This song has a lot of great things going for it and would likely get my vote for most cinematic Maiden song, particularly the instrumental section. This might contain the best buildup on the entire album, from the verse all the way up until the first chorus, the intensity builds to a triumphant climax. Unfortunately this is followed by the only (but somewhat major) flaw of the song: the structure. They could've done something similar to BTATS or even Paschendale by having it build up and then go into something completely different, but instead they just repeat everything again. It kind of spoils the cinematic experience of the song and makes the chorus seem a bit too repetitive. Luckily it quickly redeems itself with the amazing instrumental section that follows. Up there with the greatest instrumental sections in Maiden's catalog, this really has it all. There's the glorious twin harmony, two fantastic solos, and the machine gun like chord hits. While Bruce described the moments preceding the actual battle with his lyrics, the actual battle is depicted by the instrumental section. A very interesting and unique twist on the typical Maiden war epic.
8