juncture, that nobody reading this review will have yet understood the title. Rest assured, by the end of this review you will have the information necessary to truly be ashamed at the weakness of the pun. And the next one.
INTRODUCTION: ONCE BRUCED
When vocalist Bruce Dickinson left British heavy metal band Iron Maiden in 1992, the band's popularity began to decrease, despite consistent album releases. Most Maiden fans, including myself, consider 2000's album 'Brave New World,' and the more recent 'Dance of Death,' to be the only albums comparable to the band's golden years, otherwise known as the eighties. These recent albums saw the return of Bruce Dickinson, as well as guitarist Adrian Smith who had left the band in 1989, and it seemed obvious that the "classic" Maiden line-up (plus a third guitarist who just sort of stayed) was all that was necessary to ensure a great album. Like many obvious solutions, this is wrong.
Contrary to some peoples' beliefs, Bruce Dickinson's voice was not the only reason for Iron Maiden's success, although it was largely responsible. Between 1982 and 1988, the five members of Iron Maiden collaborated in writing and creating music for five classic studio albums that all performed excellently in the music charts while remaining faithful to the spirit of heavy metal. Many people forget that after this point, aided slightly by Adrian Smith's afore-mentioned departure, Iron Maiden became a very mediocre and unimpressive band; they could even be called 'lazy.' Their 1990 and 1992 albums all contained far too many poor tracks and it was after this point that Bruce decided to call it a day and pursue other ventures.
The departure of Bruce meant that Iron Maiden had to seek out a new vocalist, leading to bassist and band founder Steve Harris calling on Blaze Bayley, formerly of British band Wolfsbane. Blaze was never intended to be a substitute for Bruce as he possessed a different vocal range and style, so when the band released 'The X-Factor' in 1995, their musical style had noticeably taken a rather substantial turn.
STYLE
Iron Maiden are best known for their fast and upbeat rock anthems: Steve Harris' galloping bass, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith harmoniously handling some guitar riff or solo, and Bruce Dickinson operatically delivering some catchy choruses. While their music often deviated into more sombre and emotional territory, the image of the fun and loud metal band that were somehow avoiding the cheese factor - until the early nineties that is - had now been replaced with this very dark and serious affair. Even the album cover, featuring the band's always present mascot Eddie strapped in an electric chair, makes for more sombre artwork than Maiden's past covers, which have never gone further than tongue-in-cheek violence.
There are a number of reasons for this: for a start, Iron Maiden's musical style had reached a stage where change was vital. Each of their eighties albums showed the band's progression into new territory with great success, but 'No Prayer for the Dying' and 'Fear of the Dark' never escaped ineffective soft rock territory. The dark nature of the album is also a reflection of some of the band's problems; when your famous vocalist leaves you, following the lead of one of your guitarist friends, and when your wife leaves you (in the case of Steve Harris), times have certainly been better. The band, especially Steve, still drew some inspiration for their songs from literature and films, but the examples here are all infinitely less positive than their earlier tributes to 'The Prisoner' and Frank Herbert's novel 'Dune.'
Every track has a medium to slow tempo, and there are no chirpy guitars leading the listener out of the musical abyss; this album is sinister, meaningful, sorrowful and very well-played. 'The X Factor' sounds less typical Iron Maiden than anything else they have released; in many ways, they are almost a different band.
TRACKS
1. SIGN OF THE CROSS
The album begins with the haunting, atmospheric chanting of monks before the instruments slowly make themselves heard, only kicking into full swing after three minutes. This is perhaps one of the best songs on the album and has a great, deep chorus and some nice high guitars that manage to keep the tone, although at eleven minutes it is very long, something that is not completely saved by the tempo changes and instrumental sections, great though they are. The song deals with the themes of the book 'The Name of the Rose,' which was made into a film starring Sean Connery that included a sex scene my History class were shown, on the subject of the oppressive Catholic Church of bygone days, although like most of Maiden's historical songs you have to pay attention to the lyrics to understand this; the music alone doesn't suggest anything other than a very impressive track that showcases Maiden's musicians with their best performances in many years.
"There'll be penance to pay when it's judgement day
And the guilty'll bleed when the moment comes"
2. LORD OF THE FLIES
A less impressive track after the epic nature of the first, this is clearly based on William Golding's tale of stranded children surviving and battling each other on a deserted island. The track comes in at a much more manageable six minutes and has some very different sounding guitars from the onset, and Bruce's voice is standable, if a little too staccato for its own good at some points. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end, accompanied by some needed "woah" vocals, but this is a very average track that doesn't grab my attention.
"Feeling so high on this much adrenalin,
Excited but scary to believe what we've become"
3. MAN ON THE EDGE
The obvious choice for a single, this is a reasonably short and fast-paced anthem that begins with some light guitars and has a riff that harks back to Maiden's classic era. Blaze's vocals, especially in the chorus, fit the music perfectly and this results in one of the best tracks on the album, as well as one of the least depressing despite its lyrics concerning a troubled businessman.
"A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge,
Each step get closer to losing his head"
4. FORTUNES OF WAR
This fairly lengthy track begins with some soft and reflective guitars and bass and offers Blaze the opportunity to try a more melancholy voice. The song becomes heavier after a few minutes, a formula that has become tiresome by this point in the band's career but which usually leads to a great track, and this is no exception. Background orchestral keyboards add to the grand scale and the guitars sound excellent here, perfectly suited to Blaze's style, especially as he chants the chorus towards the end. This is an example of a track that doesn't seem to drag on, despite coming in at seven and a half minutes. Very catchy, in a sad sort of way.
"People say 'don't worry,'
Say that time's a perfect healer,
That the nightmares they will come to pass"
5. LOOK FOR THE TRUTH
This song's soft opening is a little unnecessary after the similar start and finish of the last track, but it has quite a good, heavy riff once it begins properly. The problem with this track is that it seems far from original at this point in the album, relying on techniques used to much greater effect earlier on.
"Here comes the nightmare that never ends;
Here is the dream that makes monsters of men"
6. THE AFTERMATH
This track begins with a very effective haunting melody involving all the instruments and extra depth, presumably added with keyboards. A fairly bluesy track, Blaze's voice sounds great in the verses. Concerning the consequences of war, expanding upon the fourth track, this doesn't sound as depressing as it could be, thanks to some great use of high guitars. The listener may feel in need of hearing something positive and uplifting by this stage, but this doesn't count against this as a stand-alone track. An early example of what has become a trademark of more recent Maiden albums in echoing the vocal rhythm with the guitar towards the end; I think this would have made a successful single, had it been released.
"After the war,
Left feeling no one has won.
After the war
What does a soldier become?"
7. JUDGEMENT OF HEAVEN
Tackling the religious angle, this song begins quite differently in a way that would not suggest it was Iron Maiden, or even metal, but the tone throughout seems fairly optimistic. The guitars are given a rare oppo rtunity (on this album) to shine, playing some great solo and bridge sections. Blaze's vocals have a great tune to them, and this actually sounds uncannily like the band?s later track 'The Thin Line Between Love and Hate' on Brave New World album. The difference is, this is a song with a great groove and lyrics, and the other one is just a poor song. Because of the great guitars and the less sinister style, this is one of the album's finest and most memorable tracks.
"You're searching in the dark,
clutching at straws to find a way.
You take the Tarot cards and throw them to the wind"
8. BLOOD ON THE WORLD'S HANDS
This track begins with a very rare event; a bass solo by Steve Harris! Never self-indulgent or overpowering, it serves greatly into creating a dingy atmosphere before the guitars, drums and vocals can be introduced. The lyrics are a little repetitive and on my first listen it seemed that there were hardly any at all; the excellent mood created by the instruments, especially the afore-mentioned bass, must have mesmerised me to the point where I hadn't realised. One of the most pessimistic offerings on the album, this comments on various aspects of social and political decline that is "out of control."
"One day another killing,
Somewhere there's someone starving,
Another a savage raping"
9. THE EDGE OF DARKNESS
As the title suggests, this is a dark track, although that much would have been expected if you had been listening since the opening chants of 'Sign of the Cross.' Again, this track's structure is a re-use of the overused style of 'slow build up > heavy section > solos and choruses > soft outro' that pe rmeates so many tracks. This lack of originality counts against this track in terms of being memorable or impressive, but Janick Gers and Dave Murray have another excellent guitar solo section. It's a shame this comes so late on in the album as the latter half of the song has some great melodies that will never be played enough to fully appreciate.
"When you've faced the heart of darkness
Even your soul begins to bend"
10. 2 A.M.
This track is very nearly a ballad but not quite, another Iron Maiden staple since the early days that was definitively shown with their classic 'Infinite Dreams.' Juxtaposing soft sections with heavy verses somehow seems different to the rest of the album, even though it essentially isn?t, but the amazing dual guitar sections save this from being another piece of filler. If I could compose a song made of my favourite parts of Maiden's entire album catalogue, the guitar melody from late in this song would definitely feature heavily: that's how good it is. A forerunner of sorts to the single 'Virus,' composed specially the following year for the band's 'Best of the Beast' collection.
"Hold on for something better
That just drags you trough the dirt.
Do you just let go or carry on
And try to take the hurt"
11. THE UNBELIEVER
Ending the album in style, this eight minute song wastes no time messing around with acoustics, opening with a catchy riff and a very unusual style of vocal and guitar interaction proving that progression is at the heart of Iron Maiden, a heart that has surely been tarnished blacker by this release. The style of this song doesn't sit well in my ears and I find it difficult to grasp what's supposed to be the riff at times, but I still quite like it for its originality. Nicko McBrain gets a special drum section as well, something unheard of for Iron Maiden up to this point. Overall, a very good and inventive track that closes the album far less depressingly than it could have easily been.
"Try to release the anger from within,
Forgive yourself a few immortal sins.
Do you really care what people think?
Are you strong enough to release the guilt?"
VERDICT
This is not a bad album, but there are a few reasons that it falls short of being a great album, and none of these are to do with Bruce Dickinson's departure, the most tiresome criticism offered to dismiss this. Blaze is a very good vocalist and he suits the style of this album flawlessly, but it is the style itself that leads to the problems. Many of the songs are overlong, and by sacrificing spirit and enthusiasm for atmosphere the band have produced something less commercially appealing, requiring something of an effort on the listener's part.
This is not an album I could listen to continuously in any mood, something I can and regularly practice with Maiden's earlier albums, but that's not to say it isn't a great collection of songs. It's just that there are no truly excellent or inspirational offerings to pick out, and listening to the whole album can be a depressing affair. Iron Maiden fans should check this album out first if they are planning to buy it as the style, as well as the vocalist, does make it seem like a very different band most of the time. But adapt and improve, as John Cleese noted when robbing a lingerie shop in Monty Python, and the guitars, bass and drums are all still excellent and highly inventive.
I have no doubt in stating that the departure from the band's usual style was a smart move, and kept them original; this was their best album since the classic 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' in 1988, but the band still had a lot of problems to work out. The follow-up, 1996's 'Virtual XI,' was the last album to feature Blaze Bayley and was both an improvement and a disappointment in different ways. 'The X Factor' is a solid album that never strays from its set tone, and in the end, it's still an album released by the musical virtuosos Iron Maiden, proving that you can?t keep a good New Wave of British Heavy Metal band down. And why 'The X Factor?': this was the band's tenth studio album.
And Bruce is back on the high notes now anyway - check out their 2003 hit single 'Wildest Dreams' if any confirmation is needed.
Advantages: Original and creative, Excellent musical skill and a great vocalist
Disadvantages: Very moody and depressing, May disappoint Maiden fans, Tracks are too long, and there are no real instant classics
Best of the Beast
Let Now the Beast Be Praised
*****
Written on 16.04.04
When an artist or band releases a compilation of their subjective finest material it can either be a sign of pride, laziness or desperation. Fortunately for fans of heavy metal, this collection of tracks by British rock legends Iron Maiden is firmly entrenched in the pride side of the scale.
As anyone who recognises my stupid name and reads these things I write may know, I am a fan of Iron Maiden's music. Their fusion of hard rock, melodic guitars and high vocals may sound like unenlightened noise to some, but it makes my Earth a better place. And I am right.
The strength of this collection lies in the care and attention given to it by those involved; band emperor and bass player Steve Harris has once again shown his determination in producing a great album to act as a celebration of Iron Maiden
THE TRACKS
As all but one of the sixteen tracks appear on previous Iron Maiden albums I won't explore them all in the depth I would usually find appropriate; with a collection such as this, it is more vital to point out the order and style of the tracks included. Following is the tracklist, with abbreviations indicating the original album source.
1. The Number of the Beast (NOTB)
2. Can I Play With Madness (SSOASS)
3. Fear of the Dark (Live)
4. Run to the Hills (NOTB)
5. Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter (NPFTD)
6. The Evil That Men Do (SSOASS)
7. Aces High (PS)
8. Be Quick or Be Dead (FOTD)
9. Two Minutes to Midnight (PS)
10. Man on the Edge (XF)
11. Virus (New)
12. Running Free (Live)
13. Wasted Years (SIT)
14. The Clairvoyant (SSOASS)
15. The Trooper (POM)
16. Hallowed Be Thy Name (NOTB)
- NOTB: The Number of the Beast (1982)
- POM: Piece of Mind (1983)
- PS: Powerslave (1984)
- SIT: Somewhere in Time (1986)
- SSOASS: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)
- NPFTD: No Prayer for the Dying (1990)
- FOTD: Fear of the Dark (1992)
- XF: The X-Factor (1995)
Steve Harris and Dave Murray have truly given a lot of thought and effort into deciding the tracklist of this album, as although not everyone will be completely satisfied ("where's my bloody Wrathchild then?") it does give a broad scope of Iron Maiden's adapting styles and subject matter over the years. The only thing that seem to be missing quite badly is any material from the band's first two albums, featuring vocalist Paul Di'Anno- there is a live version of the early song 'Running Free' but this is taken off one of their later live albums with Bruce Dickinson. I don't really find this a problem, as I'm not so much a fan of their very early stuff, but it does seem to be lacking on this single disc version.
The necessary immortal singles from the band have to be released, whether anyone likes it or not: the album starts with the infamous 'THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST,' condemned as a Devil-worshipping song by some women in America who couldn't read lyrics, and despite sounding dated and not a great example of what the band are capable of, makes a strong opener. This is especially due to the spooky, spoken intro quoting the Book of Revelation. 'CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS' is another short, popular song to follow, but is from a noticeably different Maiden era- the over-done synthesisers, polished guitars and high vocals of their Seventh Son era have produced a song that isn't popular with a lot of people, but which has a lot of potential acclaim. Personally, I think it's very fun and the subject matter of prophecies and damnation tie in very well with the previous track.
With track 3, the band are given their time to shine with a fantastic live version of 1992 'FEAR OF THE DARK': far more energetic and inspired than the studio version, this complex song features some great and catchy guitars throughout its epic length and really gets this album going. With the opening three songs, this album has managed to encapsulate ten years of the band.
'RUN TO THE HILLS' is Iron Maiden's most well-known song and comes from the same era as the first track, but is noticeably catchier and shows greater talent. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for track 5, the quite silly 'BRING YOUR DAUGHTER... TO THE SLAUGHTER.' Very memorable and written by Bruce Dickinson in a very Iron Maiden style, this doesn't inspire me in the way that most of their other songs do, despite being their only UK number one hit. This privilege also led it to be deemed 'turkey of the year' by a great many people, which also unfortunately adds to the image of Iron Maiden as a silly metal band. It's a shame that in instances such as this, that certainly appears true, and there are far more deserving tracks from this song's album that are not included here.
Track 6, 'THE EVIL THAT MEN DO' is the perfect example of Maiden bringing their talented music to the masses by creating a love song with great guitars. The other famous single from Seventh Son, this is technically a lot better than 'Can I Play With Madness' as nothing is over the top, and it has excellent verses, chorus and bridge sections. 'ACES HIGH' has fantastic high vocals and an upbeat guitar riff, and would have worked better earlier in the album. Its subject matter of World War II pilots makes it stand out amidst the "demonic" songs, and it is one of my favourites. 'BE QUICK OR BE DEAD' is popular but less impressive than most, and features a fast drum opening; again, the lyrics deal with something different, in this instance the exploitation of musicians and celebrities by the press.
'2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT' is one of my all-time favourite Iron Maiden songs due to its intelligent lyrics, great chorus and low-key riffs, but I have to admit that it doesn't work as well as it could on this album; the song needs time to grow on the listener, and so it seems ill-placed amidst these popular hits. It?s still one of the most worthy additions however, and is the last truly impressive song for a while on this disc.
'MAN ON THE EDGE' comes from the band's 'X-Factor' album, featuring their new (now departed) vocalist, Blaze Bayley. Not having the range of Bruce, this album is often seen as the least impressive Maiden offering as all the band members seemed a little less enthusiastic, and this single is no indication of the band's greatness; if they didn't need to showcase their new vocalist, there is no chance that this track would feature. 'VIRUS,' in contrast, comes from roughly the same era but is a very good song. The token track to be unique to this release, this shows that Iron Maiden can still make great music, and is worthy of a place on here despite not having the flair of their earlier work. Another long one.
Back to the past, and the only song from the band's early days, albeit performed live at a later date, comes with 'RUNNING FREE.' The set closer for countless Iron Maiden live shows over the decades, the infectious chorus always gets a great crowd response, although the simplicity of the song itself does sound very reminiscent of 70s pop-rock bands such as Kiss. Not a favourite, but it's good to hear the delighted crowd making some noise, and I find it better than having a Paul Di'Anno track here. 'WASTED YEARS' follows with its polished sound taken from the band's 1986 album, and the high, relaxed chorus vocals make this another of my favourites... it's just a shame that nothing else from that album is present, as it's one of my very favourites. Following in a similar style comes 'THE CLAIRVOYANT,' another song from Seventh Son that sounds in some ways like a fusion of tracks 2 and 6; the uplifting and memorable chorus, as well as a high guitar section throughout that could only be taken seriously from Iron Maiden, this is a classic track that rightfully deserves to be recognised.
