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[Deleted member 1159]

Samurai Eddie, let's fucking go.

1. "Senjutsu" (Smith/Harris) 8:20
2. "Stratego" (Gers/Harris) 4:59

(I NEED THIS RED EDDIE FLAG)

3. "The Writing on the Wall" (Smith/Dickinson) 6:13


4. "Lost in a Lost World" (Harris) 9:31
5. "Days of Future Past" (Smith/Dickinson) 4:03
6. "The Time Machine" (Gers/Harris) 7:09
7. "Darkest Hour" (Smith/Dickinson) 7:20
8. "Death of the Celts" (Harris) 10:20
9. "The Parchment" (Harris) 12:39
10. "Hell on Earth" (Harris) 11:19

It's Maiden's first album since 2015's The Book of Souls, which definitely had some bangers like The Red and the Black, but a few duds I like to skip. Well, since I saw the opportunity to listen to this one a day early and I'll have it through my Apple Music tomorrow, I decided to listen to it all today.

Thoughts:

-This is a mix of some classic Maiden (Stratego, Days of Future Past, The Time Machine), some fresh sounding Maiden (Smith's bluesy Writing on the Wall), and Steve Harris epics. Oh my god Steve Harris epics. I didn't take notes or anything while listening, some were blasting in my truck on my drive to work, some on my headphones in my office, I'm going to re-listen to some more on my home theater after I post this but...if you're a Maiden fan, there's fuckton to love here. And keep going because the final two tracks are absolute gems. The second half of The Parchment in particular gave me goosebumps, which nothing has done since Fear Inoculum, there's just so much good shit in here. I honestly don't think there was a single track I wasn't tapping my foot too.

-I really like the Seventh Son-sounding synths they got going on in almost all of the songs, the bass and bass drums are punchy as hell...only complaint about the production is I can definitely hear clipping when I thought that shit was put behind the industry, but oh well.

-Bruce motherfucking Dickenson. This guy just doesn't quit and sounds as good as he did 35 years ago. I saw them live in September of 2019 and he sounded amazing then too. He seriously puts on a clinic here, it's amazing he's still got the chops

Basically, if you're a Maiden fan I think you're going to love it. It feels like a journey through their various styles over the years, the main guys (Harris/Smith/Gers/Dickenson) all have their trademark signatures on their particular songs, the production is very good overall.

Sometimes it's hard to believe these guys still got it after all this time.

 

[kretos]

The Writing On The Wall is ok but Stratego is a killer track, will listen to the rest later but hope it has more of classic maiden

 

[Duellist]

Wooot, getting my hardcover book to keep as display and my cd jewel tomorrow. Cant fuckin wait. Up the Irons!!!!

 

[Duellist]

Got to also add that this is prolly one of my favorite incarnations of Eddie. Pure awesomeness and I'm already thinking of adding it as a tattoo beside my other one which is my avatar

 

[Duellist]

Also again lol, if you want a trip down memory lane for all you old school maiden fans( which I am) when listing to stratego on you tube play it back in 1.5 increased speed. Classic maiden right there.

 

[Durien]

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[FunkMiller]

I haven't bought or listened to Iron Maiden in god knows how many years, but both amazing and hilarious that they're still going, and still pretty much the same. I must have listened to the classic more times than I care to count back in the day. Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son being my personal favourites. Things went a little off the rails for me after that when Smith left.

 

[Deleted member 1159]

I haven't bought or listened to Iron Maiden in god knows how many years, but both amazing and hilarious that they're still going, and still pretty much the same. I must have listened to the classic more times than I care to count back in the day. Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son being my personal favourites. Things went a little off the rails for me after that when Smith left.

Things did go a bit off the rails when Smith left, but he’s been back for over 20 years

 

[FunkMiller]

Things did go a bit off the rails when Smith left, but he’s been back for over 20 years

I’m so old.

 

[cornonthecrobb]

Hell on earth is an absolute fucking banger.

This album is weaker than book of souls but still a fucking epic album

Up the irons

 

[Pippelipeikko]

Been playing Ghost of Tsushima all week, then this new album (out of the blue for me)
I'm having a Samurai festival!

 

[Duellist]

Hell on earth is an absolute fucking banger.

This album is weaker than book of souls but still a fucking epic album

Up the irons

Hmm, I didn't really like book of souls at all so i hope your wrong. I like the first two singles from this album more than anything off bos.

 

[Deleted member 1159]

Hmm, I didn't really like book of souls at all so i hope your wrong. I like the first two singles from this album more than anything off bos.

I think it’s a huge step of from BoS, and I thought BoS was mostly good.

 

[The Snake]

Hmm, I didn't really like book of souls at all so i hope your wrong. I like the first two singles from this album more than anything off bos.

