Album Rating: 3.5

Everything from Coming Home onwards rules

Gotta revisit all that post BNW material, now it's a good time

Album Rating: 1.5

Holocaust - Hell on Earth >>>>> Iron Maiden - Hell on Earth

Album Rating: 4.0

Reading back the comments I saw some major Dance of Death-slamming, which pretty sad because I think that's a solid AF record. Or maybe I'm just bias because it was my first Maiden album. It probably would have a 3.8 average if it had a better cover.

Album Rating: 3.5

DoD has a few meh songs but overall its a pretty solid album

Album Rating: 3.5

love when album releases have a pattern



dance of death -> matter of life and death = 3 year gap

matter of life and death -> final frontier = 4 year gap

final frontier -> book of souls = 5 year gap

book of souls -> senjutsu = 6 year gap



though I doubt we will get a follow up in 7 years

Bet

Album Rating: 4.0

Ι'll show you another pattern, indicative of the next album's title



dance of death [3 words] - matter of life and death [5 words] = Final Frontier [2 words]



matter of life and death [5] - final frontier = book of souls [3]



final frontier [2] - book of souls [3] = senjutsu [1]



So next album must be:



Book of Souls [3] - Senjutsu [1] = 2 word title

Album Rating: 3.5

maybe they'll finish their career with a second self-titled album in 2028?

Album Rating: 4.0

an appropriate coda

Next album will be about vikings, mind my words.

Album Rating: 3.0

No, im one of few who rates BNM just that little bit higher than AMOLAD

Its a little fresher to me, AMOLAD is sort of darker and heavier which is awesome, but BNW has the melodies, great riffs, great songs, i find that melodic moment at the end of the thin line between love and hate so moving too.

Album Rating: 3.0

Another great solid effort by the Irons. Like many i wish there were a few more shorter numbers to mix in with the epics.

My only issue with this album in truth is the incorporation of that synth keyboard sort of behind most of the music following, in some sections it feels a little amateur, maybe its sort of simplistic use feels like how a highschool band with a new keyboardist would just use the same sound setting and simply follow the main notes...I find it too loud in the mix in general but especially on Stratego

Having said that with every subsequent listen i find im focusing on it less and im getting used to the sound with it there.

Writing on the wall, days of future past, the time machine, hell on earth are my favourites, but its all pretty good, parchment is probably my least favourite at this stage - Im not sure about its structure - the long sections of singing, and then long sections of instrumental, but its still pretty good.

Other observation: I kind of wish the album cover was exactly as it is but with that bamboo background they have the lyrics on in the booklet - as the black background is just too similar to Book of souls . That bamboo paper sort of background would of given it an overall yellow sort of colour which would be different for an iron maiden release. Anyway thats neither here nor there really.

My rating for this album may go up to a 4 at some stage, im still digesting it, but yeah really quite satisfied with it overall.

Agree 100% with all that you said dude.

The keyboard issue is such a mistery, I am gonna look for who's credited as keyboardist, my bet is on Harris lol

Album Rating: 3.0

Yeah its Harris

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah, it's Harris lol.

Album Rating: 4.0

might just fuck around and do a maiden discog run

Album Rating: 5.0

I really dig synth Maiden and its no different for this album. Take the start of Lost in a Lost World. The synth underneath just provides a perfect mood for this song

Album Rating: 3.0

The start of Lost in a lost world is not an example of what i mean though.



I love synths used to add atmosphere which you are correct they have done before, but on this album there's a synth sound underlying most of the guitars etc, not used as a tool for atmosphere in brooding intros, which i also have no issue with whatsoever.



It has a particularly high pitch sound to it, go listen to speed of light and imagine the opening riff with a high pitched synth over it. That would be an example of what i mean. Speed of light doesn't have it - and id prefer these songs on this album don't as well. Theyve never used them this way before.



Except where they have always used them as intros and to create moods, but not just straight over rocking bits.

yeah it follows the main melody or just adds a very simplistic and useless melody, it's also the same sound throughout the album.

"Yeah its Harris" I fucking knew it lol