Listening now. Satellite 15 is kicking my ass right now.
EDIT: I will update this post with my song-by-song, first listen thoughts:
Satellite 15...The Final Frontier: Satellite 15 is one of the coolest things the band have ever done. Best opening since The Wicker Man. The Final Frontier falls short compared to the past three album openers, though the solos are good. Wish they had been split into two tracks. 3/5 total.
El Dorado: Still as awesome as it was when it was released. Which is very awesome. 5/5
Mother of Mercy: Very dark sounding, but doesn't sound like anything really special. 3/5
Coming Home: Starts with a cool, sorta groovy riff, very ballady. Funny how Maiden are writing rock ballads like this and "Journeyman" twenty-five years after their heyday. Very good, begs to be played live. 4/5
The Alchemist: Very old-school Maiden. Sounds like it could have come off Piece of Mind or maybe Killers. 4/5
Isle of Avalon: The whole 2 minute+ intro makes you beg for a heavy kind of catharsis, the way ROBB or BTATS might. Instead we get soaring vocals with some great, if not super heavy, riffing and an awesome section in the middle like the creamy goodness in a hostess cup cake. 4/5
Starblind: Reminds me a lot of AMOLAD the way the song is structured. Possibly my favorite so far, but it will take a few more listens the way El Dorado has like 20+ listens for me right now before I can figure it out. Chock full of some of their best riffs. 5/5
The Talisman: Intro sounds kinda like the Legacy...kinda wished Janick brought out some of that arabic influence he was into like he did in "The Pilgrim." And then the song gets going. No slow marching or epic, sinister riffs like The Legacy, no, this one decides to grab you by the balls after the so-so intro. 4/5
The Man Who Would Be King: Sounds like it could be on Brave New World. Not too sure what to think of it other than that, but its certainly not a bad song. The instrumental section starting around 4:00 owns your face. 3.5/5
When the Wild Wind Blows: Here it is...the big one! Beginning sounds very celtic like "Dance of Death." Very happy-sounding for a song about the apocalypse. Gets incredibly epic and proggy later on. 4/5.
Overall, its a very good album, and up there with the best Maiden albums, but it definitely needs more listens. There is a lot to digest.