How do you guys feel about the newer Maiden albums?

Do you like Modern Maiden?

  • Total voters
    60
Perun said:
I'll just break it down album by album.

Brave New World was the album that got me into Maiden. It wasn't the first one I heard, but the first one I heard new, and the one that convinced me that the band has got what I want. I associate many good things with the music, and I also have the feeling that many Maiden and heavy metal fans consider this one a classic. Mind you, it's 13 years old now, and certainly no longer 'recent'. Contrary to many people, I think it has a good production and sounds great.
All things considered, you can tell that songwriting-wise, it is more of a continuation of the avenue Virtual XI went than a return to the eighties. It's got some long songs that do kind of enjoy repeating their choruses a lot, and it's not terribly averse to repetion in general. However, I don't mind that, I accept that as a stylistic device, and I think it's fine. What I really love about the album is that it does extensive instrumental sections. The instrumental in Thin Line Between Love and Hate is one of my favourite passages in Maiden history. That's not to say I think everything on it is good. The Fallen Angel feels like a filler to me, and The Mercenary is a very weak standalone song, although it does work within the mood and atmosphere of the album.

Dance of Death is a step down, in general. The production is pretty awful, although I have said time and again that I attribute this to a poor business decision, because the album was marketed as a 5.1 DVD-A at the time. I never heard the DVD mix, but I was told it sounds a lot better. Anyway, there is some lacklustre song writing on the album. Wildest Dreams, New Frontier and Age of Innocence really don't cut it, Montségur and Journeyman also aren't the classics they were written to be. I like Gates of Tomorrow, but that's because it is a clone of Lord of the Flies, and that is my favourite song from the nineties. Other than that, however, the album still contains a bunch of great songs, some of which will always be among my favourites - Rainmaker, No More Lies, Paschendale. The song writing is more diverse than on Brave New World, for better or worse. Not everything that is different is automatically good, obviously.

A Matter of Life and Death is one of my three favourite Maiden albums ever, together with Piece of Mind and The X Factor. I have never felt so enthusiastic about an album before, while and after it came out. There is so much connected with it to me, including the first Maiden gigs I visited, and the friends I made thanks to it. The songs are simply amazing, and I am grateful to them for playing it live in its entirety. Maybe The Pilgrim isn't up to par with the rest, but other than that... I never get tired of this album, it has some of the most amazing moments of their discography on it... the mega-solo on Out of the Shadows, the intro to For the Greater Good of God, the chills from The Legacy, and all of The Longest Day. I love this album with heart and soul.

The Final Frontier was a bit of a let-down for me, because I wanted so badly to revisit the AMOLAD experience with it, and it just didn't do it that way. The album is not nearly as good in general, and even the live shows seemed to lack a bit of the magic from the previous tour- although the difference may be that I saw them in Paris in 2006 for the first time, and in Berlin in 2011 for the tenth time. There are a few songs that I hold to be among their very best, Starblind, When the Wild Wind Blows and probably Isle of Avalon. The rest ranges from very good (Coming Home, The Talisman) to it isn't what it could have been (El Dorado, Man Who Would be King) to failure (The Alchemist, Mother of Mercy). That probably sounds harsher than intended, but yeah, I guess you could say I feel a bit disappointed by the album. Again, the song writing is more diverse than on the predecessor, but at the same time, it lacks the atmosphere and thematic density that made AMOLAD so special.

I guess all this tells you very little of genuine interest.
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I commend you for taking the time to write such a detailed response and I agree on everything you said especially on how good AMOLAD was\is
 
We have individual song thread in the Commentary sub-forums where you can read mine and other people's ratings of each individual song, if you like.
 
I love modern Maiden.

BNW is tied with SSOASS for my favorite Maiden album of all time, AMOLAD cracks the top five, TFF has some incredible moments, and DOD has even more incredible moments, but balances them with some really sub-par moments.

