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THE REVIEW
First of all, I must say that this is the first review I write on this site (actually it is my first review ever) and therefore I count on your help to improve.... The album I will review is a highly criticized one.... one of the latest efforts from the Iron Maiden.... "Dance of Death"...
This work is definitely a particular one, which requires a more critical and attentive listening compared to what was needed for stunning albums like "Killers" or "Powerslave", which immediately impressed. The band, already from the previous "Brave New World", is composed of 6 members: the legendary Bruce Dickinson on vocals, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers on guitars, the founder of the group Steve Harris on bass, and the indestructible Nicko McBrain on drums.
The album opens with two fast and impactful songs like "Wildest Dreams" and "Rainmakers" where you can immediately discover a band in top form but from these first two tracks, it does nothing but recycle perhaps luckier ideas like "The Wicker Man". These are still good songs that will always be played live on the world tour of the reviewed album. With the third chapter of the work, we enter the album's more intimate part; "No More Lies" is the first masterpiece of this album. A track that starts slow and melodic and leads to incredible power. Excellent. Right after there is the discreet and medieval-flavored "Montsegur". Fast and captivating, but it remains a bit overshadowed by the previous one. The title track is a masterpiece in its own right. It begins with a melancholic arpeggio dictated by Gers' acoustic, then Harris' bass, and finally the explosion with McBrain's drums. The lyrics may recall a bit of "The Number Of The Beast" due to the presence of satanic rituals, but the atmosphere created by Dickinson's narrating voice and the epic guitars of the Smith, Murray, Gers trio makes it a song capable of creating an incredible atmosphere. The subsequent "Gates of Tomorrow" and "New Frontier" do not propose any new ideas but remain engaging enough. The eighth track of the album is, in my opinion, the best of the entire album: "Paschendale". A majestic and imposing song. Smith gives an excellent performance, creating a perfect mix of sounds that enhances the melancholic lyrics sung by an outstanding Dickinson. "Face in the Sand" is mostly a filler, and after listening to the entire album, it is hardly remembered. "Age of Innocence" has powerful and solid verses that lead to catchy and engaging choruses. The closure of the work is left to the first acoustic song in Maiden's history (after the semi-acoustic "Prodigal Son" from the "Killers" album): "Journeyman". A very successful experiment.
The album is definitely not one of the best in the Maiden's history, but it reaches a good level, especially thanks to masterpieces like "Paschendale" and "Journeyman", not to mention "No More Lies" and "Dance of Death". Unfortunately, the rest does not convince in terms of originality and remains in the shadow of this group's past. Overall, a good performance.
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Summary by Bot
Dance of Death is an album that demands attentive listening, featuring strong performances from Iron Maiden’s lineup. While tracks like Paschendale and No More Lies stand out, the album overall recycles familiar ideas and lacks the immediate impact of earlier classics. It remains a solid release but not among the band’s best work.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 cliffburton86
Harris and co. have defied expectations and surprised everyone a bit.
You won’t find any earth-shattering musical upheavals, but a pleasant, curious, and catchy evolution in the timeless music of the greatest Heavy-metal band ever... THE IRON MAIDEN!!
By Josh
Dance of Death could easily be defined as 'boring but with class,' a work created by old glories who now create music with the same emotional drive with which an employee punches a time clock.
The first and so far only fully acoustic track by the group reveals an unprecedented and surprising component of the group's sound tapestry.
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
THE ABSOLUTE SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A huge disappointment, don’t buy it.
By Brizz89
The repetitiveness of the songs is increasingly overwhelming and it has become automatic to wonder why they continue to churn out such similar songs even after more than 20 years of career.
A mediocre album that I do not recommend purchasing except to attempt to trace a nonexistent evolution of a band that has withered over the years.
By vezzo
Montegur: in my opinion the most beautiful track of the album, very heavy in the riffs but endowed with splendid effects given by the overlap of multiple guitar parts.
The aforementioned songs absolutely make the purchase of the album worthwhile which for me, after 'A Matter Of Life And Death', is, along with 'Brave New World', the most beautiful album by Iron.
