The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[pg1067]

Yep, some Deep Purple vibes in there...

Two songs in, I have to say I'm a bit underwhelmed. It feels a bit...plodding...overall. The production is kinda lifeless

So...sort of a Senjutsu Part 2?

[cramx3]

I've only listened to each song once, but I feel like I like this one better than the first one, but I liked the first one.

I think this song has major grower potential, and I'm actually even more looking forward to this album now.

This is me as well.  One listen each, first song was good but didn't wow me at all.  Second song was also good but I felt like it was unique and would grow on more listens. I jsut don't want to spoil an album I'm really looking forward to so I'm not going to give these too many listens at all for now.   But because this song was better, I'm now thinking the album does have more potential than it did after the first single. 

Hopefully the rest of the album is even better, which is entirely possible.

[nick_z]

Yep, some Deep Purple vibes in there...

Two songs in, I have to say I'm a bit underwhelmed. It feels a bit...plodding...overall. The production is kinda lifeless

So...sort of a Senjutsu Part 2?

Except not as good (I did enjoy Senjutsu), at least based on these…

Make of that what you will 

[TAC]

Janick!! 67 today!

[porcacultor]

Funny how some of the gritty parts in the vocals remind me of old Paul Di'Anno (only with a lot more control).

What I don't really dig is the chorus. For an album that's been years in the making, the chorus sadly sounds a bit thrown together at the last minute. Apparently the last track was also pretty much sung "on the spot" according to Bruce in a recent interview, so maybe that freshness excites Bruce.

The video might be what I dug the most! Clearly Bruce and the gang are having fun, which is good.

Nothing wrong with the track, but this album isn't shaping up to suddenly be a favorite of mine. Which is fine.

[wolfking]

Janick!! 67 today!

   Such an underrated member!

[TAC]

Janick!! 67 today!

   Such an underrated member!

Especially if one likes the Reunion Era. His fingerprints are all over it.

[wolfking]

The reunion era as a whole wouldn't be anywhere near as diverse or exciting as it is without him there.  He gives it a certain edge with some of the best songs scattered throughout.

[Setlist Scotty]

The reunion era as a whole wouldn't be anywhere near as diverse or exciting as it is without him there.  He gives it a certain edge with some of the best songs scattered throughout.

Mind giving some examples of his best contributions? In all honesty, he's always been my least favorite member (besides Blaze) and they lost me with AMoLaD. Even DoD was just OK, and when I heard El Dorado, pretty much gave up on Maiden. Still love the stuff from the 80s, BNW and even most of NPFtD, but otherwise I gave up on them.

[wolfking]

The reunion era as a whole wouldn't be anywhere near as diverse or exciting as it is without him there.  He gives it a certain edge with some of the best songs scattered throughout.

Mind giving some examples of his best contributions? In all honesty, he's always been my least favorite member (besides Blaze) and they lost me with AMoLaD. Even DoD was just OK, and when I heard El Dorado, pretty much gave up on Maiden. Still love the stuff from the 80s, BNW and even most of NPFtD, but otherwise I gave up on them.

The Talisman
Dance of Death
The Book of Souls
The Legacy
The Alchemist
Montsegur
Ghost of the Navigator
Out of the Silent Planet

The Talisman is a top 5 Maiden song for me and DOD, TBOS and TL are 3 songs that are 3 of the best reunion songs for me.

[TAC]

The reunion era as a whole wouldn't be anywhere near as diverse or exciting as it is without him there.  He gives it a certain edge with some of the best songs scattered throughout.

Mind giving some examples of his best contributions? In all honesty, he's always been my least favorite member (besides Blaze) and they lost me with AMoLaD. Even DoD was just OK, and when I heard El Dorado, pretty much gave up on Maiden. Still love the stuff from the 80s, BNW and even most of NPFtD, but otherwise I gave up on them.

El Dorado blows Scotty. The rest of The Final Frontier is amazing. The Book Of Souls has some great moments, and Senjutsu is fantastic.


Janick's best songs..

Dance Of Death
The Talisman
The Book Of Souls
The Legacy
Montesegur


I think Janick takes some heat for his solos, but I honestly think it's due to him trying to find some space between Dave and Adrian. His solos on Tattooed Millionaire are quite melodic. Not sure how Kade feels, but I think he might be their best rhythm player. It's usually his lead lines you hear in the verses underneath the vocal lines. I know some people don't care for that, but I like it. Also, he has tremendous pick control, especially while being so energetic on stage.

The other thing that to me is underrated about the Reunion Era is that I simply don't think it's as effective without the band's chemistry. Sure, they could make a great living touring off of the 80's like so many other forgettable bands, but they've been both productive and have made music that has pushed their own boundaries...for them of course. I think Janick is a "glue guy".  He has a great personality that blends with everyone.

I know he can be a bit clownish on stage, but I can't imagine going to a Maiden show, and not seeing him there whooping it up.


One other thing...I know No Prayer blows, and Janick had nothing to do with that, but that tour was incredible. He brought so much energy to the show, and I thought he really unlocked Dave's personality.

[wolfking]

The reunion era as a whole wouldn't be anywhere near as diverse or exciting as it is without him there.  He gives it a certain edge with some of the best songs scattered throughout.

Mind giving some examples of his best contributions? In all honesty, he's always been my least favorite member (besides Blaze) and they lost me with AMoLaD. Even DoD was just OK, and when I heard El Dorado, pretty much gave up on Maiden. Still love the stuff from the 80s, BNW and even most of NPFtD, but otherwise I gave up on them.

El Dorado blows Scotty. The rest of The Final Frontier is amazing. The Book Of Souls has some great moments, and Senjutsu is fantastic.


Janick's best songs..

Dance Of Death
The Talisman
The Book Of Souls
The Legacy
Montesegur


I think Janick takes some heat for his solos, but I honestly think it's due to him trying to find some space between Dave and Adrian. His solos on Tattooed Millionaire are quite melodic. Not sure how Kade feels, but I think he might be their best rhythm player. It's usually his lead lines you hear in the verses underneath the vocal lines. I know some people don't care for that, but I like it. Also, he has tremendous pick control, especially while being so energetic on stage.

The other thing that to me is underrated about the Reunion Era is that I simply don't think it's as effective without the band's chemistry. Sure, they could make a great living touring off of the 80's like so many other forgettable bands, but they've been both productive and have made music that has pushed their own boundaries...for them of course. I think Janick is a "glue guy".  He has a great personality that blends with everyone.

I know he can be a bit clownish on stage, but I can't imagine going to a Maiden show, and not seeing him there whooping it up.


One other thing...I know No Prayer blows, and Janick had nothing to do with that, but that tour was incredible. He brought so much energy to the show, and I thought he really unlocked Dave's personality.

I've never given any thought about the 3 of them in a rhythm sense to be honest.  I will echo what you say about his right hand technique though, it's very fluid and relaxed so I can see why you'd think he's the best rhythm wise. 

I agree about the chemistry he brings too and I think takes some pressure off Dave and Adrian.  I think both of them value him as much as they do each other.  Plus his songs in the reunion era add that extra something to give it much more diversity within the albums. 

He gets heat for a lot of his live solos and yeah, sometimes they are shit, but as a lead player, a lot of his solos are fucking fantastic and melodically as good as Dave or Adrian.  Plus his signature style slower solos like Wasting Love, Blood Brothers and 2AM are fucking amazing, what's not to like?  There's nothing in the studio he's done that I don't like.  He's a fucking great guitar player.  Speaking of Tattooed Millionaire and those slower solos, Son of A Gun, just fucking brilliant.  You can't knock the playing on that.

You are also correct, the bands performance on stage between the 80's to the two tours afterwards is next level.  He certainly allowed or did something with Dave to let him let his hair down.  Donington 92 is still one of my fav concerts due to the energy from the entire band.  There's no coincidence the bands stage energy went up when Janick joined.

