Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
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Free Music Notes for Dance of Death
Free Music Review: The new album makes me proud to be a Maiden fan!
Hit: 5 Stars
Okay, from what I've seen over 160+ people have commented on Iron Maiden's new album Dance of Death analysing the new release from the band's songwriting to the lyrics to the guys' performance on their instruments to Bruce's vocals to the mix to the artwork to the production to this to that... etc. All that's necessary to say has already been said. So I'll keep it simple: This is IRON MAIDEN, one of the most important Heavy Metal bands on the planet. One of the handful of bands that has never forgotten where they're coming from, never abandoned their roots and musical vision in hopes of reaching to bigger audiences. They're still what they were back in 1988. Most complaints seem to be about the band's repetitious songwriting. About Harris' overuse of his galloping bass lines. Is there any truth to this? Maybe. I'm not a blinded fan, but at least I know what to expect from my Maiden when they put out a new record. At least it doesn't turn out to be a terrible pop-disco-rap thing that totally bombs and then every band member defends it giving out cliche statements such as "Well we're a band that always progresses. We wanted to try something different on our last album and somehow it didn't work out. We're gonna go back to our roots on the next release, don't worry, keep supporting us blah blah blah" kind of thing. Come to think about it, when was the last time you bought a Maiden album and were so very disappointed with it because Harris & co. had gone disco or had tried to incorporate rap vocals to the music going for a 'modern approach'? But people are still whining out there. This is Maiden. They're doing what they do the best and let me tell you something they're still one of a kind. If you don't like this type of music, well fine. But there's no need to complain. It won't do any good. Maiden has always sounded this way. I myself am a big prog metal fan, but I know what to expect from these guys. I don't go like "They keep repeating themselves over and over again, they're so boring". Iron Maiden is Iron Maiden. They've been this way the last 25 years, so don't expect them to come out playing something absolutely different all of sudden. Metallica changed after 1991. How many of us still like them? Megadeth changed in 1997 only to 'return to their roots' on their next release. Do you want the same thing to happen to Maiden? I certainly don't.Furthermore, Brave New World was a great step in the right direction. The band acually did push the envelope and try to cover some new ground. While some fans were pleased by it, those Powerslave-era fans kept complaining. So here we have a new record that picks up where BNW left off. Apart from the first two songs, the record contains quite a fe 7+ minute songs. "Wildest Dreams", while not as good as BNW's "Wickerman", opens the album with total energy and this is continued on the second track "Rainmaker". Both below the 4-minute mark still manage to set the mood. With songs like "No More Lies", "Dance of Death" and "Paschendale" we get our old Maiden with their traditional riffs, rich melodies, long but, in my opinion, fitting guitar solos from Gers, Smith and Murray as well as galloping bass lines from Mr Harris. Nicko has always done a great job in Maiden. His drumming is good. I know he's done better before but give these guys a break. They're aging. Still they're pulling it off. They're no longer in their 30's.
The sound on Dance of Death is crystal clear, just the way a Maiden album should sound. Kevin Shirley's done an awesome job as a producer. Bruce is as good as always. I know there are nitpickers out there waiting for the guy to accidentally not be able to hit the highest of notes, but no, not on Dance of Death. Cause he pulls it off. He's just one of a kind, a real frontman and the perfect singer for Iron Maiden. I am personally proud to have supported this band ever since I started listening to music at the age of 12, and I will continue to do so forever. Maiden makes me proud to be a fan of Heavy Metal. Period.
Free Music Review: My First Maiden Album
Hit: 5 Stars
Being a big fan of metal (nu-metal is only metal in name), I love all types of bands in the genre: Dream Theater, Guns N Roses, Savatage, Opeth, Nevermore, etc. I had heard of Maiden (I'm only 18), was mildly interested until I heard people describe them as "lame fantasy metal" and "cartoonish metal." Finally I gave in and bought Dance of Death despite the terrible cover (although I don't see why so many people criticize the name). I'll give my thoughts on it soon.
First off though, the music is actually somewhat different than their earlier stuff (I've since bought most of the early and Dickinson solo stuff). Gone are the sonic textures of albums like "Somewhere in Time," the galloping bass of their earlier albums is still there, but not as prominent. The focus is on the epic songs; most of the songs are over five minutes. I love the way they set up their epics, with a slow beginning with clean guitars, which explodes into a heavy middle section, with the song slowing down again at the end with clean guitars; a great outro to make the song stick in your head.
