A year has gone

MigDaimon

Trooper
Its been a year now since Dance of Death was released in Setember 8th. The objective of this thread is to look back. How did you were expecting DoD to be ? And what is your opinion now that the album has a year of age ? What have changed and what haven´t concerning your feelings about this album ?

Well, last year was very good ! I remember the expectations about DoD. Almost everyday I was checking Kevin Shirley´s website which has a diary of recording sessions. The first thing I remember was April 1st when Kevin played a joke on everybody telling that the album would feature a song with Ozzy Osbourne sharing vocals with Bruce. Can you imagine Montsegur or even No More Lies with that !? I would say, WEIRD, at least.
But this was not the only thing. I rember the comments about Montségur, Paschendale, Wildest Dreams, New Frontier, Age of Innocence. It was very amusing to have these diaries !

When I first heard DoD I found it to be an album with many songs sounding like previous albuns. Wildest Dreams is some what like Iron Maiden, Rainmaker like Virtual XI, No More Lies like X Factor, Montségur remimded me some parts of Powerslave and so on. Again Maiden have done something unique !An album which has its own sounding but which has also some parts of other ones.
In the musical sense (if I can say that, since I am not a musician), DoD sounded like and step back and a step forward than BNW. A step back since BNW is more complex. And step forward since Dance of Death has achieved a very good and efficient use of the three guitars, along with a some really impressive synth lines. The vocal deserves some credit again; Bruce has techinique and feeling and everything else !!! If he has to be rough and raspier he is (Dance of Death); if he has to be powerfull there he goes (No More Lies); if he has to be soft then its easy (Journeyman).

What you are gonna read now are some words about how I used to listen the songs and how I listen to then now. Somethings had changed, others not, and others may change with the time.


Wildest Dreams: This was the first one that I heard, about a month before the official release date. In fact I had heard it on the internet transmission of the Rock am Ring gig, but it was live and raw so I don´t count it. I didn´t want to download it, but constantly reading people´s thoughts about it and also having MTV showing the video I had no option. So I got it. I remember well. I was almost shaking. I was singing along at the first chorus. I thought it was a good song for opening gigs. Comparing with The Wicker Man I said that WM was heavier while WD was more complex.
Today I find it to be a good song but not even an inch closer to the rest of the album. Also the comparison Wicker Man X Wildest Dream has changed. WM IS a complex song and WD is very straight and even simple song. Anyway, I like this song and it stills has that good feeling which I had when I first heard it.

Rainmaker: This was the second song that I heard before the release date. One week after the official release a webforum came with some links to te whole album. I could not resist. By the time Rainmaker began, I was amazed ! So full of energy, power, and also very melodic and overflowing with feeling. I found it to be a mix of Futureal and Déjà vu. One think that I never liked much are the lyrics. So fuc*ing short !!! One verse, one bridge and chorus !
Today I still complain about the lyrics, which are very good but certainly short. It is a good song though. However, the chorus can be quite annoying. Alive the song lost a little of that "happy but melancholic" feeling and turned out in a more quick version. I still prefer the album version.

No More Lies: I didn´t download it. But I was reading opinions of people who had. All of them were saying the same thing. "THE CHORUS SUCKS !!!"
I loved the song ! It has a very classic Maiden vein on it ! One strange but cool thing that happened was that I was mumbling the song SINCE THE FIRST TIME I WAS HEARING IT. After the first four "No More Lies" when the whole band gives a little stop and then goes on with full power, well, don´t ask me how but I felt that the song was going to that direction. Its almost like if I had heard it before ! Also I didn´t find the chorus boring or anything like that. IT HAS TO BE 8 TIMES !!!
Today I still love this song ! Gosh ! I really love this one ! I made promisse to me that once I can play guitar decently I will learn this song ! It has so much feeling, the lyrics are so good, the solos and all the instrumental part is perfect. If this is not enough we have Bruce vocals which are excellent on this one ! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ! Love at first hearing !

