Maidenfreak
Ancient Mariner
Hi, here's the new album review of german's Metal Hammer, as translated by yours truly 
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
1. ‘Different World’ (Smith/Harris) 4:17 Min.
The straightest song on the album: In the same line as ‘The Wickerman’, this song shines with a catchy childsong-chorus similar to Helloween.
2. ‘These Colour Don’t Run’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 6:52 Min.
This song is characterised by a pretty progressive rhythm work and a middle part similar to ‘The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner’. Typical maiden-ish theme resolution after the chorus – references: ‘Revelations’, ‘Brave New World’, ‘Dance Of Death’.
3.‘Brighter Than A Thousand Suns’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 8:44 Min.
Exotic beginning à la ‘To Tame A Land’. Knee-deep, dark downtuned guitars, Dream Theater-esque prog-parts – but always with melodic sections and a fast ‘Powerslave’-gallop: This composition offers a varied structure that has hardly been heard ever since ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’.
4.‘The Pilgrim’ (Gers/Harris) 5:07 Min.
Unusually heavy rocking at the beginning, it takes up pace to finally evoke reminiscences to ‘Be Quick Or Be Dead’ (of course in a definitive exotic-progressive variant). At the end the Singalong-Crowds get served with choirs reminding one of ‘Fear Of The Dark‘.
5.‘The Longest Day’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7:48 Min.
The astonishing rhythmwork full of varation seems to come close to the likes of Dream Theater – yet before this piece really manages to mutate into a „proggie“ a ‘Where Eagles Dare’-like staccato-riffing brings it all back on the right track. A very gloomy atmosphere (once again similar to ‘To Tame A Land’) lets this homage to the D-Day come to a nice end.
the other 5 tracks will follow asap!
6.‘Out Of The Shadows’ (Dickinson/Harris) 5:36 Min.
a smooth and atmospheric intro à la ‘The X-Factor’ or ‘The Edge of Darkness’ – the sensitive lead-vocals give a slight Renaissance-feeling to it, a bit like Rainbow‘s ‘Temple Of The King’ back in the days. The guitar work is vaguely comparable to Black Sabbath’s classic ‘Loneley Is The Word’ (from HEAVEN & HELL; 1980), whereas the middle part is dominated by a jam with a surprising „Honky-Tonky“-flair.
7.‘The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg’ (Murray/Harris) 7:21 Min.
The first single, released on August 14th. A glissando-guitar coined exotic and dark atmosphere leads into a stoically marching hymn, which yet again is picked with pulsating insertions à la ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’.
8.‘For The Greater Good Of God’ (Harris) 9:24 Min.
The ultimate ‘Paschendale’ successor with hymnal melodies in the chorus. Fans of the titeltrack to BRAVE NEW WORLD should like that one as well.
Personal favourite of the author.
9.‘Lord Of the Light’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7:23
a majestical beginning (a bit like ‘Children Of The Damned’) – one doesn’t suspect anything loud here … But then: virtuosic guitar attacks that beat down everything that offers the slightest resistance with an intensity that one would rather expect of US-Metal-bands like Iced Earth.
10.‘The Legacy’ (Gerrs/Harris) 9:20 Min.
Renaissance-Guitars – all the Geyers, Schandmauls and Blackmore’s Nights of this world seem to invite to a rendezvous here. After a sudden break the song gets extremely epic and menacing - ‘Alexander The Great’ starts his next campaign. Constant melody changes similar to ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’ lead to a very atmospheric outro, which puts a worthy, nearly dreamy end to this album.
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
1. ‘Different World’ (Smith/Harris) 4:17 Min.
The straightest song on the album: In the same line as ‘The Wickerman’, this song shines with a catchy childsong-chorus similar to Helloween.
2. ‘These Colour Don’t Run’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 6:52 Min.
This song is characterised by a pretty progressive rhythm work and a middle part similar to ‘The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner’. Typical maiden-ish theme resolution after the chorus – references: ‘Revelations’, ‘Brave New World’, ‘Dance Of Death’.
3.‘Brighter Than A Thousand Suns’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 8:44 Min.
Exotic beginning à la ‘To Tame A Land’. Knee-deep, dark downtuned guitars, Dream Theater-esque prog-parts – but always with melodic sections and a fast ‘Powerslave’-gallop: This composition offers a varied structure that has hardly been heard ever since ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’.
4.‘The Pilgrim’ (Gers/Harris) 5:07 Min.
Unusually heavy rocking at the beginning, it takes up pace to finally evoke reminiscences to ‘Be Quick Or Be Dead’ (of course in a definitive exotic-progressive variant). At the end the Singalong-Crowds get served with choirs reminding one of ‘Fear Of The Dark‘.
5.‘The Longest Day’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7:48 Min.
The astonishing rhythmwork full of varation seems to come close to the likes of Dream Theater – yet before this piece really manages to mutate into a „proggie“ a ‘Where Eagles Dare’-like staccato-riffing brings it all back on the right track. A very gloomy atmosphere (once again similar to ‘To Tame A Land’) lets this homage to the D-Day come to a nice end.
the other 5 tracks will follow asap!
6.‘Out Of The Shadows’ (Dickinson/Harris) 5:36 Min.
a smooth and atmospheric intro à la ‘The X-Factor’ or ‘The Edge of Darkness’ – the sensitive lead-vocals give a slight Renaissance-feeling to it, a bit like Rainbow‘s ‘Temple Of The King’ back in the days. The guitar work is vaguely comparable to Black Sabbath’s classic ‘Loneley Is The Word’ (from HEAVEN & HELL; 1980), whereas the middle part is dominated by a jam with a surprising „Honky-Tonky“-flair.
7.‘The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg’ (Murray/Harris) 7:21 Min.
The first single, released on August 14th. A glissando-guitar coined exotic and dark atmosphere leads into a stoically marching hymn, which yet again is picked with pulsating insertions à la ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’.
8.‘For The Greater Good Of God’ (Harris) 9:24 Min.
The ultimate ‘Paschendale’ successor with hymnal melodies in the chorus. Fans of the titeltrack to BRAVE NEW WORLD should like that one as well.
Personal favourite of the author.
9.‘Lord Of the Light’ (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7:23
a majestical beginning (a bit like ‘Children Of The Damned’) – one doesn’t suspect anything loud here … But then: virtuosic guitar attacks that beat down everything that offers the slightest resistance with an intensity that one would rather expect of US-Metal-bands like Iced Earth.
10.‘The Legacy’ (Gerrs/Harris) 9:20 Min.
Renaissance-Guitars – all the Geyers, Schandmauls and Blackmore’s Nights of this world seem to invite to a rendezvous here. After a sudden break the song gets extremely epic and menacing - ‘Alexander The Great’ starts his next campaign. Constant melody changes similar to ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’ lead to a very atmospheric outro, which puts a worthy, nearly dreamy end to this album.
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