News 18th Studio Album discussion

[dickinson1978]

I`ll take a new album if everyone is really in to making it. Any doubt whether on the writing side or the recording with Simon side and i`d say don`t bother as it will likely underwhelm us all .

As anyone who`s seen them on this tour and the 2026 leg in particular can confirm Maiden are still a force to be reckoned with live so dig in to the back catalogue a bit and find some rarely or never played stuff and the 2028 tour will be a success i have no doubt.

100% would be another success for sure. Now they can do whatever they want.

 

[CA Bryers]

I’ll be honest with no new Maiden album I could be done with seeing them live to be honest.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen them a lot over the last 3 decades since my first time in 1995 and at this stage I have no interest in seeing them touring the same old songs over and over again.

Unless they come up with some awesome theme for the next tour with a load of rare songs I’m out.

I find myself in this camp too, especially since my wife still hasn't divulged how much she spent on our tickets for this September's show (all I know is it was over $200 per). Given the rising expense, I'm gonna need a better reason to keep going if they're just going to go with songs I've seen them play a billion times. I'd even been thinking of skipping RFYL anyway because of that reason, and then my wife said, "oh yeah, these people from work are going, so I got us tickets too." I certainly don't mind, since there are songs I've never seen them play in person, and the return of Infinite Dreams is welcome indeed. Oh, and my first time was same tour, but in 1996. Seen them most tours since then, so if RFYL is the last one, it's a good cap-off of my run.

But yeah, maybe I've got undiagnosed ADHD or something, since my excitement for Maiden tends to wane a bit if it's been a good while since they've made something new to spur said excitement. I understand if they just want to maximize crowds in these last few years by playing safe sets, but it just turns my "must go" attitude into a "we'll see" attitude.

 

[dickinson1978]

I find myself in this camp too, especially since my wife still hasn't divulged how much she spent on our tickets for this September's show (all I know is it was over $200 per). Given the rising expense, I'm gonna need a better reason to keep going if they're just going to go with songs I've seen them play a billion times. I'd even been thinking of skipping RFYL anyway because of that reason, and then my wife said, "oh yeah, these people from work are going, so I got us tickets too." I certainly don't mind, since there are songs I've never seen them play in person, and the return of Infinite Dreams is welcome indeed. Oh, and my first time was same tour, but in 1996. Seen them most tours since then, so if RFYL is the last one, it's a good cap-off of my run.

But yeah, maybe I've got undiagnosed ADHD or something, since my excitement for Maiden tends to wane a bit if it's been a good while since they've made something new to spur said excitement. I understand if they just want to maximize crowds in these last few years by playing safe sets, but it just turns my "must go" attitude into a "we'll see" attitude.

Fpt was an insane setlist.

 

[GhostofCain]

There are two ways to judge Senjutsu now:

In a fantasy world that I also love slipping into, where Senjutsu exists in its own vacuum and the strongest songs stand out in their own right.

In the real world, as the sixth in a run of reunion albums against which it feels derivative (I agree somewhat with you here).

I was reading Christer Andresen's Maiden Revelations commentary covering 2005-2014. He has a similar view to me, that Final Frontier marked the first niggling issues with the quality of the post-1999 recorded material. He hasn't written an article on 2015-2024 yet but I stand by my very general view that the last three studio albums are showing the limits of the reunion-era songwriting style.

https://maidenrevelations.com/2022/11/27/maiden-history-a-second-golden-age-2005-2014/

I think that Maiden peaked post-reunion with A Matter of Life and Death, which, to me, is a top 5 Maiden album. On that record, all the ideas that had been brewing since the mid 90s were mixed with traditional 80s Maiden to create a sublime collection of songs, an album so good that they decided to play it live in its entirety.

Since then, the studio albums have had moments of brilliance (less on each subsequent release) but have also been plagued with self-plagiarism, bloatedness, and too much repetition of the same songwriting clichés.

