Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Good point, but they've said many times that they're not sure if they'll do one and the song won't get any easier to sing.
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES WORLD TOUR (2025/2026)
- Thread starter Mosh
- Start date
matic22
Ancient Mariner
Yes. It was amazing in 2008, it was great in 2018. But each few years it drops in quality a bit.
From the musician's standpoint it needs to be retired.
Spambot
Meme Lord
Last night, I had this dream where I was in Budapest. I had tickets for the first show but didn’t go because I didn’t want to see the setlist - basically, I wanted to attend the second show spoiler-free. (first MaidenFan problem)
Then, I checked my phone and saw a pop-up news notification, like the kind you get from Facebook or Instagram. It was from Maiden, and the caption under a picture of Bruce was a bad pun: “Sea what we did there?!” I immediately thought, “FUCK! I knew they were going to play ‘Sea of Madness,’ and I didn’t post my prediction in Randalf’s tour prediction thread!” (second MaidenFan problem)
But when I went on the forum, I realized the caption was actually about “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” not “Sea of Madness.” So, I was bummed because I accidentally spoiled the setlist for myself. But then, I felt a little better - not because they were playing one of my favorite songs - but because I didn’t lose any hypothetical points for the setlist prediction I never actually submitted. (third MaidenFan problem)
Sorry, I don’t have anything else to add at this point.
Then, I checked my phone and saw a pop-up news notification, like the kind you get from Facebook or Instagram. It was from Maiden, and the caption under a picture of Bruce was a bad pun: “Sea what we did there?!” I immediately thought, “FUCK! I knew they were going to play ‘Sea of Madness,’ and I didn’t post my prediction in Randalf’s tour prediction thread!” (second MaidenFan problem)
But when I went on the forum, I realized the caption was actually about “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” not “Sea of Madness.” So, I was bummed because I accidentally spoiled the setlist for myself. But then, I felt a little better - not because they were playing one of my favorite songs - but because I didn’t lose any hypothetical points for the setlist prediction I never actually submitted. (third MaidenFan problem)
Sorry, I don’t have anything else to add at this point.
Ei siis hai
Prowler
Maiden at its worst has been the last three albums. Bloated, badly produced, overindulgent, low energy. I take No Prayer any day over them. No Prayer for the Dying, Public Enema Number One, Fates Warning and Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter are great songs, and I'd be more than happy to hear them live, but let's be honest, they won't get played on a stadium tour celebrating the band's 50th anniversary.
dickinson1978
Ancient Mariner
I like senjutsu and final frontier. Book fo souls has a few good songs too.
I'm also not a big fan of TFF and TBOS, but they are so much better than NPFTD. NPFTD isn't a well produced album either. No song from that album has aged well. Senjutsu is a good Maiden album imo. After a long period of time, they released some songs that remind me of 80s Maiden (Stratego is the best example). Also Hell on Earth and the Parchment are some of their best epics after the classic 80s period. As much as I don't like TFF and TBOS albums, their best moments are a lot better than NPFTD. They are just too lengthy, especially TBOS. I respect your opinion though.
Abas
Jester with no tears
The overindulgence happens to be one of my favourite stuff. Especially since they are overindulging on the very stuff that I like the most with them
Iron Lurker
Ancient Mariner
All three I rate above No Prayer. No Prayer is my least favorite Bruce album.
dickinson1978
Ancient Mariner
For me worst dance of death i cant stand almost all the songs except title track that its really good and 2 more. And then no prayer and virtual xi. Virtual has clansman i love it but the rest is like maiden trying to sound like maiden and didnt work
UpTheIrons
Ancient Mariner
NPFTD is better than FOTD for me and is far from the worst Maiden album. The first half in particular is all pretty good quality stuff if you're in the mood for some shorter, more direct tracks. FOTD is, if I'm remembering rightly, the first album that increased significantly in runtime due to the CD format becoming the norm and as such is bloated with a fair few filler tracks. It has higher highs and lower lows than its predecessor and I think the standout tracks (the title track, Be Quick or Be Dead, Afraid to Shoot Strangers for instance) do a lot of heavy lifting in giving it perhaps a better reputation than it deserves within the catalogue as a whole.
In terms of 90s albums I'd rank them as follows, with the top two being very close to one another:
1. NPFTD
2. The X Factor
3. FOTD
4. Virtual XI
In terms of 90s albums I'd rank them as follows, with the top two being very close to one another:
1. NPFTD
2. The X Factor
3. FOTD
4. Virtual XI
dickinson1978
Ancient Mariner
ITs true that fear of the dark album have better reputation than it deserves. For me its the nostalgia thing. X factor i cant agree. I listen it many times during the year.
Christopher Baines
Educated Fool
Id say Senjutsu is my least fav Bruce album. Pretty boring
InfiniteDreamer544
Educated Fool
Here’s a mini ranking that no one asked for: The Book of Souls > Fear of the Dark > Virtual XI > No Prayer > The Final Frontier > The X Factor > Senjutsu
Senjutsu is the most bloated and boring Bruce album imo. It has some good to great songs, but also some real stinkers (Senjutsu, Days of Future Past, Darkest Hour, Death of the Celts). Even though TBoS is very similar in structure, I find most of those songs much more enjoyable.
I quite enjoy the stripped down, direct songwriting of No Prayer. I even love Hooks in You. It would be a delight to have a couple of those songs in the Run for Your Lives setlist. I also enjoy all of the songs on FotD, including the two “filler” songs everyone likes to crap on.
Senjutsu is the most bloated and boring Bruce album imo. It has some good to great songs, but also some real stinkers (Senjutsu, Days of Future Past, Darkest Hour, Death of the Celts). Even though TBoS is very similar in structure, I find most of those songs much more enjoyable.
I quite enjoy the stripped down, direct songwriting of No Prayer. I even love Hooks in You. It would be a delight to have a couple of those songs in the Run for Your Lives setlist. I also enjoy all of the songs on FotD, including the two “filler” songs everyone likes to crap on.
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Imo TBoS and TFF are more bloated than Senjutsu. Also they don't have the highs of Senjutsu ( HoE and Stratego).
Sometimes nostalgia is a factor. I got into Maiden in the 00s and I loved BNW, DoD and AMOLAD. Then I started listening to the old stuff. No Prayer and FoTD are still to this day the 2 Maiden albums I can't enjoy.
Tbh even Virtual XI is better than No Prayer. At least it has 3 songs I really like. I can skip The Angel and the Gambler and it's fine.
It's true that Fear of the Dark has more filler tracks, but as you said it has 3 songs that make it look better. For people like me that's enough to rank it higher than No Prayer, because I only like the title track of NPFTD, but I like 4-5 FOTD songs. As Maiden albums they're equally bad imo, because their standards are high.
Iron Lurker
Ancient Mariner
Senjutsu is my fav reunion era album
Austrogoth
Ancient Mariner
My 11-years old son predicts Rime to be first encore. The stage will turn into a giant inflatable ship, the drum will rise on the boat deck, Bruce dressed has a mariner and a big Albatros-drone flies above the stage. The prediction doesn't say whether the bird shits on Dickinson or not though.
Poto
Ancient Mariner
Shoot out between Dickinson and the albatross in the same style as Bruce vs Eddie the last tour.
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
With super soakers filled with "bird shit" instead of using pyroes?