1. Wildest Dreams 7/10- I hate it when bands include a "count" before the start of the song (1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4...) and it actually hurts this song's grade. Although this short song is nothing spectacular, it has a good melody, but that count in the beginning of the songs makes me dock a point.
2. Rainman 9/10- Reminds me of "Flight of Icarus" off of "Piece of Mind" not because it is a ripoff, but is able to be a really good song, even though it is relatively short. Great guitar solo in the middle.
3. No More Lies 9.5/10- The first of several really good epics on this disc. The chorus is slightly too repetitive, though, which is why it didn't get a "10."
4. Montsigur 7/10- Many Maiden fans consider this to be the "old school" song on the album. I didn't think that it was that great, but don't get me wrong, this is in no way a weak or filler song.
5. Dance of Death 9/10- This song is over eight minutes long and is great musically, but is hampered by some fairly weak, somewhat cheesy lyrics. The guitar soloing in the middle is fantastic.
6. Gates of Tomorrow 8/10- Not really a bad song, but there's not much of a difference between this song, "Wildest Dreams," and "New Frontier" besides the lengths.
7. New Frontier 8/10- Not bad, but doesn't stick out.
8. Paschendale 10/10- By far the best song on the album, this epic is about a battle in WWI. One of the few Maiden songs to have a memorable crunchy riff. Some of the best soloing on the album can also be found in the middle. For those of you that already own this, I found myself unconsciously raising my fist in the air when the eagle cries near the middle of the song.
9. Face in the Sand 10/10- Has a nearly 2:00 instrumental intro, but I like the lyrics. The musicianship is supurb as well.
10. Age of Innocence 4/10- Weakest song on the album, makes me reach for the "skip" button each time.
11. Journeyman 7/10- I'll admit my grade is biased because I am more of a fan of Maiden's heavier stuff, but the focus here is on Dickinson's vocals. The quality of his voice definitely has not declined at all; in fact, I like how he sounds now even more than how de sounded in the "Piece of Mind" era.
I own a couple of Maiden's 80's albums and enjoyed them a lot, but I don't see how some of the fans from that era can dislike this album so much. They sound basically the same (I think it would be cool if they experimental with a seven-string), but there is no real "pop" element to the bands sound. Like I said before, the majority of the songs are over five minutes; and most of them are epics, showing an evolution, even though they still include plenty of solos (which I think is great, since many bands like Fates Warning, Metallica, and Queensryche have pretty much stopped). I can't see any reason why any Maiden fan reading this would not be able to enjoy this, although if you are curious about getting into Maiden, I would suggest "Powerslave" or something like that.
Free Music Review: Maiden's back... time to dance!
Hit: 5 Stars
Fans around the world rejoiced when vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith rejoined the band they helped make famous. They produced "Brave New World" (2000) which proved to be a strong effort and a beginning in which they will hopefully erase a decade of poor albums. They followed that with an excellent live offering, "Rock In Rio" (2001), and despite its questionable tracklist still was an awesome performance. Maiden's proving to the world WHY they're among the greatest metal bands in existence and that they can still rock hard and ride free with all the bands out there that worship them. This year (2003, in case you're reading this a year later), they release "Dance of Death." Maiden still brings us oldschool goodness! In fact, the whole album sounds like "Seventh Son's" cohesiveness, "Piece of Mind's" lyrical and epic approach, and "Number of the Beast's" meaty musicianship. I've noticed a lot of supposedly (I use that word sarcastically) die hard fans that wanted an album like this, yet when it comes, what do they do? "Same old, same old." Bah. While this album is not revolutionary for them, it DOES confirm that they will never sell out and will continue rocking on for hopefully another decade. Now, let's get on with the tracklist:Wildest Dreams - an awesome rocker that kicks off the album. While not as awesome as many of the later tracks, this is still a fine radio-friendly metal piece. Highly recommended.
Rainmaker - My personal favorite! This excellent rocker manages to be radio-friendly yet it exploits the triple-guitar feature decently well. Dave Murray's solo is one of his best. Gotta love that chorus.
