As we all heard Satellite 15 and El Dorado, I will begin by Mother Of Mercy - On acoustic guitar, it deals with the guiltiness that can feel a few soldiers.
It goes "crescendo".
Bruce's singing is not evident and quite unusual.
It should suit perfectly to a live session but really surprising and really too much repetitive.
Coming Home - One of the best track on the album which begins like a Power Ballad. Bruce is singing really well on it. This track is quite progressive with a "false rythm" and a very epic way, but remains very melodic as well.
We can notice, once again, very unusual things from Iron Maiden, for example a very rock solo, almost like Hendrix used to play but also very close to Uli John Roth.
Really interesting.
The Alchemist - The fastest track from the beginning of the album, but more classical. It looks like Judas Priest or Helloween.
(Hard to translate here.....) It's like the three guitars are answering to each others. This track could be really good live and could have been the first single, especially because it's a shorter track.
Isle of Avalon - This song, with a very long intro, seems very long to begin but then it grows in power. There is kind of echo on Bruce's voice, almost magical.
In a few moments of the song, the guitars are a bit psychedelic, like if they were on a jam session (very uncommon for Maiden!)
A bit too long, this title, very progressive, like a Rush song, has a very catchy chorus and it stays in mind and is really interesting.
Starblind - Very soft intro with very cryptic lyrics with then a big riff.
Very unusual sound for the guitars, once again they answer to each other.
The second part is especially interesting with an epic final!
The Talisman - Acoustic guitar again, sounding from Middle Ages or sailor's chant.
It goes very strongly on a long intro.
This long piece sees the elements raging on a lost boat in deep sea.
Can be really strong live. We can't imagine this track followed by ROTAM!!!!!!!
Nevertheless, a bit too long but after a second listen of that song, that feeling disappears.
We can once again think about Rush on this title.
The Man Who Would Be King - A story about guiltiness after a murder for a very dark story of revenge which begins slowly, with a little bit of synthesizer.
The battle of the three guitars is once again terrific, but very unsual for Maiden.
When The Wild Wind Blows - A traditionnal song from Harris, almost 11 minutes which reminds us epic songs like "TLOTLDR" or "ATG". It begins on a cheerful ryhtm, almost bouncy, which is really paradoxical considering the subject of the song that is to say the power of the media, the audiovisual mirage : A couple built for themselves an anti-atomic shelter with food and prepaired themselves to the worst. But one day, we find that man and tha woman dead in the arms with empty bottle of poison next to them.
Too much conditioned by the power of the media who said it was the Apocalypse but it was only an earthquake!
Sound of wind blowing, rock solo never heard before in Maiden, unusual groove, this track is built on a terrific riff followed by a catchy and classical Maidenish final.
This song, despite her length is pretty pleasant to listen to wihtout looking at the time.
As usual, Steve Harris wrote the 10 titles letting Adrian Smith, already very present on AMOLAD, co-writing 6 songs.
Bruce Dickinson is only co-writing 4 texts, Janick Gers 2 and Dave Murray 1.
The article reminds us that Harris is the "boss" and has his veto on each songs.
The Final Frontier goes further in the experiment than AMOLAD did, no doubt about it. It's not a bad thing cause it shows that the band wants to evolve and is very brave.
A few songs could disconcert the fans but after many listens they will find in that album many satisfying elements.
Iron Maiden refuses to stagnate and accept with that album to unsettle the more faithful aficionados (die-hard fans).
Maybe we could regret that a few tracks are unnecessarily long!
With a few minutes less, they could have win much more impact and strength.
Nevertheless it is a very interesting (yes again!) album, if not a classical! And this is the most important in itself!
