Eddie's Uncle
Trooper
Recently dug up this tribute compilation and listened to it start to finish. Covering Maiden is not an easy task, as the band has so many unique trademarks. But many bands give it a try.
If you are interested to discuss, the entire compilation can be found on spotify too...
open.spotify.com
Here is my review:
DISC 1:
STEEL PROPHET - The Ides of March / Purgatory
Sped up power Metal version of Purgatory. Executed well, with average vocals. It is alright, but nothing special.
ANCIENT WISDOM - Powerslave
I like Ancient Wisdom. They present a black/thrash version of Powerslave here, which works surprisingly well. Probably bc Powerslave is one of Maiden's darker tracks anyway. Only gripe here is the poor sounding and poorly programmed drum machine. Does not fit and shows once more the importance of Nicko's groove. Other than that, a nice cover.
VITAL REMAINS - The Trooper
Disappointing. Vital Remains are quite a capable band, but this is awful. The music is just a 1:1 copy with added Death Metal vocals. Unfortunately those are delivered so poorly that I almost laughed out loudly. Sub level for a band of their size. Skip this one. Even the solo is copied 1:1
ANGELCORPSE - Ghengis Khan
Nice. I don't care much for the original, so you can't do much damage here. Angelcorpse managed to adapt this piece very much to their own style, which makes this interesting, and it works well. Great drumming!
SOLITUDE AETERNUNS - Hallowed By Thy Name
I am definitely a fan of Solitude Aeternus, so I was excited to hear this one. But I am somewhat disappointed. They copy the the original 1:1 and thus neglect all the epic trademark that make their own material so great. While executed very well, this version offers nothing interesting.
NEW EDEN - Phantom of the Opera
I always disliked the original, so I did not expect to like this one either. New Eden cling very much to the original except for speeding it up a notch and adding double bass. I admit this DOES boost the song, but a bad song is still a bad song.
OPETH - Remember Tomorrow
Not a fan of Opeth at all, but they did a very good job here. They stayed faithful to the original without simply copying, and they added their own flair to the song without twisting it around. A very well done cover!
MORGION - To Tame A Land
What the fuck.... I was so surprised to see Morgion here, one of the greatest and most obscure bands from the US underground. And choosing To Tame A Land is even more surprising. I am a big fan, so I was eager to hear this. And it as expected it kicks f-ing ass. Not everyone will like this, but they did a great job of transforming the song into their own style and still doing it justice. A very underrated band.
EVOKEN - Strange World
YES!!!! Evoken is one of my all time favourite bands and definitely the pinnacle in their genre! And acordingly Strange World is a masterpiece of a cover. No other band on this sampler changed the source material so much. It almost sounds like a genuine Evoken track. And it still works, it does not damage the song at all. I prefer this over the original a dozen times. Awesome!!!
OPERA IX - Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Opera IX is known for being one of the worst Black Metal bands of the 90s, and they try their luck with one of Maiden's most complex epics. This can only go horribly wrong, right? Right! I had a great laugh, not knowing what is worst here: the poor sound, the awful drum machine, or the insanely pathetic vocals. Good for a "how long can you stand it" contest.
ABSU - Transilvania
Speed up the original, otherwise change nothing. Job done in 3 minutes. Boring. Next please.
DISC 2 (the weaker one)
ENGRAVE - Invaders
Why someone would choose one of the weakest 80s Maiden song is beyond me, but it works surprisingly well. Engrave transfor the track into a Thrash Metal version, and suddenly it works much better than the goofy original. It emphasizes the aggressive side of the track, which gets lost in Maidens original. Still no fave of mine, but not bad.
STEEL PROPHET - Gangland
Important lesson: when you have a very poor drummer, DO NOT cover a song that opens with an iconic drum solo sequence. You just make yourself look like total amateurs. I thank Steel Prophet for reminding us of this valuable lesson. Better skip this one.
FROM THE DEPTH - Iron Maiden
Never heard of this band before, not even the name. Black Thrash version of the original. Instrumentally it works, but the singer is very generic and tiring in his singing. Even thrash belching can use a little dynamic here and there. Not totally terrible, but nothing to listen twice.
TERROR - Total Eclipse
Another band I never heard of. Very thin production. They add some hardcore elements (!!!) to the song, which I find... well at least it is brave. Does not suit well, though. I credit them for trying something instead of just copying. it sounds very different from the original. It does not tickle me, though.
ACHERON - Wrathchild
Acheron always sound a bit strange, and this is no exception. They add dark keyboards to the song, which works surprisingly well. Nice touch. Unfortunately Vincent Crowley is only a very limited Death Metal vocalist, and here he even had a bad day and remains under his abilities. Too bad, because this could have been something pretty cool.
