Music: New Iron Maiden

[beowulf]

Click to read more...

 

[Cas]

Singing the chorus here...
We're singing the chorus here...
Singing the chorus here...
We're singing the chorus heeeeereeeee

Maiden the last twenty years or so.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Singing the chorus here...
We're singing the chorus here...
Singing the chorus here...
We're singing the chorus heeeeereeeee

Maiden the last twenty years or so.

I think you would enjoy this song though. There isn't a phrase that is repeated even once.

 

[SepticFish]

Singing the chorus here...
We're singing the chorus here...
Singing the chorus here...
We're singing the chorus heeeeereeeee

Maiden the last twenty years or so.

Or 35ish...

Spoiler

Here they stand, brothers them all
All the sons, divided they'd fall
Here await the birth of the son
The seventh, the heavenly, the chosen one
Ohhhh!
Here the birth from an unbroken line
Born the healer, the seventh, his time
Unknowingly blessed and as his life unfolds
Slowly unveiling the power he holds
Ohhhh!
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Ohhhh!
Ohhhh!
Ohhhh!
Ohhhh!
Then they watch the progress he makes
The good and evil which path will he take
Both of them trying to manipulate
The use of his powers before it's too late
Ohhhh!
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Ohhhh!
Ohhhh!
Ohhhh!
Ohhhh!
Today is born the seventh one
Born of woman the seventh son
And he in turn of a seventh son
He has the power to heal
He has the gift of second sight
He is the chosen one
So it shall be written
And so it shall be done

 

[Unholy Diver]

heard it the other day on the radio, not bad, actually thought it was just an older song I hadn't heard previously

 

[Metroid]

Big maiden fan, song was kinda boring.
Songs a bit more exciting if you speed it up on YouTube to 1.5 speed or whatever it is

 

[beowulf]

New album in September

 

[Hockey Outsider]

As rumoured, Iron Maiden announced details about their 17th album today. It's called "Senjutsu", and is being released on September 3rd. Some thoughts:

• The album artwork (showing Eddie as a samurai) is impressive, though it's similar to the cover on the previous album.
• The announcement mentions the songs are "very varied" and the album has "one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style". I wonder if that refers to the recently-released single ("The Writing on the Wall", which had a bluesy/southern rock vibe). Or would it be something completely unexpected (like "Journeyman" or "Empire of the Clouds")?
• Harris was the sole songwriter on four of the songs (ranging from 9:31 to 12:39). In fact, the album ends with three straight Harris songs, each 10+ minutes long. He was the sole author of many of the band's best epics ("Phantom of the Opera", "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "Sign of the Cross", "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", "When the Wild Wind Blows", "The Clansman", "Alexander the Great" - among many others). This is a notable departure from the past five "reunion era" albums, where he only wrote one song per album alone. I'm very interested in seeing what he's come up with. The only concern is how much unnecessary repetition he has.
• Smith and Dickinson collaborated on three songs. Their past songs have been inconsistent, but generally straightforward & accessible.
• Harris and Gers collaborate on two songs. Looking back, it's hard to imagine how much Gers was criticized earlier in his time with the band. He's become one of their best songwriters over the past 20 years. Harris and Gers have written some very long, complex songs, and some of the band's best material of the 21st century ("The Book of Souls", "The Legacy", "Dance of Death", "Dream of Mirrors", etc).
• This is the first album since 1995's "The X Factor" where Murray didn't co-write any songs. Not a huge disappointment as he's pretty clearly the weakest of the five songwriters in the band.

 

[Ozz]

Maiden fan here, but YAWN based on TWOTW so far.

