Iron Maiden Song By Song Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Zoot Marimba, Nov 8, 2017.

  1. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth (1997)
    I don't necessarily have too strict memories of the times waiting for this album to be released, of course it was talked around and hyped in advance but then when it came out it really made impact on me and proved to be worthwhile addition to the collection. I didn't have much prejudice of what Bruce would be releasing as I had so much liked his past doings on the first 3 solo-albums anyways. All of them got their own feeling and meaning for me, but this time it was different as he had brought Adrian to the band. So, on the day "Accident Of Birth" was released I got it from my trusted local record shop and I bought the UK-edition (which had slipcase, poster and information sleeve). Of course, I had to go home fast and then when I finally hit the play-button I was into something totally new, like home but feeling totally new bliss. I was amazed how the guitars sounded so heavy and it almost put a smile to my face instantly as I heard the many great solos from Adrian. I think eventhough I've listened to all of Bruce's solo-albums a lot from the day they were released up to today, I got some pretty sure feeling that "Accident Of Birth" and the next one "The Chemical Wedding" must have been among the most-played albums. There's still something really special and I think if it has taken 20 years, Im still so excited of these albums and I simply couldn't actually believe how fast the years have gone as the albums got that freshness. For example "The Chemical Wedding" has proved to be such masterpiece that I've not too often nowadays heard anything like it. I think it works a good indicator and it's metal classic of the purest class A. These 2 were also the first ones I listened first when I bought Bruce's solo-album vinyl-boxset last year. So, enough of me talking and here's my few comments of the songs:

    "Freak", it's already very evident here that with the short intro as the song kicks in, things had once again changed and Bruce is relentless and this serious metal madness now compared the previous albums efforts.
    The albums that he did previously were more basic rock, alternative and progressive, but now I think this is the best phase of his career and we get 2 bookend masterpieces one after one ("The Chemical Wedding" being the other). I like the very crunchy and heavy guitar sound, the whole band is on fire delivering the deeds here. I think Bruce's vocals are great and all of the guys in the band are really delivering it.
    Bruce is back in form and now he's back to the top really. We get short but anyways important solo from Adrian, which I have to mention since this album was his reunion with Bruce.

    "Toltec 7 Arrival", really cool spacey intro getting and setting us ready for "Starchildren".

    "Starchildren", Im digging the heavy guitars and the harmonies on this one and I really like the way that they go. Relatively straightforwards and going mid-tempo rocker but the guitars bring that little flavor on top and also we get great, powerful chorus from Bruce. Effects busy solo fits the song and the mood here. All in all, another ace song continuing the strong path and journey that this album started. Strongly we go onwards.
    "You don't need a god 'cause I'm here now" great lyrics and dig them, you cannot do anything but dig them.

    "Taking the Queen", more emotional stuff. Im really digging the loose, clean acoustic-guitars and Bruce's passionate vocals here. I think this shows another sign of the times I've missed, we don't get too much stuff like this. Bass is mixed nicely bringing that little ingredient more to the overall sound. Once the song gets going it's very powerful, both musically but in sense that this is getting to my own emotions aswell. Mellotron was little clever addition there in the bridge, I appreciate those kinda little things. Im really digging the very emotional solo from Adrian, it just smokes really and also I'm thinkin I don't hear solos like this too ofter, from him or from actually anybody other. I like the lyrics aswell. 3rd actual song on the album and all of them are great.

    "Darkside of Aquarius", excellent intro to the song, bass and guitars setting us for the little scary mood as the song tells the story about horsemen of the apocalypse. The guitars and groove sounds so much like Iron Maiden. So far of the songs here, I really dig the guitars and their arrangements. Just by listening and enjoying Adrian's and Roy's work here, I can do no other than think on my mind about my favorite guitar-duo ever (which was as you guessed Adrian & Dave). Great chorus and Im digging the lyrics. I like the gallop there in the chorus and all in all, this could almost be like modern Maiden. Of course this is different thing and feeling, but there's something in the whole groove and sound, that get's me thinking what if Harris&Co would have done more stuff like this actually. Guitars are really great here, the harmonies, the riffing and the solos, it just all works precisely. I just cannot praise enough the guitars here on this song. Great song and they nailed it again. One of my favorites from the whole catalogue of Bruce.

