Metal Reviews

How would you like the next Iron Maiden album to sound like? I'm asking this because when I attended the concert this summer in Trondheim, Bruce announced that they would come back next year with a brand new studio album! Needless to say, I was excited!
So how would you like it to be? Shorter songs? Faster songs?
A concept-album? Or would you simply like them to continue the more progressive direction from their last albums?

This. I loved AMOLAD, loved the new direction, loved that it took time to unfold. A bit of 70s influence on there and it'll be perfect.

I would like shorter songs, very little progressive elements and a sound as raw as possible... Something like Killers meets Piece Of Mind...

Yeah mee too, A Matter of Life and Death is one of my favourites. Although I think it would have been great with a really short and catchy tune like "Rainmaker" or "The Wicker Man"

Well obviously they should go back to the classic Maiden sound.

That is less likely... I like their epic direction

Hope they do epics in the vein of "Dance Of Death", "Paschendale" or "For The Greater Good Of God". Actually, if they do an album reminiscent of both the early and the new sound tied together it would have been great!

Don't really care what direction they go. I think I would like it either way, I just want them to write some awesome songs.

If they choose to continue down the path they started however, I hope they add in some more variety. More interesting intros to the songs and for the love of god less repeating of the chorus. Alot of times their songs could be a minute or 2 shorter if they just didn't drive their chorus into the ground.

I hope they contiue on the direction they are on, because i never heard them better
I to hope they make som epic songs like "Paschendale" and "Lord of Ligth"
If they make the new album like AMOLOD but With the sound to Dance of Death it maby will be perfect

Hello Chris!
I completely agree, my fellow AngelRipper!

I liked the last albums, but not the sound, which is IMO a little bit too dry. They should go back to the Somewhere in Time sound - without the synthies. And the songs should be faster. A lot faster. Shorter isn't necessary because all the short songs since Brave new World were IMO not "killers", but only fillers. If they make short songs, then like Run to the Hills or 2 Minutes to Midnight or The Trooper. Two or Three songs like this, combined with epics like Caught Somewhere in Time, Heaven Can Wait, Powerslave, Alexander the Great or so would be great.

Although I liked their last album, I personally prefer "Dance of Death" as it had more variety and an epic sound to it. "A Matter of Life and Death" had several songs that sound almost the same sometimes.

I'm not a big fan of Dance of Death, because it has too many mediocre songs like (IMO) No More Lies, Gates of Tomorrow, New Frontier, Face in the Sand, Age of Innocence and Journeyman. It was IMO a letdown after Brave New World.

Nah... Dance of death carried on in the same manner as Brave New World. BNW was hard to top though. But they made a quite good effort. I like Dance of Death, and the songs you mention, especially No More Lies, Face in the sand, New Frontier and Journeyman are all great.

I'm sorry, I hate to be a buzzkill, but how the hell are any of their new albums comparable to the old ones? I just don't understand what the use is in listening to new Iron Maiden when the old Iron Maiden is absolutely untouchable. I mean, to me, there's absolutely no reason to listen to anything else they do because there is no way they can possibly top any of the albums from the 80's. So why would I want to listen to something that is going to be worse than the Iron Maiden I know and love? This is just my perspective, so please help me understand why people listen to new Iron Maiden.....and even go so far as to say that if they combine the sounds of two "new" albums, that they will be perfect. This sounds like complete nonsense to me, but I would like to understand the rationale behind it. And don't just say good music is good music. If the choice is between good music and great music, then I think the answer should be fairly obvious as to which option we could do without.

I think some people just view Iron Maiden's new music as different rather than a lesser version of what was done before.

It's also more likely that people just listen to it only because it's Iron Maiden. I agree with your view in the point of not bothering with bad stuff when theres pretty much an infinite amount of great stuff you can listen to; it's just a matter of finding it (or making it).

I believe there are differences in the sound of the new albums and the old ones though. The song structures are noticeably different, and theres some elements and sections of songs that are really good that sound nothing like Iron Maiden in the 80s. Though despite the differences, I do believe the "new" Iron Maiden sounds really uninspired and bland compared to the 80s one, definitely. Great ideas that occasionally show up on the new albums are lost in the vast majority of mediocrity that is there, IMO. Anyone can easily say that about any Death Metal too, though (as an example).