Montsegur: Again, I didn´t download it but the opinions were saying that it was the best Iron Maiden song since Powerslave (Yes, people here are a bit too much expressive [!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--])
Also people were saying that it was an epical song. So I was anxious for it. When it started I was amazed again. I must have played the introduction about 6 or more times before leaving the song flow normally again. Its so fuc*ing heavy !!! Guitars, drums and that hammer bass all together in that musical wall of metal ! Bruce voice also is very good, with some raspier but powerful phrases; an impressive song indeed. But I didn´t find it epical.
Today: Well, it is a great song, but surely not an epical one. Its more like "a good song about a historycal subject" than epical. The lyrics are very impressive and the vocal line is awesome. The commnetary points out that the songs is "a bit too much happy" and I agree with that. But I don´t see this as a flaw. The "happiest" part are the bridges (as we kill them all so God….) and in those parts the song got a "anthem for killing cathars" feeling that I like !
One thing that I would point out is that I was specting this song to have a solo intro. Imagine this intro ==> Keep the same "Metal wall" intro but before it put a very mellow solo like Still Life and/or Déjà vu. Then let silence fill your ears for some mileseconds and then face the "Metal Wall" ! Whoa ! Don´t you think that it would be better then ?

Dance of Death: I didn´t download it but I heard it before. On the first day of the previous week of the release I was in a lan house (playing Unreal Tournament) and then checked out the internet. Then I knew that the webforum which I said had the links for the whole album. So imagine the situation : Me confortably sitting in a lan house with high speed connection, instead of the crappy dial up connection of my home, and with an mp3 file there, at the range of a few mouse clicks. Yes ! I confess ! I downloaded it ! [!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--]
Fortunatelly enough the soundboard of the computer I was sitting had some problems. So I heard a pale version of DoD. I just only could get the idea of it. Later when I heard it in a proper version I found it amazing ! Specially the "polish riff" (That part of Janick before the "As I danced with the dead my free spirit….). This song is almost like a movie ! Great instrumental masterpiece with brilliant solos.
Today : After listening to some bootlegs versions many times I found that the album version is soooooooooooooo slower than the live one ! But my opinions hasn´t changed at all. An excellent song !

Gates of Tomorrow: I’m going to be honest. I never liked this song much. The intro is good, sounds like a cross-over beetween Lord of the Flies with some Tailgunner here and there and it is very heavy too. The vocal lines are also good, almost all of them with two Bruces and in some choruses with an Adrian added and the song has some good solos and harmonies. However, the song is too much simple im my opinon. This isn’t the song that will fill your ears with loads of music, it is instead a very straightforward and simple song, with a happy sounding. I have a friend who loves this song and I imagine that I will never understand why. For me, this is the song wich was better in a B-side than on a album.

New Frontier: I remember the afternoon when I read on Kevin’s diary that Nicko had done a song. Funnily enough, on that afternoon, I was wondering when Nicko was going to give us some music ! Now I fear the sweat break down my brow, I feel a strengh an inner fire that I’m not sure I will be able to control it anymore ! [!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--]
Well, I was anxious to hear this song too. I was imagining how it was. But surely I could not imagine that the song would have the suddenly blast of music which marks its beginning. It’s a very heavy tune with some good vocals and also some good lyrics. Yes, I agree with the commentary when it says

[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] However, the lyrics are in my view the weakest point of  'New Frontier'. Not only are they a shallow religious blurb, but they are also pretty offensive to scientists and, as a biologist, they appalled me quite a bit. This is the kind of pamphlet that led to physicians practising abortion being murdered in the United States, and that could incite feeble-minded religious extremists to do the same with any scientist dealing with the living. A very grim outlook indeed![/quote]
But even knowing this we cannot deny the it is a well-built lyric. I mean, you can disagree with the idea, and it is a silly idea. But this idea is passed in a good way, a way that makes clear its points and that lets you decide if you agree with it or not.
Unfortunatelly, with time, you get really tired of this one. Its another too much simple and PLAIN song. Would be nice to hear how it sound alive with Mcbrain Damage but I doubt that the live version can redeem its flaws.