POSSESSION - Revelations
Musically this works well, a thrashy version of the original. The vocals are Black Metal style, which somehow works, but it is all a bit too much. I would rate this as okay, but not special.
ION VEIN - Killers
Music is a 1:1 copy. But this track is not boring due to that clown on the microphone. Jesus, who unearthed this awful vocalist? Does he think he is a minstrel on cocaine imitating Mickey Mouse? Seriously, listen to this if you look for a good laugh.
MYSTIC-FORCE - Where Eagles Dare
Who? Never heard of them. Kudos for trying this one, it is a hard one to play. Instrumentally very well performed, even though it is another boring 1:1 copy. Very poor production, absolutely no punch. The vocals are way over the top and sound out of place. They are performed technically well, but lack any rough edges. Skip this.
DECEASED - 2 Minutes To Midnight
Deceased are a decent but 2nd row Thrash Metal band. Accordingly this is a decent but 2nd row cover version. If you ever wondered how it would sound if Venom vocalist Cronos had joined Maiden instead of Bruce, now you can hear it. Interesting and entertaining, but not exactly a pleasure for your ears...
OCOTBER 31 - Public Enema No 1
Odd but brave choice for a cover. Another rather weak production. The vocalist is lost! This song is WAY above his limits. He misses almost every note and struggles with his own breath. Seriously, if you can't do it at least a little, then just don't. Awful!
PROTOTYPE - Sea of Madness
Prog Thrash version. Pretty cool! Vocals are rough but do it very well. Sounds a little like Anacrusis in their late era and that's always a good thing. They don't stray too far from the original, but add a thrashy aggression without disturbing the progressive feel of the original. Very, very good!
DIESEL MACHINE - Children of the Damned
Who? Never heard of them. 1:1 copy. The vocalist is perfectly able to pull it off. Very well performed, but I find 1:1 copies not very interesting, so this passes right by.
ABATTOIR - Sanctuary
They should stick to their Thrash style. They try to adapt more to the Maiden original, but can not really pull it off. A Thrash version could have worked with this song. Opportunity missed. It is okay, though.
Clear winners:
Evoken, Morgion, Prototype! Awesome jobs! Opeth is good too.
Clear losers
Ion Vein, October 31, Opera IX (as expected)
If you are interested to discuss, the entire compilation can be found on spotify too...
A Call to Irons Volumes 1 & 2: Tribute to Iron Maiden
Various Artists · Compilation · 2001 · 24 songs
open.spotify.com
Here is my review:
DISC 1:
STEEL PROPHET - The Ides of March / Purgatory
Sped up power Metal version of Purgatory. Executed well, with average vocals. It is alright, but nothing special.
ANCIENT WISDOM - Powerslave
I like Ancient Wisdom. They present a black/thrash version of Powerslave here, which works surprisingly well. Probably bc Powerslave is one of Maiden's darker tracks anyway. Only gripe here is the poor sounding and poorly programmed drum machine. Does not fit and shows once more the importance of Nicko's groove. Other than that, a nice cover.
VITAL REMAINS - The Trooper
Disappointing. Vital Remains are quite a capable band, but this is awful. The music is just a 1:1 copy with added Death Metal vocals. Unfortunately those are delivered so poorly that I almost laughed out loudly. Sub level for a band of their size. Skip this one. Even the solo is copied 1:1
ANGELCORPSE - Ghengis Khan
Nice. I don't care much for the original, so you can't do much damage here. Angelcorpse managed to adapt this piece very much to their own style, which makes this interesting, and it works well. Great drumming!
SOLITUDE AETERNUNS - Hallowed By Thy Name
I am definitely a fan of Solitude Aeternus, so I was excited to hear this one. But I am somewhat disappointed. They copy the the original 1:1 and thus neglect all the epic trademark that make their own material so great. While executed very well, this version offers nothing interesting.
NEW EDEN - Phantom of the Opera
I always disliked the original, so I did not expect to like this one either. New Eden cling very much to the original except for speeding it up a notch and adding double bass. I admit this DOES boost the song, but a bad song is still a bad song.
OPETH - Remember Tomorrow
Not a fan of Opeth at all, but they did a very good job here. They stayed faithful to the original without simply copying, and they added their own flair to the song without twisting it around. A very well done cover!
MORGION - To Tame A Land
What the fuck.... I was so surprised to see Morgion here, one of the greatest and most obscure bands from the US underground. And choosing To Tame A Land is even more surprising. I am a big fan, so I was eager to hear this. And it as expected it kicks f-ing ass. Not everyone will like this, but they did a great job of transforming the song into their own style and still doing it justice. A very underrated band.