[Zydar]

I've never given any thought about the 3 of them in a rhythm sense to be honest.  I will echo what you say about his right hand technique though, it's very fluid and relaxed so I can see why you'd think he's the best rhythm wise. 

I agree about the chemistry he brings too and I think takes some pressure off Dave and Adrian.  I think both of them value him as much as they do each other.  Plus his songs in the reunion era add that extra something to give it much more diversity within the albums. 

He gets heat for a lot of his live solos and yeah, sometimes they are shit, but as a lead player, a lot of his solos are fucking fantastic and melodically as good as Dave or Adrian.  Plus his signature style slower solos like Wasting Love, Blood Brothers and 2AM are fucking amazing, what's not to like?  There's nothing in the studio he's done that I don't like.  He's a fucking great guitar player.  Speaking of Tattooed Millionaire and those slower solos, Son of A Gun, just fucking brilliant.  You can't knock the playing on that.

You are also correct, the bands performance on stage between the 80's to the two tours afterwards is next level.  He certainly allowed or did something with Dave to let him let his hair down.  Donington 92 is still one of my fav concerts due to the energy from the entire band.  There's no coincidence the bands stage energy went up when Janick joined.

Too bad the concert video (or the editing) is seizure inducing - but I guess that's a reflection of the live energy 

[MirrorMask]

Glad to see some love for Janick. I agree about his musical importance in the reunion era, and how he surely must be a good glue between all the personalities.

I mean, Steve Harris is no moron and he's never suffered fools, do you think he'd keep the guys around for more than 3 decades if he was not offering anything of value musically and personally? he also appreciates loyalty, Janick came and gave them a shot in the arm in the No Prayer tour, if the three guitars thing wouldn't have worked out, Adrian would have gone, not Janick. Yeah, he prances around on stage, and sometimes he's not that precise, who cares - as long as he's not making blatant mistakes, no one who isn't a guitarist, in the frenzy of the concert and the loud volume, is gonna notice. Singers.... anyone can realize the way they're singing, but the musicians? if you're not a musician yourself and you're not extremely focused on the performance, you won't realize little mistakes, only the major screwups.

[wolfking]

I've never given any thought about the 3 of them in a rhythm sense to be honest.  I will echo what you say about his right hand technique though, it's very fluid and relaxed so I can see why you'd think he's the best rhythm wise. 

I agree about the chemistry he brings too and I think takes some pressure off Dave and Adrian.  I think both of them value him as much as they do each other.  Plus his songs in the reunion era add that extra something to give it much more diversity within the albums. 

He gets heat for a lot of his live solos and yeah, sometimes they are shit, but as a lead player, a lot of his solos are fucking fantastic and melodically as good as Dave or Adrian.  Plus his signature style slower solos like Wasting Love, Blood Brothers and 2AM are fucking amazing, what's not to like?  There's nothing in the studio he's done that I don't like.  He's a fucking great guitar player.  Speaking of Tattooed Millionaire and those slower solos, Son of A Gun, just fucking brilliant.  You can't knock the playing on that.

You are also correct, the bands performance on stage between the 80's to the two tours afterwards is next level.  He certainly allowed or did something with Dave to let him let his hair down.  Donington 92 is still one of my fav concerts due to the energy from the entire band.  There's no coincidence the bands stage energy went up when Janick joined.

Too bad the concert video (or the editing) is seizure inducing - but I guess that's a reflection of the live energy 

That is the only downfall of the video but I guess it was the first VHS I purchased and watched it each afternoon after school so I'm probably biased here.

[wolfking]

Glad to see some love for Janick. I agree about his musical importance in the reunion era, and how he surely must be a good glue between all the personalities.

I mean, Steve Harris is no moron and he's never suffered fools, do you think he'd keep the guys around for more than 3 decades if he was not offering anything of value musically and personally? he also appreciates loyalty, Janick came and gave them a shot in the arm in the No Prayer tour, if the three guitars thing wouldn't have worked out, Adrian would have gone, not Janick. Yeah, he prances around on stage, and sometimes he's not that precise, who cares - as long as he's not making blatant mistakes, no one who isn't a guitarist, in the frenzy of the concert and the loud volume, is gonna notice. Singers.... anyone can realize the way they're singing, but the musicians? if you're not a musician yourself and you're not extremely focused on the performance, you won't realize little mistakes, only the major screwups.