Approaching the end of the album, Maiden throw in one of their most popular and hardest tracks; 1983's 'THE TROOPER.' The perfect mix of hard riffs, galloping bass and melodic guitars, this hit brings excitement to the album before the darkness of the closing track, the classic 'HALLOWED BE THY NAME.' The most famous of the band's longer, progressive tracks, this is a dying man's elegy as he awaits execution, and features some of Maiden's very best guitar work. There could be no finer ending than this.
STRENGTHS
The first noticeable thing when listening to the album is how well the older tracks have been remastered; the drums pound, the guitars wail and the bass clanks along as good as ever. This does make the recording quality of some of the tracks seem a little dated, but these versions do sound much better than the older CD releases. It was likely the success of this album that led to EMI re-releasing Maiden's first twelve albums (including live releases) in 1998.
I'm more a fan of Maiden's longer tracks, some of which aren't included here, but I appreciate a great single when I hear it, and the best ones are all on here. My personal favourite tracks on this album are 'The Trooper,' 'Aces High' and 'The Clairvoyant' (in terms of short songs), with '2 Minutes to Midnight,' 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' and the fantastic live rendition of 'Fear of the Dark' in terms of longer songs.
PROBLEMS
As a fan of the band who already owns some albums I should be expected to rant about the low quality of this album, but I have surprisingly few problems with it. The obvious concern everyone has with these albums is that some of your favourite songs aren't present while ones you value less are, but for this only occurs in a few places, already mentioned. And if I'm being honest, my "perfect" Iron Maiden collection wouldn't serve as a fitting tribute as much as this one, basically being the majority of their 1983 to 1988 tracks. Although it reached number one in the charts, 'Bring Your Daughter' is still a pretty silly song that doesn't show the band at their best, and I don't really like 'Man on the Edge,' but they had to have something else featuring Blaze.
'Heaven Can Wait' would have been a fitting and useful addition to the tracklist, especially as the album it is originally from hardly gets any credit, and a couple of tracks could have been arranged better. '2 Minutes to Midnight' seems inappropriately placed, and the track 'Powerslave' would seem a more fitting replacement to keep the album memorable.
DESIGN
The artwork and information have not been neglected on this release. The lyrics to all sixteen tracks have been reprinted inside a reasonably thick booklet, with original artwork or relevant photos included alongside each song. In instances where the track has been released as a single (and let's face, it that's the majority on any "best-of"), the artwork for that release's cover has been included, which is very interesting for anyone who enjoys Derek Riggs' paintings of the band's undead mascot Eddie in various guises.
On the subject of Riggs' artwork, the album cover for this release features an amalgamation of the Eddie designs from previous albums, recreated and composited into a shambling horde that's "gonna get yer" (Bruce Dickinson, The Number of the Beast). The gang includes mummified Eddie, cyberpunk Eddie, homicidal axe-wielding Eddie and lobotomised Eddie, all of which will be terrifyingly familiar to fans of the band's discography.
Another interest ing side to the booklet comes with the comprehensive list of all the band's albums and single releases, with B-sides listed, and information on where the credit is due by detailing the band members in each song; there are four line-up changes on this album alone and that's without Paul Di'Anno's presence. Iron Maiden are still traditionalists at heart however, and therefore could not release a collection without including 'hilarious' pictures of themselves in 'wacky' situations. This only means a couple of small snapshots of Bruce dressed as a pirate, Nicko wearing glasses upside down (it's the hilarious way round) and Steve standing in a bin for some reason, but it's good. There is also a large promotional photo on the back of the booklet of the band's line-up at the time this CD was released; the prominence of Blaze suggests he was planning on sticking around for longer than fate would allow, which is one album.
OTHER EDITIONS
As if these sixteen tracks weren?t enough, Iron Maiden released two further versions of this album along with this one, neither of which are commercially available any longer. A four-LP vinyl collection included far more than necessary, while the 2-disc CD version included a hardback book charting the life of the band. More of an item for the hardcore fans, the 2-disc edition is arranged in reverse chronological order, the first disc heading from 'Virus' back to the Seventh Son album, and the second travelling into the first two records. While the greater amount of tracks make this more desirable, and a number of my favourites are indeed included, it seems extraneous in light of the single disc release that already acts as a solid celebration of Maiden.
Comparisons between Best of the Beast and last year's release 'Edward the Great' are inevitable, but this album is the superior; Edward the Great is a 'Greatest Hits' collection, something which admittedly seems silly in light of this collection's existence, and as such only features the tracks released as singles in chronological order. I like 'Flight of Icarus' as much as anybody (and probably a great deal more than you reading this), but that album includes none of the excellent progressive tracks that make Maiden so great.
If you like Iron Maiden but don't want to buy one of their 'proper' albums, which do tend to be a little on the short side but are always very cheap, I'd recommend this album to you. Everything that's good about Iron Maiden is on this disc, and if it misses out some of your favourites just buy the albums you like, you whining cheapskate. Forever and ever, up the Irons.
Advantages: Very well chosen and appropriate, Excellent remastering, Very long and value for money at 80 minutes
Disadvantages: Some things not to my taste
Virtual XI
Lightning Misses Again
**
Written on 31.05.04
Bruce Dickinson’s departure from British heavy metal band Iron Maiden meant that the band’s general appeal inevitably waned, and new vocalist Blaze Bayley was never fully accepted as a replacement during his five years with the band. I have written a lot of Iron Maiden reviews as there is so much to write about, but rest assured that I am running out of albums in that regard.
Following the very dark but grand scale of The X Factor, Maiden returned to a more high spirited musical style with Virtual XI, and as such it has the potential to be a great album. Unfortunately, the nineties were a decade of quite bad decisions on the part of Maiden, and for every excellent epic there’s a dull track with annoying vocals.
These sight tracks, mostly of substantial length, are a bit of a let-down by the band’s standards, but this album was thankfully the last of Iron Maiden’s uninspired records to be released.
1. FUTUREAL
The album begins with this short, punchy number that’s reminiscent of Maiden’s past album openers ‘Aces High’ and ‘Be Quick or Be Dead.’ The upbeat heavy metal style makes it clear from the onset that this is a very different record to The X Factor, and Blaze’s vocals, while obviously not being up to the standards of metal virtuoso Dickinson, suit the song’s rhythm well. No interesting developments or changes, this is a very straightforward rock track coming in at under three minutes with some catchy vocals and riffs. Very reminiscent of a Di’Anno-era Maiden.
“Whenever anyone seems
to treat me like a freak
It makes me see I'm the
only one who feels
That I know what is real”
2. THE ANGEL AND THE GAMBLER
Just when Maiden seemed to be getting back on track, they produce their cheesiest song ever. There is really very little to save this overlong, seventies-style blues-rock track from spoiling the album and to make things worse the band released it as a single (with a music video that really should have waited a couple of years before attempting computer graphics). This isn’t just my bigoted opinion as I’ve hardly read any positive comments on the song: in short, Maiden should never use a Hammond organ in their songs, especially when that song tediously drags out to ten minutes.
“Don’t you think I’m a saviour?
Don’t you think I could save ya?
Don’t you think I could save your life?” (Sigh)
3. LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE
This is a progressive track that has the potential to be great, but is dragged down by a little unoriginality. Although anything is welcome after ‘The Angel and the Gambler.’ Blaze’s vocals sound a little out of place in the mellow parts of the song, but are suited to the hard rock riffs once they kick in, and there are some great distorted solos in the latter part of the song that remind me of the better parts of The X Factor, however there isn’t much to distinguish this as a great Maiden track rather than simply the third track on an album. In typical Maiden style, the title isn’t a metaphor for luck happening twice: it is literally a track about lightning hitting the same spot twice!
“Is it the rolling of thunder that scares you
Is it the crashing of clouds that hold fear
But all I know as I sit in a corner alone
It takes me back to my childhood again”
4. THE CLANSMAN
Based on the film ‘Braveheart,’ this is by far my favourite track on the album, and the only one I consider to be an Iron Maiden classic. A soft opening is a Dave Murray/Steve Harris trademark that has been increasingly annoying and tedious since the Fear of the Dark album, but the energy and epic scale of this song makes up for that, even using light orchestration in the mellow sections. Although it lasts for nine minutes the enjoyment never lets up, with the rousing choruses of “Freedom” and “No we can’t let them take any more” – if only the rest of the album had been this good it would surely have been a winner, but as such it stands as one of Blaze Bayley’s finest moments with the band. The only problem is that some of the band’s later tracks such as ‘Blood Brothers’ and ‘Face in the Sand’ use a similar formula and as such would make this appear less original in a live set; that didn’t stop the tribute band Ironically Maiden from screaming it out early this year.
“Freedom!”
5. WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
Another soft opening before the rather slow-paced but catchy song properly begins. This is a fairly average track, but I really like the guitars – reminiscent of ‘Virus,’ my favourite song from the Blaze Bayley years released specially for the ‘Best of the Beast’ collection – and Blaze’s vocals are great in this one too. A more reflective metal song than the rest, this is the kind of track that gains more appreciation with each listen, it even has a brief ‘woah’ section towards the end that is obviously designed with live crowds in mind. Again, the title is far more literal than readers may at first assume.
“My telescope looks out
into the stars tonight,
A little speck of light
seems twice the size tonight.
The Calculations are so fine,
can it be growing all the Time?”
6. THE EDUCATED FOOL
A very good track, this is very straightforward until an excellent high guitar section separates the end section and Blaze sings in a different style. This track is tarnished only by its place in the album, as by now it’s all been heard before and the listener is in need of something radically different to stay interested. Still a very good track, but not on par with some, and confirmation if anything that this album lacks some originality.
“I want to leave my life on my own
I want to lift the unturned stone
I want to walk right into the fire
I want to live out all my desires”
7. DON’T LOOK TO THE EYES OF A STRANGER
Yet another song that begins quietly before becoming heavy, it isn’t too bad but is another track spoiled by its length and the sheer repetitiveness of the chorus. The guitar melodies are good but nothing too spectacular, and Blaze attempts some unwise high vocals that are much more suited to Bruce Dickinson’s talents. There are a few changes within the song but all of these involve the music becoming unbearably slow and not very interesting; this track should have been planned and executed a lot better.
“Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Don't look trough the eyes of a fool
Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Somebody's watching when the light goes down”
8. COMO ESTAIS AMIGOS
An excellent end to the album, this sombre and respectful track has some great acoustic guitar sections and effective use of orchestration similar to ‘The Clansman’ in the background. Despite it being written and composed by Blaze Bayley and Janick Gers, two men who were not ‘original’ Maiden members, it’s one of the better tracks on the album and has some of the best guitar solo work on the CD. This is the kind of song that can easily take the listener to a nice place for a while before they hear the fade out and realise they’ve listening to an Iron Maiden album. Quite different and refreshing.
“And if we do forget them
and the sacrifice they made,
Will the wickedness and sadness
come to visit us again?”
VERDICT
Virtual XI, Iron Maiden’s eleventh studio album, is often regarded as their weakest effort, although The X Factor is also usually a contender for that dishonour. Having only previously heard the brilliant epic ‘The Clansman’ and the quite fun ‘Futureal’ I found this hard to accept, but having listened to the album in its entirety I agree that this is probably the band’s low point.
Steve Harris’ songwriting talents are far below his usual standard, and the very existence of ‘Angel and the Gambler’ makes me question the band’s sanity; Iron Maiden redefined heavy metal in the 1980s while also bringing it to the masses, but this album only serves to alienate loyal fans and newcomers to the band. No wonder this was their first album to be released on a virtually unknown record label after they were dropped from EMI. This seems a little harsh, but it’s the fact that Iron Maiden are letting themselves and their fans down so badly with this release that annoys me; thankfully I have the safe knowledge that they were soon able to sort everything out, and there are a couple of excellent tracks on here.
Blaze Bayley’s vocals receive undue criticism here; he’s obviously not as good as Bruce Dickinson, but his different range and style leads to a different sound for the band. It’s simply the lack of any genuine originality or flair that left the band in a decline after their excellent ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ album in 1988. Bruce Dickinson left in 1992 for very just reasons, and it was only the return of Bruce and departed guitarist Adrian Smith in 2000 that got the band back on the road to excellence. Up the Irons, I suppose.
Alright then, if this isn’t a good example of the band, what is? (a.k.a. Recommended Iron Maiden albums, you know, if you like that sort of thing):
POWERSLAVE (1984) – Eight killer tracks, from fast hits to true epics.
LIVE AFTER DEATH (1985) – Incredibly energetic performance with songs from the band’s first five years, some sounding much better than on the studio albums.
SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON (1988) – Really interesting sound, great lyrics and a running storyline. Sort of.
DANCE OF DEATH (2003) – Not quite as good as the band’s eighties works, but their best album in many years. I have very high hopes for their next album, whenever that will be.
Advantages: A couple of very good tracks, but these are included elsewhere (live compilations, etc.), Maiden have retreated from the dark place of the previous album
Disadvantages: The tracks are not very inventive and most are far too long, Blaze's vocals don't suit the songs as much as on the previous album, The production is a little cheap, and the label drop obviously caused the band more disillusionment
Brave New World
Maiden for the New Millennium
***
Written on 15.04.04
In the year 2000, British metal pioneers Iron Maiden released their most acclaimed album in over a decade, due in no small part to the return of the screaming Bruce Dickinson to the band. One successful single brought Iron Maiden back into the spotlight for fans old, new and hairy alike. 'Brave New World,' while not being a fitting title if applied to the twenty-year old, world-touring band itself, does represent the start of the modern Maiden era which continued in 2003 with their successful 'Dance of Death,' whether you like this fact or not.
HISTORY
Arguably the leading force in heavy metal music throughout the 1980s, differences of interest by band members led to the amicable departure of guitarist Adrian Smith in 1988 and frontman Bruce Dickinson in 1992. Try as they might, the Iron Maiden that survived with ex-Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley could never return the band to their peak of performance and although the hardcore fan base and band dedication remained, it became clear that Maiden were on the way out when they were dropped by their major record labels.
By 1999, all that was to change; Adrian Smith had expressed an interest in returning, performing as a third guitarist alongside Janick Gers, having appeared as a guest musician at several Maiden concerts anyway, but the main interest lay in the return of Dickinson fresh from his moderately successful solo projects. Iron Maiden instrumentals are intricately layered affairs that keep the listener engaged, but the real power of the band clearly lay in Dickinson's excellent vocal range. Picked up by record giants EMI, where they still remain today, Iron Maiden had bounced back in a way that Alan Partridge didn't.
STYLE
Musical development has always been an important issue for Iron Maiden. In the 80s they went from being a rock and roll band producing songs that sounded almost punk rock, to a heavy metal band capable of producing ballads and epics, and finally a progressive heavy metal band utilising keyboards and the full range of guitars to add to the music. Through the 90s Maiden abandoned the synthesisers in the majority of their tracks and returned to producing more straightforward heavy metal, but the influence of progressive metal bands from America and Europe was clear on their 'Virtual XI' album. 'Brave New World' sticks with these heavily progressive elements while allowing the band's newfound confidence to again shine through.
TRACKS
1. THE WICKER MAN
In typical Iron Maiden tradition, the album begins with a short and punchy number released as a single. The song doesn?t survive many listens in the manner of their earlier classics, but the chorus and excellent guitar work made this a popular release. The main delight lies in hearing Bruce Dickinson singing about horror films again after all these years.
"Hand of fate is moving and the finger points to you. He knocks you to your feet and so what are you gonna do?"
2. GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR
The first long(ish) song at over six minutes, this seems to showcase the instrumentalists of the band and allows Dickinson's great vocals to aid the songs rather than overwhelm them. The beginning is a little mysterious and slow before the heavy riff kicks in and the band's latest sea-bound tale is told. Not in the same league as 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' but at under half the length of that 1984 epic it isn't aiming to; just a really great song with interesting bridge and chorus sections, definitely a highlight of the album. The speed of the guitar solo is also fantastic, especially when the squeaking of Dave Murray's fingers become audible at the end. Lyrics regarding curses and the un-rude version of seamen are also welcome.
"As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea; the sirens of the rocks, they beckon me."
3. BRAVE NEW WORLD
Maiden's title tracks always suggest something longer, harder and better than the majority of their tracks, although in some ways 'Brave New World' isn't all it could have been. A dull, slow and quiet opening isn't typically Maiden and could be seen a little too "prog" for a lot of people, although when the song gets going it's very memorable and has the usual infectious chorus. There is no sense of this being a Maiden classic however. For anyone who's wondering, the song and indeed the album cover are based upon Aldous Huxley's 1931 book of the same name, and the lyrics convey some of the messages of danger present in Huxley's nightmare future.
"You are planned, you are damned, in this brave new world."
4. BLOOD BROTHERS
A very different, experimental song from the band features a full orchestration throughout in addition to clean-sounding guitars and bass, which would undoubtedly make this popular with fans of more orchestral musical tastes, but I like a bit of metal. I have nothing against symphony aspects of metal songs, but in this instance they are far too overpowering and do make the song drag on much longer than necessary. The lyrics urge the human race to work together and stop hurting each other as we're all in the same boat, and the loud chorus features some of Bruce's best vocals.
"Keep on making the same old mistakes, makes tipping the balance so easy."
5. THE MERCENARY
The word "filler" can be applied to this, as it is the first unremarkable and unoriginal offering of the album. Not a bad listen, but the vocals and instruments do seem a little less enthusiastic in narrating this tale of a man who kills for money. The lyrics are also annoyingly repetitive for Iron Maiden standards, giving the impression of a last-minute studio job. Despite being forgettable, this is still worth listening to as a breather between the longer songs.
"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive."
6. DREAM OF MIRRORS
Another very experimental and ultimately very different song, this one also isn't to my taste, mainly due to its length. The first three minutes are led by a quiet bass riff with occasional guitar whines, vocals and sparse drum whacks creating a deliberate sense of emptiness which does get tedious. The chorus is repeated too many times during the nine-and-a-half minutes, and it only really seems to get going at the end, which doesn't redeem it. Still, the band seem to relish this song and it apparently went down quite well during their 'Metal 2000' tour. I wasn't clever enough to like them or have heard them back then though, sadly.
"Dread to think what might be lurking, that my dream is reoccurring."
7. THE FALLEN ANGEL
This song is nothing new, but I really like it. Iron Maiden at their simple, short and punchy best, with a truly excellent mix of high guitars and vocals in the chorus, even if it does sound like a rip-off of the first track. The song knows when it is time to end though, unlike many of the others, and for this reason, as well as its ability to convey lyrics regarding an approaching Armageddon in an upbeat and fun way, this is one of my favourites on the album.
