Five years later: The Final Frontier revisited

[Kaos]

Listened to this last night for the first time in awhile, and I forgot how much I love it. This was my first ever metal album so it's special for me, and Wild Wind is my favorite Maiden song ever. I'd probably place this in my top 5 Maiden albums honestly.

I hope you didn't missed out on the en Vivo version of Wild Wind, which a did for quite a while. Makes this great song even better!

 

[Josh]

I'm really not a big fan of TFF (the song). It's one of the very few songs where I think repetitive is a valid criticism. Not just the chorus, but that main riff and how it's all over the song. It's in both the chorus and prechorus, and I'm pretty sure the chord progression remains for the verse, or at least something very close to that. I'm at work and can't check the song. There's not enough variation there to justify that much repetition imo. I know they've done that sort of thing before, it's all over AMOLAD for example, but normally they mix it up enough to keep it interesting.

That's not to say it's all bad. Bruce gives a great performance and some of the best solos on the Album are on it. Classic trade off I'll give it that much.

I never play it. I was very grateful that song did not define the album.

 

[DJMayes]

I feel like the only one who REALLY likes The Final Frontier, the guitar in it is just great, great groove.

Unpopular opinion but for me "Satellite 15... The Final Frontier" has been one of the biggest growers the band has ever done and is actually my favourite song on the album. Heck, I'd put it in my top 10 songs overall.

The Satellite 15 part, to me, succeeds massively in that it manages to effectively convey the space theme without falling into the trap of being so slow and atmospheric that it's no longer engaging. The main song is straightforward but I don't think it's a bad thing. The lyrics are often a point of contention but I really enjoy them; ("I have lived my life to the full, I have no regrets" is a highlight part) the juxtaposition of a song whose premise is dying alone stranded in space being so peppy and upbeat is fantastic.

In fact the whole album (apart from The Talisman and WTWWB, which were standouts from the beginning) feels like a grower. I remember being reasonably disappointed when this first came out but I've grown into the album a lot.

 

[Khal Frodo]

When I first heard TFF, I felt a bit disappointed. But over time, it has grown on me to be one of my favourites and I listen to it regularly, right up there with all those albums from the 'classic' lineup from 83-88 which remain my all time faves.

I still don't really dig WTWWB - though I agree with most that it was way better on En Vivo than the studio version. TMWWBK I struggled with also, and still do to a degree. Initially I felt if the album had of ended with The Talisman, it would have been perfect. I guess I still do, but I accept that those last 2 tracks are part of the tapestry of that album and I do appreciate them now, moreso TMWWBK - that instrumental break is just stunning...

Anyway, I think it's the strongest of the reunion albums - save TBOS which I love right now, but once the gloss & excitement of it being the 'new' album wears off who knows where it will sit in time.

 

[SinisterMinisterX]

I think TBOS being very good makes TFF look a bit worse in retrospect. We've been reminded what Maiden is really capable of.

 

[Babo 91]

At the moment I'm struggling to decide between the final frontier and book of souls. In terms of overall quality its a actually very close.

WTWWB, IoA, Starblind, is equally as strong as (if not stronger than) TRATB, BoS, EoTC, but on the final frontier you've also got the talisman, coming home, el Dorado and the title track which are all quite strong. Book of souls you've got IESF, Tears of a clown and maybe man of sorrows but the rest isn't massively strong in my opinion.

I will have to do some ratings for both albums and work out an average because at the moment it's very close

 

[Deleted member 7164]

I won't rate The Book of Souls song per song until official polls are open. Right now I'm listening to it constantly for the last two weeks or so, there are only two songs I would rate below 8.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

TFF is currently my #2 Maiden album (behind AMOLAD), and has been floating around my top 5 for quite some time now. It has it all, yet it is very innovative in some places (Isle of Avalon). The intro (Satellite) is a tad overlong, but quite unique and atmospheric. My favourite is Talisman, of course, but WtWWB is too absolutely astonishing, a very moving epic which I have had played at my wedding (I wanted The Legacy or Dance of Death, but my wife has made me compromise ).
The album's just great. Even the fact Bruce's vocals aren't that great sometimes doesn't take away anything. When I have heard it for the first time, though, I was a bit disappointed. It took a while to sink in and as a whole it is definitely a grower. But it has pretty much everything I search for in Maiden. And let's be honest, overall (in terms of atmosphere) TBoS might be more of a direct successor to AMOLAD, but in terms of "Maiden avantgarde", it is as much continuing the path of TFF (IoA, TMWWBK, Starblind, even all felt very special and "unheard before", just like many of the songs of the new album sound to me now).

 

[Poto]

I still think it's a very good album. Maybe it hasn't stood the test of time as well as AMOLAD, but it's still a really good album. Lots of great stuff here.. El Dorado is the defintion of a grower. I didn't like it when I heard it first time, but it's a great piece of music. It's lots of fun as well. The galloping bass, the lyrics, the catchy chorus and the blinding instrumental part.. Great stuff. The Alchemist is a solid rocker and Coming Home is a true gem. I'm not a big fan of the title track, but it's decent enough. Mother of Mercy is kind of boring, and it's so slow. If I should describe the song, I'd say it's like the 85 years old guy on the highway, driving real slow and in the middle of the road..

The epics are for the most part excellent. A couple of the intros are too long. The Talisman would have been fantastic without the overlong intro. When the Wild Wind Blows also suffers because of the intro, but otherwise it's a great ending to the album. Isle of Avalon is a really strong song. The intro is great, creates a very special atmosphere perfect for this song, and it has great solos. Starblind is a true masterpiece. Dramatic, brilliant and a bit different from the rest. Feels like a mix between Lord of Light and Paschendale. That can't go wrong. The Man Who Would Be King gets overlooked in my opinion. It might not be their best, but it's a lovely piece.

If I should give the album a rating. I'd give it 4/5.

 

[Donner]

I think TBOS being very good makes TFF look a bit worse in retrospect. We've been reminded what Maiden is really capable of.

I'm kind of seeing it the same way really. The Final Frontier was really the first of the reunion era albums I kind of had to force myself to like. And while I've come to like to love most of it, I think it certainly has it's faults. Like the near absence of harmony guitar parts and any vocal effects at all.

Still, the epic side of the album gets frequent spins from me and is pretty awesome.

 

[Durango]

I think it's a really strong album. I'm suprised to see I actually listen to it way more than some other album such as AMOLAD or DOD. It's not perfect, though. I think it sometimes lack of punch (The Alchemist is nice, but for a supposed short rocker, it lacks of energy), El Dorado is quite disappointing and I think (and that's probably an unpopular opinion) the Isle of Avalon is too long. The intro and some parts feel dragged on, and some vocal lines (the "I hear her crying..." part) annoy me to no end for some reason.

But in overall, I love it, filled with great songs, I think it's a very solid album.

 

[7thRunner]

Very good album. El Dorado and Coming Home (the most overrated FF song) are the only songs I'm not too fond of.

If the album only consisted of the last five songs it would be flawless and the most consistent Maiden album (and still longer than The Number Of The Beast). My favourite track is The Man Who Would Be King (the most underrated FF song).