Shadows Of The Valley

How good is Shadows of the Valley on a scale of 1-10?


  • Total voters
    26
Did The Fallen Angel and Montsegur have a baby?

Not that I'm complaining, I really enjoy both those songs.
 
Like "The Great Unknown", this one has a huge splash of AMOLAD flavour, and is a great little mini epic. The "woah-oh" section near the end really elevates the tension of the track, although the explosive solo which follows it could have done with being a bit longer. I'm not sure I would count this as being amongst the album's best numbers, but it is certainly not filler material, and it is very much a grower!
 
This song is getting better and better for each listen. This song got that same eerie, mysterious feel as songs like Still Life, and Total Eclipse.
I especially love the chorus with the guitar plucking the strings like an acoustic guitar.
 
Ok, like everyone on here I practically yelled Wasted Years at the screen when I heard the beginning! And yes I distinctly heard 'sea of madness' in there. I think this will be a huge grower, but so far I can say I really want to find the lyrics because I suspect (a) they're clever and good and (b) that there are nods to older Maiden songs peppered in there.
 
I think this the one I like less from the album. Some cool parts but not that great as a whole.

EDIT: with each listen all I want to do it skip the song.
 
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The only thing I like about this song is the chorus melody. I found this song boring to be honest.
 
On repeated album plays, this one is dropping a bit in relation to the rest. I think it's Clownitis - eager for the next track, harder to be patient with this one.
 
On repeated album plays, this one is dropping a bit in relation to the rest. I think it's Clownitis - eager for the next track, harder to be patient with this one.
Really? I find this track to be superior to TOAC. Has a real driving beat that I like.

A guess that's the sign of a great album, though. Different songs are highlights for different people.
 
Not a favourite of mine. It's decent track, but I think it needs more listens. Or maybe it just isn't a great track. Also, it's placed in between two of the biggest surprises (for me) on the album. It's a bit of a drag after DOG and before TOAC isn't it?
 
I think this is the weakest track on the album. Decent enough song, but not nearly on par with the rest of the album.
 
In the 2nd tier of great songs on the album below the opener, TRATB & TBOS. Hooked from the beginning & after the intro has a real FOTB album vibe to it. Judas my guide in particular.
 
This music sounds like a TFF leftover. I don't understand all the hype on this one. Maybe because of the good o-oohs at the end.

I'm just trying to understand the self-plagiarism at the beggining.. :facepalm:
 
Official Lyrics:

Wandering aimlessly in a cold dark mist I follow
Walking in a dark world that’s been
Kissed with sadness
Without sunlight things are born
To the dead of nightmares
Soulless demons laughing in a sea of madness

Listen closely to the raven’s call
Praying hard for our world not to end
Try as might to make sense of it all
Will it be for the penance of men
Follow north for the call of the wild
Look all out for a small wayward child
Lay in fear as the dark raven crows
Look for guidance from the one who knows
He lived on this earth for a time and a half
Playing a tune to the old man’s laugh
The fear that’s inside the men of the oath
In the script of the book that he wrote

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn’t die
Mind over matter
Cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin

As the raven again passes by
I can hear all the wake fathers cry
That the first born of all men will die
That their lives will be taken from them
Face the danger a battle of wills
Strength and courage a cure for all ills
We believe in that thou shall not kill
But others are ready to spill
The hearts of all men since beginning of time
Living with temptation
Wanting and crime
A walk in the shadow of the valley of death
Knowing I’ll take my last breath

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn’t die
Mind over matter
Cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin

The hearts of all men since beginning of time
Living with temptation
Wanting and crime
A walk in the shadow of the valley of death
Knowing I’ll take my last breath

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn’t die
Mind over matter
Cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin

Into the valley of death fear no evil
We will go forward no matter the cost
Into the valley of death follow me now
Bring me your souls and I’ll make it our last

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn’t die
Mind over matter, cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin
 
this is the one i always skip now

i'm actually embarrassed by the intro. just imagine them starting to play it live and the whole crowd expecting to hear WY.. would work fine as a prank, i guess. the whole song is a derivative mess. there are good parts to it, but they've done most of them before. really underwhelming
 
Another Gers/Harris composition...
I'm getting a bit of an X-Factor vibe from SOTV.
This is probably my least favourite so far but I'm sure in time it will grow on me.
 
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