In my opinion, the songwriting has never been better. Yes, they can be all little indulgent and overlong, but the depth of writing has never been better. The live shows have been brilliant since '99. Bruce has reached his absolute peak as a vocalist, he knows his voice inside and out. Janick's addition has finally proved worthwhile as he has written or contributed to some of the bands greatest songs. Other than DOD, the reunion albums are far more consistent in tone and quality than anything from the 80's (except for SSOASS and SIT, and even that had some real silly ideas).

The reunion albums will never pack the same punch for most fans because they are not associated with the same youthful vibrance or memories that the "classic albums" are. Personally, I hold them both in the same category. Good songs are good songs, period. "The Wicker Man" is as classic a song as "Run to The Hills" or "Number of the Beast", and in my opinion, infinitely better and more enjoyable. The same could be said of most great songs from the last 14 years.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
I love modern Maiden.

BNW is tied with SSOASS for my favorite Maiden album of all time, AMOLAD cracks the top five, TFF has some incredible moments, and DOD has even more incredible moments, but balances them with some really sub-par moments.

In my opinion, the songwriting has never been better. Yes, they can be all little indulgent and overlong, but the depth of writing has never been better. The live shows have been brilliant since '99. Bruce has reached his absolute peak as a vocalist, he knows his voice inside and out. Janick's addition has finally proved worthwhile as he has written or contributed to some of the bands greatest songs. Other than DOD, the reunion albums are far more consistent in tone and quality than anything from the 80's (except for SSOASS and SIT, and even that had some real silly ideas).

The reunion albums will never pack the same punch for most fans because they are not associated with the same youthful vibrance or memories that the "classic albums" are. Personally, I hold them both in the same category. Good songs are good songs, period. "The Wicker Man" is as classic a song as "Run to The Hills" or "Number of the Beast", and in my opinion, infinitely better and more enjoyable. The same could be said of most great songs from the last 14 years.
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I agree with most of what you said, most fans are stuck in the past. I was lucky because my Uncle gave me my first Maiden albums back in 2007 (A Matter of Life and Death, Brave New World, Fear of the Dark, Seventh Son, Somewhere in Time, The Number of the Beast) I had a good mix ofvold and new which made me unbiased towards any part of Maiden's carrer. I also agree 100% about Bruce, when he came back in 1999 he became the best frontman ever.
 
80% of my top ten Maiden songs are from 'Brave New World' thru 'The Final Frontier'.
80% of my top five Maiden albums include 'Brave New World' thru 'The Final Frontier'.

I guess that says it all.
 
Further to my earlier post about the four reunion albums being among my favourite albums of this century: three of them are among my favourite of all time.
 
I got into Maiden in the mid-1980s and admit a bias towards the earlier albums (particularly up 7th Son) .. but there is no way I can argue the newer stuff is not just as good. It is different, but the quality is equal to anything they put out in their first hey day.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
but the depth of writing has never been better.
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Do elaborate. Why has the depth never been better?
MrKnickerbocker said:
Other than DOD, the reunion albums are far more consistent in tone and quality than anything from the 80's (except for SSOASS and SIT, and even that had some real silly ideas).
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Do explain. In what way far more consistent in tone? In what way far more consistent in quality? What were silly ideas in SIT?
MrKnickerbocker said:
The reunion albums will never pack the same punch for most fans because they are not associated with the same youthful vibrance or memories that the "classic albums" are. Personally, I hold them both in the same category. Good songs are good songs, period.
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Enlighten us. When or how are they good?
 
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Hallowed be thy Brain said:
For a guy with no valid points or elaberation, he sure did sound like he knew what he was talking about xD
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Hey man, what's with you attacking specific members like that? I've already seen you do that in another thread. Instead of provoking people, why don't you contribute to the discussion?