    "Road to Hell", more full on rocking little piece, relatively short and easy rocker after more epic-song like "Darkside Of Aquarius". Really packed song, going for the kill and doing exactly what it's meant to .
    Bruce's vocals are once again powerful and ruling the game. The chorus is very good and works examplary for sing-along, even I always have to sing along to this and I cannot escape the catchy chorus. Haha, you know the feeling when you're there singing along to the precious Maiden/Bruce-songs, you sometimes even have to try imitate some of the gestures that he usually does while performing. Absolutely great solo from Adrian here, I really dig his doings and it's always interesting. Another gem and I dig it fully. This could have been great single.

    "Man of Sorrows", I've always liked this one. I think it might have been actually one of the songs that clicked me almost instantly as I was first few times listening to the album. Bruce's voice is so wonderful, but the song also it's very essential to have little change of mood and pace, after all the busy rocking pieces on the album. I love the solo from Adrian. About the lyrics, I give credit for Bruce as something like singing about Crowley isn't that usual anyways and I dig this whole way of writing about so important and dear subjects, making Bruce's work even more interesting. I remember when I later bought the expanded-edition, it was surely interesting to hear the spanish-version and aswell the early demo-version found on the 2nd cd of Bruce's compilation "Best Of". The early versions and demos are always interesting as you get to hear how things were changed and developed before the final outcome released on the album.

    "Accident of Birth",
    this is classic metal and it's heavy greetings all the way. I dig the whole feeling of the song, the heavy guitars pounding riffs and Bruce sounds so menacing here. Chorus is hugely catchy and has that strong sing-along feeling, similar to "Road To Hell". Both are great little relatively compact rockers, either would have worked well but this was picked as the single.

    "The Magician",
    could this be actually the first little lesser song on the album. It's not bad but for some reason Im not too much engaged with it. Feels maybe a bit generic and lacking. It's definitely missing that particular little ingredient to make it really stand out. Great solo from Adrian luckily.

    "Welcome to the Pit",
    heavy grooving is what we get here, I like the feeling as there's nothing making things go too fast. I like the chorus. The middle-section is interesting and I dig Adrian's solo.

    "Omega",
    this is great song and I feel that after 2 little lesser songs, the ship they are sailing has found it's course once again. I dig the acoustic-guitars and Bruce' passionate voice as the tells the story. Adrian is great, underrated guitarist. I think, he does tremendous solo here and it has to be one of his best ever. I like the way he constructs and builds his solos on the songs, definitely something similarity with David Gilmour. Gilmour must have been evident influence and on his own part, of the solos and stuff he does, Adrian truly masters it. It's really top work, constructing the solos, the way that there's something added like drama-curve, all the essential notes but being careful not to overuse the notes and sounds. Adrian has sense of style and it's unique. It was brilliant how the pace of the song changes during the middle-section and solos. Great way of getting it back into form and with that they had the moment of possessing surprise for the listener. Great song! I love it.

    "Arc of Space",
    what a fine way to end this great album. Beautiful, but somewhat gloomy song that has it all needed. Bruce's showing again the masterful and passionate voice he has. I think album once again proves his skills and there ain't single weak moment here on the album if thinking on how his performances go. Perfect ending and next album would also proved to be magnificent..on we go.

    "The Ghost of Cain
    ", the bonus-song that was on the US and Japan-editions of the album. Ok, this is good one but it's not really nothing special so maybe it was added as bonus-song for reason.
     
  2. The Hermit

    The Hermit Wavin' that magick glowstick since 1976

    Great detailed review, and I wholeheartedly agree... I bought this baby on week of release in May (or was it June?) 1997 and was blown away by it on the first listen... as others have said, this is the album Maiden should have entered the 1990's with; a stone-cold classic that's both traditional, modern, and with some nice added light-and-shade that the band had teased us with on Seventh Son of a Seventh Son but never followed through on, alas...

    It's just a pity that it also has one of the worst covers in rock history... if somebody told me in advance that Accident of Birth - and I don't much like the album title either, it has to be said! - would feature a cover painted by Derek Riggs, I'd be all over it... but having seen it, the only thing that should be over it is whitewash... Bruce, Derek, dudes... it's ghastly, what were you THINKING!? It did the actual album no favors at all, and maybe even turned away a few punters from buying it. Still though, when that guitar kicks in for the "gotta move" finale section to 'Darkside of Aquarius', who cares about the cover artwork... wow!!!