In the end, I would say it's all just a matter of taste. Some people I suppose like Iron Maiden's new albums for different reasons than the old ones. Or they could all be fanboys . Or hate the 80s albums. It's very subjective, really. You can't really say something is worse or better as a fact, but that's just me.

Anyway, I don't think Iron Maiden should go back to their old sound, because all it'd sound like is a cheap imitation *coughmetallicacough*. Iron Maiden should do what they think is best, preferably without any motivation other than the art and love of what they do.

EDIT: "If the choice is between good music and great music, then I think the answer should be fairly obvious as to which option we could do without." <-- Theres people out there that sometimes psychologically WANT something to be good, so they try to convince themselves that it is because of something like who the band is, or because their friends like it, because it's obscure/popular, etc. It could be any reason. The point is that it is one of the complicating reasons that make people want to listen to complete garbage sometimes lol. Everyone should be open-minded about everything and think about the big picture really, to avoid all that. Be true to yourself, yada yada...
[just a note: open-minded as in listening to the music FOR the music and nothing else]

Sorry for my speech, I guess.

I agree that Iron Maiden should make their decision to write music free of any outside influence; however, I know this is not possible. Taking that into account, I will say that despite their change in sound, it is still Iron Maiden. I find it very amusing that a band's uninspired and bland era of their catalogue, could be vastly superior to almost every single new band out there.

So I guess I just answered my own question then from the post before. Most people like new Iron Maiden because all of the new music is absolute garbage, and however watered down and ingenuine the new Iron Maiden music is, it is being played by a band that will always have some magical element in its music, even if its residue from bygone years.

I think you're starting to touch upon it with the last part, but a couple things. New Maiden isn't "watered down". And I certainly don't agree that it's ingenuine! They're a band that's roughly 30 years old. Their heyday/prime/creative&talent peak is obviously behind them. So they are not physically able to crank out a NOTB or SSOASS at this point. But watered down suggests to me that they're purposely messing with what has been successful...or cutting corners somehow. Ingenuine suggests they're just trying to crank out shit and make money. The music is what it is, and I think you could look at it that we're fortunate to have such a legendary band still making albums - ANY level of album.

Now back to your original question: why would anyone bother to listen to new Maiden when clearly it's not as good as old....well I'd ask why WOULDN'T you? Just because the stuff isn't of the same caliber, we still like to hear a great band (or a once great band)....and yes, as you've alluded to, maybe it's to hear those little bits of brilliance that occasionally come through that remind you of bygone days and past albums. And in some cases, the new music is inspiration to revisit the entire catalog. But more than anything, if you love an artist, you don't just ignore their later works. You can't help but dig in. A new Maiden album now, in 2008 is nearly as exciting to me as it was when I first started listening in 1986. Not because I think it's going to be as good as past works, but because it's Maiden!

And finally, Maiden is still pretty damn good compared to much of the crap out there (another point you made).

I'll be happy with whatever they do....it's MAIDEN

Exactly.... Iron Maiden is STILL a great Heavy Metal band. In my opinion, their newest albums have been just as great as the old stuff.
Why? Maybe I didn't grow up in 1985, cranking out Live After Death or The Number Of The Beast. Maybe I think the new albums are some of the best because I discovered Maiden with them. The way I se it, Maiden is today as good as they have ever been. Their sound has expanded, they are experimenting, doing something a bit different, never making same albums twice, incorporated three guitars, Bruce sings better than ever, at least certainly live. I heard him pour out the lyrics for "Aces High" in Trondheim this year, and no way he could have done it in '85 as good as he did when I saw them! He has fine-tuned his voice and it has become somewhat deeper and more mature. He hits all notes live, although strugling at some parts, it sounds terrific and it sounds LIVE! That's what it supposed to sound like, dammit.

Their stage show is as great as it have been, too. By taking one look at "Dance Of Death" live at "Death On The Road" they have truly one theatrical show!

And why does Maiden need to record albums with faster or shorter songs? I don't think I would like a carbon-copy of neither "NOTB" or "SIT". I want a new and great Maiden album, be it heavy, fast, short, long, progressive... I don't care... as long as it sounds catchy, with great riffs, great vocals, great lyrics with great arranging of the songs. Yeah, as long as it sounds worked with, it'll be great.
But they must include epics! They must include at least 1 up-tempo! At least one history related lyric! And.... for the love of God I hope they do just what they want to do, 'cause that's what I want them to!