Dance of Death

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How good is Dance of Death on a scale from 1-10?

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It's easy to take the modern Maiden epic for granted because there are so many now and Janick has done many acoustic based epics since DoD, and I think this song has unfortunately been a bit forgotten recently because of that. It is still one of a kind and possibly the best of all the Janick epics. The lyrics can be a bit silly but I think they're actually one of Steve's better efforts. The vocal melodies work excellently and I like that he's telling a more straightforward story here, as opposed to other songs like TRATB or Isle of Avalon which don't have much of a narrative. It's on the shorter side of the modern Maiden epics yet I feel like it has a lot more going on than even longer songs.

Bruce's performance on this is so incredible. This is the sort of song that he was born to sing. He goes all out on the drama and I love it.

So many great guitar melodies and some of my favorite solos from each of the players.

You really feel like you've been on a journey at the end of this one.

10
 
Gers epic #2, and one of the better of the five. Certainly the stand-out favourite until TBOS was released. Note - this is the second time a Gers epic has also been the title track of an album. That means his epics are 50% of the title tracks released since the reunion.

Yes, yes, yes, fucking yes.

10/10.
 
Love everything about this track. One of their best in terms of structure and progression. It builds brilliantly and abandons the traditional verse, bridge chorus format in favour of something that mounts to a thrilling last half. The 'drink and say a prayer for it' bit with the short riff and backing orchestration is out of this world. Jan is awesome and Bruce puts everything into it. The storytelling is kind of fun but I am tempted to dock a point for the slightly theatrical lyrics. But no it's a

10
 
Got all Maiden Albums on a usb stick. Apart from the useless intro the song sounds amazing. Revisited it a few days ago while getting my father to the hospital
 
I love Bruce's performance on this one. Have you heard the vocals only? It's on youtube. Amazingly good.
 
10/10

The title track is the older, weirder thematic brother of The Number of the Beast, a storytelling song about a man encountering a mysterious group of demonic figures deep in The Everglades. The Celtic flourishes and rhythm changes enhance the mystical mood of the song. Like No More Lies, Dance of Death establishes this album as a better fit for all three guitarists than Brave New World, with more distinct guitar lines for each player throughout and a stunning solo section. The keyboard orchestra feels complimentary rather than distracting during the Celtic reel of the bridge. Bruce performs as if he is telling the greatest campfire tale of all time. Also, if Nicko isn’t using a double bass pedal during the outro, I’m stunned. Once the whole band comes together this song is a treat and an obvious classic, even if it does sound a bit bouncy and silly.
 
One of my favourites, always reminds me of seeing them for the 1st time on this album tour when I was 13 (I want to say December 6th 2003?) in Sheffield
 
A massive, brilliant, mesmerizing song. Janick creates a unique atmosphere with his playing and Bruce delivers one of his best performances ever. Love it live as well, it's a really special song. The keyboard does get a bit much though, but I'll let that pass.

10/10
 
10, no question. A genius masterpiece, definitely the best song on the album, along with "Paschendale" (I can't make up my mind on which of the two is better). Starting off very much like a haunting waltz (perfectly mirrorring the "dance of the dead"), the song features some of the best melodies from this album, as well as the best lyrics. The lyrics tell an uncannily creepy story about a man who, while wandering in the Everglades, encounters a group of undead spirits that lure him into a hypnotic dance. The music evokes a gleefully weird atmosphere, going all the way from the "dance of the dead" motif established in the opening, and gradually speeding up as the character wakes up from his trance and flees, before fading out just as it began. It works very much like a movie, somewhat reminiscent of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". And while not quite as good and classic, "Dance of Death" is a tremendous success.
 
About the En Vivo version:

The greatest Iron Maiden song, best song of the 00's and one of the most outstanding songs of all-time.
 
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This one is my probably in my Top 3 together with Powerslave and Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I genuinely can’t find any downsides to it, while there are many incredible things. First of all, Bruce’s almost spoken vocals are incredible, and work very well with the misterious atmosphere, that feels to me like a red fog rising in a forest. Then the song builds up to be both profound and somewhat aggressive at the same time, with relatively simple yet very effective lyrics. Solo are great too, especially Janick’s. In conclusion, whoever doesn’t want Janick in the band is a fool. 10/10
 
A gentle intro builds into a soft but bright verse. The phrasing has some issues, but isn't too bad. The verse steps up the intensity slightly, then leads into a pre-chorus where Bruce unfortunately struggles to hit the high notes.

A brief pause, and...Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge"? No, a melodic interlude with some string support. This breaks into what is probably chorus 1, which is well done, then a little jig chorus 2 which isn't very good. A better extended interlude/solo section follows, which rolls back into chorus 1 briefly, then another interlude, then a faster-tempo chorus 2 which sounds terrible. A reprise of the intro and verse closes things out nicely.

Another song that flirts with greatness, but collapses under the weight of its weaker parts. The softer bits are great, and chorus 1 is strong, but the rest needs some help. I'll round this up to a 7/10.
 
A really nice acoustic intro sets the scene as Bruce tells a cool story about dancing with demons and stuff. It's pretty strong from a storytelling perspective, but it doesn't have the best ending to the story as I'd like. As a song it's a bit stronger though, but I prefer the live version with Bruce's dancing and theatrics. On album it's good, but not the best epic ever. 7
 
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A song that has went from being a skipper to prob being in my top 5 over my tenure of listening to Maiden. Fave off ths album and one of my favourite post-reunion songs. It seems to be a recurring theme with myself and Janick related songs, they seem unassuming at first and then grow into mainstays on the playlist. (Like Legacy,BoS,Pilgrim...) The spinal tappy bit just adds to the joviality. Would love to see this live before the lads hang up their boots.
 
One of the best Maiden songs ever - eternal classic. As I already said, Janick/Steve is a deadly combo. The intro is magical and the melodic riffs are superb. I quite like the lyrics. Three very good solos, especially Adrian's one (and Janick's one too). Bruce shines through the whole songs, but his golden voice is great in the pre-chorus. Guitar harmonies rules over this incredible epic. Thank Janick for them. The acoustic guitar is fabulous. This song it's up there with the classics (epics) from the 80's.

10/10.
 
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