The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[cramx3]

+1 on the love for Omega, amazing song.

[MirrorMask]

+1 on the love for Omega, amazing song.

+2

I'm not bothered by some hyperbole in reviews. If the reviewer is so entusiastic that he just has to say "ok, we already have the best song of 2024" so be it. I don't need a review to rise my expectation about the long, closing track of an upcoming Bruce solo album 

[TAC]

It is extremely rare that I even read reviews. It's just some dude's opinion.
I'm always skeptical of reviews anyway.

[devieira73]

I like to read reviews more to have an idea about the overall direction of the album, what to expect of some tracks in style, than to create expectations about how much I will like the album (ok, maybe a little expectation, if I already have some affinity with the reviewer or the site or the magazine).

[wolfking]

It is extremely rare that I even read reviews. It's just some dude's opinion.
I'm always skeptical of reviews anyway.

Yeah, I gave up on reviews a long time ago.

[WardySI]

Tears Of The Dragon is amazing.

So is Omega.

Yep and so is Arc Of Space!

All a terrific finale to am exceptional album.

[MirrorMask]

https://metalitalia.com/articolo/bruce-dickinson-il-nuovo-album-the-mandrake-project-traccia-per-traccia/

Italian track by track, if you trust Google Translate.

In very, very short:

01. AFTERGLOW OF RAGNAROK
Not representative of the whole album 'cause the album is varied.

02. MANY DOORS TO HELL
Standard simple song, hammond organ, melodic.

03. RAIN ON THE GRAVES
Not among the best of the album.

04. RESURRECTION MAN
Western atmosphere, acoustic guitar, Morricone feel, then the electric part comes in, nice chorus, then it changes mood and goes into Sabbath territory.

05. FINGERS IN THE WOUNDS
Keyboard led, there's piano and acoustic guitars, but it's not really a ballad, some arab-ey melodies and there's a good solo in the Kashmir, Gates of Babylon vein.

06. ETERNITY HAS FAILED
It's just the demo for If Eternity Should Fail.

07. MISTRESS OF MERCY
The most "Accident of Birth" track, '90s feel. Title track, Road to Hell and Starchildren are mentioned for reference.

08. FACE IN THE MIRROR
The first "true" ballad, simple but poignant.

09. SHADOW OF THE GODS
Structured like Omega in the sense that the first half is a (piano) ballad, then it gets heavier. It's a progression - starts acoustic, then orchestral, and then the heaviness arrives.

10. SONATA (IMMORTAL BELOVED)
Described as very experimental, dreamy, a bit of a WTF song that didn't fully convince the reviewer, the more it goes on, the more it goes off the tangent and off the "classic song structure", giving the impression that Bruce is just randomly improvizing vocal lines like if the song was an embryonic one.  Totally did not expect such a description.

[MinistroRaven]

Rodrigo talked with Dennis Stratton yesterday; here's the interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4P1mSxMVuI

[soupytwist]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

[TAC]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

It's not the album people would've wanted after any album.

I mean, I like a number of tracks, but it's simply too weak on so many levels.

[cramx3]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

It's not the album people would've wanted after any album.

I mean, I like a number of tracks, but it's simply too weak on so many levels.

Yeah, I think I agree with the idea that the album feels more like their Dianno years than the 7th Son album, but I also agree that the songs generally just aren't good that I don't know if it would have been received better if released then.  It could have actually been a detriment to their career if they did.

[MirrorMask]

The idea was intriguing. Hey, we've taken the bombastic, refined, almost symphonic approach as far as we could go with Seventh Son, how about we strip it down for a contrast? we gave you as b-sides Prowler sang by Bruce, now imagine, a raw album like the debut but with Bruce! how cool would it be?

narrator's voice: turns out the album wasn't that cool after all.....

[El Barto]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

I agree that it's an outlier, but out of curiosity, would you include FoaD in that category? I think they're both outliers and both overall rather unlikable. As TAC said, good songs on both, but neither was a good album, and to my ear they sound quite similar.

[TAC]

I happen to think Fear Of The Dark is light years ahead of No Prayer. It's 3-4 songs too long. Unfortunately they included B-side material to fill their first album of the CD age.

Personally, I love Fear Of The Dark, that is a stripped down 8 or 9 song version.

[Indiscipline]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

It's not the album people would've wanted after any album.

I mean, I like a number of tracks, but it's simply too weak on so many levels.

Yeah, I think I agree with the idea that the album feels more like their Dianno years than the 7th Son album, but I also agree that the songs generally just aren't good that I don't know if it would have been received better if released then.  It could have actually been a detriment to their career if they did.

