Man, this album is so good that I almost wish it just never end. But all things must come to a close, and Maiden end the album with one final Steve epic, "Hell on Earth". I'm going to start this off by running through a few 'gripes' I have with the song, or rather, things I'd have done differently if I was Steve.
The intro is a bit too long.
The lyrics could've used a bit more time in the oven. There's a lot of awkward phrasing here. "Not to reason why that armed children are in this world." Kind of a clusterfuck, bro. He also dumps a bunch of "why can't we just be friends?" shit on us too. It's an awkward attempt of Steve's to recommend peace for the umpteenth time in his career.
Why do we only get on run of the chorus? It's so good that it should get at least one more spin through!
The momentum of the song screeches to a halt when we break into the instrumental section. Should've just kept flying.
"You dance on the graves who bled for us." Huh, didn't realize graves could bleed. This section feels ham-fisted, like Bruce is being forced to choke out the lines before the timer is up. Then it jumps right into an unrelated section with a way slower place that feels kind of unnatural.
Not having another go at the chorus means that the ending feels premature. And the outro is too long.
There, glad I got that out of the way. Now I'm going to do the exact opposite and talk myself into why this song actually does deserve a perfect score. Because ultimately what gripes I had have worn off to the point where I really just don't care much about them anymore. Because the fact of the matter, which I learn more and more each time I spin this thing, is this: I really love this song.
I love the mournful, building intro. We get five runs of each of section's pieces, and there are two sections to this intro. First we're only greeted with bass and guitar, but two lines in the keys come up to remind us of their presence. Then things switch to an almost wharf like atmosphere, with warships sailing off into the horizons, leaving behind tears on the shore. And what makes the lengthy intro successful is that uncertainty of when the crash will come.
Without any warning whatsoever, Nicko jumps on the motherfucking beat and kicks things into high gear as the guitarists join for a really scorching riff. This leads to the chorus melody, a beautiful piece that makes me want to cry. A great foreshadowing nod from the band. We also get a foreshadowing of the verse melody as well. This whole section is awesome and I love it so much.
Bruce comes in and in spite of the weird lyrics he makes it work. Love the effect on "Prey!" Pre-chorus reminds me almost of "Rainmaker". This part almost doubles as a sort of nostalgic think-over of Maiden's illustrious career. If this is the final song they release, they're making it count.
And my god, when that chorus erupts into the speakers, it's just nothing short of glorious. Best moment on the album? Probably. It's the most passionately emotional and honest lines that Steve has ever written. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Why couldn't we get another go of it later on? Damn you, Steve! You're too good for your own worth!
Lots of momentum and yet we suddenly shift gears into a solo section with Dave and Adrian letting loose before the song dips into a quiet bass-driven interlude. Love the way the guitar rises through here. Bruce's multi-tracked voice is gorgeous. And the explosion into the final "Love in anger, life in danger," section is death-defying. This part of the song hits hard, man. It's like one of the many moments on this album where we enter a world beyond our own, brought to life only through music. Incredible, truly.
The following instrumental section reminds me a lot of "Blood on the World's Hands". Janick comes in with the last solo of the album and just does whatever the fuck he wants. And who's to stop him? I'm enjoying this too much man. An altered reprise of the "Love in anger" lines and then one last beautiful, musical peal and we return to where we started with a mournful, quiet, subdued outro that slowly... fades... to... black....
What a song. If this is where it all has to end, then what a place to bring their career to a close. For all the little nitpicks I may have had, "Hell on Earth" also 100% reminds me of why I love this band in the first place. The scope, the performances. They make me feel things few other bands can. Up the fucking irons, man. I hope to hear them again, whether on Earth or in Heaven. So long as Maiden exists, life is just a little bit brighter and a little more wonderful. That's why I love Iron Maiden, and that's why I love "Hell on Earth". 10/10