"As I wait for Armageddon and it's coming my way. It's an honour to be chosen and I wait for the day."
8. THE NOMAD
The only true epic on the album, 'The Nomad' is a very diverse and well-played Iron Maiden song. If their earlier classic 'Alexander the Great' was "the best Iron Maiden song never played live" (Steve Harris), this is another in that tradition. The layers of instruments and lack of any commercial or "pop" appeal make this a straight-to-disc song of high calibre, and its lyrics of a mysterious wanderer in the desert bring a fresh tone to the album. The orchestration on this track is excellent and almost subliminal, and does not take over the song as it did in track four. This is how the other long tracks should have sounded, although obviously not identical as that would be rubbish.
"Legend has it that you speak in ancient tongue, but no one's spoke to you and lived to tell the tale."
9. OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET
A catchy and memorable song, this begins with some high pitched guitars before Bruce softly sings the title, five words that you will hear far more than expected in these seven minutes, and the heaviest riff on the album kicks in. The lyrics are again a little repetitive and the song drags on again, but the quality of the playing and the vocal range make this one of the best on the album. Well done. The slow, fade-out ending of this track also shows that it really, really should have been the end of the album?
"Nations cry, underneath decaying skies above. You are guilty, the punishment is death for all who live."
10. THE THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE
An accurate description of this song would be, Iron Maiden's least interesting moment fused with the worst 80s pop song. Another description would be god-awful. There is unfortunately nothing at all to redeem this song, which sounds very half-hearted and so unlike the high quality Maiden fans are used to; it is depressingly slow, has uninteresting lyrics, and leaves the listener thinking "that was a crap album. Oh wait, that Nomad and them early ones, whatever they were called I can't remember, they were good. A bit long but still."
"At what point do we begin, fighter spirit a will to win. But what makes a man decide, take the wrong or righteous road."
VERDICT
The band has returned to its former glory, but this album may have been released too soon. The nine songs are very interesting, especially for fans of modern progressive metal, but lack the commercial appeal of their earlier work. Bruce's vocals haven?t lost anything, but the use of three guitarists seems unnecessary at this point; their full potential is shown in their 2003 release. Despite almost obsessive production by bassist/songwriter Steve Harris, who also composed the orchestrations and played the keyboards, the majority of songs seem unnecessarily long and this counts against the album a little. On the positive side, when compared to the band's other releases this is refreshing and different at least, but unfortunately isn't up to the band's own high standards.
'Brave New World' will be remembered as the album that saw the return of Bruce, and Maiden got great again. For fans of the band I would recommend their latest release 'Dance of Death,' which advances the style of this album while also being less over-the-top and with much better songs, or some of their early albums; anything from 1982 to 88. Up the Irons!
Advantages: Some classic songs, Mix of Maiden's styles, Not just re-treading old ground
Disadvantages: Let down by overlong songs and some unwise decisions, Some people will dislike the 'prog' elements
Rock in Rio
Return of the Beast
****
Written on 10.06.05
The nineties were a turbulent time for English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Guitarist and sometime-songwriter Adrian Smith had left the band in 1989, and the two disappointing albums that followed led to the departure of legendary vocalist and also-sometime-songwriter Bruce Dickinson in ’'92. Try as he might, the gruff vocals of replacement Blaze Bayley kept the band out of the limelight and even saw them dropped from their record label, but a change of heart all round prior to the turn of the millennium resulted in Iron Maiden becoming once again a force to be reckoned with in heavy music.
Bruce and Arian were back, the 'Brave New World' album was their finest in over ten years and they were slated to headline the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil as the last date of the Brave New World tour, playing to a quarter of a million fans.A classic performance and an inevitable album with shiny hologram cover.
ROCK IN RIO
(Disc 1)
1. Intro
2. The Wicker Man
3. Ghost of the Navigator
4. Brave New World
5. Wrathchild
6. 2 Minutes to Midnight
7. Blood Brothers
8. Sign of the Cross
9. The Mercenary
10. The Trooper
As with any Iron Maiden performance since the early days, the show begins with whatever bombastic classical performance they have commandeered to introduce their new single. In this case, I have read that it's the theme to 'First Knight' - I can't verify this, but it's bloody epic. Owning the Rock in Rio DVD also, it's hard to disassociate this introduction from the spectacular flashing and neons of the show, but the effect when Adrian, Dave and Janick burst into the guitar intro to 'THE WICKER MAN' is much the same. This song is loud, fast and fun.
Proud of their latest release and not afraid to show it, the band proceed to play the first six tracks from the album in order, throughout the show. While some wait for as long as disc two, no time is wasted in playing 'GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR' and 'BRAVE NEW WORLD' back-to-back before returning to earlier classics. It speaks volumes of the band's respect for themselves and their fans that they would save the safe, overplayed songs until the end, and louder volumes that the crowd love these first offerings with so much passion. These two are similar in style, a blend of the band's progressive-metal experimentation and traditional heavy epic style, and both feature excellent choruses, solos and softer sections, clocking in as fairly lengthy tracks.
"SOMETHING OLD?..."
Some minimal Bruce banter introduces the second leg of the first disc (probably inappropriate as I have divided the double album into five legs, which I believe is impossible unless a child has been torturing a fly), and this inevitably leads to older material. What may be surprising is that the next track, 'WRATHCHILD,' is really old. 1981-old, when the band were something that only heavy metal snobs liked, with the original unreliable vocalist Paul Di'Anno. 'Wrathchild' is a great song, probably the only classic from the band's second album and one that makes it into every live setlist; it has a great groove, it's short and punchy, and Bruce is excellent on the lower-pitched vocals.
Sixth is '2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT,' a song from 1984 that would be in danger of becoming a forgotten masterpiece if Adrian and Bruce didn't insist the band play it all the time. Meaningful anti-war sentiments, one of the band's best choruses and some brilliant solo-work, it's great that this classic from the band's golden age got on here. The Live After Death version is still superior though, perhaps because I'm such a curmudgeon. 'BLOOD BROTHERS' sees the band returning to their new material, the fourth offering from the Brave New World album, and although it's got great folky touches and is a great example of the three guitarists, it's still a bit of a rip-off of earlier song 'The Clansman' (which appears on disc 2 anyway).
"INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH"
Long songs are always difficult to pull off, but 'SIGN OF THE CROSS' is an undisputed classic that proved Iron Maiden's talent when Bruce left (the song opens their first album with Blaze), perhaps because it's almost an instrumental. Excellent guitar harmonies and melodies are well worth waiting for, and even excuse the overlong chanting intro. 'THE MERCENARY' is an average track from the new album, a little weak positioned second to last on the disc and easy to overlook, and Bruce's rendition of Tennyson leads to the closing track of the first disc, the excellent classic 'THE TROOPER.' Fast, galloping, waily, it's everything that's good about pre-synthesiser Maiden and sounds great here.
"...SOMETHING NEW?..."
(Disc 2)
1. Dream of Mirrors
2. The Clansman
3. The Evil That Men Do
4. Fear of the Dark
5. Iron Maiden
6. The Number of the Beast
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name
8. Sanctuary
9. Run to the Hills
The second disc unconventionally opens with a ten-minute song, the last to come from the new album in the form of 'DREAM OF MIRRORS.' Long and tedious, this song was thankfully one of the last examples to date of Steve Harris' "overlong song syndrome," something that permeated most of their nineties material. The closing harmonies are incredible, but not really worth the build-up when considering that two average length classics could have easily been inserted ('Aces High' and 'Infinite Dreams.' Just consider it. Consider it I said! You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you.) The length is especially annoying considering it's followed up by 'THE CLANSMAN,' another ten-minuter that has already appeared in a similar form on disc one. Some great acoustic bass work from Harris, but Bruce's vocals aren't really shown off in this Blaze-era epic.
The second disc gets a lot more interesting with one of my favourite Maiden tracks, 'THE EVIL THAT MEN DO.' The perfect formula of verse to chorus, including the great reprise, this nevertheless suffers a little from the song's age and the lack of synthesisers. Cheesy though it is, this song really doesn't sound right without it, and the out-of-tune guitars are also a little distracting. 'FEAR OF THE DARK' is many people's favourite Iron Maiden hit, but I've always found it a little dull. Nevertheless, fear is a dish that is best served live - it's just a shame that it was done so much more memorably in the 1992 Donington show, also available on CD.
"SOMETHING FROM OUR JURASSIC PERIOD"
The lone guitar intro of 'IRON MAIDEN' signals the final stage of the show, otherwise known as "really old stuff that you've been waiting for all along really." The band's title track is fun, catchy and a great example of their original sound, coming as it does from their first album, but it's not as technically sophisticated as anything that came after and it stands out somewhat. 'THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST' is THAT song, the one you always hear the annoying budding guitarist play through the walls, and although it's fun, I've simply heard it too much to ever need to hear it again. The same thankfully cannot be said about 'HALLOWED BE THY NAME' - overplayed, yes, but a classic metal ballad with powerful lyrics and memorable riffs and melodies. This is easily one of the band's finest moments.
'SANCTUARY' disappointingly isn't anywhere near as good, my least favourite track in this show, but fans of the very early albums may like it. The sound is a little too Judas Priesty for me, although not as good. 'RUN TO THE HILLS' is the perfect ending, an overplayed track that still sounds good because of the galloping bass rhythm and fun, if completely irrelevant, lyrics. On the live DVD, Bruce picks up a mock skull that has been thrown on stage and hastily ad-libs Hamlet's "alas poor Yorick" sentiment between lines of the chorus without faltering in the slightest, but this is omitted from the CD release for obvious reasons. It would have been nice though.
LIVE AFTER LIVE AFTER DEATH
I hate to do this to you, but 1985's 'Live After Death' still remains the greatest example of Iron Maiden's live prowess, and evermore shall be so. This caught the band at their creative and technical peak, with classic songs from their first five albums. Later official releases from 1991 and 1992 see the band in a state of decline; Bruce's vocals suffer, Adrian Smith's replacement Janick Gers is just plain annoying, and the new songs that dominate aren't all that good. But as I said, the Brave New World album was fantastic.
Rock in Rio almost offers Iron Maiden fans a worthy follow-up to Live After Death. Despite the repetition of some tracks, it is for the most part a representation of the years that have passed and the work the band have done. The tracks from Brave New World are a little overpowering in number, but are worthy enough to do so, while the brief snippets from Fear of the Dark, The X Factor and Virtual XI show the best sides of those otherwise average albums. I still have one gripe though: the band's incredible 1986 and 1988 albums Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son are not fairly enough represented to deem this a worthy successor in its own right.
SCREAM FOR ME BRAZIL
For a live album, Rock in Rio has excellent sound quality. The DVD version suffers occasional lapses in sound, thanks to the temporary nature of the stage set-up, but glitches in volume have been fixed completely for the surround sound CD. Both discs are mostly full of classics old and new, but there are points when even the most ardent fan may find their patience tested. Short songs tend to be grouped together, as do long songs, but the guitars, bass, drums and vocals are all on top form and sound very live thanks to the (limited) experimentation and errors.
The crowd can be heard fairly loud behind the music but never gets in the way, except perhaps in some of Bruce's quieter vocals (get a studio album and stop complaining), and I would recommend this to any fans of heavy metal new or old. The booklet is full of photos of the band looking middle-aged, but thankfully the slipcase has a nice hologram design, as do the discs. 2003's follow-up album 'Dance of Death' is even more spectacular than Brave New World, and doubtless excerpts from that masterpiece will find their way into Iron Maiden's ever-expanding repertoire.
Up the Irons!
Rock in Rio (DVD)
250,000 Fans Prove You Wrong
****
Written on 16.06.04
I love my Maiden, me. I also love my live albums, although already owning Iron Maiden's definitive 'Live After Death' from 1985 I saw no need to buy any of their other official live releases. That is, until I saw this DVD of one of their modern shows selling for only a few English pounds on eBay.
Following the reunion of Iron Maiden's classic line-up in 2000, the band's status in the music world immediately returned to its former glory. The album 'Brave New World' made it sound as if vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith had never left the band, and their world tours were again booked into the largest arenas. In 2001, Maiden headlined the staggeringly-huge Brazilian metal festival that is 'Rock in Rio,' playing to a crowd of quarter of a million South American fans, and probably a couple of overly-loyal groupies from other parts of the world. The show was recorded on TV cameras and played to a global television audience of millions, while the official CD and DVD releases soon followed.
MUSIC
Iron Maiden's first official live release in ten years includes hits across their discography, but is clearly biased towards promoting their Brave New World album, as over half of that CD is played in order, with a couple of songs in between. Musically the band play perfectly live and always have done, although without the polishing effects of the studio, every tracks sounds a little more raw and powerful on this show. There is a good mix of longer, epic tracks and short metal anthems, although there is obviously a difference with this release compared to Maiden's other live shows: this one can be seen.
SIGHT & SOUND
It's safe to say that this live release has not been "fixed" in the studio afterwards as it sounds very, very live: several small mistakes and deliberate changes make this a great DVD to own even if you already own the studio albums. The picture quality is very good, with camera angles changing all the time and focusing on what is deemed most important. The thing to remember when watching this, however, is that the Rock in Rio festival was a very brief event that was assembled quite hastily, and as such there are occasional brief drops in the sound volume which sort themselves out very quickly. (These aren't even very noticeable when watching in Dolby 5.1). Aside from an appearance by a slightly badly-made 'Eddie' (the Iron Maiden mascot beast) and visual cues and backdrops during a couple of songs, the bulk of the DVD experience is watching Brazilian fans punching the air and falling over each other in excitement as middle-aged British men sweat and play their instruments. What more could you ask for?
DISC ONE
1. INTRO
2. THE WICKER MAN
3. GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR
4. BRAVE NEW WORLD
The show begins with some ominous and moody orchestral sounds accompanied by huge cheering from the gathered masses before Iron Maiden leg it onto the stage and blast into the first three tracks from their most recent album (at the time), Brave New World. 'The Wicker Man' is one of their great metal openers that gets the crowd going before the longer and more progressive sound of 'Ghost of the Navigator' and 'Brave New World,' the latter of which features a chorus that is very easy for the crowd to get into.
5. WRATHCHILD
6. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
"Something old?" asks Bruce in a pseudo-evil voice before introducing the band's 1981 hit 'Wrathchild' as something from their "Jurassic period." Although I'm not a big fan of the band's first couple of albums due to the less impressive vocalist and the pretty shoddy production, anything from the self-titled Iron Maiden or Killers performed live sounds great, 'Wrathchild' being no exception with its great groove. '2 Minutes to Midnight' is one of my favourite Maiden songs taken from 1984's Powerslave album and contains some of their most interesting lyrics written by Bruce and Adrian Smith; possibly not as immediately popular as some of their others, but it has a fantastic chorus and bridge section.
7. BLOOD BROTHERS
8. SIGN OF THE CROSS
Now that some of the Jurassic and Cretaceous stuff's out of the way, the band return to more recent climes with the fourth track from Brave New World, 'Blood Brothers.' This sounds quite epic live, with its multi-guitar layering and synthesised orchestral accompaniment, although I do find it a little dull. The same can be said for 'Sign of the Cross,' originally on he band's darkest album The X Factor from 1995, as although I really like it, it could have easily been replaced with something shorter and more fun. Bruce is excellent on this though, despite not being on the original recording.
9. THE MERCENARY
10. THE TROOPER
'The Mercenary' is a song that only exists here due to the promotion of Brave New World as it isn't anything special; another quiet short and punchy track but definitely not of Maiden's best, especially when the similar-sounding but more impressive 'Wicker Man' has already been included. 'The Trooper,' on the other hand, is an old track that Maiden have to play live as it's one of the most classic heavy metal anthems ever produced. I dare you not to love the speedy guitar harmony in the verses. Definitely one of the finest songs on here.
11. DREAM OF MIRRORS
12. THE CLANSMAN
Another couple of epics from their more recent catalogue with varying degrees of success, although the crowd still lap it up. 'Dream of Mirrors' is one of my least favourite Maiden tracks from the Brave New World album as it only gets going within the last couple of minutes, however contrary to some public opinion I absolutely love 'The Clansman.' The only track on here from the band's otherwise poor Virtual XI album, the harmonic guitars and orchestration make this a more fun and catchy version of 'Blood Brothers,' while the rousing, Braveheart-inspired chorus of "Freedom!" is enough to get even the most ardent metal hater screaming at his TV. I don't know why he left it on this long if he hates metal though.
13. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
14. FEAR OF THE DARK
'The Evil That Men Do' is one of the band's most popular songs, with good reason- it's fun, musically excellent and the perfect length, although it's a shame that this is the only track on here from the Seventh Son album. Bruce introduces it with a passage from whatever piece of literature the title is taken from, and the three guitarists are at their best here: oh yes, this is also the song in which the band's mascot Eddie runs onto the stage and has a pathetically executed fight with Janick Gers. 'Fear of the Dark' is the song that got me into Iron Maiden originally, but it's lost some of its appeal over time as it sounds very similar to a lot of their 1990s material. Fortunately, not much of that is included on here, so the great guitar work can still be enjoyed. The last example of more modern Iron Maiden before the band truly head into their Jurassic and Triassic periods and some of their most well-known songs:
15. IRON MAIDEN
16. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
17. HALLOWED BE THY NAME
'Iron Maiden' is the self-titled track from the self-titled album that quite rapidly showed its age in the Maiden catalogue, but which is still very fun when played live. The guitars are less intricate and professional than on their later tracks but still sound great, while Bruce again proves his superiority to Paul Di'Anno. In one of the show's rare theatrical endeavours, Bruce sings from inside a dungeon-style room with dancing young ladies surrounding him. It's quite amusing. 'The Number of the Beast' is one of the tracks that made the band famous in 1982 and the crowd really love this despite it not being one of my favourites, while the early epic 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' deserves to be included on every live show ever as it is ace.
18. SANCTUARY
19. RUN TO THE HILLS
'Sanctuary' is my last favourite track here as it does sound very seventies, despite coming from a 1980 album, and it's extended a little too much as well, although the final track is both expected and quite a treat; 'Run to the Hills' is arguably the most well-known British heavy metal anthem ever produced, and this brings the show to an excellent conclusion. Bruce even ad-libs a great "alas poor Yorick, I knew him well" between lines of the chorus when a plastic skull is thrown on stage. What a guy.