I agree, mainly because I feel the Dianno years output is vastly superior to both No Prayer and Fear. I can only see Afraid to Shoot Strangers belonging in IM or Killers.

[El Barto]

I happen to think Fear Of The Dark is light years ahead of No Prayer. It's 3-4 songs too long. Unfortunately they included B-side material to fill their first album of the CD age.

Personally, I love Fear Of The Dark, that is a stripped down 8 or 9 song version.

I mostly associate them because of Bruce's vocals. Distinct from what he sounded like both before and after those two albums. Add to that you could take songs from both rather tepid albums and make one very good album, Bruce's vocals not withstanding. And of course the fact that they both suck compared to the two albums that bookended them.

[Zydar]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

I agree that it's an outlier, but out of curiosity, would you include FoaD in that category? I think they're both outliers and both overall rather unlikable. As TAC said, good songs on both, but neither was a good album, and to my ear they sound quite similar.

I would include FoTD with No Prayer, I often look at them as Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. I think you could get a pretty good album if you took the best tracks from each.

[cramx3]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

I agree that it's an outlier, but out of curiosity, would you include FoaD in that category? I think they're both outliers and both overall rather unlikable. As TAC said, good songs on both, but neither was a good album, and to my ear they sound quite similar.

I would include FoTD with No Prayer, I often look at them as Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. I think you could get a pretty good album if you took the best tracks from each.

A combo would certainly be light years better, but probably still wouldn't compete with most of the rest of IM's catalog IMO. 

[Stadler]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

I agree with your concept, but not as it applies to that period of Maiden's evolution.  I think Number was the perfect extension of Killers.  It took the galloping rhythm (Another Life), the concept of the twin guitars (not fully explored on the debut) and the epic non-traditional songwriting (Murders In The Rue Morgue; Killers) and took them to the next level, but with the epic air raid siren vocals of a true metal frontman (Di'Anno, as great as he was, was always a punk in the musical sense of the word).  There's none of that on NPFTD.  No Prayer is an AC/DC record in more ways than just Dickenson's vocal stylings. 

I think No Prayer was Dickenson subtlely - or not, as is turned out - and not so successfully - as it turned out - asserting his co-dominance with Harris, something he now shares in the reunion era.   

[soupytwist]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

I agree that it's an outlier, but out of curiosity, would you include FoaD in that category? I think they're both outliers and both overall rather unlikable. As TAC said, good songs on both, but neither was a good album, and to my ear they sound quite similar.

Fear for me is Maiden's worst Bruce album, and their 2nd weakest overall.  It feels completely directionless, but that in turn does feel a bit like the reaction to the negativity to No Prayer.

I'm a bit of a No Prayer defender - It's nowhere near top tier, but I think there 6 worst Maiden albums and a couple of others that it's on par with.

[wolfking]

FOTD used to just make my Maiden top 5, I love it.  Not sure if I would these days though.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Bruce was notably unhappy with the way No Prayer came out - not so much the songwriting, but the production. It was one of the last albums to use the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, with technology that was already outdated. Fear of the Dark was a little better production-wise, but at the same time I absolutely HATE Nicko's drums on that album. It's bloated, full of songs that are also in the hard rock vein, but without charm and/or direction. I mean...Weekend Warriors? The Apparition? Come on, that's not the Maiden we grew to love in the 80's. Not sure what they were going for on that one.

 Out of curiosity, the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is now sitting in a museum in Calgary, along with the drum kit that Neil Peart used to record the "hockey theme".

[WardySI]

Yes but the entire Fear Of The Dark album is sved by Judas Be My Guide.

Hands down a Maiden deep cut classic 

[RodrigoAltaf]

Yes but the entire Fear Of The Dark album is sved by Judas Be My Guide.

Hands down a Maiden deep cut classic 

 An ok song, made better by how much many of the songs around it suck.

[Zydar]

Yes but the entire Fear Of The Dark album is sved by Judas Be My Guide.

Hands down a Maiden deep cut classic 

Definitely, I've always loved that song. So underrated.

[jjrock88]

I always thought Weekend Warrior was awesome too.

[pg1067]

Just a random thought.  The evolution of Maiden is pretty logical and can been pretty easily traced though their discography - but No Prayer seems like a complete outlier, it feels like it should fit between Killers and Beast.  I wonder if it's reputation would have been higher if it was released then, I personally thinks it a solid collection of tracks, but it just wasn't the album people wanted from Maiden after 7th.

