The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[wolfking]

In at number 2 here in Australia.  I think that's their highest charting album ever.

[sneakyblueberry]

Yuss, NZ and AUS dates announced.

29th of April in Christchurch and the 1st of May in Auckland.

My youngest daughter's 1st birthday is on the 30th of April.

:/ she's gonna be a tight squeeze

[wolfking]

Yes motherfucker!! 

Wednesday, 4th May 2016
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Friday, 6th May 2016
Sydney Allphones Arena, Sydney

Monday, 9th May 2016
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Thursday, 12th May 2016
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide

Saturday, 14th May 2016
Perth Arena, Perth

[El Barto]

The Book Of Souls World Tour will open in the U.S.A in late February with Ed Force One flying in for three shows before, in early March, heading into Central America visiting MEXICO, followed by a much anticipated first ever concert in EL SALVADOR and a return to COSTA RICA. Ed Force One then proceeds into South America for concerts in ARGENTINA, CHILE and a number of shows in BRAZIL before flying back to the USA at the end of March for ten more cities covering the USA and, of course, CANADA in the first two weeks of April.  A long awaited return to JAPAN follows later in April, and then the band are delighted to be playing their first ever shows in CHINA before heading to NEW ZEALAND and AUSTRALIA for a comprehensive tour during the first half of May. Shows in SOUTH AFRICA, Maiden’s first visit there with Bruce, will be the last port of call before Ed Force One heads to EUROPE for a very extensive tour starting in late May and finishing in early August. This will the first time Ed Force One has ever been used on any European Tour dates (other than Bruce’s Fan Club trips to shows) and will provide transport there for at least for the first few weeks.

I have no idea where I'll see them next year. If one of the 13 cities is in Texas I'll certainly see it, but I suspect I'll be catching them on the road somewhere either way. Seeing them in South America has always been really high on my list of things to do, but traveling to South America holds little appeal to me. Part of me wants to do something foolish like catch them in Paris or something. I've had a hankering to get back to the Old World of late. Also seems that our European comrades are likely to get a very different set than what they serve up to us yanks.

[Cyclopssss]

Sure, do the whole rest of the frakking world before you tour Europe...But I guess by that time the dvd of the tour will be out...   

[sneakyblueberry]

Which will you be attending, wolf?

[Kwyjibo]

Unsurprisingly, The  Book of Souls entered at # 1 on the album charts selling supposedly 60.000 copies in its first week of release.

Don't know which side of the Atlantic you're on but it's no 1 in the UK.   

As it is in Germany and rightfully so 

[sneakyblueberry]

Haha, I just checked and its in at Number 2 here - pipped by the one and only Cilla Black at number one!  Goddamn old people buying CDs and shit 

[cramx3]

The Book Of Souls World Tour will open in the U.S.A in late February with Ed Force One flying in for three shows before, in early March, heading into Central America visiting MEXICO, followed by a much anticipated first ever concert in EL SALVADOR and a return to COSTA RICA. Ed Force One then proceeds into South America for concerts in ARGENTINA, CHILE and a number of shows in BRAZIL before flying back to the USA at the end of March for ten more cities covering the USA and, of course, CANADA in the first two weeks of April.  A long awaited return to JAPAN follows later in April, and then the band are delighted to be playing their first ever shows in CHINA before heading to NEW ZEALAND and AUSTRALIA for a comprehensive tour during the first half of May. Shows in SOUTH AFRICA, Maiden’s first visit there with Bruce, will be the last port of call before Ed Force One heads to EUROPE for a very extensive tour starting in late May and finishing in early August. This will the first time Ed Force One has ever been used on any European Tour dates (other than Bruce’s Fan Club trips to shows) and will provide transport there for at least for the first few weeks.

I have no idea where I'll see them next year. If one of the 13 cities is in Texas I'll certainly see it, but I suspect I'll be catching them on the road somewhere either way. Seeing them in South America has always been really high on my list of things to do, but traveling to South America holds little appeal to me. Part of me wants to do something foolish like catch them in Paris or something. I've had a hankering to get back to the Old World of late. Also seems that our European comrades are likely to get a very different set than what they serve up to us yanks.

I doubt the setlist changes between the world leg and the euro leg of the tour.  I personally would love to see IM in England, but I find it likely they hit NYC on the first leg so that's where I will go.  I rejoined the IM fan club last night 

[Zydar]

I was watching Maiden England last night again, what a great show it is. Seventh Son was the highlight.

It reminded me though that I'm still not a fan of Die With Your Boots On.

[Zydar]

Number one here in Sweden

[wolfking]

Which will you be attending, wolf?

Brisbane mate. 

[425]

Sure, do the whole rest of the frakking world before you tour Europe...But I guess by that time the dvd of the tour will be out...   

