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

[syriaca]

Haven't heard much of his work with other bands as they're mostly not bands I like, but I'm yet to hear him involved in a good sounding Maiden album.

I'm checking his wikipedia and in fact, i remembered that i dislike flight 666 sound mixing (which he did mastered). But he did "en vivo" which is great.

edit: he also did "british lion" and "maiden england 88" mixing... and the job is horrible on those works.

 

[bornless1]

Bos is so good it's bringing people to tears, dropping jaws and being compared to the best album in the bands history.
Others are floored and In "awe". Still others in disbelief that a band of their age and stature are still so focused and able to create such a masterpiece. I think I ll grade on a curve and toss one of these many crying emotional, floored reviewers, along with the lone "longtime fan"/troll . Still comes out sounding spectacular and worth waiting a week for. Up the irons!!!

 

[Brigantium]

Bye, @Lego, hope to speak to you again soon

 

[Lego]

Bye, @Lego, hope to speak to you again soon

Cheers, same to you Brigs!

 

[dostoevsky]

Well, then we have "Blaze era". And since many fans think that Blaze albums are garbage we can compare BoS with 80's stuff - that will be fun.

Sure, but I was thinking more in terms of post-reunion albums.

 

[The Book of MEH]

Ah, so people want the pop production treatment. Auto-tune and special effects up the wazoo.

Well, Maiden doesn't play that game.

I love the production on AMOLAD which was pretty very simple too. They had that "live sound" they are going for these days, but it sounded very cohesive, creating a very solid sound.

'

I love that separation. Focus on individual contributions can enrich the listening pleasure.
That also happens on live records.

Oh I hear you, I love it on live versions you can hear the little details that are lost in the mix of the studio. But in this case it just sounds messy. Like you have to pick and choose which instrument to listen to instead of hearing it all at once. I find that very distracting.

 

[Meliegree]

Sure, but I was thinking more in terms of post-reunion albums.

I don't like "slicing" their history like that classic, blaze era, post-reunion - it's all the same, it's maiden.

 

[Forostar]

That's sadly what it sounds like. It's the direction of the last albums taken too far. It feels like an 'everything goes' release with good and bad ideas thrown into non-worked out arrangements just resulting in a mush.

Maiden finally got more creative. It's exactly what I had hoped for. Less predictability. And more focus on memorable melodies at the same time. They managed to be successful in both departments.

 

[Babo 91]

Spoiler

Just listened to IESF on YouTube. Can any musicians out there who have listened to the album confirm that the song is in E flat. If so, guitars are probably dropped down to E flat tuning (unique for maiden) or it could be that the uploaded dropped the pitch down a semitone so it wouldn't be detected. If it is in E and not E flat it makes bruces's vocals even more impressive

Edit: its probably been raised in pitch not lowered. Probably in d minor originally

 

[johnglen]

As a diehard Maiden fan since 1983 and after one listening, the only one until the album comes out , and considering the ammount of music combined with its quality my opinion is that this is the best Iron Maiden album ever .

Not much more to say except something about a controversial song : "The red and the black " is fantastic, the best Harris epic since 7th son . Not only are the "ohohoh" hair raising but i can't belive that some people don't like the instrumental part which is essential Maiden, full of great melodies . I actually wished that this particular part was even longer . Also glad that "The man of sorrows" is a true metal ballad in the vein of "remember tomorrow" and "Children of the damned " , more f a metal song than a ballad .

Will not post a review for each song , since many people will do that, i will just say that i find every song ranging from great to amazing , apart from SOL which is just "good"

 

[Severian]

I can't compare this album to post-reunion albums, it sounds unlike any of them, Style wise & Production wise.

 

[dostoevsky]

I don't like "slicing" their history like that classic, blaze era, post-reunion - it's all the same, it's maiden.

Yeah, I agree. But it's much easier for me to compare it with post-reunion albums, especially since DOD - the first Maiden release I waited for as a fan.

 

[UpTheIrons]

I think the production is very apt, in fact I think they have finally been able to capture the sheer energy and power of a live performance whilst still maintaining a level of polish expected on a studio album.

 

[Gk1]

Maiden finally got more creative. It's exactly what I had hoped for. Less predictability. And more focus on memorable melodies at the same time. They managed to be successful in both departments.

Foro I also think this is a seriously different album compared to the rest. Guitars are for the first time playing so good after a very long time. I just think the sound is doing the songs more harm than good.

 

[Severian]

I don't like "slicing" their history like that classic, blaze era, post-reunion - it's all the same, it's maiden.

If we did have to Slice it up like that i think the "Post-Reunion" part is over, The Book of Souls is the start of a new Iron Maiden Era

 

[Forostar]

If the content is really good, personally I can't be bothered much about the sound, unless something is mixed so soft that I can't hear it or something. I had the idea that we can hear everything well. So, that's pretty important.

 

[SixesAlltheway]

That's sadly what it sounds like. It's the direction of the last albums taken too far. It feels like an 'everything goes' release with good and bad ideas thrown into non-worked out arrangements just resulting in a mush.

What exactly are you hoping for Maturin when Maiden announces a new album? Knowing what kind of band they've been the last 15 years?

 

[Maturin]

There's a mile between a well executed 'live' sounding production like A Matter of Life and Death and this... I wanted a continuation of the playfulness of TFF with a more roomy production feel. The drums are definitely clearer - but it doesn't help when everything else is up front and competing for the same space. The levels on everything feel severely off. It's the anti-BNW production.

I expected more in the line of "The Talisman", but instead I got the first minute of "El Dorado" over and over.

 

[Meliegree]

It's the anti-BNW production.

And that's great. For me. TFF was great album but production was boring and only way to enjoy songs from TFF is to listen En Vivo. BoS is ok so I'm happy like hell.

 

[PlayClassics!]

That's sadly what it sounds like. It's the direction of the last albums taken too far. It feels like an 'everything goes' release with good and bad ideas thrown into non-worked out arrangements just resulting in a mush.

Horrible, if it's true. But it is exactly what I've feared and predicted, since reading that first official statement on how they approached this album. Seems like a severe case of the "because we can"-syndrome. No young band struggling for fame would approach an album with such a carefree attitude. Maiden are undeniably in a position where they can do what the fuck they like and not give a fuck what anyone thinks of it, but a little modesty wouldn't look bad on them, neither would some sort of sense of obligation to really sweat for the fans. Perhaps what it would take to inspire the band to create another really good album would be a need to prove something again. Like - BOS is a commercial disaster, and the label tells them: OK, next album you get your act together, fire that Shirley bum and actually write some songs before you go into the studio, or the deal is up" But it's never gonna happen of, course. Might as well get used to the idea that Iron Maiden of today is really "Iron Maiden", not really a band in the true sense of the word, it's 6 aging men living in seperate parts of the word that has music as a past-time hobby between flying airplanes, barbequing, fishing, golfing and what have you, that get together once in a while to jam a bit for the fun of old times...well, of course, I haven't actually heard it yet, but all signs point in a bad direction. Everyone knows I've not been overly keen on what they've been doing lately, and from what people are saying it seems they are just going down that same road this time...and here I was thinking a 5 year break from recording would make a difference, and people are telling me it sounds like a jam? This might just turn out to be Maiden's "St.Anger", as far as I'm concerned.