Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden puts out a new studio album. That makes it an automatic purchase for me. I don't generally go after their live albums, as they have too many, but their studio albums - oh heck yeah.

This one is quite different than the other before it. It almost sounds Pink Floydish in it's construction. It's most definitely Iron Maiden, and it's a great solid, powerful album. It is however, I think not for everyone. It's not as "accessible" as others, and I know some people who totally rave over it, calling it one of Maiden's best of all time. I agree - to an extent.

It is a great album. Iron Maiden would really have to try to make a bad album. This is not that album. It's a very good album, but there's something missing in it - I can't place it. It's not the songs, though. There's quite a few that are worthy of picking out. "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns", "For the Greater Good of God", "The Legacy", and "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg".

Breeg was the albums' first single, and when I heard it, I felt it sounded very un-Maidenesh for Maiden. It's a good song, but doesn't have that traditional "Maiden sound". I like the song, but probably for a different reason. If this sounds confusing, it is to me, too. I like the album, yet there's something nagging about it I can't put my finger on. Since Bruce Dickinson has returned to Maiden, this is their third studio album, and of the three, I think I like Brave New World & Dance of Death better than this. Again, this is a great album, it's just lacking that certain "something" that would push it over the top for me.

As a bonus, there is a second disc in here, a DVD which contains a photo gallery, studo performance footage, a music video for "Breeg", and a half an hour documentary on the making of the album. Iron Maiden certainly knows how to deliver quality - a 70+ minute long album, plus a second DVD with about another 40 minutes or so of video footage.

It's a great deal, and if you're a metal fan, definitely worthy of pickup.

We get a follow up to 2000's Brave New World. BNW was in my opinion, the best Maiden album since the early mid 80's heyday. Is this as good? That's hard to tell, but I can say this.. The first day I had it, I listened to the album 6 times, including 5 times in a row (finish it, just restart it). It's a bit "catchier" than BNW, but is still very strong in the things that make an Iron Maiden album an Iron Maiden album. Standout tracks are Wildest Dreams, Rainmaker, Dance of Death, & Journeyman). There isn't really a weak track here, but those are my early favourites. If you like good metal, it's a definite pickup.

Update: As I update this page in 2005, I have to say this album has really grown on me. When I did an update for the 2000 album Brave New World, I called that possibly the best Maiden album ever - I have to say that I now feel that Dance of Death is a more solid album front to back, and is better than that. Makes me hope that the next studio album they're going to do in 2006 is even better!

Oh look. Another live Iron Maiden album. Aside from the fact that I got this for free, it might be the best of the live Maiden albums (with Live after Death being the other). I finally got to see Maiden on the tour (Brave New World) that started this, and it was a great live show. Can't believe I'd been listening to Maiden for about 20 years with never having seen them live. A good pickup - I'd skip the three (!) Maiden live albums from 1993, and get this one instead.

Bruce Dickinson returns to Maiden, as does guitarist Adrian Smith. Only the guy who replaced Smith (Janick Gers) is still here, so Maiden now has three guitarists! The result is a brilliant album, quite possibly Maiden's best of all time. It's that good. In fact, the only Maiden album I think that could top it would be Piece of Mind (which I don't have on CD, actually). This is absolutely brilliant, and I cannot praise it high enough. Possibly on my Top 10 CD's of all time list, too.

The second of the two Bayley albums. This one was one I always regarded as "crap", but I gave it a listen recently, and it's better than I remember it to be. In fact, I'd now say I like it better than X Factor, even though I like more individual "songs" off the other one. What's nice is that Maiden now doesn't ignore these albums. When I saw them on tour in 2001, they did a song from each of the Bayley albums; impressing me. The Clansman is the big highlight here.

A double CD collection of Maiden hits. It's funny, because this time around, I'm not sure why I still have this, as I haven't listened to it in years. It's just all stuff I have (or had) on CD already, except for one new song by the Bayley Maiden lineup. Still, when I want a cross section of Maiden, it's a nice thing to have (although since I've got all the albums ripped to mp3's anyway, I'll probably just listen to that).

