One listen in...eh...first impression is not super-positive for me. Love Bruce's solo stuff, so I was looking forward to this. The two pre-release tracks didn't blow me away and, while there's some good variety throughout the whole record, the overall impression is, again, "not blown away".
Don't particularly love the way it all sounds, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of "drive" in the performances. Some random thoughts:
- Resurrection Men is kinda cool with the western-sounding mood. Some things work, some not as much, but this is one I enjoyed more than others
- Agree with Kade's comments on Eternity Has Failed. Might be a matter of familiarity, but I miss the gallop of the Maiden version. When the band comes in, on TBOS, it's a truly fantastic moment. Here, it's more subdued. Cutting some of the stuff at the end was a good idea, though
- Mistress of Mercy tries a bit to be a re-write of some of the Accident material
- Who thought it was a good idea to have Bruce quite literally scream WHOA WHOA in your ears on the final choruses of Face in the Mirror??
That was quite jarring, to say the least
- Also agree on Shadow of the Gods being a highlight
- Sonata is, indeed, a bit weird. Not bad, but it kinda meanders towards the end
I will revisit, of course, but I can't deny I'm a little disappointed for now.