Empire Of The Clouds

How good is Empire of the Clouds on a scale of 1-10?

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My point is that a climax shouldn't have to be pin pointed by anyone. It should be self evident by definition.
 
And it is - that's the loud part in the middle. Only reason that someone here is pointing at it is beacuse you ask.
 
Ok, if that's the climax, it's a nice melody and all but it is very underwhelming and mid tempo. It should have been more explosive. Think Mariner. Such a huge song for such a huge vessel should have something more bombastic as a climax.
 
Well, for me Mariner is little overrated (not talking about boat bullshit in the middle) and to be honest - I think that I enjoy this song more. Yes, it's not explosive but I love the story and that how fresh it feel for Maiden album.
 
I don't think of it as a climax at all, that would have to be nearer the end. :p This is a different structure, with drama in the middle. In a lot of ways it does remind me of Wild Wind, but emotive rather than bleak in its conclusion.
 
I don't think that climax should be near the end but yeah, it's different structure and I'm happy with that.
 
Meliegree said:
Yes, it's not explosive...
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OK. An 18 minute Maiden song with a subject matter of a giant air ship catching fire on air and crashing doesn't have an explosive part. That's a huge lost opportunity if I ever heard one.
 
This is the climax

Here lie their dreams
As I stand in the sun
On the ground where they built
And the engines did run
To the moon and the stars
Now what have we done
Oh the dreamers may die
But the dreams live on


This part gave me goosebumps
 
gor said:
OK. An 18 minute Maiden song with a subject matter of a giant air ship catching fire on air and crashing doesn't have an explosive part. That's a huge lost opportunity if I ever heard one.
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People always expect tragedy to be huge, explosive and loud. I'm happy that this time it's not.
 
OH YES!!!!!!
What a way to close the album.
I really have no words to describe how amazing this song is!!!
Vocals-Perfect
Lyrics-Perfect
Drums-Perfect
Guitars-Perfect.....
They were right when they said it was a masterpiece.
Instant 10/10 song... No need to even think about it.
 
Damn, it's still good.

I can imagine watching old film reel just listening to this. Some of the dramatic instrumental parts, especially the piano in the final stage of the 'disaster' sequence, remind me of silent cinema music.
 
gor said:
OK. An 18 minute Maiden song with a subject matter of a giant air ship catching fire on air and crashing doesn't have an explosive part. That's a huge lost opportunity if I ever heard one.
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It's a lament. You're not supposed to celebrate the death of something beautiful. You're supposed to mourn.
 
LooseCannon said:
It's a lament. You're not supposed to celebrate the death of something beautiful. You're supposed to mourn.
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It'd be not a celebration but a musical depiction of it. Just like the crescendos on The Longest Day aren't celebrating death on the beech.
 
gor said:
It'd be not a celebration but a musical depiction of it. Just like the crescendos on The Longest Day aren't celebrating death on the beech.
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Yeah, but that's Iron Maiden doing a heavy metal song. This isn't. Disaster ballads are a very specific type of music, almost a folkish thing. That sort of fiery conflagration would be far out of place on this track.
 
I disagree. Who is to define the boundaries of a song just because it belongs to "a type of music". It may be a disaster ballad or whatever, but it's not just that, it's an Iron Maiden disaster ballad and it begs for a cathartic musical climax that never comes. In it's place, the same melody is dragged over and over.
 
Now this is a proper epic. Feels like a long time since we've had a song that nodded back to the old album closers - To Tame a Land, Rime, Alexander The Great. This is definitely it with all it's twists and turns!
 
I'm guessing the authors of the music are the ones who define it, and I'm also in firm disagreement with you on the need for a climax in the style you're discussing. To me, this is a great metal band moving into a genre they have never touched and owning it.
 
Even after reading the early reviews, I never could have expected anything as grandiose and magnificent as this.
Empire was an instant masterpiece for me on the first listen. Every section perfectly encapsulates the part of the story being told.
The only minor gripe I have is the reuse of the riff from The Legacy, and I think Janick should have had a solo over the riff that comes in at 10:33.
Otherwise this is an easy 10/10 for me.
 
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