    When I heard Bruce and Adrian were back in the Maiden fold, I was waiting with baited breath for a new Maiden album as great and as focused as the above album... alas, I'm still waiting...
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2018
  3. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    Just checking and listening the few releases I haven't yet commented here, so catching up a bit:

    Psycho Motel - Welcome to the World (1997)
    This seems to be a bit better album compared to the previous and their first one "State Of Mind". Nice that Dave Murray quested on the album and it was pleasant surprise really.
    Like the previous one, I think it's ok album, some good moments and some not so good ones. Maybe it wasn't as engaging and memorable as I hoped, but Im gonna give this one revisit someday. Need to revisit this one.
    Anyways, it's always interesting to follow past and present-members doings. Maybe the projects in this time-line just proved to be worthwhile and important before Bruce asked Adrian to join his band.
    I've only heard these songs few times, and I concentrated on the solos mainly, so I have to give them more time.

    Paul Di'Anno & Dennis Stratton - The Original Iron Men 2 (1996)
    I checked the songs that are available on youtube and think it's pretty much the same sort of mix of hard rock and AOR than the first album.
    Like I said earlier, Paul's got pretty good voice when it's used correctly, but taking this way after he had actually done that promising album with "Killers - Murder One" was weird.
    Generic and bland, it sometimes works and sometimes not really and after that it only mostly blows. I might check some of this again, but when that's the question.

    Paul Di'Anno - The World's First Iron Man (1997)
    As I had limited time now to check the songs on this album, I briefly listened bits of each song here and there on this album. I had some strong prejudice but I think this is bit better album that I hoped it to be.
    Based on the few comments I've seen and read, I was expecting this to be somewhat total disaster. Some good songs, some not so good ones and some generic stuff. The typical mix of so it seems.
    All in all, if one is interested about Paul's doings I think this album is pretty ok for the one's that want to explore some 80's sounding hard rock. Is there anything similar to "Killers - Murder One" in his catalogue?
    This is weird album, as the first 2 songs are covers (especially strange as the album is not full on covers-album) but to my surprise, on both covers (Living In America, Play That Funky Music) Paul sounds good.
    It's not actually bad way to start the album. Having not heard this album before, but based on hearing these today I think this is actually better than the stuff he released with Stratton. I might give this album revisit.
     
  4. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    Great review all around! It was at AOB that I first noticed the strong Gilmour influence in Adrian. It was always there, but this album was where it really hit me. I'm glad to see this epic solo get more love.:cheers:
     
  5. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    Seriously though, is Bruce referring to the actual Silver Surfer? The Marvel comics guy?
     
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  6. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    Thanks and I think stuff like this needs to be mentioned. The influence must have been there always, or atleast very long time.
    We both mentioned Gilmour while we reviewed/discussed the solo in "Stranger In A Strange Land" way back (on page 84), it's solo is utter perfection and it was essential to bring the name Gilmour.
     
  7. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    I've posted this earlier (on page 52), but as it's cool and great I will post it again here:

    Anyways, here's isolated channel ripped from dvd featuring Adrian Smith, show from Rock In Rio III (2001).
    Enjoy the ride and full show of "H" in the spotlight:
     
  8. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    I would think so that it's indeed about superhero Silver Surfer.
    "I quite liked the Silver Surfer and Dr Strange. I liked the artwork - the Silver Surfer looked really cool, although I never really got the stories. He was always just pissed off. Being a permanent adolescent is a bit of a dead end in terms of a story. Dr Strange was always more interesting - just the fact that back in the 70s the whole idea of an occult superhero was kinda cool."
     
