What's the matter with FOTD?

When I think about it... Most people seem to hate The Apparition, Weekend Warrior, Fear Is the Key, maybe Chains of Misery? Well, none of these songs sounds like your typical Maiden song and I can't quite force myself to believe a band would depart from its usual style so much to fill out the album, which would be long enough anyway. So it makes me believe they sincerely believed they are trying out something new and wanted to offer that to the fans. A failed experiment, you may call it (though I wouldn't), but I would disagree about the "filler" tag.
From this point of view, Dance of Death (though I love it very much) is much more filled with "filler" than FotD (Gates of Tomorrow, New Frontier, Wildest Dreams...)

On the other hand ... "Maiden filler", whatever it is, is better than 99 % of the current music production, so there...
 
It's simply a collection of weak songs.

I've always kinda thought of it as their Judas Priest album. And I love JP. But for some reason I find there to be something very Judas Priest-ey about FoTD.
 
Things I don't like about the FotD album: (most of) the songs, rubbish lyrics, the production, and Bruce's vocals.

Breaking it down a bit further:

1. The songs.
I don't want to repeat what has already been written by others in this thread, but there is a high proportion of crap songs on FotD. Chains of Misery, Weekend Warrior, The Apparition, Wasting Love..........they are appalling. The bridge section on Fear is the Key is embarrassing.

2. The Lyrics.
- "Fear of the Dark, Fear of the Dark, I have a constant fear that something's always near".
- "Hell ain't a bad place, Hell is from here to eternity"
- "I remember a time we thought that passion was free, when it was just lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies in the night"
- etc. etc.

3. The Production.
I loved the raw production sound on No Prayer, so my first listen to FotD was very disappointing. It was so polished and over-produced. This was the time that mainstream rock was going for a raw, angry sound - FotD sounded dated as soon as it hit the record store shelves.

4. Bruce's Vocals
I remember thinking that Bruce was burnt-out. The rougher, growling vocals worked well with the songs & production of No Prayer, but on FotD they stood out like a sore thumb. They didn't seem like a conscious decision to suit the music, they seemed like "this is how Bruce sings now".

5. Special Mention - The Music Videos
I had always enjoyed Maiden's videos. In fact most of them were excellent. But the FotD album achieved the previously unthinkable - they made the band look awkward and silly. Be Quick or Be Dead, From Here to Eternity, and Wasting Love - unbearable tosh.

On the positive side, I am a firm believer in the creative destruction power of a poor album. FotD was a poor album, but the damage that it did ultimately resulted in the band's regeneration and restoration as one of the most creative and consistent powers in Metal. So yes, it sucks - but without it we wouldn't have the Maiden that we know and love today.
 
Bruce's fading voice stuck out like dog's bollocks on this album.
It was a shock considering how golden his voice sounded up to this album.
I've long since wondered if the "rough" voice he put on for considerable parts of NPFTD and subsequent touring damaged his vocal chords.
It seems telling to me that Maiden don't play any NPFTD songs live, but perhaps that is because the bulk of Maiden fans don't like that album much rather than my guess as to the damaging affect the gruff singing has on Bruce's vocals.
It was so bad that I went totally off this album for a few years. But now I think the album is OK, Bruce doesn't sound too bad on it.

Some songs are great, Fear of the Dark, Be quick or be dead, Afraid to shoot strangers, even Wasting love is a nice ballad.
 
Interesting perspectives. I'd never thought before that it sounded like Bruce's voice was wrecked. There's a marked difference to the music when compared to the most ostentatious 80s stuff, so I can understand NPFTD and FOTD leaving the many who loved that era cold. I suppose FOTD cements the change of approach,

But being around at the time, I just remember thinking FOTD was very of its time, that this band had successfully made it into the 90s without becoming an embarrassing self parody.
 
I know I may be asking for trouble admitting this..... but Im one of the few that actually loves Weekend Warrior! Thought it was fresh and a little bit different, as was Chains of Misery and Judas Be My Guide.

I do however find Afraid To Shoot Strangers, Wasting Love and The Apparition to be boring beyond belief (a sign of things to come cos those songs are probably the closest to the Blaze era and I found that tediously dull and predictable as well!)

And even listening to it as a 16 year old at the time, I always thought 'Extra-sensory perception life after death telepathy' had to be Steves worst lyric since 'In a Time when dinosaurs walked the earth.....'
 
Love Fear of the dark,love that polished sound and very entretaining to do things while listening that album,im not going to say that is one of their best albums because is not,but is one of my 5 prefered albums.I grow up with that album so maybe is that the explanation

And i Love Fear is the Key.

And i love Fear of the Dark in shows
 
mirtilo said:
I was taking a look at the 'Iron Maiden songs that you flat out dislike?'
and I saw that a big part of you guys doesn't like FOTD stuff.

FOTD was my first Iron Maiden album and I really like how dark, raw and heavy it is. Sometimes I just want to listen something different from Iron Maiden and they made it with FOTD at that time.

Perhaps it may not be a prejudice brought since then because of the presence of Janick Gers and the lack of Adrian Smith? Now we know how great compositor Janick is.