Yeah I wasn't a fan either. Either I have grown out of Iron Maiden or they've changed or both, but every time I listen to them I go back to Piece of Mind, the first two albums, Number of the Beast, etc. I just like the quick & dirty Maiden, not long and slow ballads about dragons and shit.

 

[Deleted member 1159]

Yeah I wasn't a fan either. Either I have grown out of Iron Maiden or they've changed or both, but every time I listen to them I go back to Piece of Mind, the first two albums, Number of the Beast, etc. I just like the quick & dirty Maiden, not long and slow ballads about dragons and shit.

This is heavier on the longer songs (which have dynamic tempos, usually slow starts and ends but with upbeat middles) and a couple quick bangers like Stratego. But I think the actual quality of the middle upbeat sections is much much better than some recent efforts, lots of catchy riffs, good guitar harmonies, Nicko being Nicko. Bruce’s vocals really shine too. Something like Empire of the Clouds had a lot of good stuff but felt meandering and sort of directionless, whereas the long tracks here feel a lot shorter than they are because they’re so catchy.

I played along with my TD-17 kit last night and felt right at home instead of falling flat on my face with stuff like Tool’s last album, it’s classic Iron Maiden all over the place. Easy timing for the most part, catchy riffs, Bruce belting it out.

 

[brian0057]

Days of Future Past and Stratego are so far the only songs worth listening to from this abortion.
Can Iron Maiden finally get rid of that hack Kevin Shirley?

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Listened to it today in work. Turned it off five tracks in, it didn't hit. It was boring which is a shame because I thought it'd help me recover from how shit Donda and Certified Lover Boy are.

 

[Duellist]

Listened to it today in work. Turned it off five tracks in, it didn't hit. It was boring which is a shame because I thought it'd help me recover from how shit Donda and Certified Lover Boy are.

Dude, give it some time and some more spins. It's a grower of a album.

 

[\m/etalStorm]

Every song on this album has at least one amazing moment. Hell on Earth is my favorite track today, yesterday it was Days of Futures Past.
Lots of catchy riffs in the mid-sections of the longer songs and Bruce sounds much better than on the last two Albums.

 

[Duellist]

Every song on this album has at least one amazing moment. Hell on Earth is my favorite track today, yesterday it was Days of Futures Past.
Lots of catchy riffs in the mid-sections of the longer songs and Bruce sounds much better than on the last two Albums.

I noticed that too, Bruce sounds like he's not straining as much on this album as he has on previous albums especially book of souls.

 

[Classicrockfan]

For a guy who had cancer on his tounge he still sounds awesome.

 

[EverydayBeast]

IM has a pretty good history

 

[Duellist]

Stratego kicks so much ass, fucking loving that chorus. Best single they've put out in years. I'd say the last really good singles were tailgunner from No prayer and Be quick or be dead from fear of the dark. This one is on that level for me. Just wish is was a few beats per minute quicker.

 

[Classicrockfan]

I love hell on earth my favorite song in the album, cant wait till they tour in the states,I wouldn’t mind if they did smaller venues.

 

[Scotty W]

Does it go dun dundundun dundundun dundun pachi?

 

[ClanOfNone]

Holy shit, thanks op!

 

[RoadHazard]

It's alright. But to me Maiden always just sounds like Maiden, they never really do anything that feels "fresh".

I look forward to seeing them live again next summer though, they always put on a great show.

 

[Marlenus]

It's alright. But to me Maiden always just sounds like Maiden, they never really do anything that feels "fresh".

I look forward to seeing them live again next summer though, they always put on a great show.

Writing on the wall sounds nothing like stuff they have done before.

 

[RoadHazard]

Writing on the wall sounds nothing like stuff they have done before.

There are a few moments like that, sure, but mostly it's just "yep, that's Maiden".

 

[Deleted member 1159]

There are a few moments like that, sure, but mostly it's just "yep, that's Maiden".

Nothing wrong with that IMO. When The Parchment reaches its crescendo it’s absolutely sublime, just amazing stuff. It’s like purified maiden

 

[Deleted member 1159]

I love hell on earth my favorite song in the album, cant wait till they tour in the states,I wouldn’t mind if they did smaller venues.

Yeah I’m really torn between Hell on Earth and The Parchment as my favorite track, and if they come back to the states I’m going to have to figure out how to see them for a third time…I was lucky to have a board review for work out of state where I got to comp a whole trip the last time I saw them, doubt those stars will align again.

 

[Duellist]

Hell on earth also kicks ass. Actually I think I'm enjoying the 3 harris epics more than the rest of the album except for Stratego. Man if they would of increased the speed of some of these songs a bit this album would have been easily the best since fear of the dark. Imo

 

[cornonthecrobb]

Book of souls is a master piece in my opinion. Was genuinely surprised how often i listened to it lol

But this after a few listens... is on par with it it. Haven't turned it off since i got it