Paschendale: Ah ! Paschendale ! What words can I use for describing this awesome masterpiece of art !? Let me tell you how was my first contact with this one. This was the third one that I downloaded. Also I had read the comments on Kevin’s diary and I was aware of the “movie-scene” production. In fact I was really, really anxious for this one. Download finished so lets hear.
Hum…… some hi-hat cymbals on the beginning………. Cool………….. and what’s this ? This guitar is sounding very “Linkin Park” to my ears………. Strange………….. woa ! A blast of music……………… again that strange linking park guitar with some strange synths………
Well, as you can see I really didn’t like the song at first heard. All of those things that I heard and read was about this song !? I said to myself “It can’t be !”. So I heard it again. And again. And again ! It was the fourth time that I hearing the song and I wasn’t really understanding it ! Not in the real sense of understandig, but in the sense that the song wasn’t making any sense to me ! So I made a quick search on the internet and get the lyrics (times likes these I love the internet). So lets listen again !

In a foreing field he lay
Lonely soldier unknown grave
On his dying words he prays
Tell the World of Paschendale


Woa ! How beatiful verse ! So poetic !

You see. As I keep listening to it I was gettng into it ! I listened a sixth time. And a seventh. And even an eigth ! By the eight time of listening I was hooked ! Yes ! I needed to listen Paschendale eight times before completely understanding it ! And I don’t see this as a flaw. Not a chance ! It was me that wasn’t ready for that kind of song yet !
Since then my love and admiration for this song has only been improved. So full of poetic and strong images, loads of feelings, overflowing with art and technique. There are no real words for describing it ! It cannot be described. It has to be heard ! Best song in album and certainly one of the best in the whole band career.
Hallowed be Adrian Smith !:bow:

Face in The Sand: Since the names of the songs were made public I was intrigued about this one. Isn’t a weird name for a Maiden song ? BTW, isn’t Dance of Death a weird name for an Iron Maiden album. Its too Black/Death Metal….. Anyway, before I keep on the song, I must tell that I really don’t like the double pedal sound (in fact most of times I hate it). I don’t know, as some people hate Black Metal vocals I hate double pedal sound. It is a great thing, WHEN USED WITH WISDOM. And this is something seldomly heard (IMHO).
I like the double pedal sound in Brave New World (I know it isn’t a double pedal). Nicko played on the edge beetween great feature and complete disaster in songs like Dream of Mirrors and Ghost of the Navigator. Some songs in DoD like the title one has some parts with that sound and they are okay. However since the beginning I knew this song had a real double pedal. So I was kinda scared.
When I first heard I didn’t like at all. That damn thing hammering my brain and bleeding me ears…… ah ! I hated it. The guitar works was good, and the synths were really moving, but I hated the double pedal thing !!!
Today this has become one of my favourites tracks ! It’s a very desperating song (we can hear the desperation reflected in Bruce’s vocals) and yes, I admit, the double pedal is great too. As a sign of my “friendship” with this song, please go to the Face in the Sand thread in the English Commentary forum where you can read (if you haven’t yet) a kind of “movie” a made with the song.

Age of Innocence: Another one with a strange name. However this song has Murray’s name on the credits so I knew it was good (see my avatar and discover who is the best guitarrist in the fuc*ing world [!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--] ). But I didn’t know it was so good ! A moving intro with some instrospective solos followed by a real show of interpretation of Mr. Dickinson. A nice chorus and some good lyrics made me like this one.
Today I still like this song, but usually I enjoy much more the How Old Version, which features Nicko’s vocals. Can someone drag that dwarf called Dickinson off the stage and put Mr Brain in front of the mic please !?

