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Rating:
THE REVIEW
Prologue: Dear lovers of true music, this is yet another attempt to review the latest album of the legendary Iron Maiden. When the commentary concerns a historical band like the Maiden, one must have a lot of humility and respect AND ABOVE ALL CARE IN WHAT IS WRITTEN. The Maiden represent the NORTH STAR for all heavy metal bands.
That being said, let's talk about this "new" album of Iron Maiden..
The quotation marks around the word new are not a typo but rather indicate the first thought I had when I listened to this album for the first time.. It is NOTHING new.. But that doesn't mean it is not a worthy album, quite the opposite.. personally, I prefer a band to maintain its musical style (risking obviously being repetitive) rather than exploring new sounds and then risking a complete flop (see St. Anger, the mortification of Metallica and especially the legendary KIRK HAMMETT)..
A Matter of Life and Death is a linear album, not excellent but not poor..
The intro is the usual Maiden-like gallop that many like, but not me so much because it is full of sounds often repeated and absolutely lacks the musical genius of Steve Harris.. (I want to point out that the video is very nice) score 5
The second track, These Colors Don't Run, is insubstantial.. repetitive, it could have been much shorter.. score 5.5
Brighter than a Thousand Suns is wonderful, among the best of the album.. a piece structured with an old-style Maiden riff.. note the counter-time (drums and guitars follow different times).. all crowned by Dickinson's powerful vocal cords.. score 7.5
The Pilgrim reminds me a lot of Powerslave but is still 3 levels below.. disappointing track score 4
We continue with The Longest Day an articulate track that deserves great respect (referring to those who call the album awful.. ignoramuses). It is very catchy but not banal.. this track also has the flaw of being excessively prolonged.. if it had lasted less it would have been more direct and incisive.. score 7-
Out of the Shadows: a ballad that has nothing of heavy.. it is a very simple piece reminiscent of the songs Dickinson sang solo, score 6
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg: here we are.. this excellent piece is the prelude to the true masterpiece of the album (see below).. a song that immediately struck me.. excellent Dickinson highs (still throughout the album the voice is dominant) excellent solos by Gers and company this song (score 7.5) is just below For the Greater Good of God the true masterpiece of the album.. a complex, articulated piece that is the result of an inspiration rarely seen in the last 5 Iron Maiden albums.. score 8+
Lord of Light and The Legacy, the tracks that close the album, were composed to become masterpieces but the attempt failed completely.. in particular The Legacy is an anonymous piece that has nothing of Maiden about it.. I appreciate still the attempt of Iron Maiden to try to compose two incisive pieces.. let's be clear these are not two pieces done just to fill the album (see The Pilgrim or These Colors Don't Run) but two anonymous songs resulting from a compositional fatigue that now pervades the souls of these EXTRAORDINARY musicians.. score 8 (4+4 obviously)
Epilogue: From the Maiden much more is certainly expected but we still thank these icons of metal for all they have done and what they still manage to do (For the Greater Good of God)..
Long live the Maiden
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Summary by Bot
The review respects Iron Maiden's legacy and values their consistency over experimentation. While the album offers nothing new, it remains a strong and worthy release. Standout tracks include 'Brighter than a Thousand Suns' and 'For the Greater Good of God.' Some tracks feel repetitive or weak, reflecting slight compositional fatigue.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Iron Maiden
British heavy metal band formed in 1975, led by bassist and principal songwriter Steve Harris. Famous for epic studio albums, theatrical live shows featuring vocalist Bruce Dickinson, and the mascot Eddie.180 Reviews
Other reviews
By rourke
It’s a flawless album in terms of production, technique, and Bruce’s vocal performance.
The tracks are very long and not very immediate, but it’s certainly not a hard metal album, which suits the band’s age.
By MoonWolf
‘A Matter of Life and Death’ is an album that has many things to say and requires an audience willing to sit down and listen to it calmly and coherently.
The album itself is excellent, full of well-conceived and executed ideas, a masterpiece? I certainly won’t be the one to decide it; the arduous sentence is left to posterity.
By lonelydreamer
Each song has its own particular light, and there isn’t a single track placed just to extend the album’s duration.
Ladies and gentlemen, the beast is back, and despite the age, it is also quite angry and in shape!!
By AndJusticeForAll
"The choruses in 'These Colours Don't Run' are embarrassing, the song rhythms are incredibly predictable."
"If you can't produce an average-level album, why do you struggle to carry on?"
By dariogreat
"An album to buy and listen to calmly to appreciate it... it sounds terribly good."
"Listen, listen, listen and open your mind. Up the irons."
