A Matter of Life and Death: individual album judgement by yours truly

Along with Dance Of Death, it's the worst album they recorded with Bruce. And yes, I'm counting No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark as well.
 
I've just picked up a new sealed picture disc for 25 quid.
I know picture discs are a bit naff sounding , but this is really good and much more involving than the cd.
It's made me appreciate the album more. Colours has always been a favourite though.
 
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns 10
The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg 10
Out Of The Shadows 9
Different World 8
These Colours Don't Run 8
For The Greater Good Of God 6
The Legacy 6
The Pilgrim 5
The Longest Day 4
Lord Of Light 3

Average: 6,9
 
Last time Jeffmetal gave a 4.
4. The intro has nothing to do with the body of the song and it serves only as an intro, nothing more nothing less. The main riff and the beat reminded me of Sabbath from the Mob Rules are, but it only eluded me. This song contains one of Maiden's most powerful lyrics, which is a finger on the wound, but the chorus has nothing to do with the great main riff and, once again, throw the song totally against its purpose and it doesn't regain the same power when Bruce sings in ravenous manner after the arpeggio in the middle, which is the same chord sequence as in BTATS.
Which means that (at least) one other song has a higher grade than in 2011, because the total result for the album is exactly the same!
Now which one(s) would that be?
 
Huh. Weird 'cause I agree with everything said. I like the fact that intro is purely intro, because I grew tired of Harris style structures where you know exactly how 'intro' is going to progress. Main riff / groove are familiar, but not a ripoff or repetition. And powerful. The chorus breaks the flow, which is the one negative part about this song (two if it's played in in original key, sounds way better in D and Bruce would sound way better) . The mid calm part and H's solo is seriously quite up to best they've ever did.
 
It still sounds lazy and badly finished, to me. Specially the solo parts. Bruce and the lyrical content saves this record from a lower note and the top 4 songs on my list. However, These Colours Don't Run and For The Greater Good Of God sounds much better, after almost 10 years.
 
The riffage after Adrian's solo is excellent. Too bad that, on record, it's buried in the mix first beneath Dave's uninspired and going-nowhere solo, and then some 'orchestration'.

And I'm constantly thinking that Jeffmetal is some short dude that met Tony Iommi.
 
If FTGGOG sounds better, then another song must be lower than last year. ;)

Not necessarily. Sounds much better but, it is not that it revealed something I didn't notice. It's just that I might learned to abide with the endless verses.
 
I, sincerelly, don't remember if it was FTGGOG or The Legacy that went up 1 point, alongside TCDR. Even so, it won't make my general opinion on this album change.
 
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