From memory when the discussions with Bruce happened about rejoining he said he wouldn't come back without Adrian.  Just seemed to fall in place.  I doubt there was any ever thought of not having all 3.

[Stadler]

Glad to see some love for Janick. I agree about his musical importance in the reunion era, and how he surely must be a good glue between all the personalities.

I mean, Steve Harris is no moron and he's never suffered fools, do you think he'd keep the guys around for more than 3 decades if he was not offering anything of value musically and personally? he also appreciates loyalty, Janick came and gave them a shot in the arm in the No Prayer tour, if the three guitars thing wouldn't have worked out, Adrian would have gone, not Janick. Yeah, he prances around on stage, and sometimes he's not that precise, who cares - as long as he's not making blatant mistakes, no one who isn't a guitarist, in the frenzy of the concert and the loud volume, is gonna notice. Singers.... anyone can realize the way they're singing, but the musicians? if you're not a musician yourself and you're not extremely focused on the performance, you won't realize little mistakes, only the major screwups.

From memory when the discussions with Bruce happened about rejoining he said he wouldn't come back without Adrian.  Just seemed to fall in place.  I doubt there was any ever thought of not having all 3.

But Mirror is correct; Steve has said point blank that if it DIDN'T work, Adrian was gone, not Janick.  I rag on him, because he's my least favorite of the three (Davey is the bomb) but I do respect his contributions. He's just got to stop with the Cinderella guitar swing, man.  Ugh. 

He also co-wrote my favorite Fish solo song, "A View From The Hill", so there's that too.

[wolfking]

Glad to see some love for Janick. I agree about his musical importance in the reunion era, and how he surely must be a good glue between all the personalities.

I mean, Steve Harris is no moron and he's never suffered fools, do you think he'd keep the guys around for more than 3 decades if he was not offering anything of value musically and personally? he also appreciates loyalty, Janick came and gave them a shot in the arm in the No Prayer tour, if the three guitars thing wouldn't have worked out, Adrian would have gone, not Janick. Yeah, he prances around on stage, and sometimes he's not that precise, who cares - as long as he's not making blatant mistakes, no one who isn't a guitarist, in the frenzy of the concert and the loud volume, is gonna notice. Singers.... anyone can realize the way they're singing, but the musicians? if you're not a musician yourself and you're not extremely focused on the performance, you won't realize little mistakes, only the major screwups.

From memory when the discussions with Bruce happened about rejoining he said he wouldn't come back without Adrian.  Just seemed to fall in place.  I doubt there was any ever thought of not having all 3.

But Mirror is correct; Steve has said point blank that if it DIDN'T work, Adrian was gone, not Janick.  I rag on him, because he's my least favorite of the three (Davey is the bomb) but I do respect his contributions. He's just got to stop with the Cinderella guitar swing, man.  Ugh. 

He also co-wrote my favorite Fish solo song, "A View From The Hill", so there's that too.

Wow, I didn't know that part!

[nick_z]

He also co-wrote my favorite Fish solo song, "A View From The Hill", so there's that too.

You know, I JUST listened to Vigil today, and I was going to mention it on the thread, given the chatter around Gers. Funny. Great album and great song!

Back to Gers…Not a huge fan of his style, to be honest, but I agree with the general sentiment here on his good influence on Maiden as a “band”..

[DoctorAction]

Re Janick - I don't much enjoy his typical leads for Maiden, but he's a great writer for the band.

[ProfessorPeart]

I ragged on Janick a lot in the earlier days of his tenure, but then, Adrian is my favorite guitarist so there was some added sting.

As time went on, I have grown to respect him quite a bit. I noticed that many of my favorite tracks has him as a co-writer on them. Plus, I think he got better live as time went on. I remember the last time I saw them was when DT was opening (MP was still there), after the show was over and we were in the car I said to my friends, 'is it me, or was Janick really nailing it tonight?', and they all agreed. They were going to say the same thing.