Journeyman: Along with Face in The Sand, this one was scaring me too. I knew it was whole acoustic. I didn’t know what to expect. I remember one night when I dreamt that I was listening to this song in a store. It was a very boring and long tune, with some weird synths in the backgorund. Fortunatelly the dream wasn’t true. But yes, like as many others, I didn’t like the song t first. It was a good song but it sounded like another band to me.
This changed in the beginning of January. I knew that Maiden was coming to play here, so I searched the internet for a bootleg. I got Bercy. And I was really impressed by the song live. Its almost like pure magic ! I remember well some night in January 17 when I listened to the song live. Then I came back to the album version. What can I say ? A really good song ! It has lots of layers fullfiled with feelings. Really, really good

A little note about the different versions of Dance of Death, Paschendale and Journeyman which came in the No More Lies single: I really liked these versions ! In fact I think that Maiden should have used DoD and Paschendale with "orchestra" to the album version. These songs are so much more complex in this way. Really love Paschendale with those "violins".
Journeyman may remains as it is, but the eletric one is cool too !

All in all, Dance of Death is an awesome album. Varied and powerfull songs with a good and clearer production. Again Maiden have done the best. I just have 2 things to complain about the album.

01 ) - The Harmonies - I call harmonies that part which has the twim guitars at the top ! Remember that part just before the solo in Children of the Damned. Or the solos in Murders in the Rue Morgue. Or maybe the brilliant after the solos in Rime of the Ancient Mariner. If you haven´t remembered yet, just keep in mind the song Déjà vu. Well, that´s what I call harmony. I really don´t know if theres is another term to this. As I said I am not a musician. But I am sure you had understand me (oh God, please ! [!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--] )
Well, I ´ve always love the harmonies in Maiden work. They are so powerfull !
Now try to remember an harmony in Brave New World. I can only remember now by memory the one in the title track. BNW do not have so much harmonies. But the harmonies on this album are one of the best in all Maiden career.
Dance of Death instead have a lot of harmonies. I can remember Rainmaker, some in No More Lies, a little one in Montségur, and of course the lovely "crowd part" harmony in Dance of Death with the "ooooooooo ooooooooo o o o o oooooo ooooo". However, due to production issues I think, the harmonies on this album are not that powerfull. They are not the harmonies which have the power to take my heart and shake it to the ground ! In fact I can only remember the one before the rap part in Age of Innocence. Only this one sent shivers donw my spine. The others are just okay.
So, Maiden have done an album with lots of harmonies again, but these are not as good as the previous ones. So please guys, make good harmony parts with good production ! I prefer less but perfect harmonies than lots of cold ones.

Yes. Before you speak, I know. I am really boring to pay this much attention to the harmonies. But what can I do ?! I guess everyone can have its moments……. [!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--]

2 ) - The second thing is, of course, the cover. Very strange and ugly. I really don´t like CGI graphics in album covers, but this one has exceeded all the limits !

I am waiting for you comments now ! [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
Just something to add to Face In The Sand

My first impressions of Face In The Sand was that the intro sounded almost exactly like Blood Brothers and the same with the main synth ( Did anyone else notice this? ). I personally like the double pedal. Like Nomad the pedal and the synth and all the combined factors add so much depth to this track. The most powerful and atmospheric track on the album with the exception of Paeshendale.
 
Nice post mig! My reply wont be as long [!--emo&;)--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'wink.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

I agree with most of your post. When i first heard the album the songs i loved were the first two, monsegeur, paschendale and dance of death. I have though, only a few months back realised how good nearly all of the tracks are on this album, i am still loving dance of death (the song) after noticing its quality around April. Journeyman is a great song and i am liking age of innocence right now. As for the songs i liked when i first heard the album, paschendale is still a favourite of mine, a definate classic. Monsegur i love as much as i did when i first heard it, although WD doesnt appeal as much as it used to, i think i listened to it too much when i first got that single. Its still a good song though! Rainmaker has also slightly lost its appeal but nevertheless a great track!!

To this day i am still really enjoying DOD, perhaps moreso that i did when i first bought it. I think it would be in my top 5 now. Its just too bad i didnt notice all of the song's brilliance when i went on the DOD tour, i really want to see paschendale live again, that would make a show for me.
 
It's the most mature and in my view the best Maiden album. everything you said about Paschendale was true. You tell me there is an orchestral version *drools*, wehere, how, gimme... Yes, anyway, where can I download the orchestral version.
 
