Paschendale

How good is Paschendale on a scale of 1-10?

  • Total voters
    33
Well, where to begin? This track is fantastic.

This to me is one of Maidens heaviest tracks. It's dark and brutal, yet emotional and melodic.

The arrangement is masterfully done, and unusual for the band. There is no slow build ups or predictable repetitions (in my opinion). The songs jumps between the quiet cry-for-help melody and the massive guitar riffs without warning, and really mirrors the unsafe reality on the battle field.

Bruce gives one of his best performance ever, and the lyrics are great. The guitar work is also fantastic, and they all three give a great performance.

I believe no other Maiden song gives me shivers they way this song always does. From the "Cruelty has a human heart" verse, the extended note Bruce hold, to the riff that kicks in and the two solos, to "Blood is falling like the rain" part, to the last guitar solo, it gives me shivers all the way through.

My first 10 since Sign Of The Cross. A masterfully put together song.

10/10
 
My second favourite song off the album after the title track...
Adrian's intro is mesmeric and the lyrics are really well penned.
10/10
 
This song has some tremendous moments and overall power. My only reservations about it are the stop/start gaps in it, and I find the morse code/tickertape interludes slightly unnecessary. 8/10 in the absence of an 8.5 option
 
Seeing as that then makes it impossible for me to score Empire higher than Paschendale without giving it a 10, I'll downgrade Paschendale to 8. :p
 
I'll regard it as an 8.4 then! :)

A song can still be liked more, if it has the same grade. Or else you can only give one 10. :)
 
PASCHENFUCKINGDALE

The intro is haunting and unlike anything Maiden had done before. The excessive start/stop thing was weird to me at first but I've grown to appreciate it, mostly because they switch it around every time they restart. Or they do a completely different melody or riff. This song has a great energy to it and the backing vocals actually work really well for me on this song. The riffs are relentless and epic. So many great buildups too. Bruce makes this song the monster that it is. So many memorable Bruce moments, such as "into jaws of death we go" and the "blood is falling like rain" section.

This is one of those songs that has been overanalyzed on here. Not much needs to be said really. Like the title track, I think it has been forgotten recently because they've really evolved beyond this since then. I probably prefer some of the songs on the next album (BTATS immediately comes to mind, maybe FTGGOG) but that doesn't make this one any less special.

10

I think this is the one song that is harmed the most by the production. Not so much the muddiness, but the distortion really sucks the life out of the song. The orchestra is also more understated than it should be. The whole thing would have a larger impact with AMOLAD's production.
 
The greatest story Iron Maiden has ever told. Half a million horrid deaths boiled into nine minutes. The fate of two empires entwined, and discarded as irrelevant compared to the horrors they caused. Other bands have explored this subject and all have fallen short, whether they devote a song or an album.

The song opens with Nick on the high hats, but it is the artillery barrage of music that follows - and listen to it. It is an artillery barrage. The guitars sound like the rapid chatter of machine guns. You can hear the finality of death within the dull thuds of bass and the utter ending of oblivion in the kick of Nicko's pedals. Each beat another life lost.

10/10. Would vote 10000/10 if I could.

Sometimes, this song plays, and catches me unaware, and it brings a tear to my eye.
 
Probably their most important and powerful song of the reunion era. Compared to some of the other epics, the melodies aren't always as catchy and in fact in some places it's hard to listen to. But the way the track catches the noise, fear and sadness of war is incredible. The explosive, loud riffs are an amazing assault on the ears. This is alternately contrasted with sections of pathos. It's so atmospheric. Lyrics are incredible moving. Pretty much a masterpiece.

10
 
10/10

The single best song on the album. Morse code high-hat ticks and a haunting riff from Adrian jut up against bloody heavy chord hits. This is one of Maiden’s most progressive songs, with shifts in dynamics, rhythm, and time signatures lying around every turn. The vocal melodies are constantly changing in a way unheard since Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The music truly sounds like a war, from the roar of gunfire to the tension in the air before another round of violent death. There's so much going on that it takes awhile to absorb. The keyboards and sound effects only reveal themselves after multiple listens. Adrian Smith completely outdoes himself with the music on this song and Harris does a great job of matching the lyrics to the tone of the riffs. Paschendale is so good that the band would spend their entire next album trying to recreate it.
 
6/10.

The stop-and-start structure of Paschendale makes for a disjointed song which never really flows. The riffs are boring and predictable, and the melodies stiff. Highlights can be found in the excellent solo section in which all three guitarists are allowed to shine (on an album where all three of them recorded the best tones of their careers). A failed prototype which inspired a few excellent songs down the line.
 
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