DISC TWO
The second DVD is a lot shorter and is mainly present to bulk out the set, but it's quite interesting to see the band members discussing their careers and taking part in sports of varying entertainment value. As usual, drummer Nikko McBrain is the most amusing as he plays golf with guitarist Dave Murray and comments on the songs that are hardest to play as well as some times he'd screwed up in the past and other guitarist Adrian Smith talks about how he got into music and why America is a good place for fishing. The other interviews with bassist Steve Harris at a football match, third guitarist Janick Gers wandering some streets and vocalist Bruce Dickinson fencing and then spending longer than necessary in a flight simulator are probably not something I'd watch again though.
VERDICT
This is a great Iron Maiden show, although the bias towards new material does exclude a lot of the band's most classic songs so this may not be as excellent an introduction to the band as it would at first appear. Iron Maiden have released a couple of live videos before, although these were always of less interest than the CD and vinyl versions as the sound quality was poorer, while tracks could also not be skipped and selected as desired, however these concerns are no more with the DVD format.
The visuals can get a little dull, but I'd recommend this over the CD version for a couple of reasons: firstly, it's a chance to see how the band play their instruments and act on stage, but more importantly it would be silly to buy this on CD when you would be much better off buying 'Live After Death' that includes a lot of the band's best tracks, omitted here.
Bruce never misses a note with his quasi-operatic vocals, while the rest of the band are clearly loving the experience throughout; the distinction between all three guitarist can be easily discerned and this gives the DVD and the CD more energy than some of the studio releases. Iron Maiden are a band that are at their most enjoyable live, something I will experience firsthand someday. All I would say is, this is not worth the £18.99 charged by Amazon; I was much more satisfied with the £5.56 I paid on eBay.
Eddie's Archive
Unreleased Beast Unleashed
***
Written on 10.03.07
The reunion of Iron Maiden’s classic line-up in 1999 revitalised its energy and has consistently improved its output, each new release being better than the last and the most recent album ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ matching the greatness of their classic period. EMI have taken full advantage of this resurgence of interest in the ageing East End boys, peddling endless live albums and best-of compilations each year and occasionally offering something genuinely original for the hardcore fans. The monstrous ‘Eddie’s Archive,’ released in 2002, is a compact and mostly-well-thought-out gateway to rare and classic ’Maiden material that was released alongside the appalling and unnecessary greatest hits collection ‘Edward the Great’ for the n00bies.
The Archive is itself a nice collectable piece, a metal box moulded with the face of the band’s ever-present zombie mascot Eddie, and includes three previously unreleased double-disc albums. Also included are a nice shot glass and a family tree of the band’s discography and changing line-up, which is especially helpful when viewed alongside the time-spanning ‘Best of the B’sides’ included here. Two of the albums are live, ‘The BBC Archives’ featuring material from 1979, ’80, ’82 and ’88, and the excellent ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’ capturing a single show in ’82. The final album collects together almost every B-side the band has ever recorded, saving penniless fans the trouble of collecting expensive 7” singles and allowing those who already have them all to save the wear and tear on the records, as well as insist that you really need to have the original artwork and everything or it isn’t as good, but secretly wishing they’d saved their money and waited for this.
In the interest of completeness, a goal to which this Archive occasionally forgets to adhere, I will list the tracks for all three albums before reviewing each one in brief, and taking the collection as a whole as the conclusion. This means there’s going to be lots of song titles.
PART 1: THE BBC ARCHIVES
Disc 1
1. Iron Maiden
2. Running Free
3. Transylvania
4. Sanctuary
5. Wrathchild
6. Run to the Hills
7. Children of the Damned
8. The Number of the Beast
9. 22 Acacia Avenue
10. Transylvania
11. The Prisoner
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name
13. Phantom of the Opera
14. Iron Maiden
Disc 2
1. Prowler
2. Remember Tomorrow
3. Killers
4. Running Free
5. Transylvania
6. Iron Maiden
7. Moonchild
8. Wrathchild
9. Infinite Dreams
10. The Trooper
11. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
12. The Number of the Beast
13. Hallowed Be Thy Name
14. Iron Maiden
The first thing that’s obvious when browsing the tracklist of these CDs is the repetition of songs, especially the titular ‘Iron Maiden’ which crops up a ridiculous four times; two times per disc. That’s because this is a collection of four archived shows from the 1980s, and that namesake piece either opens or closes all of them. The first four tracks stem from a Friday Rock Show session in 1979, allowing fans to experience the long- (and easily-) forgotten line-up featuring Tony Parsons on guitar. The rest of the collection comes from live festivals, arranged out of chronological order in order to fit them onto the CDs. The 1980 line-up, with Paul Di’Anno on vocals and Dennis Stratton on lead guitar, performs at Reading for the first six tracks of disc 2, while the mic is handed over to Bruce Dickinson (and the second guitar to Adrian Smith) for the 1982 Reading festival which occupies the last ten tracks of the first disc. The remainder of disc 2 jumps ahead to the 1988 Monsters of Rock festival at Donington with a similar line-up, although drummer Clive Burr had long been replaced by Nicko McBrain.
It’s great to have these shows from different eras placed alongside each other, but as you’ve probably just seen, the uneven time travelling is a little off-putting. It’s also a shame to consider just how much was left out, not only from the shows featured – the 1988 show was a little longer, as seen in the ‘Maiden England’ video release – but from the rest of Iron Maiden’s career. The Di’Anno material is suitably rare, but the 1982 concert could easily have been replaced with something from a later time, especially considering that the ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’ CDs in this same archive come from roughly the same time and feature all the same songs in almost exactly the same order. At least the 1988 material provides something of a relief from this nostalgia for the early days, finally granting an official live release for the songs from ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’: ‘Moonchild,’ ‘Infinite Dreams,’ and the title track. The rest of this collection has been performed and re-released so many times as to be unnecessary, however rare these specific performances of those songs may be.
PART 2: BEAST OVER HAMMERSMITH
Disc 1
1. Murders in the Rue Morgue
2. Wrathchild
3. Run to the Hills
4. Children of the Damned
5. The Number of the Beast
6. Another Life
7. Killers
8. 22 Acacia Avenue
9. Total Eclipse
Disc 2
1. Transylvania
2. The Prisoner
3. Hallowed Be Thy Name
4. Phantom of the Opera
5. Iron Maiden
6. Sanctuary
7. Drifter
8. Running Free
9. Prowler
The most solid third of this collection, this really should have been Iron Maiden’s first live album way back in 1982, but was never released. Showcasing the band at the very start of their ‘classic’ period, recorded several days before the landmark ‘Number of the Beast’ album was released, this excellent concert features almost the entire album amidst the best songs from the first two albums, all given a new perspective with Dickinson’s operatic vocals. He hasn’t quite established the familiar air siren wail just yet, but that’s what makes this early material all the more interesting, especially when compared to 1985’s definitive ‘Live After Death.’ This remains the final recording to feature drummer Clive Burr. The concert was also recorded on film under the same title, and can now be found on ‘The History of Iron Maiden part 1: The Early Days’ DVD, which is also great.
The band’s early sound is captured perfectly here, as are the hints of the epic heavy metal monster Iron Maiden would become, with the lengthy classic ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ setting the template for pretty much every album-closing track forever afterward. Everything is played precisely, but with enough cute errors to authenticate the performance; it’s just a shame that the set-list here is almost exactly the same as that on the BBC Archives. Highlights include the cool opener ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue,’ the ever-reliable ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and the entire performance of the ‘Number of the Beast’ material, wisely omitting the two weakest songs and even performing the B-side ‘Total Eclipse,’ which was later added to re-releases of the album anyway, and as such finds no place in:
PART 3: BEST OF THE B’SIDES
Disc 1
1. Burning Ambition
2. Drifter (live)
3. Invasion
4. Remember Tomorrow (live)
5. I’ve Got the Fire
6. Cross-Eyed Mary
7. Rainbow’s Gold
8. King of Twilight
9. Reach Out
10. That Girl
11. Juanita
12. The Sheriff of Huddersfield
13. Black Bart Blues
14. Prowler ’88
15. Charlotte the Harlot ’88
Disc 2
1. All In Your Mind – 4:31
2. Kill Me Ce Soir – 6:17
3. I’m a Mover – 3:29
4. Communication Breakdown – 2:42
5. Nodding Donkey Blues – 3:17
6. Space Station No. 5 – 3:47
7. I Can’t See My Feelings – 3:50
8. Roll Over Vic Vella – 4:48
9. Justice of the Peace – 3:33
10. Judgement Day – 4:04
11. My Generation – 3:37
12. Doctor Doctor – 4:50
13. Blood on the World’s Hands (live) – 6:07
14. The Aftermath (live) – 6:45
15. Futureal (live) – 3:01
16. Wasted Years ’99 (live) – 5:07
The part of the collection that’s naturally the most valuable even for fans who own all the albums, but not the 7” singles, this collection of 31 non-album songs is arranged in precise chronological order across the usual two discs. The most noticeable problem comes in the omission of certain songs found on the old singles, such as the cover of Thin Lizzy’s ‘Massacre’ that would otherwise come towards the end of disc one. As the running time for each CD comes in with around 20 minutes to spare each, it’s likely that this was due to contractual problems, which is a shame, though nothing to get really annoyed about considering the wealth of material here. (In fact, even further B-sides have spawned from the two studio albums produced since this collection, already necessitating some kind of future re-release by those greedy geezers at EMI).
The new artwork features an old-school Eddie, though unfortunately not painted by the truly old-school Derek Riggs, mischievously displaying his wrinkly walnut b’side through the window of a tour bus for our appreciation. This is the bloke that knifed Margaret Thatcher to death on the cover of the 1980 single, so it’s nice to see that the years have seasoned his transgressions somewhat. Disc one encompasses the B-sides from the band’s first ten years, from the ‘Running Free’ single to ‘Infinite Dreams,’ while disc two covers the turbulent 1990s. The best thing about these B-sides are that they’re almost completely frivolous and pointless, whether they’re a silly comedy song, regurgitated live version or, as is most often the case, a cover song of a band Iron Maiden likes. This means that there’s no noticeable drop in quality between the two decades, unlike the substantial drop reflected in the band’s more bona fide material. The only immediate clue that the listener is being taken on a historical journey is the changing of vocals from Di’Anno to Dickinson and then Blaze Bayley, with Dickinson returning for the finale, though more attentive or familiar listeners will notice the sound quality alternately improve and degenerate as the band moves between ‘eras.’
It’s great to have all of these songs presented here in this chronological manner, and although it may anger real completists, it was a wise decision to exclude repetitions, such as the endless live versions of ‘Number of the Beast’ and ‘Drifter.’ The covers are mostly adequately performed, the source material ranging from dangerously popular to hopelessly obscure, and it’s nice to hear the band’s apparent influences even when the legacy is hard to see. The re-recorded versions of older studio material, the titles marked with a year, are all pretty unnecessary, as Dickinson doesn’t offer much to the Di’Anno songs. It’s always nice to see the infamous live version of ‘Remember Tomorrow’ surfacing in these collections, as this track was originally included on the ‘Maiden Japan’ E.P. when Di’Anno was still singing. The ‘Number of the Beast’ single subsequently featured exactly the same performance, but with Dickinson overdubbed in a feeble attempt to warm him to new fans. The good part comes at the end, when Dickinson’s ‘thank you’ is followed by one from Di’Anno that someone forgot to erase. The live tracks on the second disc are valuable as the only official live songs recorded with Blaze.
The most interesting tracks are those that were never released on albums, such as ‘Justice of the Peace’ and ‘Judgement Day’ from 1994 that would have made their way onto ‘The X Factor’ album if a CD could only hold more than 80 minutes of music. The self-satisfied comedy songs ‘The Sheriff of Huddersfield’ and ‘Black Bart Blues’ don’t invite repeated listens but can be quite entertaining, though Dickinsons’ Yorkshireman impression of record label boss Rod Smallwood really smacks of a cheap Monty Python imitation. The funniest B-side of all isn’t included here, either for reasons of time or taste: the classic ‘Mission From ’Arry’ from the ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’ 7”, a seven minute argument between Nicko McBrain and Steve Harris over an on-stage miscommunication secretly recorded by Dickinson, which ends with Harris discovering the tape recorder and exclaiming, in muffled audio proximity, ‘some c***’s recording this.’
The most disappointing aspect of Eddie’s Archive is its lack of diversity, epitomised in its inclusion of both the 1982 Reading show and the 1982 Hammersmith show that are almost exactly the same. The B-sides collection is really this archive’s saving grace, as the inclusion of live tracks with Blaze Bayley makes up for his lack of appearance on the archives, although there still seem to be enormous chunks of the band’s history completely left out. The recent release of ‘The Early Days’ on DVD has hopefully got this Di’Anno nostalgia out of everybody’s system, and I eagerly anticipate further instalments of ‘The History of Iron Maiden’ series. In 2002, Eddie’s Archive was collectable and problematic, but fairly complete. Five years later it’s out of date and fairly pointless, the original ‘limited edition’ print being predictably extended due to demand, as per usual.
If the BBC Archives are truly the only Maiden material stored in Radio 1’s vaults, this collection is forgivable, but still the weakest link in this box set (aside from the tangible extras, which at least could have been tackier). ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’ is a great live album that could stand alone, and the ‘Best of the B’Sides,’ although entirely fan-oriented, would also succeed as an independent product. There are lots of fans worldwide, that’s why they could ever make this ugly metal casket in the first place. EMI are sure to re-release this archive some time in a minutely revamped form, probably with a free badge or Eddie chew. “Up the Irons!”, or whatever.
Visions of the Beast (DVD)
The Videos That Men Do (Live On and On)
****
Written on 25.06.04
What a rubbish title.
Although many people were saddened when Armageddon failed to strike at the dawn of the Millennium, despite the fact that it was technically scheduled to occur over a thousand years earlier and that Christ must have been born in at least 4 BC to make his story more historically plausible, but I digress, Iron Maiden fans worldwide were celebrating the release of the heavy metal band's best album in over ten years, as well as the return of the band's classic line-up. Plus an extra guitarist who just didn't really want to leave.
'Visions of the Beast' was one of several products released to celebrate (and probably cash in on) these developments, featuring the comprehensive list of nearly every Iron Maiden music video released between 1981 and 2001. The only videos that were excluded were those released to promote live albums, when the tracks had already featured in "studio' form: for example, 'Run to the Hills' has been released as a single three times, but only the original video is included here.
This is an excellent collection that manages to show Iron Maiden's progress and development (and occasional lack of) in their twenty year career, and it's also interesting to see how the band's changing attitudes results in different styles of song and music video.
THE VISIONS
1. WOMEN IN UNIFORM (live at the Rainbow, 1981)
2. WRATHCHILD (live at the Rainbow, 1981)
Two tracks with the band's original singer Paul Di'Anno and drummer Clive Burr, showing the early days of the band. Not as impressive as what is to come, but this makes for a nice, relevant start to the DVD despite the poorer picture and sound quality. 'Wrathchild' has remained a live favourite to this day.
3. RUN TO THE HILLS
4. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
Probably the two most well-known and widely seen songs and videos, this pair of metal anthems were released in 1982 from the phenomenally successful 'Number of the Beast' album, the debut of frontman Bruce Dickinson. 'Run to the Hills' incorporates very low budget, very pink live footage with sped up black and white film clips of American Indians and cowboys getting up to all sorts of mischief from some silent film, the most notable scene being the dialogue card reading "Injuns!" The unwarranted controversy regarding 'The Number of the Beast' is reflected in the video, which features clips from more silent films, this time in the horror genre. The dodgy coloured lights are still present in the performance sections of the video, but the skin isn't quite as pink this time round.
5. FLIGHT OF ICARUS
6. THE TROOPER
One of the funniest Maiden videos accompanies the over the top but excellent song 'Flight of Icarus,' with new drummer Nicko McBrain dressed as the Grim Reaper standing by the sea and things. There are plenty of strange close-ups on eyes and a cool silly section with Dave Murray's flying guitar solo. 'The Trooper,' one of Maiden's best songs according to me, follows the same format as their earlier offerings in terms of using films clips relevant to the theme, in this case the Crimean War.
7. 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
8. ACES HIGH
A ticking clock is revealed in some sand before the first single from the Powerslave album begins. '2 Minutes to Midnight' is thought-provoking and musically intricate, although the video is essentially the band playing on their Egyptian-themed stage. The band's World War II flying aces dedication 'Aces High' begins with Churchill's famous speech before a familiar technique is used: the band are shown performing in the studio with colourful lights, while clips from black and white films relevant to the song are played. Not that original, but the song is a killer.
9. WASTED YEARS
10. STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
'Wasted Years' seems to be quite a rushed video, but then again none of them have the artistic effort of something like Nine Inch Nails. The only new footage is of the band playing in a dark room, filmed in moody black and white to suit the melodic and very catchy track, while clips of previous videos and "home video" footage of the band on tour and playing football illustrates the point that they haven't wasted their time with Iron Maiden. 'Stranger in a Strange Land' is another excellent track in the same vein, but the music video is simply the song being played live. This is one of my favourite Iron Maiden tracks.
11. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS
12. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
13. THE CLAIRVOYANT
14. INFINITE DREAMS
'Can I Play With Madness' is a bit of a dodgy, commercial sounding song with too much emphasis on keyboards, but the video is a classic. One of the last performances by Monty Python's Graham Chapman before his death sees him as a curmudgeonly school teacher disciplining a pupil before stumbling across a bizarre alcove underground, linking to the 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' album that this batch of videos hail from. The other videos are less impressive, being only live performances overlaid with the sound of the studio track, but all three are amazing songs that are among the band's very best. This is perhaps the most enjoyable and melodic part of the DVD, before the band experienced something of a major decline.
15. HOLY SMOKE
16. BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE SLAUGHTER
'Holy Smoke' is a fairly average track with a very funny and very low budget music video made in a shed and a field, featuring such stupid sights as Dave Murray playing a solo while standing in a brook. Although the song is a tongue-in-cheek criticism of televangelists, I couldn't help laughing hard at the poor quality of this video when I first saw it - definitely a highlight of the DVD, and a great way to end the first disc.
