The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[Grappler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQYb0dnyA0

The sound is MUCH better on this youtube link for the official audio.

[Architeuthis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQYb0dnyA0

The sound is MUCH better on this youtube link for the official audio.

That does sound really good, and the vocals sound clearer.   

[darkshade]

Didn't hate the song, didn't love it either. It's OK.

[Zydar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQYb0dnyA0

The sound is MUCH better on this youtube link for the official audio.

Thanks, that sounds better! I kind of like the song, nice chorus.

[kirksnosehair]

Listened to it again and if Dickinson wasn't singing, I don't know if I would have been able to identify this as an Iron Maiden song.  I mean, OK, no problem with bands evolving over time, this is a pretty common thing.  But as Iron Maiden songs go this one doesn't really contain any of the classic elements that make Iron Maiden songs so instantly identifiable.  No galloping bass/drums parts, no twin harmony guitar riffs, no sudden time/feel change into a crazy back and forth legato solo section, no breakdowns.   

[Lupton]

Gers has been my favourite composer (at least credited composer, considering how much of each individual song is actually composed by Harris, I've heard) for the past few albums, especially the last two. I absolutely love The Talisman and Shadows of the Valley (and Ghost of the Navigator, etc) . I wonder if this will continue.

Agreed, Gers hopefully have lots of involvement in the songwriting department.

I've noticed on the last few releases Gers has been only allowed two tracks per record. Don't know why the band is Harrison-ing him (Beatles reference for those who get it ). It makes me wonder if the reason why his stuff has an edge on the other songwriters is because he's taking the best 2 tunes from a pile of songs that don't get used?

There's a much better balance of songwriting on Brave New World and Dance of Death and indeed I find both of those albums superior to anything that followed.

[Lupton]

Listened to it again and if Dickinson wasn't singing, I don't know if I would have been able to identify this as an Iron Maiden song.  I mean, OK, no problem with bands evolving over time, this is a pretty common thing.  But as Iron Maiden songs go this one doesn't really contain any of the classic elements that make Iron Maiden songs so instantly identifiable.  No galloping bass/drums parts, no twin harmony guitar riffs, no sudden time/feel change into a crazy back and forth legato solo section, no breakdowns.

To me, most of the re-union area stuff uses those "classic elements" in a much more sparse way than had been done during the classic 80s era. Those 80s records are chock full of those identifiable elements, while in a lot of the reunion tunes, those elements pop up every now and then, but overall there's a lot less of it.

[wolfking]

Listened to it again and if Dickinson wasn't singing, I don't know if I would have been able to identify this as an Iron Maiden song.  I mean, OK, no problem with bands evolving over time, this is a pretty common thing.  But as Iron Maiden songs go this one doesn't really contain any of the classic elements that make Iron Maiden songs so instantly identifiable.  No galloping bass/drums parts, no twin harmony guitar riffs, no sudden time/feel change into a crazy back and forth legato solo section, no breakdowns.

That was my problem too.  The only part that sounded like Maiden was that harmony section reminiscent of Where the Wild Wind Blows.  I've only listened to this once but I don't genuinely understand the direction they have taken on this song.

[RodrigoAltaf]

I still think the first solo could have been better - it sounds like a collage of ideas Adrian had while writing it. Also, it's weird that he has two solos in it, and the others have very little to show for. But I'll say this: the song has grown on me A LOT after a few more listens. I love that they're trying different things. No galloping, no looooong bass intros...just awesome!

[Skeever]

The song comes to nicely thanks to Bruce's lyrics and concept and the video tying everything together. But without that I think I would find it lacking. The solo especially seems very phoned in, like a lot of other Maiden solos but with about half the effort.

[RMGadelha]

I enjoy the second solo a lot.

[Mladen]

Had someone played me the instrumental version of this, I would be able to identify it as a Maiden song two minutes in. Nicko's beat and Steve's basslines are just classic. Not to mention that the riffs are reminiscent of The Book of souls, Mother Russia, The Legacy and stuff like that. It's consistent with their sound in many aspects.

[Dedalus]

Gers has been my favourite composer (at least credited composer, considering how much of each individual song is actually composed by Harris, I've heard) for the past few albums, especially the last two. I absolutely love The Talisman and Shadows of the Valley (and Ghost of the Navigator, etc) . I wonder if this will continue.

Agreed, Gers hopefully have lots of involvement in the songwriting department.

I've noticed on the last few releases Gers has been only allowed two tracks per record. Don't know why the band is Harrison-ing him (Beatles reference for those who get it ). It makes me wonder if the reason why his stuff has an edge on the other songwriters is because he's taking the best 2 tunes from a pile of songs that don't get used?

There's a much better balance of songwriting on Brave New World and Dance of Death and indeed I find both of those albums superior to anything that followed.

I believe Gers' compositions are compatible with Murray, Harris-only, and even Dickinson (excluding his participation as a lyricist).
The outlier is Adrian Smith, who is having half of the writing on the records.

