"The Book of Souls" - Official pre-release thread (CONTAINS ALBUM SPOILERS)

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if I found the right leak it sounds like a drum machine, is bruce saying "dead" and "to kill" in this leak?

EDIT: obviously this leak is a bad fake
 
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Just my two cents about the reviewer who characterized TBoS the best album since SSoaSS: Every album has been called "the best since SSoaSS" from at least one reviewer from FotD and onwards! That is a fact. So it's something I laugh at every time I read it. It has become a nonsensical phrase. As for the reviewer who called it "the best since BNW", that's an opinion I don't agree with, because all 3 that came after it were better than it. I remember how dissapointed I was after the whole reunion hype when I first listened to it.
 
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gor said:
Just my two cents about the reviewer who characterized TBoS the best album since SSoaSS: Every album has been called "the best since SSoaSS" from at least one reviewer from FotD and onwards! That is a fact. So it's something I laugh at every time I read it. I has become a nonsensical phrase. As for the reviewer who called it "the best since BNW", that's an opinion I don't agree with, because all 3 that came after it were better than it. I remember how dissapointed I was after the whole reunion hype when I first listened to it.
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Well I gota say that I think BNW is still the strongest of the reunion records...by a hair. But I agree on the SSOASS thing. Someone has said that at every album release. Seems Seventh son is the impossible watershed. Its like a guardian of the hallowed 80's records
 
For me DoD is strongest, only issue is with cover (that abomination!) but BNW was never my favorite, at first it didn't sound like maiden for me. SSOASS is holy grail for maiden fans I guess, and since everybody has own opinion it's normal that for some new album is best since album X.
 
This listing and comparing with "the golden era" and so on made me curious - I awarded every song 1-10 points and tried to make an average. SIT, TXF, Powerslave and AMOLAD got a special boost (one point for the base, before division) for their atmosphere, cohesiveness and for being greater than the sum of their parts. THIS is what I came up with:

Somewhere in Time - 8.8/10
The Final Frontier - 8.7/10
The X Factor - 8.6/10
Powerslave - 8.5/10
A Matter of Life and Death - 8.4/10
Fear of the Dark - 8.2/10
Brave New World - 8.0/10
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - 7.5/10
Virtual XI - 7.4/10
Dance of Death - 7.3/10
Piece of Mind - 7.3/10
Killers - 6.8/10
Iron Maiden - 6.1/10
No Prayer for the Dying - 5.9/10
The Number of the Beast - 5.7/10


I am somewhat surprised. I have thought the reunion albums are the best. I stand corrected… :D Otherwise, however, I find it surprisingly accurate. The first six places and the last one anyway...
 
So the people who traveled to Paris are not allowed to share any info at all. This is just stupid,really!
 
Gk1 said:
So the people who traveled to Paris are not allowed to share any info at all. This is just stupid,really!
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I know. I mean, a few impressions of the vibe, peoples reactions, the event in general without any "album specifics" would be cool.
And probably wouldn't break any NDA agreements. Then again, I haven't read one...there may be a "sign here (in blood)...something about a soul..."
 
gor said:
Just my two cents about the reviewer who characterized TBoS the best album since SSoaSS: Every album has been called "the best since SSoaSS" from at least one reviewer from FotD and onwards! That is a fact. So it's something I laugh at every time I read it. It has become a nonsensical phrase. As for the reviewer who called it "the best since BNW", that's an opinion I don't agree with, because all 3 that came after it were better than it. I remember how dissapointed I was after the whole reunion hype when I first listened to it.
Click to expand...

I've said it before, Brave New World didn't live up to my expectations because I expected it to be better than The Chemical Wedding.
Dance Of Death was a real disappointment for me. It isn't necessarily worse or better than BNW, in my book it's pretty par, but with far, far inferior production.

After DoD release I lost interest in tracking new Maiden. I wasn't also thrilled with Brighter Than A Thousand Suns and The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg which were available as MP3s before AMOLAD release. The former seemed weird and didn't click, the latter was just boring at the time. I didn't download or puchase AMOLAD. Months later, by pure chance, TROBB came on shuffle on my old Nokia N91 and it just wonderfully clicked and left me in pure awe. I got AMOLAD and that was it.

So, personally, I was far, far less hyped 10-15 years ago at the "reunion", than for last two albums.
 
Brigantium said:
Yes. I said that to the TV people who interviewed me. I also talked a lot of other crap.
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Which TV people were they? IMTV or external?

I was once interviewed for Portuguese TV at a Maiden show. The clip is somewhere on youtube, I'll have to try and find it again sometime. Only complete bollox spouted then by me too...
 
johnglen said:
Eeeeeh , how is Benjamin brieg like the rest of the singles or shows influence from rock ? This song is a 100% dark, ominous , heavy metal song and doesn't belong with the rest of the single-type songs .
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You know, as I was writing that I was questioning myself in relation to Brieg. It does have a darker tone, you are correct. But to my ears it still has like a hard-rock groove and something of a bluesy melodic patterns at times. I would conceed that Brieg is very different to the other rockers on that list, but I would argue that it isn't particularly representative of the album. But as with all these things, we all hear it differently.
 
1. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (10/10)
2. Powerslave (10/10)
3. Somewhere in Time (10/10)
4. Piece of Mind (9.5/10)
5. The Number of the Beast (9.5/10)

6. Brave New World (9/10)
7. A Matter of Life and Death (8.5/10)
8. Dance of Death (8/10)
9. The Final Frontier (8/10)
10. Killers (7.5/10)
11. Iron Maiden (7.5/10)

12. The X Factor (6.5/10)
13. Fear of the Dark (6/10)
14. Virtual XI (5/10)
15. No Prayer for the Dying (4/10)
 
Get worried! Speed of Light was a favourite track after a listen to the album.....
 

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