IRON MAIDEN ALBUM SURVIVOR 2023: Results -> Somewhere In Time wins!

No offense intended to AMALOD fans, but I'm pleased with this result. It is my least favorite reunion album.
Plus my favorite IM album Somewhere in Time survived after coming dangerously close to being knocked out.
 
AMOLAD going out before BNW is an atrocity. Half of BNW is reheated, recycled mediocrity, and if it weren't for all the rose-colored reunion nostalgia I think it would rank a lot lower based on its merits. AMOLAD is much stronger and fresher overall -- still the best thing they've done since the 80s, IMO.
 
I think AMOLAD is a great album but some of its ideas don't connect as well as they should. "The Longest Day" is overtly and overly repetitious. "Out of the Shadows" never goes anywhere yet still drags on for five minutes. "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns" has transition issues and a wobbly foundation because Bruce couldn't be arsed to do another take in the verses. "Lord of Light" is also a weird amalgamation, although it peaks pretty high and has some great guitarwork from Adrian in particular.

At the same time, "Different World" is a great opener that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but recontextualizes it. "These Colours Don't Run" is moody with a great chorus. "The Pilgrim" absolutely stomps. "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" is one of Maiden's heaviest, skull-crushing numbers. "The Legacy" also has some questionable transitions but is overall a successful closer. And "For the Greater Good of God" is one of my favorite Maiden songs; it too is repetitious as hell, but this time the repetition propels the song instead of brake-checking it to the extreme.

BNW, meanwhile, is more heavily repetitious, but infectiously so. Rock in Rio is proof of this. All the songs slap, and despite this being the band's comeback record they incorporate a lot of moodiness into it instead of simply doing a bunch of heavy rockers. A ton of great melodies, a ton of absolutely powerhouse choruses, and a perfect balance between epic-length tracks and ass-kicking shorter tunes. They had so much energy at this time and were learning where each member fit in the overall picture. With BNW they had something to prove; AMOLAD was a continuation of the momentum. Despite their focus on that record, it's not perfect. BNW has a sense of magic that I don't think we saw again until TBOS.
 
Diesel 11 said:
All the songs slap
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"Blood Brothers" has a terrible chorus that repeats ad nauseam. "The Mercenary" is the definition of stock, with another hyper-repetitive chorus and some weird aborted songwriting detours. "Dream Of Mirrors" has that godawful sped-up section, a so-so interlude and solo, and guess what, way too much repetition again. "The Fallen Angel" is mostly just OK, and Bruce's verse vocal struggles to stay on key. "The Nomad" has a boring AF verse and pre-chorus with terrible phrasing, and the heavier ending of the interlude plods -- and oh yeah, they stole from Beckett again. "The Thin Line Between Love And Hate" has an awful verse and pre-chorus with terribly executed vocal harmonies and shit phrasing.

So yeah, many of the songs need to be on the receiving end of a slap, rather than doing the slapping themselves.
 
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Top 17
01.
02.
03.
04.
05. A Matter Of Life & Death
06. Senjutsu
07. Piece Of Mind
08. The Number Of The Beast
09. The Book Of Souls
10. The Final Frontier
11. Dance Of Death
12. Iron Maiden
13. The X Factor
14. Fear Of The Dark
15. Killers
16. No Prayer For The Dying
17. Virtual XI
 
These results are so wacky I am not even sure how invested I am in anything besides Seventh Son finishing on top. I’ve come to anticipate Somewhere in Time always over performing in these games, but BNW is way higher than it should be (like head scratchingly high). I voted for Powerslave but am actually kinda second guessing that decision. BNW in the top three just feels wrong. But the entire top 4 (minus Seventh Son) is messed up.
 
MindRuler said:
What do I get in return for that, oh Judas?
Keep in mind SSOASS is my 2d favourite Maiden album of all time.
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Well, with my mistaken vote I think I helped eliminate my 2nd favourite Maiden album of all time (or close to it anyway). Or so it seems right now.
I think you should try the experience as well, it's an enriching one.
 
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