 

[dickinson1978]

I think that Maiden peaked post-reunion with A Matter of Life and Death, which, to me, is a top 5 Maiden album. On that record, all the ideas that had been brewing since the mid 90s were mixed with traditional 80s Maiden to create a sublime collection of songs, an album so good that they decided to play it live in its entirety.

Since then, the studio albums have had moments of brilliance (less on each subsequent release) but have also been plagued with self-plagiarism, bloatedness, and too much repetition of the same songwriting clichés.

AMOLAD its and album on his own way. Its maiden sounding maiden but different. One of their best for sure even im not as fan as this forum with lord of light or legacy. But has his moments those songs. But i do feel the same with SJ agree with TFF or BOS. Better TFF. Cliches? BOS. SJ yes LIALT xfactor,Time machine xfactor but also maiden post reunion, hell on earth x factor and maiden post reunion death of the celts? Virtual xfactor and maiden post reunion. But its great for me.

 

[Poto]

I think Senjutsu is the best of the last three.

The Book of Souls probably the weakest. It hasn't stood the test of that that well, and contains the worst song they have done in years in When the River Runs Deep. Also, the production is horrendous.

 

[Ascendingthethrone]

I think that Maiden peaked post-reunion with A Matter of Life and Death, which, to me, is a top 5 Maiden album. On that record, all the ideas that had been brewing since the mid 90s were mixed with traditional 80s Maiden to create a sublime collection of songs, an album so good that they decided to play it live in its entirety.

Since then, the studio albums have had moments of brilliance (less on each subsequent release) but have also been plagued with self-plagiarism, bloatedness, and too much repetition of the same songwriting clichés.

It is the pinnacle of the reunion era for sure. I was overjoyed that they played it all live.

Even though the albums since have not been as strong, they have excelled with set lists post-2015. They have been on an incredible run.

 

[dickinson1978]

I think Senjutsu is the best of the last three.

The Book of Souls probably the weakest. It hasn't stood the test of that that well, and contains the worst song they have done in years in When the River Runs Deep. Also, the production is horrendous.

for me DOD is plenty of that. BOS has IESF wich is a really good one, BOS that is a good song and a few decents. Wtrrd is a bad song but the 2nd half of dod is one after the other like that and ends with journeyman lol.

 

[Ledges Bitten In Dust]

Last paragraph from "the band" segment of their website:

Run For Your Lives is a stadium tour designed to fire the imagination and continue Maiden’s lifelong commitment to reach ever-loftier summits with a set list and a fully modernized production designed to delight fans of every generation. Its auspicious beginning would be met with exceptional reviews as well as a deeply moving and historic homecoming at London Stadium – the home of Steve’s beloved team, West Ham United FC. The tour would also coincide with a trio of major developments designed to mark the occasion of Maiden's 50th in style. They include a bestselling official book – Infinite Dreams: an unprecedented account of Iron Maiden’s first half-century as told by the band themselves, as well as the announcement of Burning Ambition, a documentary film about the band by Universal Pictures which is now in cinemas.

Ofc it's a joke, but it's maybe a indicator that they won't retire as soon as we think, or maybe not in a traditional way. Who knows...

 

[CA Bryers]

Fpt was an insane setlist.

It was the most adventurous setlist I've seen for a good while indeed. Never in a million years thought I'd hear them play Caught Somewhere in Time again, and we all thought there'd never be a realistic chance for Alexander. It's why it pisses me off to no end that we're getting no live album for that tour, because there's a LOAD of songs on there that have never been represented on a live album. Yet RFYL, which we've got previous live recordings of what...EVERY song? Of course we're getting a live album of that. *big ol' eyeroll*

I think that Maiden peaked post-reunion with A Matter of Life and Death, which, to me, is a top 5 Maiden album. On that record, all the ideas that had been brewing since the mid 90s were mixed with traditional 80s Maiden to create a sublime collection of songs, an album so good that they decided to play it live in its entirety.