The Flash said:
Starblind has only one mood change (Dave Murray's solo) and it's the worst part of the song.
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I've been thinking about this part a lot and I get the feeling that they just threw it in because Dave (supposedly) can't solo in 7/4. Same thing happens in Avalon, Dave solos in 4 and then H solos in 7. The entire part makes no sense otherwise, especially since if you took it out the song would flow better. Foro and I had a short discussion a few days ago about adjusting the music to fit a singer's limitations; this is one situation where I'd agree with his sentiment (even though this is a guitarist and not a singer), because it notably affects the music. Also, this is the only time I'll say anything negative about Starblind. :p

Forostar said:
Do elaborate. Why has the depth never been better?
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I'll answer this for myself, but focus on one album specifically, because I think it has perhaps the most depth of any Maiden album: The Final Frontier. To me, Maiden's output in the 90's, with the exception of maybe Virtual XI, were very one dimensional. AMOLAD could also fit in here. TFF has so much variety and depth though, musically and thematically. Musically, it goes from standard to Maiden (TFF) to Rush-esque prog (Avalon) to 90's Maiden (The Alchemist) to things they've never even done before (TMWWBK). Thematically, every song seems to cover different ground yet somehow they managed to do all this while still making a unified work.

Maiden albums have always managed to keep me in the same mood throughout an entire album, but with TFF, it varied with each song, sometimes it changed within a single song. I remember when TFF came out and I heard it for the first time, I was actually exhausted when it ended. Music had never taken me on such a big journey before. Even when listening to AMOLAD, it left me in the same place as it started.

Here's a question for you Foro (or anyone else who wants to jump in): You mentioned repetitiveness in recent Maiden albums, which is definitely a thing. Don't you think they've improved in this area with TFF? At least the choruses have gotten better, I can only recall one especially repetitive chorus in the title track. Maybe Mother of Mercy. There are some songs where it is actually somewhat difficult to identify the chorus! At least on first listen.
 
Thank you Mosh.
This is exactly why I hold TFF in such high esteem; it may have the most varied songwriting of any Maiden album - something to match every mood.

Not only that, but each song is an excellent example of the type of song it is.
I get that some people don't like simple riff rockers with anthemic choruses (for example) and therefore aren't big fans of the title track. But I like that type of song, and TFF scratches that itch for me very well.

My only complaint with the album is the song order - instead of all the quick hitters, followed by all the epics, I would have mixed it up more, gone something like this:
The Final Frontier
el dorado
Isle of Avalon
The Talisman
The Alchemist
Starblind
Mother of mercy
TMWWBK
Coming Home
Wild Wind
 
Mosh said:
Hey man, what's with you attacking specific members like that? I've already seen you do that in another thread. Instead of provoking people,
Mosh, when did I attack him? If it came off that way, I didn't mean it to. Foro said he didnt elaborate and I said I agreed with what he said

I've been thinking about this part a lot and I get the feeling that they just threw it in because Dave (supposedly) can't solo in 7/4. Same thing happens in Avalon, Dave solos in 4 and then H solos in 7. The entire part makes no sense otherwise, especially since if you took it out the song would flow better. Foro and I had a short discussion a few days ago about adjusting the music to fit a singer's limitations; this is one situation where I'd agree with his sentiment (even though this is a guitarist and not a singer), because it notably affects the music. Also, this is the only time I'll say anything negative about Starblind. :p


I'll answer this for myself, but focus on one album specifically, because I think it has perhaps the most depth of any Maiden album: The Final Frontier. To me, Maiden's output in the 90's, with the exception of maybe Virtual XI, were very one dimensional. AMOLAD could also fit in here. TFF has so much variety and depth though, musically and thematically. Musically, it goes from standard to Maiden (TFF) to Rush-esque prog (Avalon) to 90's Maiden (The Alchemist) to things they've never even done before (TMWWBK). Thematically, every song seems to cover different ground yet somehow they managed to do all this while still making a unified work.

Maiden albums have always managed to keep me in the same mood throughout an entire album, but with TFF, it varied with each song, sometimes it changed within a single song. I remember when TFF came out and I heard it for the first time, I was actually exhausted when it ended. Music had never taken me on such a big journey before. Even when listening to AMOLAD, it left me in the same place as it started.