So, nothing but respect for the guy now.

[DTwwbwMP]

On stage, I do everything I can to ignore Janick. SO ANNOYING!

[devieira73]

First (short) review of the album, I believe: https://roadiecrew.com/roadie-crew-278-jan-fev/
(personally I like a lot this specific reviewer, BUT I'm doubting that this album will land for me as a 9.5/10. I would give that to Accident of Birth, which is my Bruce's favorite)

I trusted a bit on Google Translator, so, sorry for any mistakes:
BRUCE DICKINSON - THE MANDRAKE PROJECT (9.5/10)
Not that Bruce Dickinson has stood still - which he literally can't do, by the way - but 19 years is really a long time to wait for a new solo album. Fortunately, The Mandrake Project is exactly what fans expected, especially those who were anxious about the quality of the previous three albums. With the same team from Tyranny of Souls (2005) on the instrumental part - Roy Z (guitar and bass), Maestro Mistheria (keyboards) and Dave Moreno (drums), with Tanya O'Callaghan taking over the four strings on the tour - and the partnership with his right-hand man Roy on the creative side, Dickinson gave birth to a work that transcends music, as you can see in the interview that illustrates the cover of this edition. Furthermore, he can boast of having recorded some of the best songs of his career,  and one of them has a particular spotlight: Sonata (Immortal Beloved), the most beautiful song you will hear in 2024 (yes, my money is on this), with a chorus whose simplicity is a triumph thanks to an emotional interpretation by Dickinson, as well as a Pink Floyd-like ending that highlights Roy Z's fingers... Fantastic! For those who were waiting for a simpler ballad, to put alongside Tears of the Dragon and Man of Sorrows, there is Face in the Mirror, so everyone leaves satisfied, especially because the rest of the material is well above average. And Afterglow of Ragnarok, believe me, doesn't do it justice alone, especially with the great Many Doors to Hell (more hard/classic rock, with a touch of Scorpions at the beginning) and Rain on the Graves (with something of Alice Cooper in both sections instrumentals and spoken vocal melody) coming next. The Iron Maiden vibes don't just appear in the wonderful Eternity Has Failed, which became If Eternity Should Fail nine years ago at the hands of Iron Maiden, who respected its structure; and that's because Mistress of Mercy could very well be one of those blockbuster tracks, and the guitar theme before the solo is just a confirmation. And after all this, there are three tracks that still manage to stand out with praise: the powerful and surprising Resurrection Men, the short but rich Fingers in the Wounds and Shadow of the Gods, in which Dickinson shows why he is one of the greatest vocalists of all the time.

Tracklist: 01 - Afterglow of Ragnarok 05:45; 02 - Many Doors to Hell 04:48; 03 - Rain on the Graves 05:04; 04 - Resurrection Men 06:23; 05 - Fingers in the Wounds 03:38; 06 - Eternity Has Failed 06:58; 07 - Mistress of Mercy 05:07; 08 - Face In the Mirror 04:07; 09 - Shadow of the Gods 07:01; 10 - Sonata (Immortal Beloved) 09:50.

[wolfking]

Sonata (Immortal Beloved), the most beautiful song you will hear in 2024 (yes, my money is on this)

I'm glad the review is so positive, but it's hard to take it seriously with this sort of statement.  If it were in the second half of the year, fair enough, but January?  Come on?!

[devieira73]

Sonata (Immortal Beloved), the most beautiful song you will hear in 2024 (yes, my money is on this)

I'm glad the review is so positive, but it's hard to take it seriously with this sort of statement.  If it were in the second half of the year, fair enough, but January?  Come on?!

 
As a brazilian, I guess what he really meant to say is "this song is so incredibly gorgeous that I can't imagine any other song that still will come out this year will surpass it". Yes, probably, he's exaggerating a bit, but, overall, my musical tastes have a lot of affinity with his - so probably I will at least like this album a lot. But, like I said before, very very hard to believe that this album will better than Accident of Birth (or Chemical Wedding) for me.

