A total review after first listening (commentary are objective, notation still very subjective):
Disc 1:
"If Eternity Should Fail" 3,5/5:
Intro with the worst synth usage ever (very kitsch, but not the ayreon way). Doesn't know why they put that awful keyboard there... and it plays bad notes ! Dickinson voice almost acapella with a huge reverb is great. Very good progression after that "shitty keyboard intro". Pre-chorus and chorus are worth listening. Globally a catchy song with a very original conclusion for maiden.
"Speed of light" 2,5/5:
No surprises, everybody knows it. Good song but nothing original.
"The Great Unknown" 3/5:
Remind me a litte bit "starbind" (which is a great song according to me).
Nice arpeggia introduction with great effects on Dickinson voice. For the rest of the song, nothing really original, or maybe some three guitars riffs well thinked. The solo part is good but not exceptionnal.
"The Red And The Black" 1/5:
The song is unnecessarily long. The bass solo is totally failed. Why does it exists ? Globally, that track gives the impression of riffs randomly sticked together. The "who oh oh" seems really put there only to fill the void of that track. No interest at all. Next.
"When the River Runs Deep" 4/5:
It is a very good and energic song. The first song of the album I wanted to replay immediatly after listening. Second soli of the "solo part" is just brilliant.
"The Book Of Souls" 3/5:
It is a two part song. The first is good, maybe a little bit classic. Part 2, introduced by a Mc Brain drum break, open on a good savage and organic riff which give me a little goose bump rapidly gone because guitars come back with a too classical maiden riff... Really disapointed because that song offers a lot of opportunity and doesn't seem to know where to go at last.
Disc 2:
"Death or Glory" 4,5/5:
Wow, very good song as the intro of second disc. Nothing to say. Singing is great, all fit very well. The ensemble is very logic. Instant classic (special mention on the sound of guitar on first soli).
"Shadows of the Valley" 3,5/5:
Introduction sounds like "wasted years". Some guitar riffs are really smartly thinked and really well mixed together. Some nice solos. Maybe a little bit too long, but a good song globally.
"Tears of a Clown" 4/5:
Nice chorus. Interesting usage of three guitars and good inspiration for the riffs. Progressive feeling trough the whole song. Nice solo sound (first part). Dickinson sings very well.
"The Man of Sorrows" 5/5:
THAT is pure maiden. This song could have been written for an album like "Somewhere In Time". Very progressive, consistent, cohesive, great solos. Interesting. Ending is great (even Nicko Mc Brain tried being original on that one).
"Empire of The Clouds" 2.5/5:
Ok, this is THE so-called "great progressive track of the album". Well, for me, it is a deception (like all so-called progressive things on that album).
It remind "When The Wild Wind Blows" (beginning and ending), it is better composed than "The Red And The Black" but unfortunatly, there is a big five minutes lack of inspiration in middle of the song where nobody seems to know where to go. It becomes better at the end (13th min). But finally, it doesn't deserve all the "buzz" around it.
Overall score:
3,3/5
Outstanding tracks:
When the river runs deep,
Death or Glory,
Tears of a Clown,
The Man Of Sorrows.
Disappointing tracks:
Empire of the Clouds,
The Red And The Black.
Conclusion:
Despite all that it have been said in pre-launch reviews, that's not the greatest album ever. Not at all. It is pure bullshit. By a lot of way, it is an overall good album but it is never "really" very inspired, emotional, epic and almost... it is not a progressive album at all. I mean, come on: chaining different several riffs and ascending/lowering chromatic scale doesn't make you a progressive band.
So, not a bad album but not the greatest ever.
ps: Disc 1 is lower than Disc 2, and I really do not know why. But there are better composition on second one.
Disc 1:
"If Eternity Should Fail" 3,5/5:
Intro with the worst synth usage ever (very kitsch, but not the ayreon way). Doesn't know why they put that awful keyboard there... and it plays bad notes ! Dickinson voice almost acapella with a huge reverb is great. Very good progression after that "shitty keyboard intro". Pre-chorus and chorus are worth listening. Globally a catchy song with a very original conclusion for maiden.
"Speed of light" 2,5/5:
No surprises, everybody knows it. Good song but nothing original.
"The Great Unknown" 3/5:
Remind me a litte bit "starbind" (which is a great song according to me).
Nice arpeggia introduction with great effects on Dickinson voice. For the rest of the song, nothing really original, or maybe some three guitars riffs well thinked. The solo part is good but not exceptionnal.
"The Red And The Black" 1/5:
The song is unnecessarily long. The bass solo is totally failed. Why does it exists ? Globally, that track gives the impression of riffs randomly sticked together. The "who oh oh" seems really put there only to fill the void of that track. No interest at all. Next.
"When the River Runs Deep" 4/5:
It is a very good and energic song. The first song of the album I wanted to replay immediatly after listening. Second soli of the "solo part" is just brilliant.
"The Book Of Souls" 3/5:
It is a two part song. The first is good, maybe a little bit classic. Part 2, introduced by a Mc Brain drum break, open on a good savage and organic riff which give me a little goose bump rapidly gone because guitars come back with a too classical maiden riff... Really disapointed because that song offers a lot of opportunity and doesn't seem to know where to go at last.
Disc 2:
"Death or Glory" 4,5/5:
Wow, very good song as the intro of second disc. Nothing to say. Singing is great, all fit very well. The ensemble is very logic. Instant classic (special mention on the sound of guitar on first soli).
"Shadows of the Valley" 3,5/5:
Introduction sounds like "wasted years". Some guitar riffs are really smartly thinked and really well mixed together. Some nice solos. Maybe a little bit too long, but a good song globally.
"Tears of a Clown" 4/5:
Nice chorus. Interesting usage of three guitars and good inspiration for the riffs. Progressive feeling trough the whole song. Nice solo sound (first part). Dickinson sings very well.
"The Man of Sorrows" 5/5:
THAT is pure maiden. This song could have been written for an album like "Somewhere In Time". Very progressive, consistent, cohesive, great solos. Interesting. Ending is great (even Nicko Mc Brain tried being original on that one).
"Empire of The Clouds" 2.5/5:
Ok, this is THE so-called "great progressive track of the album". Well, for me, it is a deception (like all so-called progressive things on that album).
It remind "When The Wild Wind Blows" (beginning and ending), it is better composed than "The Red And The Black" but unfortunatly, there is a big five minutes lack of inspiration in middle of the song where nobody seems to know where to go. It becomes better at the end (13th min). But finally, it doesn't deserve all the "buzz" around it.
Overall score:
3,3/5
Outstanding tracks:
When the river runs deep,
Death or Glory,
Tears of a Clown,
The Man Of Sorrows.
Disappointing tracks:
Empire of the Clouds,
The Red And The Black.
Conclusion:
Despite all that it have been said in pre-launch reviews, that's not the greatest album ever. Not at all. It is pure bullshit. By a lot of way, it is an overall good album but it is never "really" very inspired, emotional, epic and almost... it is not a progressive album at all. I mean, come on: chaining different several riffs and ascending/lowering chromatic scale doesn't make you a progressive band.
So, not a bad album but not the greatest ever.
ps: Disc 1 is lower than Disc 2, and I really do not know why. But there are better composition on second one.
