Iron Maiden
Virtual XI

THE REVIEW

Between 1995 and 1997 something happened within the quintessential heavy metal band, Iron Maiden, something that shook a band that some already thought had one foot in the grave. In fact, in 1993, at the end of the promotional tour for Fear Of The Dark, Bruce Dickinson, the group's legendary vocalist, left the Maiden for a "period of reflection" - or perhaps because he was listening to the voices of inevitable decline, and did not want to be caught up in it - and to pursue solo professional projects, with considerable success, by the way.

Steve Harris, undisputed leader and extraordinary bassist, and the rest of the band, namely Nicko McBrain (drums), Dave Murray and Janick Gers (guitars), worked hard to find a worthy "replacement." The one who took Dickinson's place was Blaze Bayley from Wolfsbane. Technically less talented than Bruce, Bayley's merit, in my opinion, lies in a singing style reminiscent of the mythical Paul Di'Anno, the singer of Maiden's first two albums. Bayley collaborated with Harris and his comrades between '95 and '97, in the creation of 2 albums: The X Factor and Virtual XI, and it is the latter that I am about to (hopefully) thoroughly review.

Of course, Iron Maiden are not synonymous with great originality, and this is evident, regarding the sound, with the first song, Futureal, which echoes the album's title and its significant cover: the theme is society's growing dependency on technology that can also be deceptive. It's fast and catchy, a classic Maiden album opening song.
The Angel and The Gambler, on the other hand, begins to tease the listener: great Harris on bass, who takes the lead in the moderately energetic beginning, only to give more space to the guitars after a softer interlude, and then return in the finale to accompany a Bayley who seems to repeat the chorus to infinity.
The intro of Lightning Strike Twice is a splendid engaging melody that speeds up almost immediately, with an angry Bayley giving pathos to the interpretation; in the middle part, Murray and Gers roam freely, then Bayley returns just to remind you of the chorus that will be instantly imprinted in your mind.
As for the album's flagship, The Clansman, there's a funny story that I think any Maiden fan knows: Harris wrote this song right after watching the film Braveheart with Mel Gibson playing a Scottish hero from the 1200s (I believe, hope I'm not wrong). The acoustic guitar intro is indeed a bit Scotland, and the songwriting is all a clear reference to the film. Ultimately, especially instrumentally, it's one of Maiden's finest tracks of all time, with the guitars above all, especially in the central section, as engaging as ever.
When Two Worlds Collide picks up the theme of the opening song, but this time it's undoubtedly more engaging as a track: great performance by Blaze Bayley, like the rest of the group.

With The Educated Fool we are faced with another extraordinary piece, where it's the voice rather than the instruments that dominates and leads the way only to leave total space to a moderately unleashed McBrain and the usual Murray and Gers. The chorus in unison is unmissable.
Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger features a more easy listening introduction, with a Bayley singing almost in a whisper; then explosive acceleration, and then it slows down again with Bayley almost whispering, but when Harris gradually enters, it's clear that they will soon go back to full force. The riffs are perhaps the most original of the entire album, and the aforementioned song pleasantly surprises.
It concludes with a somewhat sad track, Como Estais Amigos, which I believe, I wouldn't want to say nonsense, talks about Mexican immigrants, and it closes this album more than worthily.

In conclusion, I want to say that the rating is not absolutely from a fan perspective, in fact, before listening to it, I was very skeptical; it's a very different album from The X Factor, its direct predecessor, and also differs from the last 4/5 albums of the group, all quite similar to each other. Personally, in overall beauty, I place it alongside Seventh Son Of a Seventh Son and highly recommend it to anyone who has never listened to Maiden, but also to those who limit themselves to listening to only the first 3 or 4 albums (for heaven's sake, they are truly the best of Iron, especially the first 2).

"And I know what I want
When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman"