How big a difference do you want? Powerslave --> Somewhere In Time? Or something radical, like the difference between the two Blaze albums?
Although not easy to answer, I like this question. Here "some" thoughts which zoom in literally on the albums you just mentioned. After that I'll come back to the upcoming album.
I notice you mention two albums done by the same line-up. One duo in a tremendously popular era and the other in the band's least popular momentum.
The difference between
Powerslave and
Somewhere in Time is especially more focus on melody. This can both be heard in the vocal lines and in the instrumentation. E.g., in Sea of Madness there's so much melodic brilliance going on. More synth(esized guitars and bass) was quite a difference as well. Perhaps that also boosted the product, giving a fuller sound. Obviously another difference is that the second album did not feature a Bruce credit. To be honest, it doesn't make the album less for me. Harris and Smith were at their best and the Murray/Harris track is a song I rate very, very high as well. A wonderful burst of melodic and energetic catchiness floating on a fantastic river of drums, done with utmost feel. Nicko's playing (and production) is stellar, on the whole album. Really a great feat. Almost Peartish like on
Moving Pictures, which means I can erase the rest of the music, and completely focus on what the drummer does, and have a lot of fun listening like that. He must have felt excellent while recording this.
The two Blaze albums mark different changes. More radical in "less is more". Compared to its predecessor,
Virtual XI has a smaller amount of songs, a smaller album length and also song length. The less is more comes back in the drums: The drums are constrained. Not per se simple stuff to play, but less fun to listen to, because it is not so adventurous in the breaks. There are hardly any breaks. Nicko mainly plays rhythm. A change that I've found less easy to appreciate is a decrease in performance. I am talking especially about Blaze and Nicko. Blaze did hit and miss. He really is stellar in e.g. Futureal but especially in the intros of Lightning Strikes Twice and The Educated Fool. But I do have a problem with some (in my ears) out of tune moments (or at least not pleasant sounding vocals) in When Two Worlds Collide, Como Estais Amigos and even a small moment in The Clansman. In this case, less is not more. It is less. This probably had to do with working less on the album. If I remember Blaze's biography well, the band worked long on
The X-Factor and short on
Virtual XI. Additionally I am not happy with Nicko's muppet style drumming in the fast part of DLTTEOAS.
Now
The Final Frontier (and the other current line-up albums) and
The Book of Souls. Of course, all this is entirely my experience, and I can imagine if others do not agree with some of the statements.
Do I want more melody in the vocals? While
The Final Frontier had some strong vocal melodies in e.g. Starblind, The Alchemist, Isle of Avalon, Mother of Mercy or Wild Wind, The Talisman was a let down for me. I do not want a song with such lack of variation in the couplets and choruses anymore. So, more consideration on the vocal department please.
Melodies in the guitars? I was very pleased with the guitar solos by Adrian Smith and some mighy melodic passages (soloing Starblind,
this passage in Starblind, Beginning / couplets Mother of Mercy / The Alchemist / Isle of Avalon). Also The Man Who Would Be King did quite well. At least as good would be good enough for me.
More synths? I don't think I would want more of it. Not at least the sound they've been using on the last albums. My favouite synth sound is the eery SSOASS sound, or the sound of Somewhere in Time, but using these could have a disadvantage as well, because it may remind us too much of these albums. I'd be OK with having the same amount or less synth. I am not against a piano. I totally love Man of Sorrows (probably because of that mindblowing vocal melody on top) so let's see if Bruce can beat that.
Less Bruce in the credits like on
Somewhere in Time? Not going to happen, more Bruce and I don't think I will complain about that. This can lead to something fresh! Let it happen.
An unbelievably great Harris only song? That didn't happen since Blood on the World's Hands. Everything he did afterwards by himself was good or very good, but not that stellar, or bad (No More Lies). Not hoping for too much here.
Smith only songs? Not going to happen, but we get Smith/Dickinson songs and that's something new again. I am hoping for some buttkicking stuff.
The best ever Murray/Harris collaboration? I don't think Deja-Vu can be passed, so I am not counting on anything as stellar as that. The last song in which Murray was involved that made an HUGE impression was Brave New World and til this day I rate it as the best post-TXF-song. It was a long time ago, so.. not holding my breath. Let them surprise me and prove me wrong.
Nicko? These days I prefer to see him as a drummer with a cool groove. I think he is a lot in his element during slower stuff like Rime in the Ancient Mariner, Hallowed Be Thy Name (during couplets) and I am hoping for more songs in that tempo. Wild Wind had such a tempo and it was good! I also hope for some surprises. Maybe more percussion style drumming as in Fortunes of War or Childhood's End or less obvious patterns as in
The Fugitive or
Blood on the World's Hands, or stimulating percussive rhythms as in Seventh Son of a Seventh Son or To Tame a Land, adding toms and snares in an otherwise "normal" rhythm pattern. This may suit a tribal theme. And it gives an extra touch to the music. So no more less is more please. More is more.
Vocal performance (apart from vocal melodies). I hope Bruce sounds less strained as on
The Final Frontier, but even if this doesn't change much, I can take it. I am more busy with the melodic lines and the way the vocals fit the music.
Now to the essence of what I hope the album will not have, or at least: kept to a minimum:
The strength of all 1980s and 1990s albums (one or two exceptions on VXI perhaps) is that there was no recycling. In my ears at least, I didn't have as many "a ha! I heard that before" or "this reminds me of an earlier track" moments as on the last albums.
If
The Book of Souls will walk enough new paths (taking a new or fresh direction), then I will also tolerate more recycling. But ideally:
- no recycling, or else not that obvious
- at least as many strong melodies (I admit that a strong melody is hard to define. It is a personal thing I guess)
- variation in the vocals (more variation as e.g. in The Talisman
couplets; con-stant-ly the same freaking notes. 22 times!)