Here's a question for you Foro (or anyone else who wants to jump in): You mentioned repetitiveness in recent Maiden albums, which is definitely a thing. Don't you think they've improved in this area with TFF? At least the choruses have gotten better, I can only recall one especially repetitive chorus in the title track. Maybe Mother of Mercy. There are some songs where it is actually somewhat difficult to identify the chorus! At least on first listen.
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Mosh said:
Hey man, what's with you attacking specific members like that? I've already seen you do that in another thread. Instead of provoking people, why don't you contribute to the discussion?


I've been thinking about this part a lot and I get the feeling that they just threw it in because Dave (supposedly) can't solo in 7/4. Same thing happens in Avalon, Dave solos in 4 and then H solos in 7. The entire part makes no sense otherwise, especially since if you took it out the song would flow better. Foro and I had a short discussion a few days ago about adjusting the music to fit a singer's limitations; this is one situation where I'd agree with his sentiment (even though this is a guitarist and not a singer), because it notably affects the music. Also, this is the only time I'll say anything negative about Starblind. :p


I'll answer this for myself, but focus on one album specifically, because I think it has perhaps the most depth of any Maiden album: The Final Frontier. To me, Maiden's output in the 90's, with the exception of maybe Virtual XI, were very one dimensional. AMOLAD could also fit in here. TFF has so much variety and depth though, musically and thematically. Musically, it goes from standard to Maiden (TFF) to Rush-esque prog (Avalon) to 90's Maiden (The Alchemist) to things they've never even done before (TMWWBK). Thematically, every song seems to cover different ground yet somehow they managed to do all this while still making a unified work.

Maiden albums have always managed to keep me in the same mood throughout an entire album, but with TFF, it varied with each song, sometimes it changed within a single song. I remember when TFF came out and I heard it for the first time, I was actually exhausted when it ended. Music had never taken me on such a big journey before. Even when listening to AMOLAD, it left me in the same place as it started.

Here's a question for you Foro (or anyone else who wants to jump in): You mentioned repetitiveness in recent Maiden albums, which is definitely a thing. Don't you think they've improved in this area with TFF? At least the choruses have gotten better, I can only recall one especially repetitive chorus in the title track. Maybe Mother of Mercy. There are some songs where it is actually somewhat difficult to identify the chorus! At least on first listen.
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mckindog said:
Thank you Mosh.
This is exactly why I hold TFF in such high esteem; it may have the most varied songwriting of any Maiden album - something to match every mood.

Not only that, but each song is an excellent example of the type of song it is.
I get that some people don't like simple riff rockers with anthemic choruses (for example) and therefore aren't big fans of the title track. But I like that type of song, and TFF scratches that itch for me very well.

My only complaint with the album is the song order - instead of all the quick hitters, followed by all the epics, I would have mixed it up more, gone something like this:
The Final Frontier
el dorado
Isle of Avalon
The Talisman
The Alchemist
Starblind
Mother of mercy
TMWWBK
Coming Home
Wild Wind
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I actually really like the track order. It's almost like two different albums, one for the fans who think Maiden stopped writing good music in the 80's and one for the fans who love the epics. Plus it's all done with integrity and in a way where you can enjoy both. I also remember being very excited when the Alchemist faded out and the wind sound effects for Avalon started. 5 epics in a row? Awesome!

On top of that, it reminds me of something from the vinyl era. Rush certainly did it, one side for the short rockers and one side for the side length epic. Since Maiden doesn't do the side long epics, this is the next best thing. It's like progressive rock vinyl for the modern day.
 
The Flash said:
One simply does not call Brighter Than a Thousand Suns boring. I'm just saying. And oh by the way, AMOLAD has two of Maiden's best lyrical works, aforementioned track and The Longest Day.

Longevity doesn't make anything progressive. Progressive music tries to push boundaries, therefore it often adds lots of pieces together making songs longer. But longevity in itself doesn't do anything.
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Brighter Than A Thousand Suns is indeed very awesome and not boring at all!
The Longest Day, however...ugh, don't even mention that song! It's terrible! Along with the rest of the AMOLAD album.
 
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