The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[ErHaO]

I like the album but don't love it two sessions in, thus far it is less appealing to me than the past couple of Maiden releases.

[KevShmev]

Also, KevSchmev, go for it and let us know if Maiden finally clicks.  I remember being a new DTF member, bumping into your thread of top 50 bands that was going on at the time and being shocked that Maiden isn't on it. I was an 18-year-old that had no idea there were metalheads that didn't have Maiden in their top 50. 

Well, to be fair, I do not consider myself a metalhead.  I like some metal, but have always thought of myself as more of a rocker than a metalhead.  I cannot remember that exact top 50, but I suspect there were only a handful of bands or so that would be considered metal (or a subgenre of metal) - Priest, Sabbath, DT, Opeth, Devin Townsend.  I guess Queensryche, too, since many consider them metal.

That aside, I am looking forward to it.  Probably will get this going in two weeks. 

[Art]

Wolfking posts rule!

I really like Senjutsu, to me it is cut from the same cloth as XF, (the best parts of)VXI and AMOLAD, i love when Maiden goes "dark".

I'm a big Reunion era IM fan, anyway.

[Architeuthis]

Really digging The Time Machine,  very fresh sounding.   

[Lupton]

Really digging The Time Machine,  very fresh sounding.   

Totally. Great track. Lyrics make me think of Doctor Who. And I don't care how many times Janick recycles his 1812 Overture lick, it's fucking killer.

And to echo everyone's sentiment. Fucking fantastic posts from wolfking. Made me realize how much varied soloing is going on in this record. I wanted more songs where all three axemen take solos. This record certainly delivers on that front!

[TAC]

The Time Machine is not one that's been immediate to me, but I gave it a good listen and I think I know why. The song proper is pretty good, but I actually find the (Talisman sounding) intro and outro both unnecessary and distracting.

[Dedalus]

What is your favorite intro?

Mine is Lost in a Lost World. Mesmerizing. A 70s vibe.   

[TAC]

What is your favorite intro?

Mine is Lost in a Lost World. Mesmerizing. A 70s vibe.

Definitely. That was one of my first impressions last week..

It's loaded with vocal hooks. Listening to the beginning of Lost In A Lost World..That's one! Real old 70's (Nektar?) vibe to it.

LIALW has a great intro, and a great outro as well.  That outro gives me goosebumps. That's a great song, and one of my favorites on the album. I find the transition to the chorus abrupt, but that's a small thing.


Speaking of that intro, is it me, or does it sound like Steve Harris singing for a second?

[Stadler]

What is your favorite intro?

Mine is Lost in a Lost World. Mesmerizing. A 70s vibe.

Definitely. That was one of my first impressions last week..

It's loaded with vocal hooks. Listening to the beginning of Lost In A Lost World..That's one! Real old 70's (Nektar?) vibe to it.

LIALW has a great intro, and a great outro as well.  That outro gives me goosebumps. That's a great song, and one of my favorites on the album. I find the transition to the chorus abrupt, but that's a small thing.


Speaking of that intro, is it me, or does it sound like Steve Harris singing for a second?

Yes, it does.

[Dedalus]

Definitely. That was one of my first impressions last week..

It's loaded with vocal hooks. Listening to the beginning of Lost In A Lost World..That's one! Real old 70's (Nektar?) vibe to it.

LIALW has a great intro, and a great outro as well.  That outro gives me goosebumps. That's a great song, and one of my favorites on the album. I find the transition to the chorus abrupt, but that's a small thing.

It's amazing.  Beautiful melody.

[wolfking]

Wolfking posts rule!

I really like Senjutsu, to me it is cut from the same cloth as XF, (the best parts of)VXI and AMOLAD, i love when Maiden goes "dark".

I'm a big Reunion era IM fan, anyway.

Really digging The Time Machine,  very fresh sounding.   

Totally. Great track. Lyrics make me think of Doctor Who. And I don't care how many times Janick recycles his 1812 Overture lick, it's fucking killer.

And to echo everyone's sentiment. Fucking fantastic posts from wolfking. Made me realize how much varied soloing is going on in this record. I wanted more songs where all three axemen take solos. This record certainly delivers on that front!

Cheers lads.

[wolfking]

What is your favorite intro?

Mine is Lost in a Lost World. Mesmerizing. A 70s vibe.

Thought immediately that this intro is what Bruce was talking about with the Moody Blues reference

[porcacultor]

LIALW has a great intro, and a great outro as well.  That outro gives me goosebumps. That's a great song, and one of my favorites on the album. I find the transition to the chorus abrupt, but that's a small thing.


Speaking of that intro, is it me, or does it sound like Steve Harris singing for a second?

Boy, I wonder if he's part of the "oooah" voices in the intro.

I honestly love it when he does harmonies with Bruce in Paschendale -- I think that only happened live and not in studio, which is why I tend to listen to the Death on the Road version more often.

[TAC]

What is your favorite intro?

Mine is Lost in a Lost World. Mesmerizing. A 70s vibe.

Thought immediately that this intro is what Bruce was talking about with the Moody Blues reference

Did he say that?...then yes!

I honestly love it when he does harmonies with Bruce in Paschendale -- I think that only happened live and not in studio, which is why I tend to listen to the Death on the Road version more often.

Death On The Road is my favorite Maiden live album.

[NoseofNicko]

I think Senjutsu has become my second favorite reunion album after Dance of Death. Great album that gets better with every listen.