The over-the-top 'Bring Your Daughter' opens the second disc, and was Iron Maiden's only UK number one hit single to date, despite the fact that it's pretty average and quite silly. A mixture of enhanced concert footage and clips from some old film featuring the less than gratuitous sacrifice of a lady in a dungeon. You don't see any breasts or blood though, not that I get a perverse kick out of seeing those two things combined.
17. BE QUICK OR BE DEAD
18. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
19. WASTING LOVE
These three videos continue the back-to-basics side of the band from their 1992 'Fear of the Dark' album, and for once some degree of effort has gone into producing good quality music videos. As cheesy as the final product may be. 'Be Quick...' is a very fast-paced song complimented by fast moving images of phones, tabloids, men and other things to do with the media world while the band play in what appears to be a dock of some kind, or the top of a building. 'From Here to Eternity' is one of the most memorable videos as it goes a little too far into cheese rock territory with its motorbike chick and hellish imagery, but it's all good fun. Finally, 'Wasting Love' is a slow, balladic track (that I personally consider to be one of their all time worst songs) with a slow, dark music video featuring obscured sex and a man tattooing upon himself the names of loose women he's slept with; by the end it is quite an impressive list, although that's probably not the point they're trying to make.
20. FEAR OF THE DARK (live at Donington 1992)
21. HALLOWED BE THY NAME (live at Donington 1992)
These two videos were released after Bruce Dickinson left the band with the famous final show at 1992's Donington Monsters of Rock festival, and both are incredible epic Maiden songs that were very well chosen from the concert; Fear of the Dark sounds much better than the studio version, while 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' was a ten-year-old track (at that point) that was long overdue for a single release.
22. MAN ON THE EDGE
23. AFRAID TO SHOOT STRANGERS (live, 1995)
24. LORD OF THE FLIES (live, 1995)
With Bruce gone, the band eventually recruited new singer Blaze Bayley and released the very dark but interesting 'The X Factor' album, which dealt with more sombre issues than the band had previously tackled, reflected in the music videos. 'Man on the Edge' is anthemic and fast, the music video showing businessmen leaping to their deaths from buildings in a display that is both depressing and hilarious. 'Afraid to Shoot Strangers' incorporates news-based footage of contemporary wars in the Gulf and Iraq with the band playing on stage, while 'Lord of the Flies' follows the same formula, but sees the band visiting some abandoned ruins. I don't really get that one.
25. VIRUS
26. THE ANGEL AND THE GAMBLER
27. FUTUREAL
'Virus' was a new track recorded especially for 1996's 'Best of the Beast' collection, but this is a largely unimpressive and dull video consisting of zoom-ins on the band in a dark purple room for six minutes. Fortunately things get less bleak with the move onto the 'Virtual XI' album, and although 'The Angel and the Gambler' is officially the poorest track Maiden have ever dared come up with (as I am the authority on such matters), the video is a scream due to the heavy incorporation of very, very bad looking CGI aliens. The band also play cards with a computerised version of their mascot Eddie and eventually beat him, which he isn't too happy about. As I say, crap song though. 'Futureal' is simply the band live but it's quite a good track, if not up to their earlier and later standards.
28. THE WICKER MAN
29. OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET
30. BRAVE NEW WORLD (live at Rock in Rio 2001)
The final batch of videos shows the current line-up, with the return of Bruce and Adrian to the band. 'The Wicker Man' is upbeat and classic, the video featuring a man driving out into a field and being attacked by Eddie while the band mess around with white sphere things outdoors. 'Out of the Silent Planet' is a live video (but the studio version of the song again), while 'Brave New World' is an extract of the song being played genuinely live in Rio de Janeiro from their other official DVD.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The second disc features re-workings for several music videos by 'Camp Chaos', retaining the band footage but replacing the live action and film clips with animations relevant to the song. These videos, for 'Run to the Hills,' 'The Number of the Beast,' 'Flight of Icarus' and 'The Wicker Man,' eventually found their way onto music channels where they seem to have replaced the originals in circulation. The animations are quite enjoyable and a nice extra, but you shouldn't play around with Maiden (or With Madness for that matter). The disc also includes a full discography for the band, including all singles released.
VERDICT
Watching this DVD is basically like watching an Iron Maiden-only music channel (wouldn't that be great? Don't pretend you disagree), and as such is the kind of thing I enjoy putting on occasionally when I feel like watching something on TV, but don't wish to deface my eyes and mind with something like Big Brother or anything with Noel Edmonds, to be more current. I'm impressed that, for once, a collection of Iron Maiden bothers to include all the vocalists, despite the fact that Bruce Dickinson clearly has the most gifted voice ever bestowed upon a human.
It's also fortunate that some of the lengthier tracks were released as live singles and could therefore be included here, as judging the band by their shorter, punchier efforts alone doesn't give the full impression of their music; combining 'Aces High,' 'The Evil That Men Do,' 'Fear of the Dark' and 'The Number of the Beast' does however. So for this reason, I'm confident that most Maiden fans will feel satisfied by this DVD, coming in at over three hours. The sound quality is perfect, or at least as good as is possible due to the age of some tracks, and although the picture quality on some videos isn't as sharp as that on music channels, this doesn't spoil the experience. I can still somehow smell ham during the 'Run to the Hills' video though.
Seeing the almost-complete collection of music videos here puts music channels to shame, since only around five of these videos are ever screened on a regular basis. I've sat through 'Can I Play With Madness' and 'Number of the Beast' countless times, but had never seen over half of these videos until I got hold of this DVD. Considering the channel 'Scuzz' held an Iron Maiden week several months ago and failed to include the vast majority of these videos, this would make an ideal gift for an Iron Maiden fan. If you know any hairy middle-aged men with faded spider tattoos on their faces that is.
It's worth buying for the daft 'Holy Smoke' video anyway.
Dance of Death
Maiden Are Back!
*****
Written on 24.03.04
The most successful band to come out of what it often dubbed the NWOBHM, New Wave of British Heavy Metal - a term seldom used today mainly due to the innacuracy of the "new" part - Iron Maiden have been bringing out hard rocking songs that appeal to quite a wide range of people since their debut in 1980. Last year saw the release of Dance of Death, their thirteenth studio album, which is undeniable proof that Maiden never died. They just went worse during the 90s.
The previous album released in 2000, Brave New World, won much acclaim for the reintroduction of frontman Bruce Dickinson and rhythm guitarist/sometime songwriter Adrian Smith and was certainly the band's best work for over a decade. The powerful choruses of their old work were back, while the progressive metal element of their past few albums still remained and worked in verying degrees of success. 2003's Dance of Death is not a return to Maiden's roots, but a clear and talented progression that results in what I consider to be one of the band's finest offerings.
THE TRACKS
The album begins with the first released single, "WILDEST DREAMS." A great chorus and powerful guitar riffs make this an instant classic and an uplifting start to the album. Continuing in a similar vein is the second single to be released, "RAINMAKER," a slightly slower song with great lyrics and even better vocals from Bruce. These two songs are clearly Iron Maiden at their energetic best, but also have a very modern sound that shows band mastermind and bass virtuoso Steve Harris knows how to move with the times, however the third track is less enjoyable.
Now released as a single as well, "NO MORE LIES" is another of the band's unnecessarily lengthy songs, and it also seems a little incoherent with the very heavy chorus and quiet, melodic opening. A bit of a throwback to the band's style during the 90s in my opinion.
After the drawn-out third track, "MONTSEGUR" is an amazing track. One of my very favourites, this song is in the vein of all those heavy and complex tracks on the band's older albums that were never as recognised as the singles. The best chorus on the album with Bruce's amazing vocals and perfect use of the guitar threesome, this tale of Catholic oppression in bygone days manages to leave the listener wanting more after the 5:50 are up.
"DANCE OF DEATH" is the title track which, with this band, usually means it's going to be great. A track you appreciate more with each listen, the first three minutes are a relatively unimpressive but atmospheric build-up to main riff of the songs, accompanied with violins, that is one of the stand out parts of this whole album. Very compelling lyrics concerning a man's wanderings in the Everglades leading him to a carnival of souls, all instruments are given their due time to shine in the latter half; true Seventh Son style! This is a great epic.
After the intense title track comes the filler, but it's still good in its own right. "GATES OF TOMORROW" has a good chorus but Bruce's voice gets a little irritating in the rest of the song, and there's nothing too impressive here. "NEW FRONTIER" still doesn't measure up to some of the tracks but is another great and relatively short song with a fantastic chorus, also marking the song-writing debut of drummer Nikko McBrain. And it's about a Frankingstein so it can't be bad! This is another contender for release as a single.
Just when you thought it was safe, another epic track looms, possibly the most complex on the entire album. "PASCHENDALE" is Adrian Smith and Steve Harris' take on poetry from the First World War, and a dying solider's tale. This track is great when it gets going, and there are some really interesting guitar solos, but I've had World War I overload with my English Literature course so I'm sure I'll listen to this more after the exams are over. I'll still try and slip some lyrics into my papers though! Very memorable choruses.
"FACE IN THE SAND" is the only track, aside from "Gates of Tomorrow," that I would class as 'filler' in that it doesn't really offer anything new, but there is very good use of orchestration in a similar style to "Blood Brothers" from the previous album. It's this similarity that prevents this track from standing out, however. The penultimate track, "AGE OF INNOCENCE," is another of the great short songs with a chorus that could be mistaken for a cover of a pop song; this isn't to say it isn't true metal however, just look at the Darkness, commercial and widely appealing but still sticking to their roots. "Age of Innocence" is a message on current issues such as burglar protection and politicians, a far cry from th band's days singing about a monster going to get 'em.
The album ends in a very untraditional way with Maiden's first solely acoustic song, "JOURNEYMAN." My least favourite track simply because I don't like acoustic songs that much, this still distinguishes itself and acts as a great and low-key ending to the album.
VERDICT
Many people will say that the band could never achieve the success or appeal of their classic 80s albums, but Dance of Death casts this into some doubt. I don't hold this album in the same light as "Powerslave" (1984) or "Somewhere in Time" (1986), and it's clearly not as influential or ground-breaking as "Number of the Beast" (1982) or "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" (1988), but I prefer it to both of these albums. Don't take this from a fan of this album, but from someone with a full knowledge of Maiden's discography.
So whether you could be bothered to read my descriptions or not, this is Iron Maiden's most diverse album and contains songs to appeal to all fans of previous albums. Bruce Dickinson is clearly the necessary frontman to make the band achieve its success, while the three guitarists are also used to great effect on this album. It's great to know that, at last, it's the same Iron Maiden line-up they had from 1983 through to 1988. Oh, plus Janick Gers.
Advantages: Shows the band can adapt to the times, Not just a re-working of old songs and tunes
Disadvantages: Not every song is an instant classic, The band aren't bringing out albums as fast as they used to, but still... Up the Irons!
Edward the Great: The Greatest Hits
Run For Your Lives
***
Written on 11.02.06
The lazy, pointless and emotionless Edward the Great represents the bottom rung on the hierarchy of album releases. At the top you have studio albums (all 13 of them in this case), great live albums (Live After Death), then the disappointing stuff like B-side collections (Eddie's Archive), rubbish live albums (A Real Live Dead One), best-of compilations (Best of the Beast) and finally, the greatest hits (this, apparently).
Perhaps I'm being unfair, as 1999's Ed Hunter, another pointless best-of coupled with a terrible cash-in computer game, surely represents the band's most embarrassing and poorly though out release so far, but unlike Edward the Great saw a fairly limited and select release, and didn't go for the same air of veneration that this highly selling collection did, released after the band shot to popularity again a year later. Last year's re-release of the single of The Number of the Beast, identical to its original release, was at least for a charitable cause.
I'm not a fan of greatest hits collections, but I see the appeal, especially as they can often be bought quite cheaply. And Iron Maiden's popular heavy metal style does suit the format, most of their albums containing short radio-friendly songs that were released as top selling singles, but as such the listener receives a very narrow scope of the band's abilities and style. Not to mention the repetitiveness of hearing fast-paced galloping anthems 'The Number of the Beast,' 'Flight of Icarus' and 'The Trooper' in succession.
1. Run to the Hills
2. The Number of the Beast
3. Flight of Icarus
4. The Trooper
5. 2 Minutes to Midnight
6. Wasted Years
7. Can I Play With Madness
8. The Evil That Men Do
9. The Clairvoyant
10. Infinite Dreams
11. Holy Smoke
12. Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter
13. Man on the Edge
14. Futureal
15. The Wicker Man
16. Fear of the Dark [Live at Rock in Rio]
Iron Maiden are one of the most famous and imitated heavy metal bands, releasing several number one albums in the 80s and even a number one hit single ('Bring Your Daughter,' oddly one of the weakest songs here). A best-of collection was inevitable... and was released in 1996 under the title Best of the Beast. Where that album was an enjoyable and honest representation of the band's first sixteen years, even including a really good and previously unreleased additional song, Edward the Great offers nothing at all to fans who already own the albums. This is fair; the target market of albums like this is people who have heard a couple of the band's poppy songs and liked them, or rock DJs who hate this 80s rubbish but need to satisfy the irritating Maiden fans with stupid long hair that looks like girls' hair.
The album at least makes no attempt to hide its nature as a quick money-making scheme, although the introduction from Steve Harris struggles to make it sound like it's an important release for newcomers to the band. The tracks are clinically arranged in order of release, from Bruce Dickinson's introduction in 1982 through their prog-influenced phase of '86-'88, their disappointing return to form in the early 90s, the Blaze Bayley years and finally the return of Bruce and guitarist Adrian Smith for the Brave New World album.
This means that the album sounds quite familiar and samey in parts before shifting around in quality, and although I assume this is a genuine selection of the highest selling singles, a little more variety could have been introduced by replacing some of the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son material (tracks 7 to 10, representing half of that seminal album!) with tracks like 'Running Free' and 'Wrathchild' from the first two albums, sung by Paul Di'anno. But then, of course, the album couldn't open with their most popular song. Perhaps the recent DVD release of Maiden's early days, and tours and festivals where they only played pre-1985 material to publicise this DVD, have increased awareness of the Di'anno era. But in 2002, all the publicists cared about was milking Bruce Dickinson's return.
The songs on here are all quite good, sometimes even great, but are spoiled by the presence of too many other "only quite good" songs of similar style across 80 minutes. There's no dip in sound quality, all of these tracks being the common remasters (this was another reason to buy Best of the Beast in 1996, back before the studio albums all underwent the same process), but essentially this is an album that works best when played in very limited doses, rather than an entire Iron Maiden greatest hits experience, which is just about as exciting as it sounds. My favourites are 'The Trooper,' perfecting the band's trademark gallopy rock anthem style (along with 'Aces High,' which oddly isn't included here), 'The Evil That Men Do' and 'Infinite Dreams,' both emotive pieces overly polished with shiny synthesisers, and '2 Minutes to Midnight,' the only song from my favourite studio album Powerslave. There's no point whingeing on about songs that should have been included but weren't, as this time the sales figures for each single are a valid excuse. But saying that...
You may wonder why I'm making such a fuss about an album that shamelessly admits that it exists only to take people's money. That's because of the final track, a live recording of 'Fear of the Dark' taken from 2002's Rock in Rio live album. A track that wasn't even released as a single! If you're going to be black-hearted and cold in compiling an album like this, at least be consistent. 'Fear of the Dark' is a great song, and has been released previously as a live version, far superior to the bland studio original, from the spectacular Monsters of Rock show at Donington in 1992.
'Hallowed Be Thy Name,' an even better song of the same fast/slow, epic style, was also released from that show. Either of those tracks could have been included here, earlier in the chronological order, mind, and people like me would shut up about it. But then, EMI weren't trying to shift leftover copies of that live album in 2002.
If you're looking for a cheap (often £5.99) way of owning some heavy metal classics from the 80s, and you can look past the rushed, ugly cover art, Edward the Great might be what you're after. In terms of length, it's certainly better value for money than the original studio albums, which include longer and more experimental pieces that won't necessarily appeal to someone who likes 'Run to the Hills.'
I'd greatly recommend the earlier collection Best of the Beast over Edward the Great for its superior choice of songs, including all of the most popular ones on here - the only new tracks on here to have been released since then are 'The Wicker Man,' good but not essential, and the 'Fear of the Dark' live thing that I've already moaned about, and Best of the Beast boasts such gems as 'Hallowed Be Thy Name,' 'Aces High' and 'Virus.' Or you could just wait until Iron Maiden release their next studio album later this year, and EMI inevitably release another best-of, perhaps including whatever is their most recent three-minute single and an even more inferior live version of 'Fear of the Dark.' Or buy one of their great live albums to hear how good the band really are.
The Milking of Iron Maiden's Return to Popularity by the Evil Greedy Executives at EMI Timeline
1999 Bruce Dickinson returns, Ed Hunter released, the band's second best-of collection but the first one in 3 years
2000 Brave New World studio album released
2002 Rock in Rio live album released, the band's first live album in 10 years
2002 Rock in Rio live DVD released, the band's first DVD ever
2002 Edward the Great released, the band's third best-of collection but the first one in 3 years
2002 Eddie's Archive box set released, a collection of non-album material and early live shows
2003 Dance of Death studio album released
2003 Visions of the Beast DVD released, including all of the band's music videos to the present. The band's second DVD ever
2004 The History of Iron Maiden part 1: The Early Days DVD released, with interviews and early concerts. The band's third DVD ever
2005 Death on the Road live album released, the band's first live album in 3 years
2005 Death on the Road live DVD released, the band's etc. etc.
Death on the Road
*****
Written on 30.07.08
The inevitable live release from Iron Maiden's 2005 tour, 'Death on the Road' can be either cynically viewed as yet another successful attempt by EMI Records to squeeze every last penny out of loyal Iron Maiden fans, or as a worthwhile addition to their already bulging discography. My reaction lies in both camps: while I can't deny this is a solid and highly enjoyable live album, it does seem very unnecessary so shortly after the previous live release 'Rock in Rio' that many fans will doubtless consider definitive.
