Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

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How good is Seventh Son of a Seventh Son on a scale of 1-10?

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The song ends with Adrian playing something that is a cross between a lead harmony and (kind of) a lead solo. However...on the live version the last note is not a high note (like on the studio version), but a low note, which to me, is not a good change. Sounds better with the high note as the last note of the song. More of a finale that way.
 
10/10

Just when it seems like you’ve reached the emotional peak of the album, the title track hits you like a load of bricks carried on an eighteen-wheeler being driven by Godzilla. The keyboards, which heretofore remained rather subdued, are up front and center, accenting the chunky rhythm guitars and making Maiden sound heavier than they’ve ever sounded before. This song chronicles the birth of the mythical Seventh Son and his entrance into the world, learning of his powers and his legacy. Bruce is godly on this recording, especially during the chorus. It’s a song that could easily sound repetitive or trite, but Maiden’s earnestness makes it all work. A serpentine harmonized riff cuts through the second chorus and segues into a sweeping, expectant bridge complete with spoken word by Bruce and a spooky atmosphere that rivals Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Once the song kicks into high gear, it is Maiden at their absolute best. Furious, unrelenting, yet endlessly melodic. Murray and Smith rip through two guitar solos over time changes aplenty. The end of the title track is the culmination of every sonic tapestry they’ve ever weaved: immediate and ferocious, powerful and grand.
 
Though the chorus repetition and the amateurish "ooooh" keyboards in the middle sometimes get on my nerves nowadays, I cannot really give it anything less than a 10, because the verses are brutal and because the final three minutes are one of the best Maiden moments that once was capable to nearly make me cry. The vocal line is quite weird - I wonder how it would sound if Blaze did the song. The pinnacle of the album and one of their best 80's tracks. 10/10
 
This is a very good song. I would like it more if it wasn't so aware it was a very good song. 8/10.
 
This used to be one of my favourite Maiden songs overall, but it's one you've got to take some time to listen and digest, it's not an instant hard hitter.
 
To me the quiet part reminds me instantly of Genesis, "The Musical Box" in particular. Nicko is very reminiscing of Phil Collins there, and the guitar arpeggios have also a bit in common. Anybody agrees?
 
Spaniard in the Works said:
To me the quiet part reminds me instantly of Genesis, "The Musical Box" in particular. Nicko is very reminiscing of Phil Collins there, and the guitar arpeggios have also a bit in common. Anybody agrees?
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Oh man, that is a good call. I never thought of it that way before but now I'm never going to unhear it. :p Even the spoken word is a bit Gabriel-esque.

This song takes cheesy prog grandeur to its highest degree and what a glorious way to do it. Right from the beginning you know you're getting something epic. So many great riffs and melodies in this song. The tempo is a bit clunky, but that's part of the charm. It could fall apart at any minute and that keeps you at the edge of your seat. Bruce's delivery is dramatic and powerful. The chorus is repetitive but it's based on such a cool riff that I don't really care. With each verse it speeds up ever so slightly and gets increasingly more intense before climaxing with a harmony going into the soft section. Lots of cool atmosphere in this part. Kinda reminiscent of Rime but still completely different. Bruce's spoken word is a bit cheesy but in an awesome way. Ending with an all instrumental section is unexpected and a cool way to do it. The solos are frantic and the melodies around them are awesome. I love when Bruce steps away for a moment and the guitarists get to do the talking. The solos aren't just technical showcases, they really complement the mood of the song. It all ends perfectly with another high quality twin harmony. This one develops really nicely.

10

I just realized while listening to this that this is what Steve was going for with The Red and the Black. Cut out the soft moody middle section and it's essentially the same song structurally.
 
Wow.

Unbelievably slow hitting power in the verse riffs and vocals. Great passion in the early keyboard/guitar harmony. Great aggression in the chorus. The breakdown into the instrumental is beautiful too with Bruces wail and tumbling guitars.

Then comes 5 minutes of sheer brilliance. The soft guitar riff with atmospheric keyboards and cool spoken verse. Then the incredible build. That shimmering, echoing guitar effect (no idea what is called) absolutely blows me away. Nicko's rhythm getting faster and faster up to that spectacular climax and wild ensuing solo.

Devastating and brilliant. One of only a handful of tens I'm awarding

10
 
A wonderful epic and powerful song, this song is just a reference of atmospheric heavy metal piece. All parts are really amazing and very well composed especially the last part which is a real Eargasm !
 
Incredible song, and fair dues to Nicko (who I've never been a fan of) for his work on this song. I rate this song as a Maiden classic.
 
terrell39 said:
See my February 26 post about my comment about the very end of the song
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Yup. It's still beyond me why they couldn't recreate the final harmonies live, now they have 3 guitars. The thing is that on the ME tour H played that high note at the end, but Janick, instead of playing harmonies just played the e chord. They should have really worked that out.
 
Mosh said:
I just realized while listening to this that this is what Steve was going for with The Red and the Black. Cut out the soft moody middle section and it's essentially the same song structurally.
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I wish he didn't go back into the "whoa oh oh" part at the end of the red and the black as it could have been similarly climactic to SSOASS.
 
By far one of the two best songs on this album. A masterpiece both in the context of the album and out of it. Starts off strong, with an atmospheric intro filled with synths that pick up the mystical theme of the album right where "The Evil That Men Do" left off without faltering even once. The chorus does repeat a little too much and could have been a little more creative, but it's not a complete letdown since we're not given time to even think about it while listening. It just hits you so hard you don't even know what's going on anymore until the quiet interlude, which seems to borrow a little bit from "Rime", but twists it enough to make it a completely different piece. From then on, it's pure musical bliss. As Bruce announces the birth of the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Davey and H's guitars start to rise until the solos hit the speakers, mirroring Good and Evil battling for the kid, and it works perfectly. It's just brilliant. 10.
 
8/10

Very impressive musically, whether its the solos, the interlude, or even the verses. The lyrics are good, but the chorus could've been more than just repeating the title.
 
At first I thought this song was rather boring, but it has grown on me a lot. In particular the instrumental part is absolutely incredible. One of Maiden's greatest artistic creations, and as such it deserves a 10/10
 
A bloody awesome epic. Every part of it is just right. And it works so well with the abrupt ending instead if going back to the intro riff...
 
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