Book of Souls example:
Harris-only: 1
Gers: 2
Dickinson: 2
Murray: 1
Smith:5

[wolfking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQYb0dnyA0

The sound is MUCH better on this youtube link for the official audio.

That does sound a lot better.

Damn, the verses, especially the second verse is so close to Turn the Page (Seger/Metallica)

[wolfking]

I didn't mind the song on second listen, just really hope this isn't a clear representation of the album.  I hope it's the softest song.

[TAC]

I didn't mind the song on second listen, just really hope this isn't a clear representation of the album.  I hope it's the softest song.

Yeah, I definitely liked it better the second time around. I haven't listened to it a third time yet.

[DoctorAction]

I've listened to this again today and am really impressed.

Once past the the acoustic it's unmistakably Maiden with a slightly groovier, laid back twist.

I wasn't keen on TBOS. There's some good material (and these adjectives don't apply to all of it equally) but was kinda drawn-out, predictable, unpolished and unfinished to me. There's not a single track that would make it onto a Doctor Action Maiden best-of.

I already like this one more.

[RMGadelha]

I've listened to the song 5 times already, and I'm liking it much, much more than Speed of Light. I absolutely love the riff, the second solo and the melody inbetween.

[wolfking]

I've listened to this again today and am really impressed.

Once past the the acoustic it's unmistakably Maiden with a slightly groovier, laid back twist.

I wasn't keen on TBOS. There's some good material (and these adjectives don't apply to all of it equally) but was kinda drawn-out, predictable, unpolished and unfinished to me. There's not a single track that would make it onto a Doctor Action Maiden best-of.

I already like this one more.

That would be a legit compilation album title! 

[Architeuthis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQYb0dnyA0

The sound is MUCH better on this youtube link for the official audio.

I also realized why the vocals sound so much better here than on the original promo video, is because there is a cooler sounding delay effect rather than that bathroom reverb.  The delay sounds 10× better!
I wonder why that happened? Perhaps they used the wrong mix the first time??

[nobloodyname]

Had someone played me the instrumental version of this, I would be able to identify it as a Maiden song two minutes in. Nicko's beat and Steve's basslines are just classic. Not to mention that the riffs are reminiscent of The Book of souls, Mother Russia, The Legacy and stuff like that. It's consistent with their sound in many aspects.

I agree with this. It sounds exactly like latter-day Maiden.

Interesting that people are now speculating the original version released wasn't the right one. Bruce definitely sounded like he was in a large bathroom or hallway. The version released to Spotify sounds much better although I'd still argue the overall production is rather boxy.

[DoctorAction]

That would be a legit compilation album title! 

 

[Dedalus]

The band is still posting photos of album art updated by TWOTW symbols. AMOLAD was posted today on Facebook and Instagram, with one of the soldiers wearing the Belshazzar's feast shirt.

I assume that The Final Frontier and The Book of souls are coming up on Saturday and Sunday, so that we can have the announcement of the new album on Monday.

Not just Belshazzar's feast shirt, but there are 17 marks on the tank, in addition to the number 17 on the trees (in Arabic and Roman numerals).

[MoraWintersoul]

Even with the bad sound in the original upload, this sounded interesting and compelling. It's probably not the best song on the album, but it's a really good "this is my first taste of new Iron Maiden after a long absence and I'm imagining this animated video on VH1 Europe in 2007 because we've been through a pandemic and now all I listen to is nostalgia shit"-song. Whoops, too specific

[TAC]

THIRTY THREE years ago tonight!
(I've posted these before..)


July 17, 1988
Worcester Centrum

[wolfking]

 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

 

[cramx3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQYb0dnyA0

The sound is MUCH better on this youtube link for the official audio.

Oh yeah, this sounds much better. 

I think this song will warm up much better for me over time.  Once I get over the initial shock of "oh this sounds different than typical IM" and start to just enjoy it for what it is.  It's already more enjoyable than my first listen (and having the better sound helps tremendously).

[darkshade]

It's almost like the lot of you want Maiden to be AC/DC, where every song sounds the same.

[kirksnosehair]

The same?  No, I just want it to sound like Iron Maiden.  To me, this doesn't really sound like an Iron Maiden song. 

[wolfking]

The same?  No, I just want it to sound like Iron Maiden.  To me, this doesn't really sound like an Iron Maiden song.

+1.

Honestly, for a band of Maiden's age and the amount of material they have produced, I really don't want to see them try anything different so far at the back end of their career.

[DoctorAction]

I didn't think it sounded any more different from their core sound than, say, Different World, Wildest Dreams, Here To Eternity, Can I Play With Madness.

It's a little different but not much, imo.

[Dedalus]

It's a little different but not much, imo.

Absolutely.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Yea for me this sounded pretty much like they've done on all the reunion albums atleast, a kinda of middle paced song.

[425]

I mean, this is way less different than Empire of the Clouds. Given that they put that on their 16th album, I wouldn't put anything past them for their 17th, and wouldn't try to stop them.