Iron Maiden - Book of Souls

dear God. so far I feel like this new Maiden album is finally the album I've been wanting them to make since Bruce rejoined the band. I've been iffy on most of the post-Bruce reunion material other than BNW and Final Frontier (and don't consider either to be A-work). the epics aren't wearing out their welcome either!

I would have settled for good, but this shit's hitting me in all the right places. nervous tho as I still have yet to the closer which I've been told is ridiculous.

― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Saturday, September 5, 2015 2:56 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's riffs all over this thing too, which post-2000 Maiden has often been light on.

― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Saturday, September 5, 2015 2:57 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'm only up to the title track and I want to cry this thing is so fucking face melting

goddamn

just bloody blistering so far, i love it

― Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, September 5, 2015 4:33 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

tempo changes! hooks! solos! yaaaaaaaah

― Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, September 5, 2015 4:34 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

do we need a new thread for this album? is there a new thread?

― Flamenco Drop (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, September 5, 2015 4:35 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

mebbe. finally getting my second listen in - "If Eternity Should FAil" is such a great opener.

― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Sunday, September 6, 2015 10:49 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

why not start a new thread? It might help other ilxors check it out and get it into ilx eoy polls

― Cosmic Slop, Sunday, September 6, 2015 10:54 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

post yr thoughts here

haven't heard this yet but I'm excited now

I've only listened to it once so far. Didn't love the epic closer—it's totally dependent on paying attention to the lyrics, and I didn't, so it was just dull. Not enough changes in tempo or melody. They do the epic thing quite well on "The Red and the Black," though. I especially love the solo section, where each guitarist gets a turn, all in a row. After one listen, that was my favorite track. I like the first single, and "Death or Glory," a lot, too. Definitely going to listen to it a few more times in the next week or so.

"REd and the Black" is great yeah

looking forward to their version of "la chanson de jacky"

gave it a 2nd listen yesterday driving from SF back to Sac. Greaaaat road trippin album for sure.

The last epic "Empire" of the something is kinda cool once you lock in, big old airship disaster. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/R101 if you are interested

Reminded me a tiny bit of Rime of the Ancient Mariner, maybe just for length/drama more than musicality

But yeah, still loving it.

Love it! In my review I talked about how even a mix of their best songs since 2000 are kind of boring, but this one really turns it around.

reminds me of the really good (and positive) review in popmatters

http://www.popmatters.com/review/196855-iron-maiden-the-book-of-souls/

this is for sure my favorite maiden album since BRAVE NEW WORLD. the intricate heavy shit is tight and epic with the filler factor really low

just getting richer on every listen. I always felt like post-reunion Maiden felt like it had the edges sanded off (even on Final Frontier, which I still liked)...this is the first one that feels 100% to me.

manages to avoid retread though - and some gorgeous instrumental passages. double albums for metal are too long for me but this one doesn't feel long at all.

As linked two posts above, I am just nutso for this album. I was worried after the first listen, it felt long and exhausting, not enough clicked. But I kept going, let it settle, I'd play one half one night, the other the next, and one night I had that eureka moment. It's a lot like Rush's Clockwork Angels where I was expecting good but was blindsided by a great album, and was left shrugging, "Welp, there's no topping this for me, it's my album of the year."

I'm learning there is nothing as rewarding as hearing music by a band you've followed for more than 30 years crank out music that's as inspired and vital as this one is.

I'm learning there is nothing as rewarding as hearing music by a band you've followed for more than 30 years crank out music that's as inspired and vital as this one is.

― A. Begrand, Thursday, September 10, 2015 4:19 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm.

I keep finding new favorite parts on the album too with every listen.

I'll say this much: "If Eternity Should Fail" may be the first Maiden song to make me LOL (in a good way) since I first heard "Quest for Fire." I'm pretty late to the Maiden game, mostly thanks to the dudes I knew in high school who were really into Maiden, but something about the band's innate ridiculousness just makes them so awesome, at least when the mood strikes.

When you cross over from "oh this is silly" to "OH THIS IS AWESOME" and forget all notions of silliness, that's when you get it.

^^

I'm still on the fence. There's loads and loads of great music on it, the sound is fantastic, the band feels really inspired, the solos are awesome, but then again everything's so incredibly drawn out and there are a couple of definite clunkers: Speed of Light, When The River Runs Deep and the most part of Tears Of A Clown (which is bordering on parody). The self-pagiarism of Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Wasted Years also irritates me, they've got, what, 95 minutes of material and can't bother to axe two riffs?

self-plagiarism obv.

idk, I mean there are callbacks to prior Maiden tunes (even "The Red and the Black" reminds me of the title track of Seventh Son), but I don't feel like they re-use a lot. My biggest complaint about Maiden between 2000-2006 was that their material often got plodding and vanilla, whereas this one to me seems full of vitality.

I admit "Speed of Light" didn't immediately hook me the first time I heard it (the main riff is pretty nondescript by IM standards), but I've grown to love that one - the riff works in its favor by not detracting from the hook.

I was worried about the length but the songs don't wind up losing me like many overlong songs do. I almost never listen to this in one sitting, just a disc at a time, which helps.

