Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death

First review in over a year! Exams are over, summer is in so expect more where this came from.

There really aren't many bands that can start out in the 80s, live the life, do the wild gigs, drugs and drink and keep going for over twenty years whilst staying consistently in the highest standard of Heavy Metal quality. Maiden really are rememberable for the brilliant albums they continue to release as if they'll never stop. They also don't seem to have lost 80% of their fans due to style changes and what come across as the appearance of a 'modern metal band', as many classic Heavy Metal bands have. This album, released in 2006 shows that even in the next century Maiden are still fully up to scratch.

What's different in AMOLAD from their older songs is mainly the length (most songs on the album are at least 6 minutes) and the concept-like style which brings the songs together. War is the main theme and different songs look at different ideas related to war: morals, atrocities, religion etc. It's all very philosophical stuff and very powerful for a bunch of beer-drinking long-haired maniacs, but there is a definite feeling of truth behind what is said. Of course it's not just the lyrics that are brilliant, and the recognisable sounds of Dave, Janick and Adrian still sound fantastic as ever, with - if I may use a horribly cliché term - face-melting solos and catchy, fast-paced riffs which just have that Maiden touch. Not much else to say, this is purely the brilliant Iron Maiden that everyone knows, just with particularly cutting lyrics, and heavier, heartstopping riffage.

Not many criticisms to make, only that a few songs are weighed down a bit with some long, repetitive parts which focus on getting a lot of lyrics said rather than the song developing. However in the context of a concept album this doesn't really distract from it being incredible. A musical masterpiece, at least in the top 3 Maiden albums, and I would say a significant symbol of the potential that modern metal has.

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

Like it or not, Maiden MADE 80s metal. Yes, there was Black Sabbath and Judas Priest that were around and indeed they did inspire Maiden to make what they did/do, but it was Iron Maiden that really hit big and started 'heavy metal', rather than just heavier rock. The two albums preceding the Number of the Beast were both with former singer Paul Di'anno who was good, but didn't have any epic factor to his voice, and he was a druggy anyway. So when Bruce joined in '83 and made Number, things really started getting good.

Three Maiden classics are spawned on this album, the incredibly well-known 'Run to the Hills', the title track 'Number of the Beast' and one of Maiden's best live songs 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'. Not all that surprising that they were accused of being Satanists, really. There probably isn't a single metalhead who hasn't at least heard of Iron Maiden and for the most part, this is the reason. At this point in their career Dave and Adrian were the guitarists, and their harmonic solos and alternating riffs make every song catchy, rememberable and of course air guitar-able. Apart from the three classics, my favourite song would have to be 'The Prisoner', mainly for its awesome chorus, but the riff is pretty sweet as well, and I always find myself skipping straight to this track every time I listen to this album. 'Epic metal' is a term that is often used to describe Maiden's style, and if you listen to 'Children of the Damned', you will see why. I could go on and praise every song on the album in it's own way; each song is unique and is just so good.

One of the best albums ever? Yes. Well, in that case not much to criticise, but I think 'Gangland', which is only available on the remastered edition, could have been a little more fast-paced and exciting, but still is sufficiantly epic and doesn't realy weigh the album down. But that's about it, I just can't say anything bad about Number, it's too good I think.

If you're either a heavy metal maniac or just someone searching for classic albums and for some reason you don't have this album, you suck. It's the true roots of Heavy Metal and even today its greatness is recognisable. Buy it, buy it now.

Iron Maiden - The X Factor

Before I start, I'm instantly marking all jokes related to the poor British tv show which retards are told they can sing as UNFUNNY. They have ALL been made before, and the album was out nearly two decades before the show ever was.

Now that's out of the way, the review. This album is universally known to be the worst Maiden album ever to be made. This is because the singer is Blaze Bayley, who released two albums with Iron Maiden while Bruce Dickinson thought it would be hilarious to break the hearts of a few million fans and leave the band for a few years to make an entirely failurous (new word) solo career which only made one famous song. Bayley was no replacement. His voice didn't nearly live up to Bruce's standards, but nonetheless I find it listenable. The two albums were Virtual XI and The X Factor, and though I think this is the inferior of the two, I think it still has a case to argue.

Firstly, the singing is bearable. Sure he's no Bruce, but with the exception of the chorus of 'Man on the Edge', it's not that bad. In some places it can sound better than Bruce would if he were singing, like the chorus to 'Sign of the Cross' and 'Judgement of Heaven'. As much as it sounds like it, Maiden aren't actually obsessed with religion or anything, they're said to be agnostic. Also, if you fully listen to the song 2 A.M, it does prove that some of the good stuff is still present in this album. And of course, there are still the guitarists. At this point in the timeline, Maiden had Janick who has the best stage presence of any musician known to man, and of course Dave, who is the best guitarist of all time, so you can't really go wrong. Two riffs in 'Fortunes of War' and the main one in 'Lord of the Flies' are probebly the ones that realy show it for me. And, of course, the solos are still insane, using both speed and melody in perfect harmony. I can't stress it enough, it itself describes why they are and always will be my favourite band. EVER.

Unfortunately, I'm obliged to mention the letdowns in this album, which I suppose is fair seeing as it is their most disappointing album. The songs can seem kinda boring at times, like 'The Unbeliever' and 'Blood on the World's Hand' but I assure this is ENTIRELY because of Bayley. If Bruce was singing them, they would be normal rockin' Maiden standard, and would make for an awesome album. It also can get on the listener's nerves that in almost every song there is a point where Blaze feels the need to sing so quietly that you have to put the volume up to at least 20 to hear him.

These aside, I wanna say that it isn't all that bad. Yes, it's nowhere near the best that Maiden can produce, and it's probably only really worth your cash if, like me, you're trying to get every studio album on disc (which I have, not a single one ordered online as well xD). However, it is still well made and still shows the skill that Maiden have in creating completely original and frankly amazing heavy metal whilst still holding tightly onto the style which has kept their musical career going on through the decades.