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  9. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Since I ****ed up and fail to cover Wolfsbane, I will now cover Blaze’s band before he joined Iron Maiden.
    Wolfsbane, Live Fast, Die Fast: Wicked Tales Of Booze, Birds and Bad Language:


    Tracklist
    1. Man Hunt: A good, charging metal tune, solid opener to the record. If I have a main criticism, it would that the vocals, while better on the two Maiden records, it’s still somewhat colorless, like a low rent Diamond Dave.
    2. Shakin: I do somewhat like the music here, but the weak link is Blaze once again. I could take or leave this tune.
    3. Killing Machine: Some strong, if somewhat self-indulgent, guitar work, the rhythm section isn't bad on here, Blaze sounds somewhat better here, but still no great shakes.
    4. Fell Out of Heaven: Decent song, tolerable.
    5. Money to Burn: Pretty good song, the band is solid, Blaze is okay but nothing too great.
    6. Greasy: I like the opening riff, decent rhythm here, but Blaze is again the weak link here.
    7. I Like It Hot: Again, it starts off well, and then Blaze comes in and we lose any chance of a good song.
    8. All Or Nothing: Meh, filler. Not killer filler, just filler.
    9. Tears From a Fool: Oh, an acoustic tune. Oh God, a power ballad. But actually, it's not bad; in fact, I'd say it's the best song here. Good acoustic structure, Blaze sounds pretty good here.
    10. Pretty Baby: Very Van Halen esque, but not as good. In fact, nowhere near as good. But at least it's better than Van Hagar.
    Yeah, this record is no great shakes.
     
  10. Silksashbash

    Silksashbash Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Bruce Dickinson - Accident Of Birth
    Listened to the first eight songs. On the first listen it was in one ear and out the other. Maybe it would need more listens and on better equipment. Not sure I'll bother.

    The bit about Silver Surfer was funny. So was the chorus to Road To Hell, but I prefer the Accept version from 1981 called Run If You Can.

    I'll go with the Paul Di'anno album. Up the Iron Man!!!
     
  11. The Hermit

    The Hermit Wavin' that magick glowstick since 1976

    Speaking as a HMS (look it up, the name of Wolfsbane's fan club back in the day!) since 1990, when I saw them supporting Maiden and they blew the roof off that night too, I love Live Fast, Die Fast unapologetically... it's absolutely one of the very best of the down n' dirty rock/metal albums that came along post-Appetite for Destruction, the 'Bane were a bona fide cult band back in Blighty then, championed by the likes of Kerrang! magazine, that deserved more success than they got, but Rick Rubin signed them up to the Def American label, gave them no money to live on, then lost interest pretty quickly after producing the above album (in a tin can, by the sounds of it!)... he left them floundering and it's any wonder not many people outside the UK metal scene have even heard of them... even after Blaze joined Maiden! With a great producer behind them from the start, and a supportive record company prepared to get their hands dirty in promoting them, the 'Bane might have seen bigger success... they certainly had the talent.

    Their next release is a scorcher though...
     
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  12. BurtThomasWard

    BurtThomasWard Guided by Loke In Memoriam

    Location:
    Norge
    That was.

    Crap, that was.

    I used to like the second album. I guess that was some years ago. Because this is horrible. Me and the GF started singing along, replacing the 'h' in the second word of the title with a 'c'...

    :D
     
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  13. TheGreatSouthernBrainfart

    TheGreatSouthernBrainfart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    The only thing Wolfsbane scorches is my ears. There is "zero" quality to this stuff. It's pretty much just glam metal play by ugly dudes. I just don't know how anyone could hear this and think, "Yeah, this guy could TOTALLY sing for Iron Maiden." I still say Michael Kiske would've been a game changer for the band but then again, it was because of the lifeless crapolla that they put out with Blaze that had both "H" and Bruce coming back into the fold. So i guess I have to thank Blaze for that! Besides, if Blaze was still in Maiden, we wouldn't have classics like this:

     
  14. edenofflowers

    edenofflowers A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular!

    Location:
    UK
    Regarding the cover of Accident at Birth. It's not a jester as such I think it's referring to Punch and Judy. Mr Punch, from the children's puppet show, is a psychotic wife and child beater who eventually get's eaten by a sausage stealing crocodile. Iirc. He wields a club (minus the nails) and is an altogether unpleasant chap...

    Here's some footage from 1901 of part of a show - this part shows Mr Punch beating seven shades of sh**e out of all comers....