[!--QuoteBegin-Revenant+Jan 3 2005, 12:16 AM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Revenant @ Jan 3 2005, 12:16 AM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]It's the most mature and in my view the best Maiden album.  everything you said about Paschendale was true.  You tell me there is an orchestral version *drools*, wehere, how, gimme...  Yes, anyway, where can I download the orchestral version.
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It's on the No More Lies EP. Anyway, it's not much to listen to. It's different but its nowhere near as good as the original. Its just a different mix. It is not the same sort of 'orchestral' version as Metallica's idea of an 'orchestral' version. In short... It's crap.
 
This album is realy great!!! Has very balanced songs(i mean that they are all good, so i never skip track when i listen to them), few extraordinary rockers(paschendale, montsegur-most powerful ever, dance of death), and band is at its best!
 
It's still one of the albums I listen to the most, and in particular in my car. It's really a great album to drive.

But since few weeks, I always have the same impression : the first half is amazing, but after 'Dance of death', the quality of the songs declines (in my opinion [!--emo&-_---][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sleep.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'sleep.gif\' /][!--endemo--] ) except the two masterpieces, 'Paschendale' and 'Journeyman', probably two of their best and most original song ever !

So, as an album it's not really what I like the most, but the average quality of the songs is, in my opinion, very high and i still consider this album as one of my favorite at this time.
 
I used to like it quite a lot but during the last couple of months I've really lost much of my appreciation for it. I still maintain what I said back in 2003, there's a few real shite songs on there and a bunch of average ones as well. Cutting Wildest Dreams, Gates of Tomorrow, New Frontier and Age of Innocence from the album would make it better.

The only really great songs are Paschendale and Journeyman. The rest has its moments but is rather bad at the low points (not counting the songs I said should be cut from it). Alright album overall I'd say.
 
My opinion hasn't changed. A very good album, with some classics (Dance of Death, Paschendale, Face in the Sand) but also a lot of average songs (on Maiden standards).

When I first heard it, it was like there were some jewels drowned in songs that sounded similar. Of course, after a few listen, some songs revealed themselves, but I would still say that the overall album has less personnality than 'Brave New World'.

Still, the songs I've mentionned are making for this feeling and I still listen to it quite often.

Cheers

PS: we should change the title of this thread to 1 1/2 year later [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
I loved Wildest Dreams when it was released. I thought it was a great, fast paced little rocker to kick off the album. The highlights for me are Paschendale ( I fear Maiden will never again prodice something so magnificent, powerful, atmospheric and magical), Journeyman (what a c ool fu#@ing song done live), Montesgur (one of Maidens heaviest riffs), and Face in The Sand (check out H's solo). 12 months on I still think it kicks arse. I think it took the new three guitar pronged sound from BNW and made it even better. And if you put your Cd in a DVD player with DTS surround sound.........WOW it blows your bollocks off!!!
 
[!--QuoteBegin-thegodthatish+Oct 17 2005, 04:13 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(thegodthatish @ Oct 17 2005, 04:13 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]12 months on I still think it kicks arse.
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Check the date of release, will you? [!--emo&-_---][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sleep.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'sleep.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
I can't help comparing DOD with its predecessor.

Best sound: DOD
Best album: BNW

A few tracks on DOD I like very, very much, such as the title track, Paschendale and Rainmaker. The intro of Face in the Sand is also unbeatable.

On BNW there are more tracks, of which I have a better feeling than on DOD.

Let's hope that the next album will be a good combination of both.
At least I hope for more good songs than on DOD.
 
It's more than a year past now since the release of DoD but it's about a year since I've first heard it. Like others, I feel Wildest Dreams was a poor choice for a single from the album. Rainmaker is also pretty poor IMO but the No More Lies EP seemed like a good idea (at the time anyway).

I rate DoD as an album probably one of the lowest of all Maiden material. I don't like the production and the songs all sound a bit samey, except from the excellent Paschendaele, DoD, NML and FitS. The album feels lazy and drawn out with too much filler material. I just hope that the next album will be better and provide more highlights. It's not a terrible album, I just wouldn't call it a great album in the same context as NotB or PoM.
 
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