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

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Mosh said:
I expect The Red and the Black to be the hidden gem of the album. It's funny, only an 18 minute song written solely by Bruce Dickinson could overshadow Steve Harris writing an epic roughly the same length as Rime. I still can't believe Maiden is recording a near 20 minute song. This album is going to be a real treat, I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it. Double album, long epics, this seems like the sort of thing that would be made up by hopeful fans.
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Maybe. I feel like If Eternity Should Fail might end up being a hidden gem, due to its shorter length in comparison to the other epics of the album (assuming it is an epic).

That said, you're absolutely right that this album will be a real treat. I have a feeling that if it's consistent in quality, it might end up being my new favorite album by the band. It's just something out of a dream for me, really. I never thought Steve would back down his input on an album like this, nor did I expect the band to ever do anything heavier than they've done in the past or even for Bruce to write new songs entirely on his own.
 
I'm honestly more excited for the title track than Empire (although this is Maiden we're talking about, I'm still more excited for Empire than anything else getting released this year) :D It's because it's co-written by Janick who co-wrote my favorite TFF song (Talisman) and my favorite DOD song (title track) and my favorite BNW songs (Silent Planet and Dream Of Mirrors) and also my favorite TXF song (Man On The Edge) :D I'm hoping for something with cool acoustic parts that Janick can play live :D
 
Night Prowler said:
I'm honestly more excited for the title track than Empire (although this is Maiden we're talking about, I'm still more excited for Empire than anything else getting released this year) :D It's because it's co-written by Janick who co-wrote my favorite TFF song (Talisman) and my favorite DOD song (title track) and my favorite BNW songs (Silent Planet and Dream Of Mirrors) and also my favorite TXF song (Man On The Edge) :D I'm hoping for something with cool acoustic parts that Janick can play live :D
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The title track is the third song I'm most excited for, after both of Bruce's songs. Janick is probably the most consistently great songwriter in the band these days and his songs are usually highlights of the album, like The Legacy, Dance of Death or Man on the Edge. However, as I've said before, Bruce is my favorite songwriter in the band and to get two new songs written by him alone is like a godsend to me.
 
Chained Prometheus said:
Maybe. I feel like If Eternity Should Fail might end up being a hidden gem, due to its shorter length in comparison to the other epics of the album (assuming it is an epic).
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Well it's still the opening track, so it'll get plenty of attention because of that alone. Being a Bruce penned track helps too. Red and Black is kind of stuck in the middle of the album and it's long. Songs like that tend to be growers.

Night Prowler said:
:D :D :D
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Someone is excited. :D But Yea I can see that, Book of Souls feel likes the "safest" bet for me. I feel like we pretty much know what to expect from that song and I doubt it'll fail to impress. The other songs are going the more experimental route and as awesome as that is, it also runs the risk of just not working. I'm still optimistic they'll come out good though!
 
I honestly don't know which tracks i'm more excited for. As far as predicting which tracks will become "hidden gems," it seems that distinction, by default, will belong to the shorter/medium length songs that no one is talking about. The supposedly "dark and unsettling" nature of Man of Sorrows certainly piqued my curiosity, while simply the titles of The Great Unknown and Shadows of the Valley harbour such an alluring sense of mystery.

Of the longer tracks, I'm inclined to say the title track is one that I expect a certain aesthetic from. Im hoping its another Maiden track laced with exotic melodies and textures, of which I am an absolute sucker for (Powerslave being the song that cemented Maiden as my undisputed favourite band)
But to say I look forward to hearing that more than the other tracks would be a lie...I want to hear them all dammit!

Judging from the review and various descriptions from the band, this will take a really long time to fully digest and appreciate, which is also why I think many of the early reviews and impressions may be somewhat misleading as to the quality of certain tracks.
 
