The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[TAC]

- Mistress of Mercy tries a bit to be a re-write of some of the Accident material

Thinking Skunkworks on this one, actually.

Yeah, that guitar riff is total skunkworks to my ears.

The opening riff is almost the same as Freak, though!

Yeah, but Freak sounds like a Skunkworks leftover anyway.


Oddly, I always skip Freak for some reason. It just feels detached from the rest of the album, honestly.  I always start at Starchildren.

[nick_z]

Yeah, but Freak sounds like a Skunkworks leftover anyway.


Oddly, I always skip Freak for some reason. It just feels detached from the rest of the album, honestly.  I always start at Starchildren.

Gotcha. I always liked Freak. It's such an energetic start to the album. Yes, in part it almost feels like it has to shake the cobwebs off Bruce's more "alternative" phase (I love Skunkworks, by the way), but then you hear that lick just before the second chorus and you think - ah!, he's back 

[TAC]

Ok...just finished my first listen. I didn't make notes as I went as I just wanted to listen without pausing between songs.

The first half is pretty straightforward. I liked both of the advance tracks.

I thought Fingers In The Wounds was really good, but I felt like the keyboard solo was a bit jarring and out of place.

It took me a long time to appreciate If Eternity Had Should Fail. This version doesn't quite have the jump that the Maiden version has, but there's a certain drive in this, especially after the initial verses, which feels a bit slow.

Shadow Of The Gods feels like it's the best track here and hopefully Sonata grows on me. I mean, I like it, but it doesn't seem to have that Tears Of The Dragon hook it needs. I mean, that might be a bit unfair as I'm sure I'll like it more after just one listen.



A couple of other observations... I felt half way through that my ears were getting tired, in that Bruce seems to be oversinging and he just sounded loud and strained. The 2nd half has a lot more vocal dynamics so the feeling did subside.
I also appreciate the use of keyboards on this album. They really stand out. A lot of the album reminds me of Deep Purple and Rainbow, particularly some of the JLT Era.

I like the fact that this album is not as heavy or heavier than Accident Of Birth. Kind of sits between that and Skunkworks to me.

Not sure if ultimately this was worth the wait, but I'm happy to have this album. Really enjoyed my first listen and in fact, I don't have much to bitch about it.

[ProfessorPeart]

Wow, they make you work for it to try and listen to the Deluxe version. The CD was in the book in a sleeve so tight I could not get it out. I ended up having to wedge a finger under the disc to lift it and then use a pair of needle nose pliers to pull the disc out. Needless to say, it's never going back into that sleeve.

[wolfking]

- Mistress of Mercy tries a bit to be a re-write of some of the Accident material

Thinking Skunkworks on this one, actually.

Yeah, that guitar riff is total skunkworks to my ears.

The opening riff is almost the same as Freak, though!

Yeah, but Freak sounds like a Skunkworks leftover anyway.


Oddly, I always skip Freak for some reason. It just feels detached from the rest of the album, honestly.  I always start at Starchildren.

lol wut?

[wolfking]

Yeah, but Freak sounds like a Skunkworks leftover anyway.


Oddly, I always skip Freak for some reason. It just feels detached from the rest of the album, honestly.  I always start at Starchildren.

Gotcha. I always liked Freak. It's such an energetic start to the album. Yes, in part it almost feels like it has to shake the cobwebs off Bruce's more "alternative" phase (I love Skunkworks, by the way), but then you hear that lick just before the second chorus and you think - ah!, he's back 

Ripping song IMO.  Tuned nice and heavy to C and that 'somersault into the flood' section is awesome.

[devieira73]

Freak is awesome! I like a lot most of Skunkworks, but I also don't hear anything on Freak that reminds me that album. It's really metal to the bone!
My only real relative complaints about the new album are that it could have some faster songs and I also think that it would benefit on having a proper bassist and a more organic drum sound, with a bit more of groove in the performance. They were the extra sauce on Accident and Chemical. But, anyway, it will be a top 12 album this year for me, I'm sure.
Another thing, I think Sonata is a very different animal than Tears of the Dragon or Omega, totally different type of song IMO.

[cramx3]

Wow, just opened this up and for $35 bucks, what a steal IMO (and I don't even have a record player), Ministro who shared the link for walmart for this thank you! 

[Grappler]

- Mistress of Mercy tries a bit to be a re-write of some of the Accident material

Thinking Skunkworks on this one, actually.

Yeah, that guitar riff is total skunkworks to my ears.

