The Book of Souls: General album discussion

I honestly don't understand the complaints about production on this album. I can hear all the instruments fine, Bruce's voice and the guitars have a lot more oomph than they've had on the recent albums, and I'm getting more of the bass, too, and all with a energetic, live feel that doesn't sound as muddy as Dance of Death or as dry in places as The Final Frontier sometimes did.
 
Babo 91 said:
Yes exactly :p

In all seriousness though, the middle bit of RoTAM is much called for and it massively adds to the track
Click to expand...
I personally can't stand it.

Don't get me wrong, I adore Rime, and it's one of my top 5 favorite Maiden tracks. If it weren't for that middle section, it would be my favorite Maiden track with a bullet. As it stands, I fast forward through it every time.
 
Brave New Pilgrim said:
I personally can't stand it.

Don't get me wrong, I adore Rime, and it's one of my top 5 favorite Maiden tracks. If it weren't for that middle section, it would be my favorite Maiden track with a bullet. As it stands, I fast forward through it every time.
Click to expand...
Exactly! This is not something I would like to admit but I, too, fast forward though the creaky boat part. But still, Rime is the BEST.
 
Just listened to the title song... in the dark room, lying in bed with my headphones on (completely sober :D)... Had this cool "vision" of an old, dusty book suspended in air through the first two repetitions of the intro melody, then the book started to open with some thick, black, mysterious fog coming out of it (3rd and 4th repetition) and when the main riff hit I was moved to some ancient town with ziggurats around me. Amazing track. The music really does speak for itself in this case :D Need to analyse the lyrics ASAP.
 
Last edited:
I am sad to say it and I know I won't be popular saying this, but I think this is the most boring album they have ever released. The songs are just not quite there for me. It's book-ended by two brilliant Bruce songs, and there are bits in-between that I like, but overall I have never found a Maiden album to completely fail to engage me in such a way. At first I thought I must be wrong and it would be a grower, but it's just not. Maybe I've changed, but I don't love it :( I just think it's quite boring and uninspired. Sorry everyone, flame away...
 
Caveman Ninja said:
I am sad to say it and I know I won't be popular saying this, but I think this is the most boring album they have ever released. The songs are just not quite there for me. It's book-ended by two brilliant Bruce songs, and there are bits in-between that I like, but overall I have never found a Maiden album to completely fail to engage me in such a way. At first I thought I must be wrong and it would be a grower, but it's just not. Maybe I've changed, but I don't love it :( I just think it's quite boring and uninspired. Sorry everyone, flame away...
Click to expand...



I still do think it's a great album, although not quite the masterpiece it was made out to be. I generally skip about 1/2 to 1/3 of the album when I listen to it.
 
When I play something from TBOS it's keep choosing one of those:

If Eternety Should Fail - The biggest minus on that track that has shown over time for me is that drumming is somewhat messy. It seems to me that Nicko is trying different things and not paying attention to song flow.
Speed Of Light - Massively grown on me over time, wasnt't a big fan, but now am.
The Great Unknown - AMLOAD memories, again a track that has massively grown.
TBOS - Masterpiece.
Death Or Glory - Song I liked from Beginning
TOAC - Good song.
The Man Of Sorrows - Again has grown massively, quite unusual, but I like it.
EOTC - Masterpiece.


WTRRD and TRATB - I was never big fan of them
SOTV - Song that has fallen in the ratings the most. Loved it, but now... don't know...
 
Caveman Ninja said:
I am sad to say it and I know I won't be popular saying this, but I think this is the most boring album they have ever released. The songs are just not quite there for me. It's book-ended by two brilliant Bruce songs, and there are bits in-between that I like, but overall I have never found a Maiden album to completely fail to engage me in such a way. At first I thought I must be wrong and it would be a grower, but it's just not. Maybe I've changed, but I don't love it :( I just think it's quite boring and uninspired. Sorry everyone, flame away...
Click to expand...
latest
 
matic22 said:
If Eternety Should Fail - The biggest minus on that track that has shown over time for me is that drumming is somewhat messy. It seems to me that Nicko is trying different things and not paying attention to song flow.
Click to expand...

That's a plus for me, how he changes cymbal patterns over choruses. Especially in combination with drum fills just before the chorus. First chorus has a smaller drum fill before it and proceeds to faster, more involved hi-hat groove, while second chorus has a really tight and powerful drum fill going into a more subtle, less involved ride-based rhythm. The tom fills that start the instrumental part are awesome and really something not heard often. There are drum parts on the instrumental (like the one in last guitar harmony part) that remind me of Brave New World.

I so much like drumming on this track that I'd really like to hear McBrain playing AOB/TCW songs. He doesn't usually play with great rock solid groove like Ingraham, however Ingraham plays with in-ear metronome. I'm sure that Nicko would adapt to this style and use his tremendous array of drum tricks and techniques to enhance the songs.
 
Zare said:
I so much like drumming on this track that I'd really like to hear McBrain playing AOB/TCW songs. He doesn't usually play with great rock solid groove like Ingraham, however Ingraham plays with in-ear metronome. I'm sure that Nicko would adapt to this style and use his tremendous array of drum tricks and techniques to enhance the songs.
Click to expand...

I guess Ingraham smokes McBrain.
 
Don't like that guy's drumming at all, only truly good drumming on a Bruce solo song was on Silver Wings.
 
Cosmiceddie said:
I guess Ingraham smokes McBrain.
Click to expand...

Wrong. Nicko can play this style if he's wants to. With Maiden it's a different requirement. Check out his cover of War Pigs.

Night Prowler said:
Don't like that guy's drumming at all, only truly good drumming on a Bruce solo song was on Silver Wings.
Click to expand...

If you don't like his drumming it doesn't automagically make it bad. Silver Wings has a generic fast metal double bass drums. Ingraham has, at least, recognizable traits, TCW songs have groove aplenty and that's due to his perfect execution of Roy Z's ideas. In every book that should be at least 'good drumming'. For instance, I don't like Joey Jordison's style or his drum tracks, but good drumming? Yes.
 
Night Prowler said:
Don't like that guy's drumming at all, only truly good drumming on a Bruce solo song was on Silver Wings.
Click to expand...
And that was someone else. The awesome thing is that those drums were done by the same dude who did the Tattooed Millionaire tour! He also did Tears of the Dragon and Broken: Dickie Fliszar

The drums are excellent on Silver Wings, but that's also due to the groove. That riffing and solo are top class, and make it a top 5 Bruce song. Very tight, powerful stuff that both Nicko and Dave Ingraham could never have done.

That aside, I love Nicko's drumming in general more than these guys, and he indeed does versatile stuff on If Eternity Should Fail. It's real sounding drumming. Not like on a generic 21st century metal production. I also love some of the simple but effective tom work, which (I think) Zare has addressed.
 
Last edited:
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guit...on-maidens-new-album-the-book-of-souls-627665

Interesting interview with Adrian, dunno if it was posted here. Sounds like he was consciously going for shorter songs, which is funny because everyone else seemed to have the total opposite idea. Makes sense though, I remember an interview shortly after TFF where he said he wanted to try that.

Edit: I also get the feeling that TFF didn't age well for the band. Adrian doesn't seem satisfied with it in retrospect and they seemed to ditch every musical direction that was present on that album. I wonder if it'll be the Somewhere In Time of the reunion era. Maybe have a cult following but low representation in the setlists and such.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top