It is obvious to me that if Dickinson stays healthy (fingers crossed ) there will be another IM album which will , probably, be their final . Where can the band go after TBOS ?
For me TBOS is the ultimate IM album . That doesn't mean the best , it means that it has all the elements that have defined Maiden's music taken to the extreme . So how do you think they should follow that with their final album ?
One suggestion would be "shorter" songs, but honestly that is a myth . TBOS is full of short songs , and very good ones at that . Take away some intros/outros and IESF, SOL ,TGU , WTRRD , DOG , TOAC , TMOS are all regular Maiden songs . Even SOTV isn't really a long Maiden song . Not only that but they are the best collection of "normal length" songs that they have written since SSOASS . So you cut two long songs , let's say EOTC and TRATB , trim a few intros/outros and there you have a "normal" metal album . Also I don't believe that they can't write even different sounding normal-length songs, TRATB alone has 3-4 "ethereal" melodies that could be the base for songs similar to the short ones in SSOASS .
Make an even longer album ? Wouldn't that be too much, they are almost already there with TBOS . I could see how they could follow the , somewhat, experimental (and criminally underrated ) TFF , and that's with a more traditionally-sounding IM album and that's what they did with TBOS . On the other hand I can't see how they could make another album and have it being a better closure to their career than TBOS . All I can think of is an album with a more polished production, though TBOS sounds fine to my ears , but nothing else .
So how do you believe the final IM album could/should sound like ?
For me TBOS is the ultimate IM album . That doesn't mean the best , it means that it has all the elements that have defined Maiden's music taken to the extreme . So how do you think they should follow that with their final album ?
One suggestion would be "shorter" songs, but honestly that is a myth . TBOS is full of short songs , and very good ones at that . Take away some intros/outros and IESF, SOL ,TGU , WTRRD , DOG , TOAC , TMOS are all regular Maiden songs . Even SOTV isn't really a long Maiden song . Not only that but they are the best collection of "normal length" songs that they have written since SSOASS . So you cut two long songs , let's say EOTC and TRATB , trim a few intros/outros and there you have a "normal" metal album . Also I don't believe that they can't write even different sounding normal-length songs, TRATB alone has 3-4 "ethereal" melodies that could be the base for songs similar to the short ones in SSOASS .
Make an even longer album ? Wouldn't that be too much, they are almost already there with TBOS . I could see how they could follow the , somewhat, experimental (and criminally underrated ) TFF , and that's with a more traditionally-sounding IM album and that's what they did with TBOS . On the other hand I can't see how they could make another album and have it being a better closure to their career than TBOS . All I can think of is an album with a more polished production, though TBOS sounds fine to my ears , but nothing else .
So how do you believe the final IM album could/should sound like ?