The major difference between 'Rock in Rio' and this later release (and there are sadly quite a few similarities in the form of repeated songs) is that this album features a wealth of material from the band's then-current full-length 'Dance of Death,' which is good because that was a high quality album, certainly a large step up from the previous 'Brave New World' that dominated the Rio release. The band's enthusiasm for their own recent material is gratifying, as over half of its material is performed here at the cost of a few extra classics, and needles to say it's all done to perfection. My main gripe is the inevitable presence of unshakeable Maiden staples that are understandably fan favourites, but are getting a little old and repetitive after being present on so many releases, though this only makes it even more enjoyable when the band plucks a comparatively obscure offering from the archives such as the forgotten 'Lord of the Flies.'
(The even-more-inevitable DVD edition followed this a year later).
Disc 1
1. Wildest Dreams
2. Wrathchild
3. Can I Play With Madness
4. The Trooper
5. Dance of Death
6. Rainmaker
7. Brave New World
8. Paschendale
9. Lord of the Flies
Disc 2
1. No More Lies
2. Hallowed Be Thy Name
3. Fear of the Dark
4. Iron Maiden
5. Journeyman
6. The Number of the Beast
7. Run to the Hills
A Matter of Life and Death
*****
Written on 30.07.08
Still going strong by their fourteenth album, the modern Iron Maiden sound (developed since the return of singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999) has reached its peak by this point, whether fans like it or not. Despite some claims, this isn't up there with the band's classic period that spanned the 1980s and burnt out as soon as the nineties kicked in, but to its credit it doesn't attempt to return to that sound, pushing forward with a distinctive, heavy-going and more consistent sound than the band has displayed for nigh on twenty years.
Many of the songs here are overlong or repetitive, but the album is arranged so well that it really isn't an issue to the patient listener. Even the similar-sounding sections of songs, such as the triplet rhythms, are excusable for tying the whole thing together musically, if not lyrically, and there's a clear sense of direction from the comparatively short pop metal opener 'Different World' through to the darkest recesses of the thrashy 'Lord of Light' and dirgey finale 'The Legacy.' Anyone who enjoyed the darker sound of the band's overlooked 1995 album 'The X Factor' should enjoy the style being applied more consistently and with greater flair here, but those searching for upbeat, cheesy heavy metal in the style of 'Can I Play With Madness' will be greatly disappointed.
1. Different World
2. These Colours Don't Run
3. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
4. The Pilgrim
5. The Longest Day
6. Out of the Shadows
7. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
8. For the Greater Good of God
9. Lord of Light
10. The Legacy
Advantages: Most consistent Iron Maiden album since 1988.
Disadvantages: Songs are too long and too similar.
Megatropolis
***
Written on 30.07.08
The German power metal scene is one of the more repetitive sub-genres of the heavy metal world, so it's nice to hear the occasional band such as Iron Savior breaking through its generic barriers and offering something a little different, even if this difference extends only to the gruffer vocals that forsake the genre's typical high wails. Another band based entirely in the sound Judas Priest pioneered with their 1991 classic 'Painkiller,' this isn't the most original album in the world, but its science fiction concept and occasional fun guitar riff keep it entertaining on a fairly superficial level, despite being even more sub-Painkiller than Primal Fear's entire career.
There's not a great variety of material on offer here, and to be perfectly honest, most of the songs are either dull or incredibly generic. There are a couple that stand out, from the rocking opener 'Running Riot' that's unfortunately cursed with a Twisted Sister style unison chorus, to the faster title track with a fun guitar solo, and fortunately the album doesn't resort to ballads. One of the more interesting aspects is that the conceptual album, which links together as a sequential narrative, is only the sixth part of a larger science fiction epic that spans the band's entire discography, so it's easy to see why the vocals take central prominence in many songs, with the instruments assigned to background duty.
1. Running Riot
2. The Omega Man
3. Flesh
4. Megatropolis
5. Cybernetic Queen
6. Cyber Hero
7. A Tale From Down Below
8. Still I Believe
9. Farewell and Good Bye
Advantages: Interesting concept and fun, Judas Priest style heavy metal.
Disadvantages: Owes everything to 'Painkiller' and the German post-'Painkiller' tradition.
J
Oxygene
Relic of the New Age
**
Written on 29.09.05
One of the most famous composers of electronic 'new age' music, Jean-Michel Jarre became a surprising overnight success with the release of 'Oxygene' in 1976. Synthesiser technology was infiltrating musical genres steadily, the invention of the Moog sampler adding endless possibilities for artists relying heavily on instruments with circuitry.
Oxygene's historical release predated Kraftwerk's radio-friendly ditties by a few years, but albums composed entirely of synthesisers had already been achieved by the likes of Klaus Schulze and Vangelis. With this forty-minute suite, Jarre trims the epic scale from the likes of Tangerine Dream's 'Stratosfear' and instead offers listeners a melodic, catchy and upbeat musical experience that was, for its time, and only for its time, accomplished and unique.
1. Oxygene, Pt. 1 (7.42)
2. Oxygene, Pt. 2 (8.08)
3. Oxygene, Pt. 3 (2.54)
4. Oxygene, Pt. 4 (4.14)
5. Oxygene, Pt. 5 (10.23)
6. Oxygene, Pt. 6 (6.20)
The success of Oxygene's sales is surprising until the success of the dance-esque 'Oxygene, Pt. 4' single and the composer's lavish, Guinness-record-breaking stage shows are taken into account. The most concise and memorable offering, Part 4 bears odd similarities to Gershon Kingsley's earlier dance hit 'Popcorn' (a track Jarre had previously covered as 'Popcorn Orchestra'), but more restrained and, fitting the tone of the album, relaxed and spacey.
Oxygene holds together well as a whole, despite the longer tracks occasionally pushing patience, but the distinctions between phases are made clear, especially on repeated listens. Split into two halves due to the nature of the original vinyl, there is no dip in sound or fade-out until the close of track three. Parts 1 and 2 are held together by rolling waves and wind beneath the layers of synth to make a sixteen minute piece of music that avoids epic status for its reliance on repeating rhythms over and over. In contrast, part 3's limited presence really feels like an extra couple of minutes needed to be added to balance out the side lengths, but this isn't distracting enough to reduce Oxygene's relaxing mood.
The second half is more up-and-down, the afore-mentioned Part 4 opening as a funky, catchy space anthem before Parts 5 and 6 cause the album to drag on and outstay its relatively short welcome. By this point the atmospheric sound effects have pretty much overtaken anything original being performed on the keyboards, serving only to lengthen the chilled-out mood rather than to add anything of musical worth.
Oxygene represented a step forward as synthesised music entered the public domain, but its only real worth now is as a relic of the seventies. Jean-Michel Jarre's moods and melodies may have set the tone for 21st century ambient music, but on its own merits 'Oxygene' doesn't stand the test of time. The follow-up 'Equinoxe' continues in the same vein but impresses more with a greater shifting of rhythm and speed, but music fans seeking and emotional connection to synthesisers need to look elsewhere to the likes of Vangelis (his epic 'Heaven and Hell' or the soundtrack to 'Blade Runner') and progressive rock works such as Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here.'
Crystal clear production and a sense of nostalgia and innovation don't render Oxygene of any interest to the average consumer, but it holds a special place in the history and evolution of popular music.
Equinoxe
Ecliptic Eclectic Electric
****
Written on 18.10.05
After gaining unprecedented success with ‘Oxygene,’ French electronic composer Jean-Michel Jarre began work on a follow-up.
‘Equinoxe,’ a forty-minute musical journey performed on synthesiser, organ, keyboards, mellophonium, mellotron, Farfisa organ and rhythm programmer, owes a great debt to its predecessor but also manages to sound more accomplished and spectacular as a result. Equinoxe seems to rectify the mistakes made by Oxygene, the little things that didn’t affect its popularity but did affect its chances of being taken seriously as an electronic classic.
STYLE
Equinoxe is divided into eight (fairly-) distinctive parts. As would be expected, especially by those who have heard Oxygene, the parts are designed to flow together to create one vast musical experience, varying between soft, fairly inanimate parts to relax the mind and disco-anticipating hooks and ditties repeated without apparent end.
There is a natural feeling to Equinoxe; this music has dated, it sounds in places like a simplistic video game score, but its effect has not diminished. Anyone partial to electronic music should seek out Equinoxe over any of Jarre’s other work as it almost perfects the mood / substance balance in a way that only his more impressive peer Vangelis has truly mastered.
SIDE ONE
1. Equinoxe part 1 (2:23)
2. Equinoxe part 2 (5:01)
3. Equinoxe part 3 (5:11)
4. Equinoxe part 4 (6:54)
If Jarre intended Equinoxe to represent the course of a day, the introductory track certainly evokes a sense of early morning, beginnings, brightness and hope, led by high, slow keyboards. This track sounds like electronics imitating nature, something Vangelis later tried with the eccentric ‘Soil Festivities’ (1984).
Initially seeming somewhat disappointing, tracks two and three seem to revert to the subdued ambience of Oxygene’s less memorable moments, until repeated listens or a sharp ear detect that there is a great deal more going on: the rolling wave sounds and layered spectral sounds evoke a more atmospheric and vivid image than Oxygene ever did, part two sounding sombre and sleepy and part three seeming noticeably more lively, led by an evolving melody.
Equinoxe becomes unexpectedly and quite brilliantly exciting and dramatic as the memorable melody and beat of the fourth part quietly begins, before launching into one of Jarre’s most famous compositions. This is the highlight of the album for me, the perfect blend of ethereal ambience and exciting keyboards, the track fading in an out to excellent deeper sounds and what almost sounds like synthesised vocals or a keyboard-created demon. There is so much going on in this track, it’s difficult to associate it with anything tangible: it’s spacey, majestic and 70s.
SIDE TWO
5. Equinoxe part 5 (3:47)
6. Equinoxe part 6 (3:23)
7. Equinoxe part 7 (7:24)
8. Equinoxe part 8 (5:04)
The album fades out between tracks four and five, a sad feature of double-side vinyl production that could have been done without here. Not that the lack of segue affects the enjoyment of Equinoxe part 5, the track released as a single and thus the most catchy and accessible by default, but it would have been interesting to hear the bridge between this and its predecessor. Track five is no less accomplished than the other efforts, and thankfully doesn’t sound out of place or particularly ‘poppy’ as sections of Oxygene did. There are too many great synthesiser effects going on every moment to describe or even take in, but this songs is essentially carried through on a medium range melody accompanied and attacked by all kinds of high keyboard ditties and background effects. It’s a lot of fun, and is nipped in the bud before it lasts for too long, fading unnoticeably into the more rhythm-focused sixth part. This part is the weakest section of the album, not entirely unnecessary but serving only to maintain the flow for several dull minutes.
Part 7 eventually gets round to adding some spice to the beat of the vinyl’s second side that is now becoming stale, mimicking part 4 in its more dramatic and high-reaching style but possibly even besting it in terms of its progression and subtle build up, as well as uncanny ability to maintain interest over its lengthy duration. The album concludes in a very unusual style that confounds me over the issue of whether I enjoy or loathe it. Jarre’s organ comes into play, casting a distinctive sound over the music that breaks the trance and evokes, if anything, a lonely, windswept pier at Blackpool rather than the grand locations and uplifting moods of the first three parts.
This is saved from being the track to skip by the fade-in of sounds from earlier and elsewhere in the album, guiding the listener to an ambient conclusion on an extended, fading note that seemed so lacking in the previous album.
VERDICT
Equinoxe won’t be to everyone’s taste, and isn’t as groundbreaking as 1976’s ‘Oxygene,’ but this is far more than a lazy cash-in on that album’s success. The structure and style is continued and noticeably evolved, the difference sounding remarkable after only two years. Equinoxe is relaxing, soothing, exciting, spacey, progressive, strange, bouncy, haunting and beautiful. As with classical music and more contemporary instrumentals, it isn’t clear exactly what Jarre is trying to evoke, but the abstract artwork and anonymous tracks leave this to the listener’s disgression.
Fans of this album should also investigate the work of Vangelis (the album ‘Spiral,’ released the same year as this, seems like an I-was-here-first assault of Jarre’s style… but isn’t quite as good as his more moody pieces!) while Tangerine Dream’s ‘Phaedra’ and ‘Stratosfear’ sound like the real inspiration for Jarre’s ambient backdrop.
Oxygene belongs to the seventies, its only real value in the 21st century being as a historic novelty. Equinoxe belongs in the record collection of every fan of progressive rock and electronic music. Addictive.
Advantages: Relaxing, fairly complex, but easy to listen to
Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, very similar to 'Oxygene,' short
Rocka Rolla
She's a Classy, Flashy Lassie
***
Written on 04.09.07
The first release from Judas Priest is quite different from the sound and image they would very soon become associated with, as the loud young Brummies ditched their hippie look, prog aspirations and disappointing drummer and producer to begin recording the definitive albums of early heavy metal. ‘Rocka Rolla’ is an infamously flawed record, but this is largely due to unexpected problems with the studio equipment and personnel more than the material, which is often of a surprisingly high standard. Even if the band members themselves look down on this release, they are the first to admit that there are some great early classics scattered throughout... it’s just that the whole thing doesn’t sound quite right.
Having established a large local fan-base with their loud, melodic, masculine rock, the burgeoning Judas Priest were quickly manhandled into a studio and assigned the famous local record producer Rodger Bain, whose results with the early albums of their contemporaries Black Sabbath are justifiably praised. Gull Records were confident that Bain would capture the heavy sound they were hoping to promote and gave him totalitarian control of the recording process, something the band looks back on as a big mistake as they were completely under his thumb. Nevertheless, it was a decision they were understandably content and confident to go along with at the time, if it meant paving the path to fame. Unfortunately, Bain’s eventual results were severely disappointing, failing to capture the energy of the studio and ending up with a very thin sound that affected all the instruments. He also unwisely, and for whatever reason, decided to eliminate the band’s most popular songs from the track-list, requiring them to come up with what often sounds like filler, rather than the timeless material that would eventually find its way onto ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ commonly seen as the first ‘real’ Priest album.
‘Rocka Rolla’ should not be easily written off, especially as part of the band’s problem with the album is their lack of ownership or royalties from its sales, something Gull Records have taken full advantage of over the years with far too many re-releases attempting in vain to remedy a thirty-year-old problem with new technology. The band’s dissatisfaction even extends to the original cover art, a bottlecap design with the album’s title written in copy-cat Coca Cola font, which for some reason they later decided to swap for Mel Grant’s ‘The Steel Tsar,’ an average-looking image that may have had the right apocalyptic message, but wasn’t quite as cool or distinctive as the original, especially as Grant’s painting had also been used for a book of the same name, and for a random early video game box. The band’s dislike of the album’s overall style may be due to its association more with traditional rock than metal, something that is partially appropriate in this mixed bag of radio-friendly pop rock and high-concept suites. It may lack the distinctive Priest sound, but it’s an interesting listen, and it’s clear the band is really onto something.
1. One for the Road
2. Rocka Rolla
3. Winter
4. Deep Freeze
5. Winter Retreat
6. Cheater
7. Never Satisfied
8. Run of the Mill
9. Dying to Meet You
10. Caviar and Meths
The album begins on a disappointing note with the repetitive and bland ‘One for the Road,’ based on a tedious blues riff that lacks the usual Judas Priest energy in all areas apart from Rob Halford’s voice, which is up to its usual high standards regardless of production. After taking far too long to fade out, the album begins to reveal its real charms with the great title track, a typical Priest song about love and rock with plenty of great harmonies, solos and riffs from Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. It’s a little derivative, with contemporary influences all over the place – the verse sounds like Roxy Music, while the chorus sounds like David Bowie – but the guitars are distinctly Priest. Halford even offers a brief harmonica section similar to Black Sabbath’s ‘The Wizard,’ completing this eccentric and enjoyable, but sadly forgotten piece.
The most creative section of the album comes in the ‘Winter’ suite, spanning tracks three to five but almost always mislabelled or wrongly edited on CD releases. In its true form, the opener ‘Winter’ is a good slow song that unfortunately can’t really be described as heavy due to the production, though that was certainly the intention. The introduction is haunting in a primitive way, with whispered vocals before the drum kicks it into a ‘proper’ song, and once again Halford steals the show. ‘Deep Freeze’ is essentially nothing more than a spacey interlude between the two halves of the suite, similar to Sabbath’s ‘FX’ in that its target audience will be easily impressed stoned people who enjoy the effect of a guitar whine fading in and out of volume for a minute and a half (‘woah dude, he’s going closer to the microphone, and then moving far out. Do you have any bread?’) Overall, the effect is closer to depicting a UFO than anything winter-based. Unfortunately, the final piece of this trio doesn’t live up to the first, attempting the kind of proggy soft song that would be perfected later in the album but coming off as somehow unconvincing, Halford’s voice sounding less impressive in a more downbeat style. It was still an interesting experiment overall, but perhaps explains why the band hasn’t attempted anything similarly conceptual since (at least, not until next year’s highly anticipated Nostradamus album).
‘Cheater’ is the first song that really sounds like classic Judas Priest, with a fantastically simple and violent subject matter – a man finds his wife in bed with another man, and shoots them both in primal vengeance – and it’s hard to resist joining in with the chorus towards the end, and thereby clearly condoning the speaker’s actions. This is stupid and fun heavy metal the way it was supposed to be, leaving behind the conceptual nonsense, although it doesn’t offer a lot musically, the guitars sounding thin and similar to the first song. ‘Never Satisfied’ is similarly cool, the main riff and chorus sounding so stereotypical of early Priest that it could belong to any song on the first four albums. It lacks the power of the title song, but Halford holds the notes like he is famous for, including a final extended wail that sadly has to take second place to the more famous ‘Victim of Changes.’
