TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
Happy 7th anniversary, Empire Of The Clouds. 
Empire Of The Clouds
- Thread starter SinisterMinisterX
- Start date
This is another one where, after having some years to marinate, I've cooled down on some. I love that it exists and I'm thrilled any time Maiden tries something off the beaten path. An 18 minute epic about an airship disaster written by Bruce? You know it's going to be something. Where this song shines is, naturally, in the lyrics and in the passages where the instruments are able to tell the story. The melodies in the middle of the track are infectious and the rocking middle sections slay. Bruce manages to meld lyrics and music in a very evocative way.
Where the song loses it is mostly in the orchestration. I found the piano to be really grating on this listen, actually. The simple one finger melodies sound like they're being played by a kid. It feels more like that was included so Bruce could be credited for playing the piano, a marketing strategy rather than a creative choice (all we heard leading up to the album release was about how Bruce plays piano throughout the song, to also learn that a lot of it still had to be corrected on MIDI despite the simplicity). Similarly, the synth orchestra feels lazy. If they were going to make piano and orchestra a major part of this song, I don't understand why they couldn't hire a real orchestrator and orchestra to really bring those parts to life. As it is, the song has an unfinished quality to it. I really hope someday Bruce has the chance to revisit it outside Maiden because I think there is a lot of potential for something more spectacular. 8
Where the song loses it is mostly in the orchestration. I found the piano to be really grating on this listen, actually. The simple one finger melodies sound like they're being played by a kid. It feels more like that was included so Bruce could be credited for playing the piano, a marketing strategy rather than a creative choice (all we heard leading up to the album release was about how Bruce plays piano throughout the song, to also learn that a lot of it still had to be corrected on MIDI despite the simplicity). Similarly, the synth orchestra feels lazy. If they were going to make piano and orchestra a major part of this song, I don't understand why they couldn't hire a real orchestrator and orchestra to really bring those parts to life. As it is, the song has an unfinished quality to it. I really hope someday Bruce has the chance to revisit it outside Maiden because I think there is a lot of potential for something more spectacular. 8
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Now I thought about it, wouldn't it be awesome if Maiden release a ''live from the studio'' performance of this song like they did for ''Brighter Than A Thousand Suns'' back in 2006. With backdrop, costumes and everything. This is a special song. I mean, I doubt they will ever play it live because of the piano and the length. They should have done this in 2016.
Gk1
Here I sit in a serenade of glory!
Not really mate, I think the middle section with the guitar exercises can be unbearable at times!
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Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
I’m playing bass for a church service where the memorial for the R101 is based. It would be rude not to play the melody to Empire of the Clouds and for it to ring out!