Third album with the line-up from 1990-1993

Kalata

Out of the Silent Planet
I like that particular era of the band/ (early 90's).

And I would have loved if we had a third album of Harris/Dickinson/Murray/Gers/McBrain, as much as I would have loved to see a album with Adrian in the 90's (after SSOASS) or a reunion album of a 5 piece band again.

I think if the band had released a third album with that line-up, it would have been even better than NPFTD/FOTD albums - which are great albums. Massively underrated!

What are your thoughts about that, guys ?
 
I think if the band had released a third album with that line-up, it would have been even better than NPFTD/FOTD albums - which are great albums. Massively underrated!
Well, that depends on a lot of things.

1) Bruce would probably sound even more like he was phoning it in, as he was on Fear of the Dark.
2) The material likely would have been darker.
3) Martin Birch would still be retired.

So it would likely sound a lot like The X Factor, maybe with some different lyrics and songs, but a dark, muddy album.
 
Well, that depends on a lot of things.

1) Bruce would probably sound even more like he was phoning it in, as he was on Fear of the Dark.
2) The material likely would have been darker.
3) Martin Birch would still be retired.

So it would likely sound a lot like The X Factor, maybe with some different lyrics and songs, but a dark, muddy album.

It does not sound bad. If a third album happened, I think they would have combined the best songs/ideas from the previous two albums (in a new songs, ofc.). Although I think they would have continued with the more short (rock style) songs. As Bruce once said, the third album is the most important for a new band - if you don't break and get recognition with it then probably you never will. Not that it would have been their third album at the time, but you get my point... first line-up change in 7 years, new guitarist etc. But Priest do not get success until British Steel album which was their sixth (not third), so Bruce is not right. :p
 
But Priest do not get success until British Steel album which was their sixth (not third), so Bruce is not right. :p
Sin After Sin is when Judas Priest started receiving airplay on the radio. You're right about British Steel being successful, however they had success beforehand.
 
Janick solos on NPFTD and FOTD albums are really good. Some of his best.

I like how they experimented with the solos - a bit like ''Priest style'', Jan/Dave/Jan. (see ''The Apparition'' - a unique fact about that song, ha!).

:Is it just me or in the early 90's when Janick joined Maiden, he looked like Robert Plant a little bit.

On a side note, it would have been interesting to see a third album with Di'Anno (with no old material left) and a third album with Blaze (I wonder what a potential third album with him would sound like - TXF was dark, VXI was more light/happy feel. I think he had said that if they released a third album with him, the fans would have started to see that this line-up is worth it... or something like that).
 
On a side note, it would have been interesting to see [...] a third album with Blaze (I wonder what a potential third album with him would sound like - TXF was dark, VXI was more light/happy feel. I think he had said that if they released a third album with him, the fans would have started to see that this line-up is worth it... or something like that).
I already did a thought experiment on this one a few months back (which you liked!) based on what we know...
 
I think if the band had released a third album with that line-up, it would have been even better than NPFTD/FOTD albums - which are great albums. Massively underrated!

What are your thoughts about that, guys ?

There are some generally underrated bits and piece on those records, but I disagree about them being massively underrated.

Assuming that Bruce had a fair chance with his second solo album, got some space and didn't feel like leaving... Well, I think they would have been able to make a more or less solid record, no doubt. A couple of darker tunes like most of the stuff on The X-Factor would have undoubtedly found their way to the record. And maybe Bruce would have brought "Man of Sorrows" to the sessions as well, since the original recording with Janick on guitar wasn't released back in '92 and it's not completely out of the question that he would have felt like giving it a go with Maiden lads.

With darker tone and bit of a more "sophisticated" approach, the album would have had some interesting stuff, no doubt, but I think it would have fallen a bit flat anyway. Bruce would still struggling with certain artistic restrictions. While Janick is able to provide some excellent songwriting input he still isn't quite H enough to fill in the lack of creativity Steve and Bruce might be struggling with and without the freshness of a new guy joining in I think that some of the best aspects of The X-Factor would have ended up missing too.

So yeah, bloated yet interesting album with some great songs, possibly Man of Sorrows and some kind of a When The Wild Wind Blows rendition included, but with production. While some of the occasional attempts to do something very different would have probably ended up being great we'd gotteb some weekend warriors too, I think.

Just one possible "what if" scenario, but not completely unrealistic one, I guess.
 
Or, we have a Bruce that sounds even more disinterested in singing for Iron Maiden than he did on No Prayer and FotD, and we collectively get the worst album possible.
 
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