They've chartered a 747 for the upcoming tour: Ed Force One

Angry Metal Guy trashed it: http://www.angrymetalguy.com/iron-maiden-the-book-of-souls-review/

Leading up to the review, he did an epic worst to best album countdown, and had some insane but fascinating choices, like putting The Final Frontier almost at the bottom (#13/15, under Virtual XI), and The X Factor at #4 over Powerslave, A Matter Of Life And Death, Killers and Iron Maiden!!! At least my fave, Piece Of Mind was #2. At the time I thought it was pretty universal opinion that Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son proved the band were in decline, but his pieces reflect the now popular opinion that those are their best. Very interesting! If I ignore the production, it's kind of grown on me.

http://www.angrymetalguy.com/iron-maiden-from-worst-to-best-15-13/
http://www.angrymetalguy.com/iron-maiden-from-worst-to-best-12-10/
http://www.angrymetalguy.com/iron-maiden-from-worst-to-best-9-7/
http://www.angrymetalguy.com/iron-maiden-from-worst-to-best-6-4/
http://www.angrymetalguy.com/iron-maiden-from-worst-to-beast-3-1/

In the comments I quoted him, "...The Final Frontier is that if the record had removed the first two songs and the last two songs, it would have been a pretty damned good record. " From what he wrote on The Book Of Souls, that wouldn't be so easily remedied. I asked if he actually prefers Virtual XI (#12), Dance Of Death (#11) and The X Factor (#4) over this. His reply:

And I don't think The Final Frontier is good, either. If I have to preface a compliment by saying "if you remove four songs," then that's probably a sign that it's weak.

And I'd probably rate this over VXI, but I think broadly speaking some of the songs on there are tighter than these.

He deleted my next reply! "No, it's a sign that it's a "pretty damned good" album that's too long. If you still have an album's worth (40 min?) of great songs, then how can you say it's not good? If Final Frontier is just four extra songs away from pretty damned good at #13, and you'd put Book Of Souls at about #12 behind Dance of Death, then that sounds like at least a "pretty good" from you. There, fixed!"

Personally I'm trying to decide whether it's their best since Seventh Son or Powerslave...

Read that writeup yesterday, it's a huge endeavour and indeed his low placement of Killers (and No Prayer For The Dying, which is a fine album) I don't really get, it's so much better than the debut. I do agree with him Seventh Son is their best (alternating with Killers through the years) and I'm glad time has been so kind to it. And I'll also agree that X Factor isn't nearly as bad as people've always made it out to be but #4 is way too generous.

alright another week and it's only getting stronger. I love the closing epic - it reminds me a bit of concept album Savatage a bit, without the ott theatrics so much. great melodies and atmosphere throughout, and unlike their other epics.

Overall "Tears of a Clown" is probably my least fav track but I don't dislike it. I always felt Maiden was underplaying in the 2000s, and they really seem more or less steeped in neo-Seventh Son zone here, with some of their neo-influence added in. They're not about searing eyelids anymore, but the hooks are everywhere.

"The Red and the Black" is my current fav. though I have grown a little tired of "guitar lead playing exact line Bruce is singing".

Yeah I really like it. The last track is, of course, a bit meandering -- but the great parts of it are really great. I was amazed how little difference they sounded from albums 2 or 3 decades ago.

Angry Metal Guy is an idiot.

I'm glad they've brought back the dual harmonized guitars (to a degree) again. feel like ever since the Blayze era and even during the Bruce reunion they're sitting there with three guitarists octaving each other than that's it. which is also a cool effect but I mean it's a staple of your songs, d00ds. throw us a bone!

still amazed at Bruce's vocal health. I remember hearing "Aces High" live a few years ago and was kinda saying to myself "he doesn't do the octave leap anymore, but y'know he's--" and then him interrupting my thought by hitting it.

seeing them on Wednesday. I spun Book of Souls for the first time in like 3-4 months. shit holds up! I actually like it more now that I've been away from it for a while.

really hoping (and I really don't see how they wouldn't) that they do "The Red and the Black".

other than that, I'm hoping the non-Book of Souls songs has a good dose of the classic stuff I haven't heard live - like "When Eagles Dare" or "Powerslave".

really feel like this was a continuation of what started on Final Frontier. feel like the Dickinson reunion albums were missing a lot of the instrumental breaks that Maiden were fond of in the 80s, that they had kind of streamlined into the heavy metal version of "pop punk" with very simple arrangements. which is fine when the songs are there, but I was never fond of Dance of Death or the one that followed, and even now think Brave New World is overrated.

Kinda feel like if you have three guitars, take advantage of em. that being said, this band lives and dies with Bruce and his vocal health-if he leaves again, they gotta hang it up. putting the fans through another Blayze would suck.

though they could always get Geoff Tate to join and spit on all of the band during shows.

Strongly considering seeing the NYC show next month. If I go, it'll be my sixth time seeing them, fourth time at Madison Square Garden.

Seeing them on Friday. Still think this album is horrible but they're always amazing live.

warning, if you think the new album is horrible - they play about 7 songs from it. (IMO the new material sounded great live, with perhaps the exception of "Tears of a Clown", which I like, but isn't particularly exciting for a concert).

I won't spoil any other setlist items - most of it was songs they've played in recent years, though there was one HUGE surprise for me, and another that while they've done it in recent years, I wasn't expecting.

it was amazing, is all I'll say.

Apparently there are instagram photos of their jet for the tour. maximum overdrive!

Have they recorded an eight minute song about Romulus and Remus yet?

New 2017 tour dates, including a run in North America

On sale Jan 27

well at least we get Oakland this time, it's been LA-only for years

Maiden was phenomenal. probably my favorite of the 4. helped that I was mega-drunk. almost the same setlist as last year except we got "Wrathchild" instead of "Hallowed Be Thy Name".

new stuff still sounds great. and something chill-inducing seeing 20,000 people standing and singing "Blood Brothers" together.

of the 4 times I"ve seen them, that is.