Iron Maiden
Speed of Light

Iron Maiden is a record-making machine. Just think that the video for the piece in question has already accumulated over three million views in just three days since its release. Is there, in your opinion, a better indicator of the ideological shift that the masses feel towards heavy metal bands? Have you noticed how they are no longer subjected to the public's skepticism, which once perceived the metal radicalism as a musical extremism to be approached with caution? Times have changed, especially in Italy, where for over a decade, the Maiden comfortably reach the top of the national super chart, the one that, to be clear, "rewards" the best-selling product in the Italian market. An outcome that satisfies, despite the critiques shouted by some listeners regarding the stylistic choices taken in the latest phase of the Maiden career, that is, the obsessive search for complex and catchy suites, yet remain, at least structurally speaking, markedly distant from the direct and simplistic mannerism often adopted in singles meant to launch the album at hand. Wildest Dreams, Different World, and partly also El Dorado were thus little songs that did not represent the album about to be released; they were rather avoidable preludes that retained little or nothing of what the final product would be. Speed of Light could therefore be the raw continuation of this bizarre saga.

The track is suspended between metallic hardness and a lively hard rock vein, unraveled in an atmosphere that also lyrically recalls the spatial visions of The Final Frontier, especially thanks to the three guitars' alternated execution intertwining in a mood with cosmic and futuristic aftertaste. Behind them, a rhythm section as predictable as the ending of an episode of Walker Texas Ranger and a voice that is not thrilling, but at least decently performs its task. The refrain is catchy but unemotional, the sounds are politely balanced and sufficiently clear, yet a tad "rawer" compared to what was heard in previous productions.

In short, Speed of Light is a track of negligible quality, certainly a forgettable product, though not horrible, a song on the verge of the hit parade that will not manage to thrill long-time fans (or at least a good part of them), but that might garner some consensus from the younger audience, also thanks to a promotional video, entirely computer-generated, showing Eddie time-traveling to collect four relics to reunite on a pagan altar. The scene unfolds in a 3D setting that resembles an early version of a shooter game in the style of Call of Duty or Medal of Honor. A blatant homage to video games that begins with the eighties/nineties period, that is, the era of the most famous 2Ds like Donkey Kong or Mortal Kombat. This alone highlights how the band aims to gather various generations of Maiden fans under one consensus, while also yearning to capture the attention of those few youths who have not yet had any interaction with their music. The video is entertaining, especially due to the protagonist's macabre charm, but it certainly isn't the suitable tool for gaining public approval, and the music presented is there to prove it.

Therefore, acquiring this single through import channels is not advisable, unless you are interested in the attached t-shirt featuring the artwork of the package, a zoomed-in black and white version of what will appear on the cover of the upcoming The Book of Souls, an album with a massive duration of 92 minutes, for which the tracklist and lengthy duration of many of its tracks have already been revealed; notes that might suggest an epic and intricate album, hence in line with the more recent productions of the "Iron Maiden."

Listen to Speed of Light online, without spending a dime, savor it as a taste of what the rest of the dish will be, and make your considerations, whatever they may be.

Federico “Dragonstar” Passarella