Vantage Point
Educated Fool
I did a review of the album, contains some songs I really like, Fates Warning, Holy Smoke, and some I'm not so keen on, Public Enema, The Assassin.
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
The title track is pretty surprising on first listen. The previous three title tracks have been on the longer side, epic tracks filled with amazing melodies and a thick atmosphere. NPFTD is placed early on the track list and is relatively short. The song starts and it turns out that it is actually a half ballad!
The intro lead guitar returns multiple times throughout the song and I'm glad. It might be simple, but it's also elegant. The verses feature some great vocals by Bruce, with some sparse and simple backing as well as slightly introspective lyrics. The verse are broken up by more lead guitars. The live version released as a B-Side has some lovely long vocalizations by Bruce over the lead break after the verse.
The instrumental section picks up the pace. The riff itself is pretty boring, but once the solos start the energy is off the charts! It's pretty thrash-y for Maiden standards. We get some more fantastic vocals by Bruce with lyrics that have always resonated with me, before ending with another go at the intro lead. An easy 9.
The intro lead guitar returns multiple times throughout the song and I'm glad. It might be simple, but it's also elegant. The verses feature some great vocals by Bruce, with some sparse and simple backing as well as slightly introspective lyrics. The verse are broken up by more lead guitars. The live version released as a B-Side has some lovely long vocalizations by Bruce over the lead break after the verse.
The instrumental section picks up the pace. The riff itself is pretty boring, but once the solos start the energy is off the charts! It's pretty thrash-y for Maiden standards. We get some more fantastic vocals by Bruce with lyrics that have always resonated with me, before ending with another go at the intro lead. An easy 9.
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
Happy 34th anniversary to this very good album (at least for me). 