The final phase of the album plays more along the lines of mellow progressive rock, and offers a great distinctive sound in the band’s discography that they carry off surprisingly well. ‘Run of the Mill’ is the better of the two, mostly acoustic but occasionally launching into a rockier riff, although the reliance on a very dull backing drum-beat is a little irritating. Halford has really cracked the croon after the disappointment of the fifth track, and sounds just as good as he would later in the earlier sections of ‘Victim of Changes.’ There’s even a rare spot in the limelight for Ian Hill’s bass, and Halford puts in his finest performance of the record with the final reprise of the chorus, which easily ranks alongside anything else he would accomplish up to the 1990s. ‘Dying to Meet You’ is much the same, only less impressive, beginning slow and changing later on to the extent that it’s essentially two different songs tagged together. It sounds good in isolation, and at least isn’t a wimpy ballad that would really spoil things, but grants Downing greater lenience in unleashing some quite cool and lengthy solos. The main problem comes with the lyrics Halford takes so much time to communicate, which are quite terrible even for a band not renowned for its poetry. The final song is a missed opportunity, the introduction to epic live favourite ‘Caviar and Meths’ that was apparently ‘too long’ to fit onto the record. The guitars work brilliantly to compliment each other despite playing different tunes, but this snippet primarily makes me sad and angry that we didn’t get more of it.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend ‘Rocka Rolla’ to anyone who enjoys the early Judas Priest albums up to the excellent ‘Stained Class,’ before a desire to be American took over and affected the quality of the band’s output for a decade of highs and lows. The production is a big problem, extending to the background hiss that still hasn’t been eliminated by re-masters, but many of the songs fit excellently into the band’s established style, and the ones that don’t offer something completely and excitingly different. Many of the songs are far too short, or far too repetitive (leading to the paradox of tracks such as ‘One for the Road’ that is too short to get anything out of, but that also takes far too long to finish), but the majority are real classics with that great and slightly amateurish first-album feel. It’s clear that this album should never really have existed in the form that it does, its successor ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ being more true to the band’s live shows of the time, but all the same it’s an album with a lot to offer, even if some of its more elaborate aspirations (specifically the ‘Winter’ trilogy) don’t really go anywhere. I’m tempted to give it four stars, but I think three would be more accurate, it’s really quite good.
Advantages: A nicely diverse album of early material.
Disadvantages: Poor production and bad decisions don’t catch the band at its best.
Sad Wings of Destiny
Conqueror of All
****
Written on 11.09.07
Released in 1976 when the popularity of heavy metal was beginning to wane, Judas Priest’s second album injected new life, speed and energy into the genre, and along with its successors paved the way for what would ultimately be defined as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Still commonly regarded as one of the band’s finest releases, it was unarguably a vast improvement over the messy and long-forgotten debut ‘Rocka Rolla,’ abandoning its blues-tinged, hard rock sound – for the most part – in favour of a highly charged approach that was in equal shares melodic and aggressive, based on the shrieking vocal talents of Rob Halford and the dual guitar harmonies and discordance of Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing.
Even at first glance, with the album’s hellish cover art, vicious song titles and new gothic logo, it’s clear that Judas Priest has begun to define itself as a heavy metal band rather than the slightly confused hippies who recorded an album in 1974, and the presence of old live favourites from the early seventies (refused inclusion on the previous album due to the incompetence of producer Rodger Bain) makes this in some ways the first ‘true’ Judas Priest album, although ownership disputes with Gull Records sadly mean that the band still won’t receive any of the proceeds for albums released before ‘Sin After Sin.’ More focused than its predecessor, ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ still finds time to experiment with softer songs and longer compositions comprised of numerous changes, while the arguable song cycle that leads to its conclusion may demonstrate that the interest in lofty and progressive ideals has not been entirely eliminated by the desire to achieve commercial success.
A peculiar feature of this release is that its two original sides on the vinyl LP were switched around when the time came to re-issue the album on CD, causing the original opening ‘Prelude’ to be moved to the fifth track. This move was probably for the best, as the first few songs are among the band’s most popular, still being live staples today, and ‘Deceiver’ wouldn’t really work as a satisfying ending in the same way that ‘Island of Domination’ achieves, while making the opening fade-in of ‘Victim of Changes’ more relevant in its new context. Of course, any stubborn fans intent on recreating the original experience can simply stick the CD player on repeat, start from track five, and stop complaining.
1. Victim of Changes
2. The Ripper
3. Dreamer Deceiver
4. Deceiver
5. Prelude
6. Tyrant
7. Genocide
8. Epitaph
9. Island of Domination
Originally under the title of ‘Whiskey Woman,’ ‘Victim of Changes’ is undeniably one of the most well-loved and accomplished Judas Priest songs, so it’s regrettable that my initial response has to be: ‘this isn’t as good as the live version.’ The same could be said for many tracks later released on the definitive ‘Unleashed in the East’ live album, however inauthentic and plagued by studio tampering that may be, but this song in particular has a long tradition of excelling in the live format, explaining its presence on the ‘Metal Works’ compilation in place of this original. It’s a great song split into several parts, though the transitions are all smooth and natural, with some classic riffs and great solo spots for the guitars, the bass and in particular the ear-piercing screams of Rob Halford. The resurgence of the main riff towards the end in the lead-up to his final screams has to be one of the best executed moments in the band’s entire discography, but this song really does suffer from the lack of crowd interaction in the quieter and slower moments. An excellent heavy metal song, but one that could never be successfully captured onto disc.
‘The Ripper’ is Priest’s classic short piece about Jack the Knife, led primarily by Halford’s squeaking narrative and with one of the band’s most memorable choruses. The simplicity of this song is its real charm, ushering in an entirely New Wave of British Heavy Metal without even knowing it, and clearly directly inspiring much of what Iron Maiden did in the first few years, both musically and thematically. The central section features a cool creeping guitar riff that speeds up subtly as it goes, which may or may not be attempting to imitate the eponymous Ripper’s stalking antics, though I like to think that it is. Once again, Halford lets rip a piercing scream at the end for good measure. Wisely, the next song ‘Dreamer Deceiver’ takes a complete detour from the sounds already established, beginning with a murky acoustic guitar and soft singing that sets an effective tranquil atmosphere. Once again, this can be traced as the direct inspiration for many softer metal songs from the late seventies to the present day, even if it gets a little dull and repetitive along the way. Halford’s more energetic screams in the second half are a nice touch, and work strangely well despite the rest of the music staying the same, and there’s a really long and mellow guitar solo that I can’t help but love.
Confusingly and unwisely bearing a similar title to the previous song, ‘Deceiver’ was formerly the final song of the album (see earlier explanation), but works much better being shoved into the middle, where its mediocrity doesn’t really get in the way. It isn’t a bad song, it’s just disappointingly generic after the great pieces that have come so far, the riff failing to stay memorable for sounding just like every other medium speed guitar line the band would play throughout the seventies. Things become much more interesting with the ominous ‘Prelude,’ a little strange in the middle of the album but nonetheless perfect in bringing in the second half of offerings. The deep, booming piano is joined by a church organ and high guitar, leading into one of the finest songs of the album, the suitably monstrous ‘Tyrant.’ This song showcases everything that was great about Priest’s classic early period, with a great heavy riff, slow and pounding chorus and an irresistible break into a second, lesser-used chorus that’s as fun as hell. To make things even better, Tipton and Downing execute a full dual guitar solo, remaining ever so slightly out of tune with each other in a performance that really has to be heard. Unlike the first song, I can’t specifically remember whether the ‘Unleashed in the East’ version is superior, but in this instance the record really does it justice.
Although technically not associated, the similar subject matter of ‘Genocide’ has always linked this song with its predecessor in my mind, perhaps exacerbated by the lofty ‘Prelude’ deceiving me into delusions of a song cycle along the lines of the first album’s ‘Winter’ suite. This song essentially stands alone as another cool, early metal song, but it somehow lacks the energy of ‘Tyrant’ and the earlier pieces until the very end where everything speeds up and Halford has to yell along at an exhausting pace. Thankfully, perhaps sensing that the sound has started to become repetitive, the album offers up its greatest deviation yet with the entirely piano- and vocal-led ‘Epitaph.’ This is bound to be a very challenging song for Priest fans or metal fans in general, as the performance by Tipton (on piano) and Halford severs all connections to the sound being pioneered elsewhere on the recording, though overall the experiment is a success. Supplementing his deep croon with a very strange higher pitch in the chorus that sounds almost like a choirboy, Halford is impressive here, if not quite at his best. It’s an interesting song to break the album up, but not really the sort of thing anyone would get this CD out of their collection specifically to listen to. A nice touch is that it fades directly into the final song ‘Island of Domination’ (again, not helping my paranoia in searching for patterns and song suites that aren’t really there). The energy of ‘Tyrant’ is back, even if this song doesn’t live up to the monumental task of beating that earlier classic, but it’s still a great song based on all the usual ingredients: shrieking Halford and a pounding chorus. The band considered re-recording this for the follow-up album ‘Sin After Sin’ for some reason, but there isn’t any problem with the original.
‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ is a heavy metal classic, though one that may take some getting used to for younger fans or those more accustomed to modern music. It’s a melodic and very heavy album, though not in the way a Suffocation album is heavy, and despite the praise heaped onto the later ‘British Steel’ release, leaves behind most of the blues influence of early heavy metal (exempting songs such as ‘Victim of Changes’ which were old live favourites), paving the way for the fast and catchy metal of the early eighties that are more commonly accredited to the punk explosion. The few weak songs and unsuccessful experiments prevent it from being my personal favourite Priest album, and the inclusion of superior live versions of some songs on the excellent ‘Unleashed in the East’ a few years later makes these studio recordings a little redundant. Still, this is a great source for those songs and many others, containing definitive heavy metal classics and some great unknown treats too.
Advantages: Early heavy metal classics, and some of the band’s finest songs.
Disadvantages: Format becomes repetitive quite quickly, requiring some drastic experimentation.
Sin After Sin
Sacrifice to Vice
**
Written on 17.09.07
A shorter review this time, because I don’t have an awful lot to say about this slab of metal history. Having been dropped from Gull Records after the excellent ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ which remains a Judas Priest classic to this day, the band was fortuitously picked up by major label Columbia in a commendable display of foresight. Consequently, this third album is sometimes viewed as the first ‘true’ Priest album, which is wrong both factually and morally.
‘Sin After Sin’ was recorded and released in early 1977, and continued to develop the band’s distinctive sound towards the famous and much-imitated style that would dominate eighties metal while also remaining largely commercial. Nonetheless, there is a noticeable lack of the energy and aggression that characterised the previous album, to the extent that a more relaxed tone dominates and the band even heads into the previously avoided territory of rock ballads. The production values have shifted up a notch, which isn’t necessarily a good thing as I found that the raw and dirty screeching of earlier songs like ‘The Ripper’ worked to their advantage, and now the crisp-yet-stilted seventies guitar tone can be more clearly heard. Frontman Rob Halford is still captured at his screaming best, and his softer crooning is utilised as it had been on the previous albums, but apart from young and rapid session drummer Simon Phillips, the rest of the band seems to lack a certain drive that it previously displayed, settling for a thinner and more repetitive sound that ends up sounding quite bland and tedious as the album draws on.
Opening track ‘Sinner’ is a fan favourite, and one of the better pieces here, though aside from Halford’s surprising performance in the chorus there isn’t anything to take it to the level of earlier classics. The guitar sound is thin and slightly hidden in the background, which the usually reliable Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing don’t try to alleviate by going all-out on solos, and like almost all songs on this album it seems to have lasted for far too long by the conclusion. Another regrettable aspect of this album is that many of its chorus vocals sound reminiscent of the regrettable ‘hair metal’ scene that dominated American metal in the eighties (the muscular blokes in make-up and ridiculous wigs playing power ballads), all of which can conceivably be traced back to this collection of songs. ‘Last Rose of Summer’ in particular sounds exactly like the generic acoustic ballads of bands like Poison that would later prove inexplicably popular despite being drab, dull and long. Halford’s croon is quite good, but it was demonstrated on the first two albums far more impressively.
The cover of Joan Baez’s ‘Diamonds and Rust’ keeps the beginning of the album fairly interesting, and it’s a shame that little the band wrote themselves could approach this standard on this record. Once again, Halford is the only real asset as he sings the borrowed vocal line, but it was a live favourite that’s captured well in the higher budget studio. ‘Starbreaker’ is commonly seen as the heavy song of this release for reasons I can’t quite understand, as it entirely lacks the power the band is capable of projecting. The drum intro is disappointing, the guitars are once again repetitive and predictable even in the chorus, and the hand clapping towards the end seems like a joke. From this point onwards, the album only gets worse.
‘Let Us Prey/Call for the Priest’ promises a more complex song along the lines of ‘Victim of Changes,’ but the splitting into two halves merely constitutes a switch from dull acoustic introduction to fast rock conclusion. It’s an okay song, but entirely average especially for this band, even seeming to once again borrow the vocal melody from elsewhere, in this case Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s ‘Karn Evil 9’ and lasting for longer than my attention span permits... which is really saying something, considering the ELP song I just referenced. ‘Raw Deal’ is, distressingly, even longer, and followed up by yet another power ballad as can be discerned merely from the title of ‘Here Come the Tears.’ Fortunately, the album manages to end on a slightly above-average note with the hard rocking ‘Dissident Aggressor,’ a song I’m quite fond of that lives up to the band’s standards at the time in a way that almost nothing else here manages. The song is short and concise, and everyone is back on form, even though the guitars could do with a bit of a kick – thankfully, Slayer would later provide this when covering the song for their ‘South of Heaven.’
A largely negative review there of an album that should have been an integral link in the indestructible chain of heavy metal, but instead hangs limply and out of sight between the two excellent albums on either side of it. It may have been due to fatigue, or even a deliberate decision to make something more accessible and mellow (in the way the band would later follow up the hard ‘British Steel’ with the soft ‘Point of Entry’), but it’s not really worth fans of contemporary metal checking out. If it has any legacy, it’s likely to have been towards areas I’d rather forget existed.
1. Sinner
2. Diamonds and Rust
3. Starbreaker
4. Last Rose of Summer
5. Let Us Pray/Call for the Priest
6. Raw Deal
7. Here Come the Tears
8. Dissident Aggressor
Advantages: A couple of early Judas Priest classics.
Disadvantages: Mostly dull and repetitive, noticeably lacking in energy.
Killing Machine
****
Written on 07.08.08
'Killing Machine' is a real turning point in Judas Priest's career, departing from the heavy, dark, blues-influenced works of their earlier career and instantly jumping to something simpler, shorter and more accessible to the American market, an a commercial attitude that would unfortunately be the band's undoing in the following decade. While there are too many weak or otherwise distinctly average songs here to proclaim the album a classic, its significance shouldn't be understated, and there are a few more classic Judas Priest tracks here that the heavy metal world would be a less fun planet without.
Leaving behind the often thought-provoking lyrics of their previous albums, the subject matter here is pretty much what came to be expected of the band, right down to the band's new leather and bikes image. While its successor 'British Steel' is often hailed as the band's masterpiece, in truth the genesis of many of its best ideas can be found right here, from the heavy riff of 'Delivering the Goods' to the short, energetic and incredibly catchy 'Hell Bent for Leather' that was later diluted as 'Breaking the Law,' and the cheesy anthemic chorus of 'Take on the World' that would be remade as the slightly less irritating 'United.' The band's experiments with ballads work with mixed success, 'Evening Star' being mostly awful while 'Before the Dawn' is surprisingly effective in its mix of acoustic and electric guitars, which was still something of a novelty in 1978.
1. Delivering the Goods
2. Rock Forever
3. Evening Star
4. Hell Bent for Leather
5. Take on the World
6. Burnin' Up
7. Killing Machine
8. Running Wild
9. Before the Dawn
10. Evil Fantasies
Unleashed in the East
*****
Written on 07.08.08
One of the classic heavy metal live albums, 'Unleashed in the East' is such an effective summary of Judas Priest's seventies career that it's hard to even care that much of it was probably polished up in the studio. With nine solid tracks culled from the band's second to fifth albums (the first album is a bit of an oddball in the discography), this still displays the band's early blues-rock influence and places their dark, epic style next to the more simplistic style developed on the then-recent 'Killing Machine,' an album that receives greater representation on later re-releases of the live album.
The sound quality here is perfect, bringing out the full power of the instruments, and it's primarily for this reason that I would recommend this over the earlier studio albums themselves for newcomers, or those approaching the band from their later releases. The sound is as heavy as the band intended to sound before the inevitable weakening of album production, making for an authentic live sound and atmosphere, and all songs from the speedy opener 'Exciter' to sinister finale 'Tyrant' have never sounded more energetic.
1. Exciter
2. Running Wild
3. Sinner
4. The Ripper
5. The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
6. Diamonds and Rust (Joan Baez cover)
7. Victim of Changes
8. Genocide
9. Tyrant
British Steel
****
Written on 07.08.08
An album that came along at the right time, with the right promoters and an iconic album cover, Judas Priest's 'British Steel' is a household name among rock fans, often awarded the same level of recognition as 'Metallica,' 'Ace of Spades' 'The Number of the Beast' and 'Machine Head.' The thing these albums have in common is obviously that they contain each band's biggest hits, but are some distance from being the finest work they have produced.
'British Steel' is full of accessible songs based around repetition, which can sometimes (in the case of the ad nauseam riff in 'Rapid Fire' and anthemic choruses of 'United' and 'Living After Midnight') become incredibly annoying by the end. Elsewhere, the simplicity is a distinct advantage, the band's biggest hit 'Breaking the Law' being an undeniably fun song about stealing. This focus on accessibility doesn't mean that the band's former progressive talents have been lost entirely though, evidenced by the overlooked gem 'The Rage' that contains some great instrumentation throughout, and the excellent plodder 'Metal Gods' that achieves a more compelling atmosphere than the aforementioned later anthems could even begin to hope for.
1. Rapid Fire
2. Metal Gods
3. Breaking the Law
4. Grinder
5. United
6. You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise
7. Living After Midnight
8. The Rage
9. Steeler
Point of Entry
***
Written on 07.08.08
A disappointment after the popular 'British Steel,' 'Point of Entry' jumps across the ocean to imitate a distinctly American version of the heavy metal that Judas Priest helped to create in the first place. With recurring themes of highways, deserts, firearms and other distinctly non-British things, this mostly weak album would be the perfect example of a band compromising its sound to attract a mainstream audience and alienating their existing fan base, if only the later abomination 'Turbo' didn't achieve this so much better.
The main difference between this album and its predecessor is that 'Point of Entry' is a more mellow and relaxed affair on the whole. Even the slightly faster or heavier songs collapse into lighter choruses, and while this change of direction isn't necessarily a bad thing, it does make the later tracks in particular seem lacking in character. 'Heading Out to the Highway' is an enjoyable enough opener, but one that can't avoid comparison to the superior likes of 'Breaking the Law' and 'Hell Bent for Leather,' and it's only really the central section of the album with the atmospheric 'Desert Plains' and grand 'Solar Angels' that the album really impresses. Needless to say, these songs would find their way onto later compilations, meaning the need to buy this album is minimal.
