After four years riecco Iron Maiden back on the shelves with the fifteenth disc of unreleased their sensational career. Considered among the greatest exponents of the heavy metal scene for nearly thirty years, Harris and company were very focused on this new release.
A listen-only is almost never enough for any disk, especially an album so long (76 minutes and 37 seconds) will require much more extensive listening sessions, but we'll tell you my first impressions and emotions that "The Final Frontier" spurred in us that we listened to the relatively small volume a few days ago. Meanwhile, fans are quiet standing: there is still a great desire to play, to play the game, to try (yeah right) and give moments of excitement like few others can. Critics, however, or who has never enjoyed the post-reunion of 1999 (or generally considered "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" the latest work worthy of the Virgin) probably will not even listen to the platter, making a mistake, since we are facing one of the parties most interesting decade. There is a progressive streak that emerges here and there, there are moments and inspired blues riffs and seventies (Purple and Zeppelin appeared at the window every now and then), there are five long compositions placed by mid to end of the disc and involving not give the listener pause, merely the repetition of these same tunes and were tested much better than before, there are many orchestrations or less pompous than the previous work, the guitars are actors and structures that bring the three together are very enjoyable, Dickinson also often varies his vocal register, using the medium-high with less frequency than before, then the whole record sounds and faster pace of the previous "A Matter Of Life And Death".
And the bad things? Meanwhile, the single "El Dorado" is not right in the mood of the disc and could be better was a bit 'shorter, there are those two or three pieces avoidable (all in the first part) that impair compared to what follows, the intro to long pieces are now standardized and arpeggios seamless (although they are functional too predictable), difficult to understand why it was built a tracklist so unsettling that makes it difficult to follow the logical disk (or at least no books available ) that literally explodes in the middle then ... but now we end up shooting into the pile and let's see what we reserve the ten songs on the new Iron Maiden "The Final Frontier. We are aware that a track by track and can tell little confusing food or different expectations, which can be realized or off dramatically at the time of hearing. Take the following with the necessary clamps and read our thoughts as if they were (what they are really) simple notes of emotions and feelings in an hour and a quarter of listening ...
Satellite 15 ... The Final Frontier (8:40): we have not understood anything for the first 4 ½ minutes. A futuristic drums and effects (we thought of "Eat The Rich" by Aerosmith as we are in a period of HJF) with electronic spread open dances, Bruce recites while developing a structure that could also bring to Dream Theater's Metropolis 2, especially when the alternation of snare and double pedal suggest the band Petrucci and companions. In the middle part of the piece intended as a piece of Iron Maiden, mid tempo classic rock that speaks to Dickinson's solo album more than anything (the sound in particular has made us think for a nanosecond to the production of "Fear Of The Dark "but we could be left to carry too much). A couple of solos dell'opener lead to the conclusion that flows directly into the single launch. A great way to start the CD.
El Dorado (6:49): We all know this by now, the beginning is nothing but the final title track above. Although most metal, the piece would probably have convinced more than a minutaggio. The impact is very live like all the hard indeed, but we know that the Maiden of the new millennium are not friends of cleaning and prefer to immediately register all the tracks within incision with few frills. Finally, a live song break, disk after nearly seven minutes we are happy to finish.
Mother Of Mercy (5:20) here early arpeggiated mentioned earlier, so we talked a couple of pieces that could have been avoided, it is basically one of them. A mid tempo that some nostalgic webzinaro define 'rocky' but that does not take off because of a chorus rather anonymous. The solo is not bad but we wonder why a song like occupying the third position in the lineup.
Coming Home (5:52) which suggests a slow lot at Dickinson solo, a ballad here and there that brings to mind the lines of "Man Of Sorrow" and could be passed under the hands of Desmond Child, both clarify what is the atmosphere of the piece. Overall song is neat, pimp and that is certainly not a bad bill, the chorus is good and overall the piece is not sorry, however, is a drop in pace, again, we would not expect so soon.
The Alchemist (4:29): just reading the tracklist could guess that this was a classic piece of lot faster. Actually the rhythms are very significant, although the piece is not snarling or overly aggressive. However, we awaken from its torpor, even if it begins to dawn in us the suspicion that, having reached the fifth track, maybe we are faced with a disc not exactly inspired. The melodies and the speed of the alchemist come to an end and, fortunately, we realize here that the real short drive is about to begin.
Isle Of Avalon (9:06): the first brick for nearly ten minutes is one of the finest pieces of The Final Frontier. It begins with the trademark we have found to be preferred by the incipit Brave New World by Iron Maiden on, or the arpeggio opening track. Piece that takes off up-time after two minutes and 40 seconds, then clearly surprised with a change log after four minutes with a digression progressive traits Rush-ian with a lot of underlying organ solos to the center. The conclusion is very reminiscent of the title song Powerslave, but overall the excitement back beyond danger levels thinking about how much meat they put the fire boys in one piece.
Starblind (7:48): another shot of adrenaline with rhythmic prog, which shows that Bruce is exalted over medium-high registers. Zeppelino breaks into a riff just after 4 minutes and introduces the section on solos when the rhythm changes several times. A mood that returns quickly to "Infinite Dreams" in the chorus of the final part makes us appreciate even more another hit CD, which now travels at very good thanks to tracks that give the feeling of being jam session in which the Maiden have enjoyed surprising his listeners usual.
The Talisman (9:03): Looking back on "The Legacy", a song that closed the previous "A Matter Of Life And Death", we start going into the eighth track "The Final Frontier. The very early stage of Dickinson (below your usual arpeggiated now that we omit from the report, ed), gives way after a couple of minutes with up-tempo and the vocals of Bruce decided to go on the upper registers. Riecco classic ride to the Maiden are interwoven with a chorus really exciting until it slows down after more than six minutes with a break very Purple. Another very interesting song.
The Man Who Could Be King (8:28): Helloween appoint probably in error (the intro and the beginning seem to be melodic power metal) and "Virus" (yes the one with Blaze), but also "The Thin Line Between Love And Hate for you to understand the first part of another up-tempo decided. A dramatic break with the cut after 4 minutes before to let go and felt almost blues interludes and solos well structured. Excluding the central surprise, the texture of the song is fairly straightforward, this remains yet another center in a tracklist that now drawing to a close.
When The Wild Wind Blows (10:59): to be the third longest track in the history of the band, the closing song of "The Final Frontier" must be something special for strength. Echoes of Blood Brothers and Dance Of Death one another until after three and a half minutes abundant echoes from the speakers Holy Diver, because the riff is very similar to the legendary piece of God's song is played on essentially all mid tempo, with delays and unexpected changes of register, even with a vocal line that twists as heard after nearly seven-minute piece. A very vintage seventies and ends at a large disk that is an ideal cross between "Brave New World" and "A Matter Of Life And Death", very free from preconceptions and structured to be heard and not immediate. Who knows Iron Maiden, who appreciates them for their consistency and the fact that criticism aside, the new course (the one just started in 2000) believe Behold, I will be happy to have heard "The Final Frontier: A CD that will talk a lot about him and probably will be recognized as a (another) point of arrival is not just in the career of a band too often given up for dead, has always denied even the most hardened critics. Than ever for them, hoping that the Frontier is just the latest, but there are others to reach and exceed, in the coming years ...