100% agree the reunion era reached its creative peak on AMOLAD. It's doesn't sound as good as BNW sonically, but the songwriting is at an incredibly high level of consistency. It stumbles at the outset a bit with Different World, IMO, but it's remarkably strong from there on out. So bizarre the band believed in it so much they played it front to back live, yet has largely forgotten it in the tours that followed.

 

[dickinson1978]

It was the most adventurous setlist I've seen for a good while indeed. Never in a million years thought I'd hear them play Caught Somewhere in Time again, and we all thought there'd never be a realistic chance for Alexander. It's why it pisses me off to no end that we're getting no live album for that tour, because there's a LOAD of songs on there that have never been represented on a live album. Yet RFYL, which we've got previous live recordings of what...EVERY song? Of course we're getting a live album of that. *big ol' eyeroll*


100% agree the reunion era reached its creative peak on AMOLAD. It's doesn't sound as good as BNW sonically, but the songwriting is at an incredibly high level of consistency. It stumbles at the outset a bit with Different World, IMO, but it's remarkably strong from there on out. So bizarre the band believed in it so much they played it front to back live, yet has largely forgotten it in the tours that followed.

Well the tour was the big hits. And they play SSOASS infinite phantom rime..killers murders... those are not classic stuff as terms of being played

 

[dickinson1978]

It was the most adventurous setlist I've seen for a good while indeed. Never in a million years thought I'd hear them play Caught Somewhere in Time again, and we all thought there'd never be a realistic chance for Alexander. It's why it pisses me off to no end that we're getting no live album for that tour, because there's a LOAD of songs on there that have never been represented on a live album. Yet RFYL, which we've got previous live recordings of what...EVERY song? Of course we're getting a live album of that. *big ol' eyeroll*


100% agree the reunion era reached its creative peak on AMOLAD. It's doesn't sound as good as BNW sonically, but the songwriting is at an incredibly high level of consistency. It stumbles at the outset a bit with Different World, IMO, but it's remarkably strong from there on out. So bizarre the band believed in it so much they played it front to back live, yet has largely forgotten it in the tours that followed.

Different world is not a good opener. Is like wildest dreams 2. And for me lord of light and legacy are 6.5/10 the rest of the album,yes. A jewel.

 

[Dick Brucinson]

I still think Senjutsu is, by far, their worst post-reunion album. Bloated, plodding, derivative... Not bad, but way below in terms of quality from what they had done since 2000.

And I think Steve knows this very well - which is why he has no desire to record a new album. Cause if #18 was such a half baked stuff like Senjutsu, he would see his own legacy endangered. It's simply the fear not being able to continue in the tradition of better days. Just an opinion of course.

 

[Helmuth Von Moltke]

Legacy is phenomenal for me, even more so that it seems Janick initially wrote the lyrics with Tony Blair in mind - but Steve made it more sci-fi with the 'strange yellow gas'. Lord of Light is also great. AMOLAD is indeed a musical peak.

Albums since then all have immense highlights but not the consistency of AMOLAD. eg. Mother Of Mercy seemed to me like an inferior AMOLAD left over - I'm sure it wasn't but the lyrics drew me back there.

 

[CA Bryers]

Legacy is phenomenal for me, even more so that it seems Janick initially wrote the lyrics with Tony Blair in mind - but Steve made it more sci-fi with the 'strange yellow gas'. Lord of Light is also great. AMOLAD is indeed a musical peak.

Albums since then all have immense highlights but not the consistency of AMOLAD. eg. Mother Of Mercy seemed to me like an inferior AMOLAD left over - I'm sure it wasn't but the lyrics drew me back there.

I always took the "strange yellow gas" playing with their minds as an allusion to MK Ultra rather than anything sci-fi, and, being a Yank, my association went to the failures of George W. rather than Tony Blair. The quiet/loud/quiet/loud intro and Bruce's great inflections really draw you in, and it's one of the first songs I think of when I think of AMOLAD. Odd, great song, but not surprised its never returned to the setlist.