Review Summary: Iron Maiden ft. James Labrie and a certain atrocious recording.
Along with such classics as Master of Puppets and Dark Side of the Moon, Dream Theater decided to release a live cover album of Iron Maidens iconic The Number of the Beast. Do they succeed, or is it just another cash-grab for completionists?
A good cover accurately captures the feel of the original and simultaneously stamps on the bands own sound. Dream Theater certainly achieves the former. The latter? Not quite. It doesn't feel like Dream Theater. It feels like Iron Maiden featuring James Labrie. And that is the album’s greatest flaw; it feels to much like the original and not enough like Dream Theater.
Invaders is pretty average. The recording is fine, but it feels too much like Iron Maiden. 3.5/5
Children of the Damned is pretty strong. It it doesn't sound too much like the original, but not like Dream Theater either. 4/5
The Prisoner is okay. It doesn't screw up but doesn't stand out. 3/5
22 Acacia Avenue again isn't bad but not too interesting. 3.5/5
The Number of the Beast is the best example here of a bad cover. In fact, it sounds like Labrie singing over the original audio track, the only notable difference is Petrucci’s guitar. 2.5/5
Run to the Hills is the weakest track, mainly due to the live recording. 1/5
Gangland is one of the strongest tracks, despite being one of the weakest songs on the album. It doesn't sound like Dream Theater, but changing it to Jazz Fusion and even adding new music makes it strong. 4.5/5.
Hallowed be thy Name is also a really strong cover, arguably the strongest on the album. While it doesn't do the best job as a live recording, because it sounds too “studio”, it feels both like Iron Maiden and Dream Theater. 4.5/5
A common criticism is James Labrie’s voice. I find these criticisms to be mostly invalid. He hits the notes. He doesn't sound cringe worthy. He sounds fine.
The live recording is pretty good in general. In fact, the live mixing is pretty exemplary. However, for some reason, this is absent on Run to the Hills. The live recording is so bad it sounds like an ameture video. It renders the song unlistenable and utterly ruins it.
In conclusion, the album, perhaps too closely, pays homage to the original. With the exception of the final two tracks, sounds too much like Iron Maiden and not enough like Dream Theater. And then there’s Run to the Hills. Is is okay? Yes. Is it great? Only for those with little appreciation of covers. 3/5
+Sounds like Iron Maiden ft. James Labrie.
+Gangland and Hallowed be thy Name.
+Live recordings are good.
-Sounds like Iron Maiden ft. James Labrie.
-Run to the Hills.