[wolfking]

Yeah Tim, those short studio vids, the one with Bruce he was saying how there was some different stuff on here and referenced the Moody Blues.

[wolfking]

I think Senjutsu has become my second favorite reunion album after Dance of Death. Great album that gets better with every listen.

Yeah, I'm not jumping ahead of myself yet but this has me really excited.  It could rank up there.  Hopefully the novelty doesn't wear off quickly like it did for me with TBOS.

[NoFred]

Definitely. That was one of my first impressions last week..

It's loaded with vocal hooks. Listening to the beginning of Lost In A Lost World..That's one! Real old 70's (Nektar?) vibe to it.

LIALW has a great intro, and a great outro as well.  That outro gives me goosebumps. That's a great song, and one of my favorites on the album. I find the transition to the chorus abrupt, but that's a small thing.

It's amazing.  Beautiful melody.

Tighten up Senjutsu, drop intro to the Time Machine, and have Darkest Hour swap spots with Lost in a lost World… that’s a pretty good classic length and flow album for the first 8 songs.

Then close out with the 3 epics as they are. From my first listens, Hell on Earth is something special

[TAC]

Darkest Hour;

The solos, holy shit Adrian!  I haven't heard this kind of solo from him since Chemical Wedding.  The phrasing, the note selections  Those 3 notes at 4:36!  FFUUCCK!  This is why I love this guy as a guitarist.  His pure feel, and you can hear those tones are from his fingers, fucking class. How much Schenker is in this solo too!? 

Not enough!

I hear it.
Adrian had mentioned Michael Schenker a number of times as a main influence.

After a ridiculously busy weekend, I'm actually listening with you comments on one tab, and the lyrics on another.

This is a great album. I definitely have a pecking order of tracks. The lyrics, especially Steve's are fantastic. And Bruce's lyrics on The Darkest Hour are incredible.


Lots of talk on the solos but all three of them showed up for duty here. You know, as long as I've been a Maiden fan, I have never looked at their solos and compared them to guitar hero solos. Kind of like Schenker, they've always done what's right for the song.

[TAC]

"Feel the spirits of the old ones standing proud upon their race
And the testament to ancestors ~ that are never to retrace
Burn the flame of innocence ~ as they ride into the sun
Thinking now of our forefathers that are lying dead upon
Holy ground and sacred earth now
Revisit stolen youth"

 

[TAC]

Triple Post!

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread how bad Bruce sounded. Honestly, and I'm a lifelong Maiden fan, but I feel like the last 3 albums contain some of Bruce's best work.

[wolfking]

Combo breaker.

Appreciate you listening along with my thoughts Tim.  That means a lot.

I've never really compared the 3 amigos either in terms of guitar heroes either Tim, but Adrians tone and phrasing on this solo does remind me a bit of Schenker.

Also, I think Bruce sounds great on this one too.

[wolfking]

Lost in A Lost World is quickly climbing the rankings too.  That's a wonderful song and could be my fav middle instrumental section.  Those tempo shifts from Nicko backwards and forwards is outstanding.

[TAC]

Those tempo shifts from Nicko backwards and forwards is outstanding.

Yeah, there feels like some time signature changes..kind of.

So far my 3 faves are:
Hell On Earth
Lost In A Lost World
The Darkest Hour

[faizoff]

Yeah I too love Bruce's voice on this record. I think he sings according to the song's needs. Like the ending to Lost in a Lost World, total goosebumps at that end tag.

[wolfking]

Those tempo shifts from Nicko backwards and forwards is outstanding.

Yeah, there feels like some time signature changes..kind of.

So far my 3 faves are:
Hell On Earth
Lost In A Lost World
The Darkest Hour

Swap Hell on Earth with The Parchment and that's my top 3 currently.  Hell on Earth is probably 4th.

[TAC]

The Parchment has taken me a few listens. Not because I had doubts, but it's just so fucking massive to comprehend.


The Parchment is probably 4th.

[wolfking]

Haha, I'm absolutely loving these song structures though.  This album is all class.

[TAC]

Haha, I'm absolutely loving these song structures though. 

They should've just called this album Steve Harris' Cock.

[wolfking]

Haha, I'm absolutely loving these song structures though. 

They should've just called this album Steve Harris' Cock.

I'd be all over that.  Ummmmmm........wait....

[Mladen]

Those tempo shifts from Nicko backwards and forwards is outstanding.

Yeah, there feels like some time signature changes..kind of.

So far my 3 faves are:
Hell On Earth
Lost In A Lost World
The Darkest Hour

Add Stratego to the list and you have my top four.

[MirrorMask]

Lost in a Lost World is growing on me.

I'm still not over how Hell on Earth doesn't end with the chorus coming back again.

[gazinwales]

Just got through my first listen and all I can say is wow, this is so good.
The songs everything, but the sound is amazing KS has done a great job capturing the modern Maiden sound.
More to follow...

[soupytwist]

This album feels like the inverse of Book of Souls.  On that album I really loved the longer tracks and felt they were the strongest songs on the album (Eternity, Red & Black, Book of Souls and Empire of the Clouds).  On Senjutsu the 4 long epics are decent but none of them are great (IMO) however it's the shorter tracks that are standing out for me much more.

I think Final Frontier remains me favorite reunion album and Matter of Life and Death the weakest - the other 4 are on a similar level.

[IDontNotDoThings]

For those praising Lost In A Lost World, what do you think of Look For The Truth? The two songs sound very similar to me, yet I find that the latter tends to be overlooked.