Which Maiden studio album has the best guitar sound in your opinion?

Which one?

  • Debut

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Killers

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • TNOTB

    Votes: 2 3.3%

  • POM

    Votes: 3 5.0%

  • Powerslave

    Votes: 14 23.3%

  • SIT

    Votes: 12 20.0%

  • SSOASS

    Votes: 5 8.3%

  • NPFTD

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • FOTD

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • TXF

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • VXI

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • BNW

    Votes: 9 15.0%

  • DOD

    Votes: 4 6.7%

  • AMOLAD

    Votes: 8 13.3%

  • TFF

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • TBOS

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • Senjutsu

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    60
I love the sound of the clean guitar on Brave New World. When I was younger, I honestly thought the intro melody to Ghost on the Navigator was played on keyboards. It was so clean and lush.

The best overdriven sound for me will always be A Matter of Life and Death. Suns and Lord of Light both are crushing.
 
Powerslave, Brave New World, Piece of Mind, probably in that order. Surprised that so many dislike PoM; I love how heavy songs like Where Eagles Dare, Revelations and Icarus sounds here.

Also a bit baffled at the love for Somewhere in Time. A little reverb is good, but here there's just too much.
 
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andreljbernardo said:
And I don't understand the so many deslike for POM guitar sound too. I think it's really great, one of the best in my opinion.
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POM's sound is far from bad. The rough guitars give it a different, organic and heavier sound. Like they approached BNW. It shines in songs like Icarus and Land. Even the drums. It opens up the sound, to say. If only NPFTD had it. Without the debut, it's the least polished 80's album, so maybe that's why.
Confeos said:
Also a bit baffled at the love for Somewhere in Time. A little reverb is good, but here there's just too much.
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Isn't that what makes it special?
Ascendingthethrone said:
I love the sound of the clean guitar on Brave New World. When I was younger, I honestly thought the intro melody to Ghost on the Navigator was played on keyboards. It was so clean and lush.
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The clean tones in Maiden's early 2000's albums are just pure gold. Like the mid-80's.
 
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Gotta echo all the AMOLAD votes for overall best guitar sound.

That said, despite not liking Piece Of Mind's production (especially the weak rhythm guitars) I have to say: The lead guitars, in particular the solos, sound glorious. The solo section on Quest For Fire is my favorite moment on the album purely on the basis of how great it sounds.
 
I can't understand the acclaim for AMOLAD, but maybe my impression is clouded by the 2006 mix (which is fuzzy and undefined). DoD has a bad mix but a gloriously crunchy guitar production. Best guitar tone of the reunion albums along with BNW. Of the 80's albums it must be SIT for layers and leads and Powerslave for crunch
 
JayIto said:
I can't understand the acclaim for AMOLAD, but maybe my impression is clouded by the 2006 mix (which is fuzzy and undefined). DoD has a bad mix but a gloriously crunchy guitar production. Best guitar tone of the reunion albums along with BNW. Of the 80's albums it must be SIT for layers and leads and Powerslave for crunch
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When I think "guitar" and "AMOLAD" I think the heavy riffs in Reincarnation once the clean intro is over, I think Adrian's distorted verse riff before Bruce's high vocals kick in, I think the crushing riffs throughout Brighter Than A Thousand Suns.
 
Vaenyr said:
When I think "guitar" and "AMOLAD" I think the heavy riffs in Reincarnation once the clean intro is over, I think Adrian's distorted verse riff before Bruce's high vocals kick in, I think the crushing riffs throughout Brighter Than A Thousand Suns.
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Mind you I'm only talking about the production/guitar sound, not the actual quality of the riffs. AMOLAD has some great stuff. But the verses of dance of death, the intro to Montségur, Paschendale, Face in the Sand are also in competition. Dance of death has a nice, crunchy and very metal guitar sound whereas AMOLAD unfortunately started the trend towards a more organic but less weighty sound
 
JayIto said:
Mind you I'm only talking about the production/guitar sound, not the actual quality of the riffs. AMOLAD has some great stuff. But the verses of dance of death, the intro to Montségur, Paschendale, Face in the Sand are also in competition. Dance of death has a nice, crunchy and very metal guitar sound whereas AMOLAD unfortunately started the trend towards a more organic but less weighty sound
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Yeah, I was also talking about the production in particular, not the composition. Give the 2015 remaster a try if haven't heard it yet, it might change your view a bit.
 
If we're talking worst, it's VXI without a doubt. The production on that album gives no depth or punch to the geetars and it's a travesty that Futureal's opening riff is not a dual guitar harmony.
 
chaosapiant said:
If we're talking worst, it's VXI without a doubt. The production on that album gives no depth or punch to the geetars and it's a travesty that Futureal's opening riff is not a dual guitar harmony.
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I'd say that the guitar sound on X-Factor is even worse; it is paper thin and drowned out. On the other hand the mix is much more dynamic and Nicko has a great drum sound whereas Virtual XI seems flatter over all.
 
JayIto said:
I'd say that the guitar sound on X-Factor is even worse; it is paper thin and drowned out. On the other hand the mix is much more dynamic and Nicko has a great drum sound whereas Virtual XI seems flatter over all.
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I Love that sound for that album. I can see that kind of atmospheric sound wouldnt work for any other album. But in this album its like mortiis sounding like classical music.
 
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