Okay, I've held off so far, but here goes. Above all it's great to hear Maiden back and bursting with energy. I'm fond of the new song, but I don't find it absolutely outstanding by any means. I fully expect the rest of the album to surpass it. It's in a similar vein to El Dorado in my book, but more catchy. I definitely prefer it to El Dorado, if we're going to compare to a previous single. Bruce sounds a touch gruffer (or older?) again in places, but he's hitting and holding some impressive notes, too. The sound is reasonably clear to me - certainly not as muddy as some are suggesting, although I often find post-reunion Maiden sounds like Bruce is contending to be heard over this huge, monstrous, too-big-for-any-stage band. Overall, I think it's pretty much in line with what I'd expect of a Maiden single, it goes out and grabs the attention of both longstanding fans and potentially a few newcomers too. It proves they're still creative and can still perform, and is a nice little energetic promise of what's to come. But it's the rest of the album I'm waiting for.
As for the video - it's clever. I don't get all that much enjoyment out of it, personally, although it's a good match to the music, and the little details are fun to spot and very clever indeed, from a marketing point of view as much as anything.
It's my ~42 time when I play it... I can't help myself.
Meaning of life, the universe and everything. This could be a good time to take a break.