The opening riff is almost the same as Freak, though!

That was my first thought when I heard the song.  Freak is the shit.   

[WardySI]

...  The middle section is just some uneccessary long shredding from Gus G over the top of similar melodies too.  Doesn't seem to fit.  Not sure why Gus is on here.  Dunno, again just different and not used to it.

Gus G? Did I miss something or or do you mean Roy Z?  Roy Z has been playing with Bruce forever which is why he's on this original version of Eternity if you mean Roy 

And that said I agree.  Interesting as it is personally would've left this as a bonus track or as the B-side to Ragnarok 7".

Gus G provides the solo to this track.

Did NOT know that mate thanks!

[TAC]

Is that a legit hand signed signature? Bruce personally signed records that would be sold for just $35 at Wal Mart??

[WardySI]

Typically usual record outlets here Down Under having trouble getting anything in both CD and LP delayed for foreseeable future ugh

Anyway constantly streaming and enjoying the discussion here and a few things have come to mind...

- Maintain his original version of If Eternity should've remained a 7" B-side, bonus kinda collectors thing (and again did not know Gus G provides the solo thanks for that bit of info Wolfking!)
- Definitely hear some those Skunkworks references but fer my ears most comparisons are blatantly Accident and Chemical.
- Face In The Mirror is a skip for me, WAY too borrowed from his previous work.
- Regardless any similarities highlights are Mistress Of Mercy, exactly what I had hoped for with this release, Many Doors To Hell likewise brilliant sounds like a heavier Devil On A Hog, Fingers In The Wound, and while the intro worried me agree Resurrection Men, and Shadow Of The Gods which certainly makes you wonder what may have been of the Tremors right!?
- Still not digging the spoken word verses of Rain On The Graves and that's coming from a big fan of all the Bruce records, including Balls To Picasso where be was dabbling in all sorts this kinda stuff and need more time with the closing track.
- Agree the production is a little washy and lacking the punch these songs deserved.
- Bruce sounds fantastic regardless the washy sound and personally not finding anything oversung here.  I'd say about on par with the recent Maiden releases!?
- The packaging looks tremendous \m/


Overall not quite the album I had hoped for but tbf big shoes of his own to fill, and for a record that had been gestating for some 15 years on and off the ebb and flow isn't too bad.  But digging lots of it, will make a solid addition to the Dickinson solo collection glad we finally have it after all these years!

[cramx3]

Is that a legit hand signed signature? Bruce personally signed records that would be sold for just $35 at Wal Mart??

Yeah, really looks like it. You can see the ink smudges in the picture. I was honestly unsure when ordering it thinking the same thing but it did say explicitly "autograph" in the description.

The signature kind of looks odd though.  It reminds me of that scene in Flight 666 where Bruce is signing something (posters maybe?) and he's just signing them quickly and flicking them with his wrist into a pile on the floor of the plane 

[TAC]

Good call.   

[TAC]

I must say...I NEVER listen to Tyranny Of Souls.

[nick_z]

I must say...I NEVER listen to Tyranny Of Souls.

It's no Accident or Chemical, but I always found it a pretty good album.

[TAC]

I must say...I NEVER listen to Tyranny Of Souls.

It's no Accident or Chemical, but I always found it a pretty good album.

Yeah, I don't not like it, but I suffer from extreme indifference towards it. I just never choose it.

[nick_z]

- Face In The Mirror is a skip for me, WAY too borrowed from his previous work.

Don't disagree, although it's a nice song. I will say it again, though - isn't the volume of the woah woahs starting around 3:00 oddly high??

[WardySI]

They do now you mention it 

[gazinwales]

Typically usual record outlets here Down Under having trouble getting anything in both CD and LP delayed for foreseeable future ugh

Anyway constantly streaming and enjoying the discussion here and a few things have come to mind...