     
  15. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding (1998)

    [​IMG]

    This is the 2nd album in a row with the same lineup - Bruce, Adrian Smith, Roy Z, Eddie Casillas & Dave Ingraham. Roy once once again produces and this one sounds even better than Accident of Birth. The mix is great and the guitars are wonderfully heavy. Chemical Wedding is a concept album dealing with alchemy combined with the poetry of William Blake. Bruce's hero Arthur Brown reads the poems at various points on the album. All songs are by Bruce/Roy Z except for Killing Floor, Machine Men & Return of the King (Bruce & Adrian) and Book of Thel (Bruce, Roy Z, Eddie Casillas).

    King in Crimson - brutal start. I love the guitars screaming in pain on the verse tag. Bruce's voice works so well with the heavy music. Good lord that chorus is powerful. I really get sense that Bruce is summoning some DARK stuff when he sings "arise, awake!". Roy Z kicks off the solo section with a very Adrian-like solo, but then Adrian comes in and shows him how it's done. I love the way these two guys play off each other. Great build up with the guitars post-solo leading into the chorus. This is the best opener on any Bruce solo album. Massive, massive song.

    Chemical Wedding - heavy intro riff leads to trippy verse with low rumbling bass. I love the lyrics on this album as Bruce decided to go into a more "poetic" direction. As with 7th Son, you can tell Bruce cherishes going all-in on a good concept album. This is the kind of stuff he was born to do as a lyricist. Great mid-tempo pace for this song and Bruce brings a soaring chorus. Roy Z's beautiful solo recalls Randy Rhoads' work with Ozzy.

    The Tower - a Wrathchild-like bass riff kicks us off, but the guitars go in a completely different direction. Great groove from Ingraham here, he pushes this song in a fantastic direction. I have to give it up for Casillas too, this isn't "groove metal", but it's metal that grooves like hell. The Tower has a super catchy chorus with Bruce unleashing his trademark voice. The guitars bring a perfect counterpoint on later choruses. The solo section gets a new groove and some kick ass unison playing from Adrian, Roy & Eddie, and that leads to a Wasted Years like harmony section. I love how they're not afraid to keep throwing things at you, just to make it kick even more ass. Great ending with the heavy riff.

    Killing Floor - the massive riffs keep coming on this song, the only single from this album. I particularly like the mellow pre-chorus section, but of course, that chorus is fantastic. The "death metal" background vocals really make it. Everything's pretty brutal until we get to the slow middle section after the solos. It's perfectly King Diamond, keyboards and all. I love this part and it really brings out the spookiness of the music.

    Book of Thel - mellow intro with nice Adrian melody leads into a devastatingly heavy riff. This song is exciting, it really moves. The verse riff is so addictive. There are some cool bits from Casillas & Ingraham in the pre-chorus. Bruce's voice sounds absolutely fantastic on this chorus. One of his best vocals on the whole album. Another brutal riff leads us into the solos. It's a blast to listen to this album really loud, by the way. There's a weird kind of vocal solo in the middle, not quite a sing-along. This is followed by a section with some kick ass drum fills and we're back to the verse/pc/chorus and out. This song is long, 8+ minutes, but it feels only half as long. The live version of this from Scream for Me Brazil is excellent. The song ends with some piano and the first bit of William Blake's poetry.

    Gates of Urizen - the sequencing is perfect here, because we need a bit of a slowdown after Book of Thel. It's a pretty chill song for the first half, but still spooky enough to keep you on edge. Perfect, soaring Bruce chorus. Adrian unleashes a killer solo, really melodic. Urizen is a good song, but it mostly serves as a calm down from the previous onslaught of the previous 5 songs.

    Jerusalem - the slowdown continues here in what I consider to be the album's epic and the best song here. It starts out with a medieval vibe and the words of William Blake's poetry. Most of these lyrics are either a direct quote of Blake's Jerusalem (composed in 1804) or a slight reworking. For the non-Brits in the audience, Jerusalem is considered the unofficial "English National Anthem" and one that Bruce probably sang a million times growing up. I love that Bruce could completely come up with a new melody to a song he'd heard his whole life and sing it in a convincing way.