1. Heading Out to the Highway
2. Don't Go
3. Hot Rockin'
4. Turning Circles
5. Desert Plains
6. Solar Angels
7. You Say Yes
8. All the Way
9. Troubleshooter
10. On the Run
Screaming for Vengeance
*****
Written on 07.08.08
Fixing everything that was wrong with the lacklustre 'Point of Entry,' Judas Priest returned fiercer, louder and more exciting than ever with their classic 'Screaming for Vengeance,' inaugurating a new era for the band and kick-starting the speed metal genre overnight. The sound developed here is still pretty much the one that characterises the band today, with heavy guitar riffs from K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton pierced by Rob Halford's powerful shrieks, the latter escalating in intensity as the album reaches its conclusion.
This was clearly devised as a heavy metal album for heavy metal fans, and I'm grateful that the band momentarily abandoned its pursuit of the rock mainstream to focus on crafting the music they really wanted to. While this is still accessible to a small extent, with weaker material such as '(Take These) Chains' and the overlong 'You've Got Another Thing Comin'' seemingly targeting the glam metal crowd, the majority would scare away casual listeners but is a real treat for hard rock fans, the energetic 'Electric Eye' and shrieking 'Devil's Child' bookending the record perfectly. With the arguable exception of 'Painkiller,' the band would never release anything this good again.
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Riding on the Wind
4. Bloodstone
5. (Take These) Chains
6. Pain and Pleasure
7. Screaming for Vengeance
8. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
9. Fever
10. Devil's Child
Defenders of the Faith
****
Written on 07.08.08
Having achieved their favoured style on 'Screaming for Vengeance,' Judas Priest took the fairly obvious route of copying it almost exactly for 'Defenders of the Faith,' another album geared towards fans of their heavier side. The energetic opener 'Freewheel Burning' almost goes too far in trying to prove the band's speed and intensity, the stand-out moment being Rob Halford's hasty delivery of fast-paced lyrics in the second half, but it's a great introductory song that consciously belongs to a tradition stretching back to 'Exciter.'
The guitar tone is consistently heavy throughout the album, preventing any song from becoming a fully-fledged ballad, and the evil 'Jawbreaker' and 'The Sentinel' are clear inspirations for later speed metal bands such as Helloween. The band still remembers how to craft an instantly catchy song, demonstrated in the form of 'Eat Me Alive,' and it's only really the last few tracks that let the side down, the latter duo in particular sounding like Led Zeppelin at their least inspired.
1. Freewheel Burning
2. Jawbreaker
3. Rock Hard Ride Free
4. The Sentinel
5. Love Bites
6. Eat Me Alive
7. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
8. Night Comes Down
9. Heavy Duty
10. Defenders of the Faith
Advantages: More great eighties heavy metal.
Disadvantages: Nothing new after 'Screaming for Vengeance.'
Painkiller
Louder Than an Atom Bomb
*****
Written on 07.06.06
The Painkiller is an intergalactic cyborg warrior. Faster than a laser bullet, he rides the Metal Monster, its buzzsaw wheels wreaking vengeance against those who… well, that’s not entirely clear. But no matter; this is the ultimate heavy metal album. I don’t use that word lightly.
After the horrible disco-disgrace of ‘Turbo’ in 1986, Priest attempted to reclaim their status as Metal Gods with their last album of the decade, the poorly received ‘Ram it Down.’ A tracklist composed of self-aggrandising song titles such as ‘Heavy Metal’ and ‘Monster of Rock’ didn’t deceive fans, who saw through the band’s attempts to reclaim their former heaviness and reduce (but for some reason, retain) those damn guitar synthesisers and synthetic drum beats. Iron Maiden’s back-to-basics regression was a disappointment, and Metallica were beginning to lose the plot. Mankind was on its knees, pleading for a saviour from the skies.
Then came 1990’s ‘Painkiller.’ The decade that saw the decline of the finest metal bands of the eighties somehow spawned this powerful, relentless, hard-hitting metal classic, one of the most definitive albums of metal, British or otherwise. Painkiller’s aggressive sound is perhaps a deterrent to those who appreciated their classic heavy metal pioneering of the late seventies and early eighties, but it restored strength and credibility to the band at the time they most needed it, the popularity of British steel waning in the face of American thrash.
Painkiller is a landmark album for European metal, taking influence from the so-called ‘speed metal’ developed by Germany’s Helloween, themselves heavily influenced by Priest and their contemporaries, and combining its velocity with the long-standing excellence of the (now-classic) K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton dual guitar assault. Newcomer Scott Travis on drums has remained in the band to this day, and his mark on this album contributes to its original sound; as testament to his input, the first track opens with an extended drum intro.
21st century bands such as Primal Fear owe their fundamental sound entirely to Painkiller, while the Birmingham-born heavy metal sound they developed alongside Black Sabbath is inescapably present throughout modern metal, internationally. Although Rob Halford was to leave the band for the next decade, Priest continued to develop the hard edge of Painkiller for their two albums with vocalist Tim ‘The Ripper’ Owens (now in Iced Earth), but ‘Jugulator’ and ‘Demolition’ would turn out to be nothing but weak imitators of this metal classic. Loud ones nevertheless.
Judas Priest, ‘Painkiller’ (Columbia, 1990)
1. Painkiller
2. Hell Patrol
3. All Guns Blazing
4. Leather Rebel
5. Metal Meltdown
6. Night Crawler
7. Between the Hammer and the Anvil
8. A Touch of Evil
9. Battle Hymn
10. One Shot at Glory
11. Living Bad Dreams (bonus on CD re-issue)
Despite a couple of mediocre songs, Painkiller is as close to perfection as metal albums get, without needing to resort to fancy touches such as a thematic concept. The intensity of the recognisable title track continues for most of the album, slipping up intentionally only for the more commercial-sounding ‘A Touch of Evil’ and its successors, the brief interlude ‘Battle Hymn’ (sadly not a Manowar cover) and the anthemic ‘One Shot at Glory.’ This latter section of the album is most reminiscent of Priest’s earlier big-seller ‘British Steel’ ten years earlier, in its emphasis on rousing sing-along-friendly choruses and the distinct eighties radio rock angle of ‘A Touch of Evil’ that’s reminiscent of Michael Jackson in places.
Despite these concessions to popular taste, the roaring guitars and slamming drums dominate the album, most present on the intense and memorable offerings ‘Painkiller,’ ‘Night Crawler’ and ‘All Guns Blazing,’ the latter especially memorable for Halford’s bold, screaming introduction. These fast and heavy tracks set the tone for the band’s original music to the present day, songs such as ‘Hellrider’ on their latest album ‘Angel of Retribution’ being nothing more than re-hashes of this style. As for the rest of the album, the (ever-so-slightly) slower ‘Hell Patrol,’ ‘Metal Meltdown’ and ‘Between the Hammer and the Anvil’ suffer slightly in comparison, failing to impress alongside these monsters of rock.
Despite being nominated for a Grammy award in 1991, for the admittedly obscure category of Best Metal Performance, Painkiller isn’t immediately accessible in the style of ‘British Steel’ or (shudder) ‘Turbo,’ but it’s widely regarded among metal fans as the band’s finest offering. Painkiller is loud, powerful music that dares to stand proud as heavy metal in an era when thrash and death metal were wowing the kids with pointless aggression and mindless shock lyrics. Sure, lyrics and image still aren’t Priest’s strong point, this album featuring a song titled ‘Leather Rebel’ and the album cover struggling to depict their latest fictional space avenger, but this is music where any real sense of meaning to what’s being screeched is irrelevant in the face of such powerful vocals. I’m struggling to find faults with this album, aren’t I? There are some, don’t worry.
Painkiller is certainly repetitive, and doesn’t sound as immediately impressive in 2006 as it would have done in 1990. Roughly half of the album bobs along on the strength of the tracks that precede and follow. The album glorifies violence, which is a bad thing, right? Rob Halford’s bald. Forget it – Painkiller is an excellent album.
So why listen to Painkiller, if it’s not all about the volume? Tipton and Downing’s guitars had finally reached a point in which their roaring grooves perfectly compliment Halford’s rousing falsetto in ‘Hell Patrol,’ and provide the perfect yelling backdrop for his inhuman screeches on the title track. Plunging into short bursts of guitar solo at impossible-to-predict tangents and extending songs into near-jam sessions as they draw to explosive conclusions, Priest’s guitars would never (to date) be as impressive again.
To hear Halford tackle the seemingly incompatible vocal duties of ‘Painkiller’ (undoubtedly the finest track here) and ‘A Touch of Evil,’ or to be honest, most of the album that isn’t the first track. To witness a song beginning with atmospheric rainfall that doesn’t descend into a ballad. To hear the illegally catchy chorus riff of ‘Metal Meltdown.’ To relate to the story of the ‘Leather Rebel.’
These are the reasons to listen to Painkiller - one of the essential albums of metal.
Advantages: Quintessential, genre-defining metal
Disadvantages: The usual daft lyrics; won't appeal to casual listeneners
Metal Works '73-'93
****
Written on 11.08.08
Numerous Judas Priest best-of compilations have been released over the last decade or so, and 1993's 'Metal Works' is neither the most comprehensive nor the most tastefully arranged, and is mostly notable for its coincidental release shortly before singer Rob Halford left the band. However, excluding songs from their first two studio albums (presumably due to ongoing contractual issues with Gull Records), this is merely an incomplete celebration of his time fronting the band from 'Sin After Sin' through to 'Painkiller.'
The arrangement of songs seems arbitrary for the most part, and in some cases dubious, especially as the pairing of a few songs reveals how formulaic the band can be (e.g. 'Breaking the Law' and 'Hell Bent for Leather' are pretty much the same song). The speed and sound quality jump around as the seventies, eighties and early nineties sounds are placed back-to-back, and while this at least keeps things exciting, it also makes it harder to enjoy as it's likely that fans won't be into the entire Judas Priest back catalogue. To its credit, the album claims to have been put together by the band members themselves rather than an outside observer, which implies that the band really, really likes the 'Screaming for Vengeance' and 'Painkiller' albums, but can take or leave the rest.
Disc 1
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Victim of Changes (Live)
4. Painkiller
5. Eat Me Alive
6. Devil's Child
7. Dissident Aggressor
8. Delivering the Goods
9. Exciter
10. Breaking the Law
11. Hell Bent for Leather
12. Blood Red Skies
13. Metal Gods
14. Before the Dawn
15. Turbo Lover
16. Ram It Down
17. Metal Meltdown
Disc 2
1. Screaming for Vengeance
2. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
3. Beyond the Realms of Death
4. Solar Angels
5. Bloodstone
6. Desert Plains
7. Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days
8. Heading Out to the Highway (Live)
9. Living After Midnight
10. A Touch of Evil
11. The Rage
12. Night Comes Down
13. Sinner
14. Freewheel Burning
15. Night Crawler
Jugulator
***
Written on 11.08.08
The replacement of Rob Halford with new vocalist Tim Owens was inevitably controversial among fans, comparable to Bruce Dickinson's departure from Iron Maiden around the same time. While Owens is still more than capable of hitting the high screams of his predecessor and idol, the result is often quite irritating as he pushes it a little too far, but it isn't Owens who lets this album down. Rather, it's the band's conscious attempt to reinvent itself as a meaner, heavier force for the 1990s, which seems to extend to copying Slayer and Pantera.
The predominant sound here is slow, aggressive and very heavy, a significant departure from the band's trademark high-octane anthems, and it's too much to digest as a whole album. Certain songs such as the varied 'Jugulator,' 'Death Row' with its catchy chorus and the long finale 'Cathedral Spires' would work very well if placed alongside more traditional material, but the rest of the album is something a chore to sit through. While the style may appeal to those who enjoyed the slowing-down of thrash metal practiced by the likes of Pantera and Machine Head, this sounds distinctly unlike a Judas Priest album, with only minimal leftovers from the 'Painkiller' days.
1. Jugulator
2. Blood Stained
3. Dead Meat
4. Death Row
5. Decapitate
6. Burn In Hell
7. Brain Dead
8. Abductors
9. Bullet Train
10. Cathedral Spires
'98 Live Meltdown
****
Written on 11.08.08
With a terrible title like that, this half-hearted live release from the 'Jugulator' tour isn't going to win over fans who considered Rob Halford irreplaceable, but Tim 'The Ripper' Owens does an adequate job filling in, at least on the more contemporary tracks. His attempts to tackle the older, seventies material are a little lacking, and make the whole thing sound more like a release from a local Judas Priest tribute act.
As a live album, there's nothing to surprise fans here. Most of the best-loved songs are here regardless of quality, though the exclusion of some such as 'Exciter' and 'Turbo Lover' are a little unusual. To promote the then-latest album, there are five new songs interweaved with old material, but fortunately the overview of the back catalogue is very fair, only missing out the lesser albums. The sound quality is high, as expected from an official live release, but no effort has been made to package this as a worthwhile addition to a fan's collection, making it just another outdated live release in the long run.
Disc 1
1. The Hellion
2. Electric Eye
3. Metal Gods
4. Grinder
5. Rapid Fire
6. Blood Stained
7. The Sentinel
8. Touch of Evil
9. Burn in Hell
10. The Ripper
11. Bullet Train
12. Beyond the Realms of Death
13. Death Row
Disc 2
1. Metal Meltdown
2. Nightcrawler
3. Abductors
4. Victim of Changes
5. Diamonds and Rust
6. Breaking the Law
7. The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)
8. Painkiller
9. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
10. Hell Bent for Leather
11. Living After Midnight
Nostradamus
****
Written on 11.08.08
Judas Priest's latest album is their most ambitious work to date, a double-disc concept album based around the life and prophecies of Michele de Nostredame. Like Haggard's similarly themed albums, the band doesn't get too involved in the debate of whether Nosty's ability to see into the future was genuine, or obviously just not, but the framework is set in place for an entertaining album that borders on a rock opera, especially with Rob Halford's orations.
This isn't the most instantly gratifying or accessible Priest album, but it's still their more creative and focused release for over fifteen years. At almost two hours in length, this is pretty heavy-going, and the repetitive styles mean that it's not an album you could easily digest in one sitting. At the same time, even with the ever-present orchestration complimenting the rock instruments, it's not particularly complex, and there are enough fun songs scattered around to maintain the interest of heavy metal fans, especially 'Prophecy,' 'Persecution,' 'Visions' and 'Nostradamus,' the latter bringing back the classic Priest chorus style and regrettably drawing attention to how dissimilar the rest of the album sounds.
This isn't a great album, not even a particularly epic one, but it should satisfy those who enjoy conceptual rock albums. The frequent interludes bulk out the tracklist to a misleading extent, mostly spoken word pieces reminiscent of Iced Earth's 'Night of the Stormrider,' but anyone who was dreading a repeat of Manowar's shockingly self-indulgent 'Gods of War' release will be gratified that this band at least remembers how to play simplistic, enjoyable heavy metal, underneath the Wagnerian polish.
Disc 1
1. Dawn of Creation
2. Prophecy
3. Awakening
4. Revelations
5. The Four Horsemen
6. War
7. Sands of Time
8. Pestilence and Plague
9. Death
10. Peace
11. Conquest
12. Lost Love
13. Persecution
Disc 2
1. Solitude
2. Exiled
3. Alone
4. Shadows in the Flame
5. Visions
6. Hope
7. New Beginnings
8. Calm Before the Storm
9. Nostradamus
10. The Future of Mankind
Fueled By Hate
***
Written on 11.08.08
Jungle Rot are an unexciting American death metal band standing stoically in the face of progression. Their groove-laden style of death metal remains firmly in the Florida style of the early 1990s, which means more of the same for unadventurous Deicide fans who live for grunted vocals, machine gun drums and catchy guitar riffs. While I'm always a little disappointed to see bands pursuing an outdated style and bringing nothing of their own identity to it, Jungle Rot are at least more than competent at what they do.
I suppose a die-hard Jungle Rot fan (if there are any) would be able to recognise their favourite band instantly, but for the rest of the death metal community, this is simply another copycat act bringing its own riffs to the table for our temporary enjoyment. The guitar riffs are the strongest element, catchy if not memorable, while the grunted vocals are easy enough to decipher, even rhyming in the verses in that delightful Neanderthal death metal manner.
1. Intro
2. Face Down
3. Let Them Die
4. Fractured
5. Gain Control
6. Gasping for Air
7. Low Life
8. Scars of the Suffering
9. Symbols of Hate
10. No Surrender
11. Habit Fulfilled
12. More Demon Souls
War Zone
***
Written on 11.08.08
Jungle Rot are masters of the craft of producing exactly the same thing time and time again. 'War Zone' will hold no surprises whatsoever to those who heard the previous album, nor anyone who has heard a death metal album from the early 1990s before the genre started to break into new, exciting directions. Bands such as Jungle Rot cater for those stalwart metal snobs who prefer the style in its purest form, specifically the aspect of hearing pretty much the same song over and over again.
I can't fairly rate this album down merely for being unoriginal, as the execution of the style is really very good. The groove-based guitar riffs are impressive in songs such as 'Savage Rite,' and there's enough structural variety in each song to keep them interesting as independent entities, even if listening to the whole thing becomes rather tedious. The only song to really break out of the repetitive style is the slower finale 'Killing Spree,' but even this isn't enough to raise this above the level of mediocrity. If this had been released fifteen years earlier, it might have been a death metal classic. But where would it have stolen all of its ideas from then?
1. Victims of Violence
2. Cut in Two
3. Savage Rite
4. They Gave Their Lives
5. Strong Shall Survive
6. Decapitated
7. Ready for War
8. Ambushed
9. Fight for Life
10. Territoriality
11. Killing Spree
Iced Earth - The Melancholy E.P. ***
Iced Earth - Alive in Athens *****
In the Woods... - Heart of the Ages ****
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind *****
Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark **
Isis - Panopticon ****
Jesu - Jesu ***
Judas Priest - Stained Class *****
Judas Priest - Turbo ***
Judas Priest - Ram It Down ***
Judas Priest - Demolition **
Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution ***