I agree that it's an outlier, but out of curiosity, would you include FoaD in that category? I think they're both outliers and both overall rather unlikable. As TAC said, good songs on both, but neither was a good album, and to my ear they sound quite similar.

Fear for me is Maiden's worst Bruce album, and their 2nd weakest overall.  It feels completely directionless, but that in turn does feel a bit like the reaction to the negativity to No Prayer.

I'm a bit of a No Prayer defender - It's nowhere near top tier, but I think there 6 worst Maiden albums and a couple of others that it's on par with.

At the time, following Powerslave, each successive album was worse than the one before it.  In retrospect, I regard NPFTD as being better than both SSOASS and Fear.  Both SSOASS and Fear have songs that are better than anything on NPFTD, but NPFTD (similar to SIT) is far more consistent and doesn't have as many low moments as SS and Fear.

[Stadler]

Yes but the entire Fear Of The Dark album is sved by Judas Be My Guide.

Hands down a Maiden deep cut classic 

If by that you mean "From Here To Eternity" I'm with you! 

[DoctorAction]

FOTD and NPFTD. Hmm

FOTD

Wasting Love is ok. Be Quick too. JbMG and FoTD songs are great. The rest is just head scratchingly "off" to me. Was disappointed with it when it came out and my opinion hasn't changed.

NPFTD

No Prayer I never had a problem with when it came out but actually it's way off too. Never play it. I like the title track and Public Enema (despite the crappy title). Hooks In You is appalling but the riff is fantastic. Bring Your Daughter is bad. BUT - Run Silent Run Deep is up there with Judas Be My Guide for me. I completely love it. Triplet chugging verse. Massive chorus. Great subject matter.

4 crappy albums across that decade. Was a loooong 10 years.

[Stadler]

FOTD and NPFTD. Hmm

FOTD

Wasting Love is ok. Be Quick too. JbMG and FoTD songs are great. The rest is just head scratchingly "off" to me. Was disappointed with it when it came out and my opinion hasn't changed.

NPFTD

No Prayer I never had a problem with when it came out but actually it's way off too. Never play it. I like the title track and Public Enema (despite the crappy title). Hooks In You is appalling but the riff is fantastic. Bring Your Daughter is bad. BUT - Run Silent Run Deep is up there with Judas Be My Guide for me. I completely love it. Triplet chugging verse. Massive chorus. Great subject matter.

4 crappy albums across that decade. Was a loooong 10 years.

Made it a little challenging to be a fan, no? 

[TAC]

Wow, so many great tunes across those 4 albums.

[wolfking]

Wow, so many great tunes across those 4 albums.

Absolutely.

 
Here's a controversial one for you all. these days, I probably listen to more of those albums than I do of the 80's stuff.  I just listened to No Prayer the other day.  PEN1 and FW are two fantastic songs.  Dave was in fine form here.

[soupytwist]

Thing that always amazes me about Maiden is the near complete lack of original non album tracks there are.  They must be laser focused in the studio or they are sitting on a vault of stuff!

[DoctorAction]

4 crappy albums across that decade. Was a loooong 10 years.

Made it a little challenging to be a fan, no? 

Oh, it did. I remember mainly feeling sad. By the time VXI came out I'd effectively come to terms with it and didn't even buy it. (Not to do with Blaze. I loved Wolfsbane so was happy with him as a choice.) Someone actually gave me an EMI promo pressing of the album a long time after it came out. I only listened to it when I heard Bruce and Adrian were coming back. I quite enjoy Futureal and Clansman.

[WardySI]

I was fortunate (or tbf unfortunate depending how you see it) that I didn't come into the Maiden fold properly until the early 90's.  I mean sure I knew a little of them but it wasn't until after my Queensryche obsession did I properly hunt out all things Ed.  So what that allowed for was a slightly less unbiased exploration of 90's Maiden.

Even then could appreciate where they wanted go with it but thought the crux of NPFTD was terribly misplaced and FOTD a decent attempt at righting the ship.  And while not without its faults I loved and still love The X Factor.  Be it the huge shift in product, Blaze or the dark as fuck subject matter and whatnot, dunno but X Factor left a huge mark on the ears (although am grateful it snuck in before Bruce came back with two home runs in Accident and Chemical Wedding  ) and in turn also enjoyed Virtual XI for what it was.

Anyway, regardless all that came some excellent songs of which some remain personal highlights, JBMGuide, Be Quick Or Be Dead, Public Enema, From Here To Eternity, Tailgunner FOTD and The Fugitive...

But can't deny had I been a fan during their prime I possibly would've taken far less from 90's Maiden but as it was I enjoyed a lot of the output during that decade