    As I said, musically it's much more medieval. The clean tone guitar is backed perfectly with the acoustics and what sounds like a mandolin. The music builds perfectly, with slight additions coming in every so often. I love the entry of the bass at 1:25 on the line "let it rain". Huge, fat bass note. Beautiful. The drums come in at "bring my bowl of burning gold" and holy crap does this give me chills. The way Bruce sings, combined with the music, how it builds and builds until his really loud LET IT RAIN...a-freaking-mazing. Bruce's voice on this song is incredible, perhaps his greatest vocal performance ever. The song eventually builds to a heavy and ripping solo by Roy Z followed by a massive majestic harmony section and an Adrian solo. Fantastic song and it still blows me away when I listen to it.

    Trumpets of Jericho - we're back to the heavy stuff here. The main riff is pretty blocky, but there's a good soaring chorus. The chorus is one of the most overtly-Maiden things on the album. The song goes into an interesting trippy direction after the first solo. This whole bridge/middle section is pretty cool and my favorite part of the song. The ending vocal gymnastics also feature Bruce doing a line that sounds REALLY similar to one of the closing lines to Sea of Madness.

    Machine Men - it's been speculated that lyrically this references Iron Maiden, but Bruce denies it. I don't know, listen for yourself. Supposedly, the mumbling that Bruce does throughout this song is him reading bits from the Yellow Pages! Adrian wrote some really power riffs on this song. The chorus is fantastic. I love Adrian's solo here and how at the end is just keeps descending through these darker notes while Bruce sings the chorus. The fadeout with the lyrics "iron in the soul" could either mean something important that would come to fruition the following Feb 10...or it could just be referring to alchemy.

    The Alchemist - this is an interesting way to end the album because it's not a usual barn burner or something epic. It's got a more mid tempo groove and acts as more of a summation of the story. I totally love the reprise of the title track melody at the end. A great way to end the album.

    Bonus Tracks:

    Return of the King - originally a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. It sounds like it would fit more with Accident of Birth. It's a solid track, but nothing mind-blowing. I'm glad it was left off the album proper. Great solos on here, though.

    Real World - B-side to Killing Floor. There's a really annoying vocal effect on Bruce's voice, and it's here for the whole song. I actively don't like this song, I think it's pretty obnoxious. His voice is grating on the chorus.

    Confeos - the other B-side to Killing Floor. This is a goofy track about the band getting drunk in Japan. Decent track and it has a strong Deep Purple vibe, and not just because of the organ.

     
  16. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    Very interesting.

    I would like to know if Bruce was happy with the cover or not. Riggs wasn't used for Chemical Wedding or Tyranny of Souls, so maybe he wasn't.
     
  17. Sanguinus

    Sanguinus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glendale
    I'm shakin'.
     
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  18. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    Chemical Wedding

    This is the first solo Bruce album that I bought. Streetside Records (how I miss this store) had listening stations set up with staff picks, and this album was one of them. I was immediately hooked on The Tower with its Wrathchild-like bass intro. The Tower and Killing Floor are the two stand out tracks for me. Great album! I remember being excited when the expanded edition came out, then quickly disappointed by how poor the bonus tracks were. They made the right choices for what songs made the album proper.

    A must have for Maiden and metal fans!
     
  19. BurtThomasWard

    BurtThomasWard Guided by Loke In Memoriam

    Location:
    Norge
    Yes, I think you are right about that one. And that makes my comment about the title of the album even more fitting. Because you never know what little monster you are accidentally letting loose on the world when you become a parent.
     
  20. serj

    serj Forum Resident

    Location:
    Moscow
    Can anyone comment on the sound of Bruce remasters? As I remember they are quite loud and maximized. But the original "Chemical" CD was also loud.
     
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  21. BurtThomasWard

    BurtThomasWard Guided by Loke In Memoriam

    Location:
    Norge
    The cover is also from one of his paintings, The Ghost of a Flea. Not the first time a musician has been inspired by his work and another of his paintings was also used as a plot device in the book Red Dragon which the movie with the same name about Hannibal Lecter was based upon. Blake himself was a really interesting character, to say the least.

    Another great review , BTW. I haven't had the time to listen to this one yet either, but I will.
     
  22. MusicMatt

    MusicMatt Quality over Quantity

    Location:
    California, U.S.A.
    Bruce Dickinson, The Chemical Wedding

    King Crimson - Good start to the album. Those guitars are dirty! Adrian's solo is just one of many highlights here.