EVOKEN - Strange World
YES!!!! Evoken is one of my all time favourite bands and definitely the pinnacle in their genre! And acordingly Strange World is a masterpiece of a cover. No other band on this sampler changed the source material so much. It almost sounds like a genuine Evoken track. And it still works, it does not damage the song at all. I prefer this over the original a dozen times. Awesome!!!
OPERA IX - Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Opera IX is known for being one of the worst Black Metal bands of the 90s, and they try their luck with one of Maiden's most complex epics. This can only go horribly wrong, right? Right! I had a great laugh, not knowing what is worst here: the poor sound, the awful drum machine, or the insanely pathetic vocals. Good for a "how long can you stand it" contest.
ABSU - Transilvania
Speed up the original, otherwise change nothing. Job done in 3 minutes. Boring. Next please.
DISC 2 (the weaker one)
ENGRAVE - Invaders
Why someone would choose one of the weakest 80s Maiden song is beyond me, but it works surprisingly well. Engrave transfor the track into a Thrash Metal version, and suddenly it works much better than the goofy original. It emphasizes the aggressive side of the track, which gets lost in Maidens original. Still no fave of mine, but not bad.
STEEL PROPHET - Gangland
Important lesson: when you have a very poor drummer, DO NOT cover a song that opens with an iconic drum solo sequence. You just make yourself look like total amateurs. I thank Steel Prophet for reminding us of this valuable lesson. Better skip this one.
FROM THE DEPTH - Iron Maiden
Never heard of this band before, not even the name. Black Thrash version of the original. Instrumentally it works, but the singer is very generic and tiring in his singing. Even thrash belching can use a little dynamic here and there. Not totally terrible, but nothing to listen twice.
TERROR - Total Eclipse
Another band I never heard of. Very thin production. They add some hardcore elements (!!!) to the song, which I find... well at least it is brave. Does not suit well, though. I credit them for trying something instead of just copying. it sounds very different from the original. It does not tickle me, though.
ACHERON - Wrathchild
Acheron always sound a bit strange, and this is no exception. They add dark keyboards to the song, which works surprisingly well. Nice touch. Unfortunately Vincent Crowley is only a very limited Death Metal vocalist, and here he even had a bad day and remains under his abilities. Too bad, because this could have been something pretty cool.
POSSESSION - Revelations
Musically this works well, a thrashy version of the original. The vocals are Black Metal style, which somehow works, but it is all a bit too much. I would rate this as okay, but not special.
ION VEIN - Killers
Music is a 1:1 copy. But this track is not boring due to that clown on the microphone. Jesus, who unearthed this awful vocalist? Does he think he is a minstrel on cocaine imitating Mickey Mouse? Seriously, listen to this if you look for a good laugh.
MYSTIC-FORCE - Where Eagles Dare
Who? Never heard of them. Kudos for trying this one, it is a hard one to play. Instrumentally very well performed, even though it is another boring 1:1 copy. Very poor production, absolutely no punch. The vocals are way over the top and sound out of place. They are performed technically well, but lack any rough edges. Skip this.
DECEASED - 2 Minutes To Midnight
Deceased are a decent but 2nd row Thrash Metal band. Accordingly this is a decent but 2nd row cover version. If you ever wondered how it would sound if Venom vocalist Cronos had joined Maiden instead of Bruce, now you can hear it. Interesting and entertaining, but not exactly a pleasure for your ears...
OCOTBER 31 - Public Enema No 1
Odd but brave choice for a cover. Another rather weak production. The vocalist is lost! This song is WAY above his limits. He misses almost every note and struggles with his own breath. Seriously, if you can't do it at least a little, then just don't. Awful!
PROTOTYPE - Sea of Madness
Prog Thrash version. Pretty cool! Vocals are rough but do it very well. Sounds a little like Anacrusis in their late era and that's always a good thing. They don't stray too far from the original, but add a thrashy aggression without disturbing the progressive feel of the original. Very, very good!
DIESEL MACHINE - Children of the Damned
Who? Never heard of them. 1:1 copy. The vocalist is perfectly able to pull it off. Very well performed, but I find 1:1 copies not very interesting, so this passes right by.
ABATTOIR - Sanctuary
They should stick to their Thrash style. They try to adapt more to the Maiden original, but can not really pull it off. A Thrash version could have worked with this song. Opportunity missed. It is okay, though.
Clear winners:
Evoken, Morgion, Prototype! Awesome jobs! Opeth is good too.
Clear losers
Ion Vein, October 31, Opera IX (as expected)
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