Tracks:

Wildest Dreams
Rainmaker
No More Lies
Montsegur
Dance of Death
Gates of Tomorrow
New Frontier
Paschendale
Face in the Sand
Age of Innocence
Journeyman

Iron Maiden: arguably the greatest heavy metal band of all time.

When I popped this CD in my PC, and the unfailingly annoying Real Player popped up uninvited, I noticed something that was rather amusing. The top of the player normally displays the album cover and album info, and sometimes there are little blurbs about the history of a band. This blurb read "Don't even try to touch these guys. They rule all that is Metal." I had to laugh at the simple truth of this statement. Even the jackasses behind this useless piece of listening software know the truth of Iron Maiden.

I recently had the pleasure of catching the Iron Maiden show at Merriweather and if you have read the review you know what a great show that turned out to be. Iron Maiden used this tour to introduce the fans to the new song "Wildest Dreams" which opens this new CD. It was good live, and it's even better now that I can play it over and over and become better acquainted with it (who you calling obsessive compulsive?? I just LIKE the song.)

As always the songs are top notch (I am in denial of the fact that Bruce ever left the band. Blaze who?) but my first impression of the production is one of mild disappointment. Given the capabilities of digital recording and studio production, I really think the sound on this album could be much brighter and clearer with more punch. But whatever, maybe they prefer to keep things old school. And anyway, who the hell cares, it's a NEW MAIDEN ALBUM after all!!

I would just like to bring it to Bruce Dickinson's attention that yes, like many others I did download the "Wildest Dreams" clip when it was circling the net, and yes, despite the prevalence of file sharing, I still ran out and purchased the album the day it was released. So, in at least this small instance, your faith in us (the fans) has been justified. I will always support Iron Maiden (Blaze who?)

Most days the traffic on 270 is the bane of my existence, but on this particular day (yesterday) it gave me the opportunity to crank up this disc and give it a listen. Some people (idiots and fools) may comment that Maiden are treading water and revisiting the same old well of riffs, but what these people fail to understand is that Iron Maiden pioneered this particular genre (find me a melodic Swedish death metal band that doesn't give a nod to the Maiden. Hello In Flames!) and if they travel a path that is in fact reminiscent of their older material then I will willingly and joyously follow them down that road. I don't think it's a crime to sound like oneself. If one must criticize, criticize the countless bands that lift Maiden riffs instead of developing their own style.

I haven't yet heard the last three tracks, so not all the votes are in yet, but thus far my favorite tracks are "Dance of Death", "Gates of Tomorrow" and "Paschendale." "Paschendale" is rather like a more mature and introspective version of "The Trooper", accounting a bloody World War I battle. This is my second listen to the album (excepting the last three tracks) and already the songs are growing on me and transitioning nicely into the Iron Maiden catalog (Blaze who?) It's like welcoming home an old friend who has been absent for too long.

Well, I have finished those last three tracks now, and if anything they are even better than the previous tracks. Both "Age of Innocence" and "Journeyman" should probably be included in my favorite tracks list, which rounds the list out nicely at 5. So there you have it. The new Iron Maiden album. The lot of you should run out and beg to be worthy of purchasing it on name recognition alone, but for those of you that need a little more encouragement here it is: GO. NOW. BUY. LISTEN. PRAISE. If I need say any more than that then you are too daft to live, let alone enjoy the pleasures of quality heavy metal music. Be gone fair-weather fans, go listen to some nu-metal or mall core and pretend that you are different and relevant and so much cooler than everyone else. Those of us with more than two brain cells to grind together will know the true rub of things.

UP THE IRONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(……….Blaze who?)