 

[The Macho King]

As rumoured, Iron Maiden announced details about their 17th album today. It's called "Senjutsu", and is being released on September 3rd. Some thoughts:

• The album artwork (showing Eddie as a samurai) is impressive, though it's similar to the cover on the previous album.
• The announcement mentions the songs are "very varied" and the album has "one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style". I wonder if that refers to the recently-released single ("The Writing on the Wall", which had a bluesy/southern rock vibe). Or would it be something completely unexpected (like "Journeyman" or "Empire of the Clouds")?
• Harris was the sole songwriter on four of the songs (ranging from 9:31 to 12:39). In fact, the album ends with three straight Harris songs, each 10+ minutes long. He was the sole author of many of the band's best epics ("Phantom of the Opera", "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "Sign of the Cross", "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", "When the Wild Wind Blows", "The Clansman", "Alexander the Great" - among many others). This is a notable departure from the past five "reunion era" albums, where he only wrote one song per album alone. I'm very interested in seeing what he's come up with. The only concern is how much unnecessary repetition he has.
• Smith and Dickinson collaborated on three songs. Their past songs have been inconsistent, but generally straightforward & accessible.
• Harris and Gers collaborate on two songs. Looking back, it's hard to imagine how much Gers was criticized earlier in his time with the band. He's become one of their best songwriters over the past 20 years. Harris and Gers have written some very long, complex songs, and some of the band's best material of the 21st century ("The Book of Souls", "The Legacy", "Dance of Death", "Dream of Mirrors", etc).
• This is the first album since 1995's "The X Factor" where Murray didn't co-write any songs. Not a huge disappointment as he's pretty clearly the weakest of the five songwriters in the band.

ONE ten minute song an album please. Book of Souls was rough man - sometimes I want Running Free, not Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

"Senjutsu" is a very good album. It's one of Iron Maiden's most complex and experimental recordings to date. Many of the band's casual fans (and a surprising number of their more devoted followers) don't seem to understand that the band has no desire to make "Number of the Beast Part 2". Since 1995, they've consistently been writing longer songs, with a heavier progressive rock influence. I grew up listening to the "classics" of progressive rock (Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, etc.), and seeing Iron Maiden incorporate those influences has been exciting.

The album ends with three consecutive 10+ minute songs, solely written by founder and bassist Steve Harris. It's remarkable that these sprawling, complex songs were written by the same man who once wrote dumb, energetic rockers like "Prowler" and "Iron Maiden" on their debut. (I enjoy those tunes, of course, but I respect the fact that Harris is writing the songs that he wants to write, instead of trying to recapture the simplicity and energy from 40+ years ago). It's unclear if this is the band's final album; if so, "Hell on Earth" is a cathartic way to end their catalogue. (When the galloping abruptly begins, interrupting the long, melodic intro, it felt like seeing a friend one last time before they move away).

There are still some shorter, more energetic songs that might appeal to fans looking for another rendition of "The Trooper" (such as "Days of Future Past" and "Stratego"). These songs are solid, but not spectacular. The leadoff single, the folk-influenced "The Writing on the Wall", is the best of the shorter compositions, despite being somewhat slower. (With his lengthy solo on that song, Adrian Smith demonstrates why he's the best of the band's three guitarists).

There's some self-plagiarism on this album, but it's not as egregious as it was on "The Book of Souls" (where there were three songs that essentially copied-and-posted distinct riffs and melodies from previous albums). Many people have dismissed "Death of the Celts" as a re-write of "The Clansman". There are certainly some similarities - both are lengthy (9+ minute) songs about ancient British tribes preparing for war. The latter song, although long, is fairly simplistic, and has angry, defiant lyrics. "Death of the Celts" is far more technically complex, and is about accepting the inevitable defeat. The other song that comes closest to self-plagiarism is "The Time Machine", which doesn't quote any specific Maiden composition, but is an amalgamation of all the attributes you'd expect in a Gers/Harris composition.

A few things I disliked about "The Book of Souls" (and other recent albums) have been rectified here. First, there aren't any instances of the song's title being repeated ad naseum in the chorus (sometimes this works, but clunky choruses have ruined several strong songs). Second, this is Harris's most complex and energetic performance on the bass guitar since 1995's "The X Factor" (and represents a significant improvement over the past couple of albums). Third, despite the band stubbornly refused to down-tune their instruments, Bruce Dickinson often sings in a lower register here. The strained vocals that were noticeable on the past two albums are still present, but much more contained.

I don't pretend to be objective. Iron Maiden is my favourite band, and I've liked every album they've released during their progressive "reunion" phase (2000 onwards). I'm not sure where I'll ultimately rank this release in their 17-album catalogue. The band, despite being well into their sixties at this point, have proven they still have fresh, new ideas. I hope there will be an 18th album but, if not, this would be a fitting end to their career.