Iron Maiden is now onto their third vocalist with the 1995 X Factor release. Over the years, I've always felt that I liked this album better than the other Blaze Bayley Maiden disc, but as I look at the track listing, I think I might be wrong about that. The opening track, Sign of the Cross, is a Maiden classic, and the next couple of songs aren't bad, but the rest I can't remember at all, and my memory says I didn't much care for the stuff when it was new, either, which makes me wonder why I remember liking it so much?

This is why people burn out on some bands. Three live albums in the same year? Isn't that a bit much? I only have this because I got it for free.

The second of the two Maiden live albums from 1993. This one concentrated on older material. Actually some years later, the two 93 live albums were repackaged as "A Real Live Dead One", and can be bought together in a single package.

Looking back, releasing two albums like this on their own instead of together in a double album package seems like somewhat of a cash grab, which is something I never viewed Maiden as doing.

When Bruce Dickinson quit Iron Maiden after the 1992 tour, Maiden released two live albums from that tour. The first one being this one - "A Real Live One". This album consisted of mostly newer material in the Maiden catalog (at that time). At the time I liked it, but I can't remember the last time I listened to it - in fact I had gotten rid of it once before, but I got it again when my record label friend sent me all the Iron Maiden albums. :)

Another Maiden album that fans at the time didn't much care for, but I did. This is the final album with Bruce Dickinson until his return eight years later. As I look at the track listing, I can't say I remember a lot of these tracks by name, but I do remember that I liked it a lot. Especially the title track - a Maiden classic.

Iron Maiden enters the 90's with a new guitarist (Janick Gers replacing Adrian Smith). This album is probably my least favorite of the Maiden albums. I like three songs on it, and the rest I don't care for much at all.

Seventh Son is an album despised by a lot of Maiden fans, because it's got a lot of synth keyboards in it. I feel it's underrated. Is it their best? No - but there's good material here - even the keyboardy stuff. In fact, as I look at the track listing writing this, it's more solid than I remember it being!

What's interesting is that as I write this text in 2005, I've found there's a lot of people that look back at this album as a really good one. I have to wonder where all these people were when it was new?

his one isn't one of my favorite albums. As I look at the track listings, only three tracks (title track, Stranger in a Strange Land, & Wasted Years) jump out at me. Overall, I feel this is a somewhat "boring" Iron Maiden album. It's not exactly BAD, but it's doesn't do much for me, either.

One of Iron Maiden's many live albums - this one was the first (unless you count an EP released earlier than this). This came out at the height of Maiden's popularity, and was a major hit at the time. Probably because folks wanted live Iron Maiden. I also liked this one too, although the later (excessive in number) live Iron Maiden albums have more or less burnt me out on listening to live Iron Maiden albums.

A nice solid album, including some of my all time favs like Aces High, Two Minutes to Midnight, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (a 14 minute long song). Some folks consider this the last "real" Maiden album, as they started in with keyboards shortly after this.

Maiden album #4 is the fourth different lineup on a Maiden album. However, this doesn't suffer for that - it's widely considered by most people (including myself) to be the best of the classic Dickinson albums, probably the best overall Maiden album. No point in listing individual tracks - they're all awesome. Get this one.

The first Maiden album with Bruce Dickinson, and my first Maiden album, too. Great stuff on here, is regarded as one of their better discs.

Contains "Run to the Hills", which is probably one of their all time most known songs. The title track is probably what gives Maiden much of their notoriety. :)

Killers is the second of the two discs with original Maiden vocalist Paul Di'anno. Wrathchild & Killers are great tracks, and while I don't care for this album as a whole, although there is good stuff on here besides these two tracks. It's just when I want to listen to Dianno Maiden, I always reach for the first album first.

Iron Maiden's first album is the better of the two albums with original singer Paul Di'anno. The title track still holds up well today, and pretty much is solid from front to back. The start of Iron Maiden is a good place to start!