No More Lies - This one's an interesting track and it's the first on the album that's long. Brilliantly crafted by Steve Harris, this one reminds me of Blood Brothers from "Brave New World" and The Clansman from "Virtual Xi." The only thing that brings it down a little is its repetitive chorus... still, I loved The Wicker Man, so this is no biggie to me.
Montsegur - A song based on the infamous battle, this one's pretty good with some excellent lyrics. Definitely pleasing to the die hard Maiden fan.
Dance of Death - The monstrous title track that's 8 minutes in length. Very orchestral in tone and it's one of the best tracks on this album. Highly recommended. Bruce's vocals are EXCELLENT here, unlike what some other reviewers have said.
Gates of Tomorrow - An interesting arrangement that almost sounds like their early punk days. Pleasant, with Bruce's vocals in fine form. Unlike many reviewers, I thought Janick Gers's solo here was excellent.
New Frontier - Very meaty with some excellent lyrics contributed by drummer Nicko McBrain. This one seems to be underrated by the Maiden fans; don't know why.
Paschendale - My other favorite! Lyrics wise, it almost sounds like the logical part 2 to their "Piece of Mind" classic The Trooper, but musically it's more orchestral. This one's already a fan favorite and I can definitely see why.
Face in the Sand - OO, another great track. Awesome vocals and interesting foreign-sounding guitar work, this one seems like The Nomad Part 2.
Age of Innocence - HIGHLY UNDERRATED. Doesn't stand out as far as instrumentation goes, but the heartfelt lyrics and Bruce belting them out is quite extroadinary.
Journeyman - Closing out the album is a soaring epic of grand proportions. The triple-guitar assault is utilized well here.
Overall, this is a VERY strong effort from the great Iron Maiden. I don't understand many of the fans and some of the critics; they just don't get it. This will no doubt become a classic years from now. I can't really name any flaws about it, except for perhaps the fact that its mix sounds a bit more raw as opposed to the crisp sound "Brave New World" had. Still, Maiden is still strong and they got my 5 stars. I HIGHLY recommend this to the Maiden fan, and perhaps those first getting into Maiden.
Free Music Review: Upon Further Inspection, Greatness Is Unearthed
Hit: 5 Stars
In my short, sporadic review, I simply wrote that "this is Iron Maiden so it's flawless." and in many ways, I still stand by that piece of rhetoric. I have been an avid fan of Iron Maiden since I first lent my ears to "Somewhere In Time" around 1987. Iron Maiden possessed an unnatural skill of being able to drill specifics into your brain that most bands let dwell in the background. The lyrics are always poignant and very descriptive, the rhythms are constantly shape-shifting and the solos encircle the songs in a way that each solo is distinguishable and memorable. Tightly knit drumming from Nicko McBrain ties it all together and puts the cap on music that is in constant motion without pause. Even at its most mellow, Iron Maiden's music ebbs and flows until it picks up speed but no matter what the tempo, Iron Maiden's music is constantly moving and there is always a lot more going on. Very few bands have that trait and even fewer know how to use it properly.So, how is "Dance Of Death" different? In short, it's not. That is precisely why Iron Maiden is loved so fervently by those who follow them. They fail to be disappointing. And in 2003, Iron Maiden has crafted yet another metal masterpiece that while not very different than 2000's "Brave New World", stands tall amongst a sea of bands that do anything but move. And, while it may seem that they take babysteps in the musical evolution sense (at least according to critics), they needn't leap very far when they had it down to a science from the start.
As for the songs, nothing is done very unusal. "Wildest Dreams", despite whining from various critics, is a great lead-off single. While it fails to pack the punch of an "Aces High" or "Moonchild", it is an upbeat song that starts things off nicely and has a excellent singalong chorus that sticks in your head long after you turn the CD off. "Rainmaker" has one of Maiden's finest lead off melodies ever and sticks out as another standot track. "No More Lies" bears alot of the same epic properties of "Brave New World" and it is followed by "Montsegur" and the title track which musically reminds of classic tracks from "Number Of The Beast" and "Piece Of Mind", complete with string arrangements. "Gates Of Tomorrow" and "New Frontier" quickly take over as the finest showings on this album. Great builds, excellent leads and choruses that leap out at you and are quickly memorized are traits that these two tracks have in droves.