[Stadler]

Sonata (Immortal Beloved), the most beautiful song you will hear in 2024 (yes, my money is on this)

I'm glad the review is so positive, but it's hard to take it seriously with this sort of statement.  If it were in the second half of the year, fair enough, but January?  Come on?!

As someone who does reviews, I HATE reviewers that tell me I'm going to like it or I'm going to be "satisfied".  Tell me what to expect, put it in context, but I don't really care if you LOVE it or not, or whether you think I will love it or not. You don't know me! 

[devieira73]

About expecting Sonata being the most beautiful song this year this soon, for me, I can only imagine listening to something at the same level of Silent Lucidity or Dust in the Wind (and I know, it seems like Sonata isn't the same kind of ballad) and feel this way. I remember when I've listened to Silent Lucidity for the first time when Empire was released, I immediately thought "if people in general hear this song, they will LOVE it and it will be a number one on MTV". And this was literally what happened later, for weeks!(at least here in Brazil). BTW, Tears of the Dragon is the definitive Bruce's ballad, it will be hard to top that and I'm OK with that.

[WardySI]

About expecting Sonata being the most beautiful song this year this soon, for me, I can only imagine listening to something at the same level of Silent Lucidity or Dust in the Wind (and I know, it seems like Sonata isn't the same kind of ballad) and feel this way. I remember when I've listened to Silent Lucidity for the first time when Empire was released, I immediately thought "if people in general hear this song, they will LOVE it and it will be a number one on MTV". And this was literally what happened later, for weeks!(at least here in Brazil). BTW, Tears of the Dragon is the definitive Bruce's ballad, it will be hard to top that and I'm OK with that.

+1

[TAC]

Tears Of The Dragon is amazing.

So is Omega.

[wolfking]

Tears Of The Dragon is amazing.

So is Omega.

Such an underrated cut.  Roy's part of the solo is incredible.

[TAC]

Tears Of The Dragon is amazing.

So is Omega.

Such an underrated cut.  Roy's part of the solo is incredible.

Yeah, the solos are great.

[wolfking]

Tears Of The Dragon is amazing.

So is Omega.

Such an underrated cut.  Roy's part of the solo is incredible.

Yeah, the solos are great.

Possibly the only song I'd take Roy's solo over Adrian but both are so different and perfect for their parts in the song.

[wolfking]

But, like I said before, very very hard to believe that this album will better than Accident of Birth (or Chemical Wedding) for me.

I've been meaning to come back to this.  To me, it in no way CAN top either CW or AOB.  I know I'm very biased towards those albums and I have only heard two out of ten songs from the new one, but we've lived with both of those classic albums for up to 25 years or more depending on when you discovered them.  That's a long time and to a certain degree, the pair hits a certain benchmark IMO.  For something in the current time to upset even one of these is just something that really I think is impossible.  These two albums and the time they came out and everything around them just felt special and they've had that time to chalk up their status and age in peoples minds.

I just hope the new one is a GOOD album.

[cramx3]

But, like I said before, very very hard to believe that this album will better than Accident of Birth (or Chemical Wedding) for me.

I've been meaning to come back to this.  To me, it in no way CAN top either CW or AOB.  I know I'm very biased towards those albums and I have only heard two out of ten songs from the new one, but we've lived with both of those classic albums for up to 25 years or more depending on when you discovered them.  That's a long time and to a certain degree, the pair hits a certain benchmark IMO.  For something in the current time to upset even one of these is just something that really I think is impossible.  These two albums and the time they came out and everything around them just felt special and they've had that time to chalk up their status and age in peoples minds.

I just hope the new one is a GOOD album.

Yeah, I kind of doubt it will be better than either of those, but it doesn't need to be better, just good and there's a lot of room for that underneath those two albums.  But if it is just as good or better, than I think I'm in for a very pleasant listening experience.

[devieira73]

Tears Of The Dragon is amazing.

So is Omega.

Listened to it after a long time. Indeed it's literally 99.9% amazing as Tears of The Dragon.