And I'm super re-hyped after reading the current posts! I think this is going to be the most creative, unique and original sound album of Maiden's entire career and the songs will have the most variety between them as well. Like I've said, I have an equal love for every album with Bruce except No Prayer and FOTD as well as The X Factor and give them all a 10/10. After 27 long and amazing years of being a fan, that would be quite something if this ended up being my most favorite album by them. I think there's a damn good possibility of that too! It won't be long now! 33 days 10 hours 18 minutes 00 seconds
 
If I ride my SRX Cadillac with my girlfriend and we take turn at choosing the songs we listen to, then I ll throw in Empire of the Clouds to piss her off:p
 
As far as I like seeing you guys so hyped. I just can't get excited over music I haven't heard yet.:dancinggeek:
 
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I have a question about something from the rules thread about leaks and spoilers:
While the Moderation Team at Maidenfans.com understands that in the digital age, leaks will travel fast and quickly, we are insisting that no links be hosted on or distributed through this website. This includes, but is not limited to:

-Links to direct downloads of leaked files
-Links to YouTube or other streaming services hosting files that have been leaked
-Offers to provide a link or the files themselves
-Reviews of leaked content before the date of official release
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If the album leaks and we start giving our opinions on the songs, wouldn't we be considered to be reviewers of the album and therefore, wouldn't we be reviewing leaked content?
 
This is getting crazy. Mosh said something like, "It's like a dream." That is how I'm starting to feel. I'm looking at the tracklist. Like every chance I get. It does feel like something a crazed fan would make up. But it's real. It's coming.
I really have never anticipated an album like this before. I cannot wait to unravel this mystery. And those reviews have thrown thermite on the fire now ! Like a dream but it's really going to happen.....
 
I'm not sure yet, but since most of the songs are going to be very long and complex, i could approach this album as a "one song a day" experience, taking one full day for each song to digest and elaborate, making it a wonderful 11 days of new maiden material. But i'm not really sure if i can resist the temptation to listen the full thing immediatly :)
 
Do you really think that any of the reunion albums had complex songs? They were long for sure but complex,not really if you ask me. E.g. the Talisman is nearly 10 minutes long and has like 3 different riffs going on. Same for Paschendale. The songs are BIG intro-vesre-chorus-verse-chorus- prog mid part- verse chorus-chorus-chorus-chorus-chorus.

The only doing something different is Starblind and The Legacy. I just had to let it out of my system.

:)
 
Gk1 said:
Do you really think that any of the reunion albums had complex songs? They were long for sure but complex,not really if you ask me. E.g. the Talisman is nearly 10 minutes long and has like 3 different riffs going on. Same for Paschendale. The songs are BIG intro-vesre-chorus-verse-chorus- prog mid part- verse chorus-chorus-chorus-chorus-chorus.

The only doing something different is Starblind and The Legacy. I just had to let it out of my system.

:)
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I agree in general to that. Their long songs are still easily remembered by musicians playing along etc, I mean they've never been ridiculous prog like Dream Theater, Yes or Rush. Maiden have reasonably straight forward song structures, but I guess that's what keeps them catchy with many hooks.

I do think that some of these long songs may be in danger of become boring if they don't change the formula a bit more and get even more prog in them. Basically at 18 mins, they will have had to come up with more sections, riffs etc than ever before, unless of course the song has 5 minutes of eagle cries and sound effects in the middle instead of meaningful music.
 
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Maniac618 said:
Basically at 18 mins, they will have had to come up with more sections, riffs etc than ever before, unless of course the song has 5 minutes of eagle cries and sound effects in the middle instead of meaningful music.
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I don't know about you, but the middle 10 minutes of Empire of the Clouds, should be nothing but bird noises, with the occasional whale thrown in for good measure. I mean how great would that be? We'd be going, "What the hell?" And they'd be having a laugh.
 
maybe "complex" wasn't the right word - i wasn't just thinking of the song's structure, but also arrangements, solos, lyrics. There's a lot going on in a typical maiden song and you can't absorb it all listening 2 or 3 times
 
Chazz Chetly said:
I don't know about you, but the middle 10 minutes of Empire of the Clouds, should be nothing but bird noises, with the occasional whale thrown in for good measure. I mean how great would that be? We'd be going, "What the hell?" And they'd be having a laugh.
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Haha, brilliant.
 
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