- Maintain his original version of If Eternity should've remained a 7" B-side, bonus kinda collectors thing (and again did not know Gus G provides the solo thanks for that bit of info Wolfking!)
- Definitely hear some those Skunkworks references but fer my ears most comparisons are blatantly Accident and Chemical.
- Face In The Mirror is a skip for me, WAY too borrowed from his previous work.
- Regardless any similarities highlights are Mistress Of Mercy, exactly what I had hoped for with this release, Many Doors To Hell likewise brilliant sounds like a heavier Devil On A Hog, Fingers In The Wound, and while the intro worried me agree Resurrection Men, and Shadow Of The Gods which certainly makes you wonder what may have been of the Tremors right!?
- Still not digging the spoken word verses of Rain On The Graves and that's coming from a big fan of all the Bruce records, including Balls To Picasso where be was dabbling in all sorts this kinda stuff and need more time with the closing track.
- Agree the production is a little washy and lacking the punch these songs deserved.
- Bruce sounds fantastic regardless the washy sound and personally not finding anything oversung here.  I'd say about on par with the recent Maiden releases!?
- The packaging looks tremendous \m/


Overall not quite the album I had hoped for but tbf big shoes of his own to fill, and for a record that had been gestating for some 15 years on and off the ebb and flow isn't too bad.  But digging lots of it, will make a solid addition to the Dickinson solo collection glad we finally have it after all these years!

Utopia has all three formats currently in stock and JB has vinyl in stock 

[WardySI]

I called JB yesterday told none of their stores had CD or vinyl that they couldn't sort their pre-orders yet

Yes I was going to check with Utopia so thanks will do.

[wolfking]

I think JB are really trying hard to fully phase CDs out.  The shelves get smaller and smaller each time I go there.

[WardySI]

Yep all being replaced with whitegoods.

Sucks

[wolfking]

Pfft, whitegoods.  I can get them anywhere.

Probably won't get around to this album til next week now.  In no rush either reading all your thoughts.

[ProfessorPeart]

Almost done with my first listen. This is way better than most of you have been saying, at least to me. Way better than Tyranny, that's for sure. Looking forward to repeated listens to this.

[WardySI]

If my analysis came accross like I wasn't fond of the album then it wasn't meant to.  Sure a couple its songs I didn't like but as I said, a solid album with a few essential highlights.

It's just given the time we've been waiting and when compared to Accident and Chemical, two of the finest albums released in the 90's, it's a hard comparison by anyone's standards.  But I definitely recommend Mandrake.

Oh and I loved Tyranny. Nothing much wrong with that album whatsoever \m/

[ProfessorPeart]

Just finished and the only song that didn't grab me the first time around was Face In The Mirror. I saw a lot of press about Sonata and frankly, I don't get it. I loved the song. On first blush, this is a fantastic album to me. Bruce sounds so good on this. I'm impressed at how good his voice is at his age.

I came in with somewhat low expectations and am pretty much blown away by the effort. I loved it. I skipped all the singles so tonight was a blind listen to all of the material.

[DoctorAction]

I never listen to Tyranny either. Except for Kill Devil Hill which I absolutely adore.

Anyone else think that Bruce is setting himself up for a spot on the pro wrestling circuit with this album's photoshoot? Or a part in the next Expendables movie?   

[fibreoptix]

I saw a lot of press about Sonata and frankly, I don't get it. I loved the song.

I definitely don't think it's as bad as a lot of people thought it might be. Great chorus. The only thing, and it's not a huge problem, but it really stands out to me that one of the main vocal lines is practically identical to one of the melodies he sings in Cyclops, and its just blatant enough that it takes me out of the song. Totally a 'me' problem though. Also, probably wouldn't have hurt to have made the song a minute shorter or so, but otherwise its a great closer!

[wolfking]

While not on the level of AOB or CW, Tyranny is a fantastic record IMO.  Believal should have been replaced with Eternal but on a whole its great.  The title track is a top 5 Bruce song for me.

[WardySI]

I know folks complain about these threads turning into Blaze talk but I gotta say, while early days and it may well change...

But as it stands atm, I'm leaning towards Circle Of Stone over The Mandrake Project.

Just sayin'

[Mladen]

I've spent an entire week with Circle of stone and I've only listened to Mandrake once. As much as I enjoyed Circle of stone, there is no way I'll end up liking Mandrake less. On the first listen, there were so many good bits, some of the tracks already stood out. This will be fun week. 

[WardySI]

Will indeed be an interesting week and am keen to see where they're at down the track once they've both settled in.

Either way expect they'll be neck and neck but then of course Priest next week may well upset them both

[wolfking]

Circle of Stone is a great hit out from Blaze. 

[MirrorMask]

You guys are missing out, Tyranny of Souls is fantastic. The first half is kickass: Abduction > Soul Intruders > Kill > Navigate is an awesome four punch. The rest of the album is acceptable anyway and of course the title track is massive. It's not Chemical Wedding or Accident but what it is? In a different reality where Bruce tours for this record and plays most of it, I wouldn't miss it for the world.