    Chemical Wedding - My favorite Bruce solo song. Its that freakin' chorus. I love the melody to it and Bruce pours his soul into the singing. Love the phaser effect of the guitars. I wish it were longer.

    The Tower - Ohh, bass intro. Once again its the chorus that is the main highlight for me. Strong lyrical content.

    Killing Floor - This one is lost on me. Thought it started off well though. We'll call it a speed bump.

    Book of Thel - Opening guitar sounds like part of a Metallica instrumental from the old days. The main riff kicks in at the one minute mark and its a monster. The gang does a good job overall on this song. Probably my second favorite off the album.

    Gates of Urizen - Decent but nothing special. I do like the sound of the distorted guitar.

    Jerusalem - Good song. Really like the medieval aspect to the music.

    Trumpets of Jericho - Great chorus! Not feeling the verses though. After the solo, I usually hit the skip button.

    Machine Men - Another one that doesn't do it for me.

    The Alchemist - I really don't like the guitars during the verses, very annoying. What a surprise, I really like the choruses. Second half of the song is really really good. As it ends with a throwback to the title track this one is a winner for me and saves the second half of the album.

    The Chemical Wedding bumps Accident out of second place for my favorite Bruce album. Millionaire will always be #1. I feel Wedding is a front loaded A side album that could've been even better with a few changes made to side B. Still, I really like it and play it often. I added it recently to my ipod for gym purposes, minus a few tracks and it can really get me moving.
     
  23. rubberhead

    rubberhead I've never made a bad record

    Location:
    NYS
    The Chemical Wedding is front-loaded, as has been said, but has five awesome songs. "King in Crimson," the title track, "The Tower" ("There are 12 commandments. There are 12 divisions. 12 are the pagans who have mapped the sky"), the amazing "Book of Thel" and "Gates of Urizen," which I rank almost as high as those others. The rest are ok but a cut below.

    Luckily Scream for me Brazil combines those five with the best of Accident of Birth for a great best of/live album. If only it had professional cover art.
     
  24. Standoffish

    Standoffish Smarter than a turkey

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Bruce Dickinson, The Chemical Wedding

    "King Crimson" - Bruce is getting heavy here. This sounds like a more melodic version of Slayer. The song just rocks. I like how the chorus drops down in the middle (from a major key to a minor, maybe?).

    "Chemical Wedding" - Love the shades of light and dark, with Bruce's soaring vocals. This song reminds me of Skid Row's "Quicksand Jesus". Nice dramatic little opera.

    "The Tower" - Some funky chugging bass. I really like the guitar work on this. The bass and vocals add that extra flavor.

    "Killing Floor" - Right away, the guitars lay down a gritty groove. I love the tempo and mood changes. That soft interlude in the middle is a nice touch. I also like that it doesn't follow conventional song structure.

    "Book of Thel" - They finally let the drummer loose! And he delivers. This song is Maiden-esque, with its different chapters and tempo changes. I'll have to give it a few more listens, but it might become a fave in the "Maiden" catalog.

    "Gates of Urizen" - This is a song to wave the lighters to in a concert (or a cell phone these days :)). I like it, but not much else to say.

    "Jerusalem" - This is what I'm liking about this album - there's variety in each song. Bruce is in fine form.

    "Trumpets of Jericho" - Well-performed, but this just plods along.

    "Machine Men" - Meh, generic metal. (Although it did get my head banging at the end).

    "The Alchemist" - I really dig the Egyption sound, and how emotive Bruce's voice is. A nicely constructed song.

    "Return of the King" - Good old-fashioned power metal, that reminds me of Helloween. :thumbsup:

    "Real World" - Bruce really hits his upper range here. Decent 80s-style hair metal rocker.

    "Confeos" - Has a cool Deep Purple flavor. I really dig the solos.

    Overall: This is my first time hearing this, and I listened to it via Youtube. But it sounds really well-produced. A couple of missteps, but this sounds worthy of a purchase.
     
  25. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    I’m glad to see so many positive remarks on Accident of Birth and Chemical Wedding. I think both are incredible and deserve more visibility and praise. So many Maiden fans don’t know what they’re missing.
     

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