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Rating:
Masterpiece. This is the most appropriate word for an album of this caliber. A piece of history, an album to listen to in one breath, a concentration of endless emotions that finds its place at the beginning of the legendary 1980s, and more precisely in 1983 when the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) was sailing smoothly, thanks especially to glorious bands like the mythical Iron Maiden.
Yes, because for those who do not know, this is the fourth album of the iron maiden. An explosive, solid, full of ideas and passion album that follows after the masterpiece of the previous year: "The number of the Beast".
But now let's unwrap the work and analyze it from within. Let's try to savor the essence of the individual songs. The album opens with the famous and fantastic "Where Eagles Dare" and really starts off on a high note. The guitars are in "gallop," Bruce Dickinson's voice reaches unattainable tones, and a mythical atmosphere can be felt as the song ends after about six minutes of pure musical enjoyment. It then moves to the poetic "Revelations," written by the singer Bruce Dickinson, in which slow and melodic pieces alternate with moments where the rhythms marked by the mythical Niko McBrain's drum become faster, and Steve's usual bass throbs like never before. Truly fantastic in this song is the initial riff and the amazing solo that delivers more than one emotion. It is followed by the equally famous "Flight of Icarus," which the band will perform at many concerts of the era. The chorus is epic, and Steve's usual bass even overwhelms the sound of the guitars in many instances, something that does not happen in the following "Die With Your Boots On," really energetic, where the powerful and fast guitars take center stage. A concentration, therefore, of energy and irony, something that even the title suggests. We then reach the fifth track, the much-praised masterpiece by fans, the essential track at every "Iron" concert, we are obviously talking about the fantastic "The Trooper," the fastest and most intense song of the album, with an amazing riff, a "Finger-burning" solo, and a chorus that has entered the history of the London group. The following "Still Life," although not up to the mark of the former, is another memorable song and opens with an intro where a dark voice speaks in a language that seems to mean nothing, the words are unclear. However, if this is listened to in reverse, it states the phrase: "What ho sed de t’ing wid de t’ree bonce? Don’t meddle wid t’ings you don’t understand" or "What did the three-headed monster say? Nothing that you can understand." It obviously refers to Cerberus, the three-headed dog, and is probably a tidbit that Iron wanted to leave for their fans, a sort of "bonus" to discover. Track number 7 is "Quest For Fire," a quiet track with a nice chorus, characterized by a simple structure but by no means boring. It easily earns a passing grade, as does the following song "Sun And Steel," which flows smoothly and pleasantly. We then arrive at the final song "To Tame a Land," entirely written by "Steve Harris," very evocative, including the splendid solo, which closes the album beautifully.
I conclude by saying that no Iron Maiden fan or lover of the "new wave" should miss an album of this caliber, which has contributed to the history of a genre and even now, 23 years after its release, can still deliver unique and fabulous emotions.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Where Eagles Dare (06:10)
It's snowing outside, the rumbling sound
of engines roar in the night
The mission is near the confident men
are waiting to drop from the sky
The Blizzard goes on, but still they must fly
No one should go where eagles dare
Bavarian Alps that lay all around
They seem to stare from below
The enemy lines a long time passed
Are lying deep in the snow
Into the night they fall through the sky
No one should fly where eagles dare
Their closing in, the fortress is near
It's standing high in the sky
The cable car's the only way in
it's really impossible to climb
They make their way, but maybe too late
They've got to try to save the day
The panicking cries, the roaring of guns
Are echoing all around the valley
The mission complete, they make to scape
Away from the Eagles Nest
They dared to go where no one would try
They chose to fly where eagles dare
02 Revelations (06:48)
"O God of Earth and Altar,
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride."
(G. K. Chesterton; English Hymnal)
Just a babe in the black abyss
No reason for a place like this
The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain
An easy way for the blind to go
A clever path for the fools who know
The secret of the hanged man - the smile on his lips
The light of the blind - you'll see
The venom that tears my spine
The eyes of the Nile are opening - you'll see
She came to me with a serpents kiss
As the eye of the sun rose on her lips
Moonlight catches silver tears I cry
So we lay in the black embrace
And the seed is sown in a holy place
And I watched, and I waited for the dawn
The light of the blind - you'll see
The venom that tears my spine
The eyes of the Nile are opening - you'll see
Solo: Dave / Adrian
Bind all of us together
Ablaze with hope and free
No storm or heavy weather
Will rock the boat you'll see
The time has come to close your eyes
And still the wind and rain
For the one who will be king
Is the watcher in the ring
It is you
03 Flight of Icarus (03:51)
As the sun breaks, above the ground,
An old man stands on the hill,
As the ground warms, to the first rays of light
A birdsong shatters the still.
His eyes are a blaze,
See the madman in his gaze.
Fly, on your way, like an eagle,
Fly as high as the sun,
On your way, like an eagle,
Fly and touch the sun.
Now the crowd breaks and a young boy appears
Looks the old man in the eye
As he spreads his wings and shouts at the crowd
In the name of God my father I'll fly.
His eyes seem so glazed
As he flies on the wings of a dream,
Now he knows his father betrayed
Now his wings turn to ashes to ashes his grave.
Fly, on your way, like an eagle,
Fly as high as the sun,
On your way, like an eagle,
Fly, touch the sun.
04 Die With Your Boots On (05:28)
Another Prophet of Disaster
Who says the ship is lost,
Another Prophet of Disaster
Leaving you to count the cost.
Taunting us with Visions,
Afflicting us with fear,
Predicting War for millions,
In the hope that one appears.
No point asking when it is,
No point asking who's to go,
No point asking what's the game,
No point asking who's to blame.
'cos if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die,
'cos if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die,
If you're gonna die, die with your boots on.
If you're gonna try, we'll stick around,
Gonna cry, just move along,
If you're gonna die, you're gonna die.
In 13 the Beast is rising,
The Frenchman did surmise,
Through earthquakes and starvation,
The warlord will arise.
Terror, Death, Destruction,
Pour from the Eastern Sands,
But the truth of all predictions,
Is always in your hands.
If you're gonna die, die with your boots on,
If you're gonna try, we'll stick around,
Gonna cry, just move along,
If you're gonna die, you're gonna die.
05 The Trooper (04:10)
You'll take my life but I'll take yours too
You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.
The bugle sounds and the charge begins
But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.
The horse he sweats with fear we break to run
The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall
We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground
And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We were meant to fight another day.
We get so close near enough to fight
When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.
And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan
08 Sun and Steel (03:26)
You killed your first man at 13
Killer instinct, Animal supreme
By 16 you had learned to fight
The way of the warrior, you took it as your right
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel
Through earth and water, fire and wind
You came at last - nothing was the end
Make a cut by fire and stone
Take you and your blade and break you both in two
Break you both in two
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel - rolling on and on
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel
Sunlight, falling on your steel
Death in life is your ideal
Life is like a wheel - and it`s rolling still
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