"very extensive tour" in Europe
13 U.S. dates total

If I was a European, I would not be complaining.

[cramx3]

Entered at #4 in the US Billboards

https://loudwire.com/five-finger-death-punch-iron-maiden-top-5-billboard-200-album-chart/

Same as TFF, but still very good! 

[NotePad]

Since If Eternity Should Fail was meant to be the first song on a solo Bruce  concept album (there's an article on blabbermouth), I wonder if that means he wont be doing that anymore. Because it would be kinda weird if he did that concept album now. Wouldnt it be cool if the next Maiden album was this concept album Bruce was gonna do? Would be awesome.

[cramx3]

Went and found that article
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/iron-maidens-bruce-dickinson-has-demoed-six-songs-for-solo-concept-album/

Pretty interesting stuff regarding that song, but sadly no Bruce solo album next year or the year after.

[Dream Team]

I don't want to just have a knee-jerk reaction and say EotC is the best song on BoS just because it's the long epic and all that, but I really think it's the best.

Empire of the Clouds
Man of Sorrows
Speed of Light
Death or Glory
If Eternity Should Fail
Shadows of the Valley
Tears of a Clown
When the River Runs Deep
The Book of Souls
The Great Unknown
The Red and the Black

[Scorpion]

Empire of the Clouds
The Man of Sorrows
The Book of Souls
Tears of a Clown
If Eternity Should Fail
Shadows of the Valley
When the River Runs Deep
The Red and the Black
Death or Glory
Speed of Light
The Great Unknown

[cramx3]

I've had enough listens to do a ranking, although it could change:

The Red and the Black
The Book of Souls
If Eternity Should Fail
Empire of the Clouds
Speed of Light
Death or Glory
Shadows of the Valley
When the River Runs Deep
Tears of a Clown
The Great Unknown
The Man of Sorrows

[TAC]

Empire Of The Clouds
The Book Of Souls
The Red And The Black

When The River Runs Deep
The Great Unknown
Speed Of Light
Tears Of The Clown
The Man Of Sorrows

If Eternity Should Fail
Death Or Glory
Shadows Of The valley

[El Barto]

The Book Of Souls World Tour will open in the U.S.A in late February with Ed Force One flying in for three shows before, in early March, heading into Central America visiting MEXICO, followed by a much anticipated first ever concert in EL SALVADOR and a return to COSTA RICA. Ed Force One then proceeds into South America for concerts in ARGENTINA, CHILE and a number of shows in BRAZIL before flying back to the USA at the end of March for ten more cities covering the USA and, of course, CANADA in the first two weeks of April.  A long awaited return to JAPAN follows later in April, and then the band are delighted to be playing their first ever shows in CHINA before heading to NEW ZEALAND and AUSTRALIA for a comprehensive tour during the first half of May. Shows in SOUTH AFRICA, Maiden’s first visit there with Bruce, will be the last port of call before Ed Force One heads to EUROPE for a very extensive tour starting in late May and finishing in early August. This will the first time Ed Force One has ever been used on any European Tour dates (other than Bruce’s Fan Club trips to shows) and will provide transport there for at least for the first few weeks.

I have no idea where I'll see them next year. If one of the 13 cities is in Texas I'll certainly see it, but I suspect I'll be catching them on the road somewhere either way. Seeing them in South America has always been really high on my list of things to do, but traveling to South America holds little appeal to me. Part of me wants to do something foolish like catch them in Paris or something. I've had a hankering to get back to the Old World of late. Also seems that our European comrades are likely to get a very different set than what they serve up to us yanks.

I doubt the setlist changes between the world leg and the euro leg of the tour.  I personally would love to see IM in England, but I find it likely they hit NYC on the first leg so that's where I will go.  I rejoined the IM fan club last night 

They tend to play "greatest hits" sets when they tour the states, because that's what the average concert-goer wants. That's why we only got four or five proper Dod and AMoLaD shows here. They'd come back and do greatest hits tours at a different time. Same deal with TFF tour, where we got something completely unrelated (though totally kick ass in every way).  It's very rare for them to play new songs other than a single or two outside of NYC and LA.

[TAC]

A question?

Who is playing the solo from 8:40-9:10 in TRaTB? It's really unique, and I've never heard anything like it on a Maiden album.