It seems like most people are claiming "Paschendale" as their new favorite and those with a penchant for a Maiden epic will not be let down. "Face In The Sand" comes close to the greatness of "Gates" and "Frontier" and "Age Of Innocence" stands well as a Maiden song that will stand tall, despite not having quite the memorable aspects of other songs. "Journeyman" is quickly becoming my favorite Maiden closer since "Only The Good Die Young" and though it's sad to close the album at all, it's not much of a chore to hit the play button and listen to the album once more.
Naysayers will always be there but any true fan will not be slightly let down as there is nothing to be let down by here. It's Iron Maiden - not Metallica, not Zeppelin, not any band that has put forth a questionable effort in the past or present. It all comes down to when a formula has been prefected, you leave it alone. There has not ever; nor will there ever be the scare of rapping, turntables, lack of guitar solos, baggy pants or any trivialities that others in the genre have been guilty of experimenting with. This is classic Iron Maiden 20 plus years after their debut and I have no doubt that those that know of their absolute genius will hold this album high with praise and admiration. UP THE IRONS!!!
Free Music Review: Fantastic
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been holding off on reviewing this for a while, because I wanted to soak it in, get a feel for it, make sure I didn't miss anything. And I'm glad I did. The first couple of times I listened to this, it didn't really grab me. There were a couple of songs that stood out, but for the most part, I found it to be a bit boring. Some songs just didn't seem to have that special something that the Maiden classics of yore had. But I listened to it more. And then I realized...This album is just fantastic. No, really. Expanding upon the more elaborate arrangements of "Brave New World", adding in a bit of the harder feel of the oldschool stuff, and throwing a few surprises our way, "Dance of Death" proves to be a very strong release. It's one of their most diverse and musically ambitious albums to date. Why didn't it register with me before? Well, I really have no idea. I suppose the album is one you've just got to become acquainted with. You're not going to just pop it in, and form an opinion right away. It's gotta sink in a bit, and sink in it did.
The great songs abound. "Rainmaker" and "Wildest Dreams" are fast-paced and melodic, with the kind of vigor that the band hasn't exhibited in years. "Montsegur" has a killer riff, and a performance from Bruce that proves he's still got it. "New Frontier" has a sort of "Somewhere in Time" feel, with a great chorus. There are also a wealth of great epics here, such as "No More Lies", "Pashendale", "Face in the Sand", and the title track. Some of these songs were the ones that took a few listens to get into, but when they finally hit me, they hit hard. My favorite from the album is probably "Age of Innocence". Featuring a brutal staccato riff on the verses, and an overwhelmingly catchy melodic chorus, this is one of their best songs to date. The politically oriented lyrics are also a bit of a departure from their usual lyrical arsenal. The album ends on a great note with the acoustic "Journeyman".
This album as a whole is difficult to describe, because there's just so much cool stuff going on. The guitar work is excellent (as usual), and there's even the occasional string section here and there to enhance the killer melodies. This is the first time the band has used actual strings (until now, they were done on a keyboard), and they really work well. I would actually like to see them go into an even more symphonic direction on subsequent releases. Might not get the best reaction from the purists, but I think it'd be great.
If there's one thing I can complain about here, it's that the production is a bit weak. While it does give the album a rawer, more oldschool feel (as opposed to the more slick and lush arrangements of BNW), it also leaves some of the music a bit pushed back in the mix. Nicko really doesn't stand out like he should. On BNW, he was brought much further up into the mix, and it was easier to focus on what he was doing, but you've really gotta strain a bit more to make out the intricacies of his drumming. Steve's bass doesn't stand out quite as much either (although, admittedly, his basslines have been better). I'm hoping that maybe they'll remix this album some day, but I kinda doubt it.
Anyway, despite taking some time to appreciate, this is a great new release from the kings of metal. Not many bands that have been around for 20 years or more are still making music this good, so it's a real relief to still have Maiden in the business. I caught them on their last tour, and it was possibly the best show I've ever seen. The youthful exuberance that these guys display in their mid to late 40's is just amazing. I have the feeling these guys still have a few good years ahead of them.
I highly recommend this to all of the fans. It may take a few spins, but it's worth the effort.