GREATEST METAL ALBUM CUP - Winner: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son!

Jer said:
I’ll take extremely well-executed music with mild ambitions over poorly-executed music with grand but failed ambitions any day of the week.
Click to expand...
I think that's an honest division between the two camps when it comes to Firepower and The X Factor. But let's be honest, if this wasn't an Iron Maiden forum The X Factor would have been a League 14 entry, if it made it at all.
 
karljant said:
Could even get more flak than St. Anger: I would still love it the same. And I didn't said The X Factor saved Maiden's career as a fact. I said it saved what I love more in their DNA by bringing back what I (very important) consider the band does better. If they continued doing albums based on a more simple template of heavy/hard rock like NPFTD or FOTD throughout the years perhaps it would have worked as well as it did in real life, who knows? But one thing's certain: I wouldn't be as much of a fan of it for sure since I (very important) like 1000000 times more their epic/prog vein.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I totally had not read that. At the same time, Fear of the Dark was not a simple album. And surely not quickly made. They put a lot of time and thought in it. Yeah, it has some rockers but they spend a lot of time on sound, on the beats, and there are already things present, used more often on the next album, for instance two lead players playing the same line instead of doing a harmony. Afraid to Shoot Strangers shows what was to come, style and atmospheric wise.

They combined acoustic guitars in an interesting way as well. And in a solo they did a nice trick: one guy starts it, and the other finishes it, picking it up at an unexpected note. No one noticed this.

May I recommend this 1992 interview with Janick (35). On Fear of the Dark. Interesting how he compares it with No Prayer.

Rarity: He also talks about Fear is the Key, The Apparition, and Chains of Misery (Nicko/the beat/drumming: note how Janick emphasizes the different approach towards the beat)!
 
Every single song on Firepower is better than The Aftermath, which is a slightly below average song on The X-Factor. SOTC is probably better than anything on Firepower, but Firepower wins this match by its consistency and production quality.
 
Forostar said:
He also talks about Fear is the Key, The Apparition, and Chains of Misery (Nicko/the beat/drumming: note how Janick emphasizes the different approach towards the beat)!
Click to expand...
That's absolutely accurate. And it's precisely why Fear Of The Dark is my least favorite album by far when it comes to drums. And BTW I hate that snare sound (a matter of taste).
Forostar said:
Fear of the Dark was not a simple album. And surely not quickly made
Click to expand...
I never said it was quickly made. But ATSS and the title track aside it is way less intricate than the majority of 80's Maiden albums and TXF.
Forostar said:
Yeah, it has some rockers
Click to expand...
Namely From Here To Eternity, Fear Is The Key, Wasting Love, Chains Of Misery, Judas Be My Guide and Weekend Warrior. It's 1/2 of the album.

I get where you come from (and Janick confirms it): while NPFTD was mainly "Ok let's make a stripped down Maiden album way more direct, simple and visceral -and along those lines is almost inevitable we get some more Rock N' Roll stuff Like Hooks, Daughter and Smoke - with songs focused to being played live", FOTD was more "let's thread other directions we normally don't go to and focus on studio details".

And although being far from an amazing album I prefer the result when it comes to NPFTD a whole lot more. Because unfortunately for me (for others it was great... like I said it's a matter of taste) the majority of those new territories were mainly FM Hard Rock (From Here To Eternity, Fear Is The Key, Wasting Love, Chains Of Misery, Weekend Warrior and while I really like Judas Be My Guide it features a lot of that genre's traits too). And they could spend even more thought on detail while recording it: if what it comes out are songs that sound flat to me what can I say? That they sound good and absolutely master crafted? I wouldn't be honest with myself, would I?

Now, there are two other songs on FOTD that sound completely different from any other track they released - before and ever since - in any album that don't sound slightly Hard Rock. The first one is Be Quick Or Be Dead (aggressive speed/thrash "Maidenized" - amazing tune) and the other one is:
Forostar said:
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Click to expand...
Bingo!
Forostar said:
shows what was to come, style and atmospheric wise.
Click to expand...
Errrrr... well... I already had a discussion about this. Atmosphere wise I can see your point: this is indeed a deep, dire and introspective song that relies as much on his superb guitar melodies as in its ambiance and narrative building, almost like theatre play divided in 3 distinct acts. Style wise I don't agree the least. This thing has some features no other Maiden song has offered before or ever since - at least wrapped the way ATSS presents itself. It mixes some polaryzing emotions in a exquisite fashion: bizarre, almost ghostly, yet so beautiful, in the flesh and intense.... monster of a song.

P.S. : No, I won't discuss again why I think ATSS is a singular track when it comes to Maiden's catalogue. Thank you.

P.S. 2 : Nice video, though. Thanx.
 
Last edited:
I have no desire to ever listen to either band in the first grouping. Pass.

Sabaton is hilariously cheesy but powerful war metal. Nothing against Gamma Ray, but Sabaton has my vote.

The third grouping is exactly why Iron Maiden albums (and anything associated with them) should not be eligible for this contest. Seriously, there are no weak songs on Firepower - even my least favorite (Lone Wolf) is leagues stronger than any song from the weaker of the Blaze-era albums. Most bands as far into their career as Priest was with Firepower are releasing albums with 75% filler. I thought this was the easiest choice in this round, but...

Dream Theater versus Kiss?! Seriously? Taking musicians who excel at their craft versus people who barely qualify as musicians?! I would rather listen to a 30-minute epic of John Petrucci farting into a didgeridoo than even a minute of a three-chord Kiss song. I don't care how influential they are or how many albums they've sold - Kiss is everything that is wrong with music in my opinion. I can't stand them.

Ariana said:
I don't like Voivod, you don't like Pearl Jam. I'd say we're even, Mr Judas.
Click to expand...
And I don't like either!
 
I have another nominee coming up in the next round, Van Halen’s MCMLXXXIV, which I personally think is their best record.

This album has huge hits like “Jump”, “Panama”, and “Hot For Teacher”; the anthemic ballad “I’ll Wait”, the funky “Top Jimmy”, and the underappreciated deep cuts “Drop Dead Legs”, “Girl Gone Bad”, and “House Of Pain”. The guitar work is obviously excellent, but Eddie Van Halen’s synth parts are also a critical element of some of these songs, and they’re used to great effect too. The songwriting is great, and David Lee Roth is in top form here. Unless you just loathe synths, it’s hard to imagine a heavy music fan not enjoying this album. (full album playlist)

Unfortunately, it’s going up against a weaker Iron Maiden album, and since folks around here would probably vote for 30 minutes of Janick Gers farting into a didgeridoo (apologies to @Detective Beauregard) instead of, say, Operation: Mindcrime, I’m sure it’s toast. But hey there, invisible hand — sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.
 
The comments make clear what the only interesting matchup is.

I find the criticisms listed above of both Firepower and X Factor ring true. I adore both.

I picked Firepower because it better fits with my worldview at the moment, but the world is a better place because both albums exist.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top