[cramx3]

The Book Of Souls World Tour will open in the U.S.A in late February with Ed Force One flying in for three shows before, in early March, heading into Central America visiting MEXICO, followed by a much anticipated first ever concert in EL SALVADOR and a return to COSTA RICA. Ed Force One then proceeds into South America for concerts in ARGENTINA, CHILE and a number of shows in BRAZIL before flying back to the USA at the end of March for ten more cities covering the USA and, of course, CANADA in the first two weeks of April.  A long awaited return to JAPAN follows later in April, and then the band are delighted to be playing their first ever shows in CHINA before heading to NEW ZEALAND and AUSTRALIA for a comprehensive tour during the first half of May. Shows in SOUTH AFRICA, Maiden’s first visit there with Bruce, will be the last port of call before Ed Force One heads to EUROPE for a very extensive tour starting in late May and finishing in early August. This will the first time Ed Force One has ever been used on any European Tour dates (other than Bruce’s Fan Club trips to shows) and will provide transport there for at least for the first few weeks.

I have no idea where I'll see them next year. If one of the 13 cities is in Texas I'll certainly see it, but I suspect I'll be catching them on the road somewhere either way. Seeing them in South America has always been really high on my list of things to do, but traveling to South America holds little appeal to me. Part of me wants to do something foolish like catch them in Paris or something. I've had a hankering to get back to the Old World of late. Also seems that our European comrades are likely to get a very different set than what they serve up to us yanks.

I doubt the setlist changes between the world leg and the euro leg of the tour.  I personally would love to see IM in England, but I find it likely they hit NYC on the first leg so that's where I will go.  I rejoined the IM fan club last night 

They tend to play "greatest hits" sets when they tour the states, because that's what the average concert-goer wants. That's why we only got four or five proper Dod and AMoLaD shows here. They'd come back and do greatest hits tours at a different time. Same deal with TFF tour, where we got something completely unrelated (though totally kick ass in every way).  It's very rare for them to play new songs other than a single or two outside of NYC and LA.

Your examples are good reasons for why they WILL play the same set.  DoD and AMoLaD shows in the US were a small amount of dates and those got the full sets like everyone else.  This tour will also be a small amount of dates in the US, I would bet my house its the same set for Europe.  If they do another wave of US dates after then maybe I can see them change it up.  Regardless, the change it set lists would likely be reunion era song replaced with wrathchild.

[aurorablind]

A question?

Who is playing the solo from 8:40-9:10 in TRaTB? It's really unique, and I've never heard anything like it on a Maiden album.

Adrian 

[TAC]

The setlist will be the same. The small string of US dates falls within the tour. Even the first TFF tour in the US was basically it's own leg, and IIRC, the new album wasn't even out yet.

[El Barto]

Hard not to notice that we didn't get to see Talisman, Coming Home and Wild Wind here in the states.

Y'all might well be right, but that would only tell me that there won't be any Southern dates. In fact, my money would be 3 shows on the West Coast-->South America-->Canada and the NE territories.

That said, three shows does sound suspiciously like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio/Austin with a quick hop down to Mexico. Still, I don't see them playing 3 in Texas and only 10 for the rest of the States.

[ErHaO]

My current premature ranking:

Classic tier:
If Eternity Should Fail
Empire of the Clouds

Good/great tier:
The Red and the Black
When the River Runs Deep
Death or Glory
Speed of Light
Tears of a Clown
The Book of Souls
Shadows of the Valley

Forgetable tier:
The Great Unknown
The Man of Sorrows

[Scorpion]

So many people The Man of Sorrows at the bottom or near the bottom makes me sad. Definitely one of my favourite reunion era Maiden songs.

[TAC]

3 shows to me sounds like NY and Florida, and then the 10 come a few weeks later. I'd expect a Texas show for you Bart.

I just hope they play Boston, that's all I can say.

[cramx3]

Botton doesnt mean bad on my list.  Man of Sorrows has a really cool and different instrumental part that is pretty rad.  The album is strong, something's gotta be last.

[TAC]

Botton doesnt mean bad on my list.  Man of Sorrows has a really cool and different instrumental part that is pretty rad.  The album is strong, something's gotta be last.

Exactly.

[El Barto]

Texas and Arizona are the beginning of the second tier insofar as touring goes. For a small tour, and this definitely qualifies, we don't generally make the cut. Once it gets to the point that Texas is in it's usually all three cities (and five more if you're Tool or Saxon). This is sounding to me a lot like DOD or AMolaD, where only the top NA cities get proper gigs.

[El Barto]

“Three songs off the new album is not enough. There’ll maybe be four or five,” he told News.com.

Yup, there went Texas. 

[wolfking]

Ranking the songs on this album is really hard, everything here is brilliant, but I'll take a stab;

The Red and The Black
Empire of the Clouds
The Book of Souls
If Eternity Should Fail
The Man of Sorrows
Shadows of the Valley
Death or Glory
The Great Unknown
Where The River Runs Deep
Tears of A Clown
Speed of Light

[sneakyblueberry]

A question?

Who is playing the solo from 8:40-9:10 in TRaTB? It's really unique, and I've never heard anything like it on a Maiden album.

Adrian 

Is that the one that has a lot of pauses in it?  If so, that's a weak solo.