I mean, maybe its not one of their best albuns, but it's, at least for me, definitely good! I beg you one more listen.
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Nothing's wrong with Fear of the Dark. It's a great album, in my personal top 3 Maiden albums. (Even have a huge FotD tattoo.) The prejudice against it is because of Janick being in the band instead of Adrian.
 
Operations666 said:
Nothing's wrong with Fear of the Dark. It's a great album, in my personal top 3 Maiden albums. (Even have a huge FotD tattoo.) The prejudice against it is because of Janick being in the band instead of Adrian.
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CriedWhenBrucieLeft said:
In. A. Nutshell.
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:facepalm:

Honestly Janick is the only good thing about that album IMO. He's the only one who sounds like he gives a shit.
 
What is wrong with FOTD ? I could write an essay about what is wrong with this particular album, for me by far the worst Maiden album . It shares the same philosophy with NPFTD but, at least , NPFTD is a "so bad, it's good" album and entertains while FOTD is just boring crap .

First of all I hate Dickinson's voice in these 2 albums . Honestly i couldn't stand him and i was glad when he left . Of course i didn't expect an even worse singer , than Dickinson era 1990-1993 , to replace him but that's another story . The lyrics are also horrible , borderline offensive in some songs . I think the lyrics of ATSS are a disgrace for Iron Maiden , a low point , trying to cater to the U.S Metallica-obsessed crowd . The "social commentary" lyrics of some of the songs are really bad and distasteful . Iron Maiden were far above an average metal band, in terms of sophistication of lyrics, in all the previous Dickinson era albums (and yes i actually find "Quest for fire" to be good ) . From the majesty of ROTAM and powerslave to the psychological horror of "Still Life" ,they were simply great . Songs like BQOBD, CE , WW , FITK e.t.c are so simplistic, so childish in their social commentary that they become jokes . Compare the aggression of "Charlot the Harlot" and the sophistication of "22 acacia avenue" to the shittiness of "From here to Eternity" .

Musically the album is also awful . Smith's rythm guitar is missing and it's the first time that Harris' bass sounds awful . Harris' wouldn't return to great bass lines until the AMOLAD album . The songs are weak and boring and so un-Maiden . The only 2 songs that are acceptable , for me, are the title track (obviously, Harris had an epiphany when he wrote that one ) and JBMG . They continue , what they had started in NPFTD , writing stupid rock songs (FHTE, WW ) , they add boring ones (the apparition, COM) , a horrible ballad (WL) ....and you have the worst Maiden album ever . At least in NPFTD , the ballad (the title track) was actually a fantastic song, though butchered by Dickinson's vocals .

Everything they did after "7nth son" was bad, one mistake after the other . They , inexplicably, abbandoned the big studios in favour of Harris' shitty studio , they changed their musical style completely and it is the only time that they compromised their sound trying to cater to the American crowd , that had rejected SSOASS . FOTD esp. was a bad attempt at emulating the black album .

Say what you will about the Blaze-era albums , but at least they had the balls to not follow the crappy brometal Pantera albums (that plauged bands like Judas Priest and Slayer) or the "rock" sounds of Metallica's load and reload . Had Harris the state of mind to actualy try (when it comes to production values) "the X-factor" would have been a masterpiece .

Anyway i write this as a fan whose first "new" Maiden album was POM . I can understand why some people might actually like the last pre-reunion , Dickinson-era albums , but for me something died in Iron Maiden with these 2 albums (and esp. with FOTD) . This is one of the reasons that i consider every post-reunion album a gift that i cherish , cause they, at the very least, are true Iron Maiden albums .

Heh i wrote the essay anyway but i could write much, much more about FOTD .....
 
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johnglen said:
What is wrong with FOTD ? The lyrics are also horrible , borderline offensive in some songs .
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It can't be more offensive than "Age of Innocence" right-wing lyrics on Dance of Death. As a French person, it really makes think of what a Front National voter would write about "society".
"Age Of Innocence"

I can't be compromising in my thoughts no more
I can't prevent the times my anger fills my heart
I can't be sympathizing with a new lost cause
I feel I've lost my patience with the world and all

And all the politicians and their hollow promises
And all the lies, deceit and shame that goes with it
The working man pays everything for their mistakes
And with his life too if there was to be a war

[Chorus:]
So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
And we only got one life, can't exchange it
Can we hold on to what we have, don't replace it
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream

A life of petty crime gets punished with a holiday
The victims' mind are scarred for life most everyday
Assailants know just how much further they can go
They know the laws are soft, conviction chances low

[Repeat chorus]

You can't protect yourselves even in your own home
For fear of vigilante cries, the victims wipe their eyes
So now the criminal they launch right in our face
Judical system lets them do it, a disgrace

Despondent public worries, where it will all end?
We can't protect ourselves, our kids from the crime trend
We cannot even warn each other of evil in our midst
They have more rights than us, you cannot call that just

[Repeat chorus]
 
Black Bart said:
It can't be more offensive than "Age of Innocence" right-wing lyrics on Dance of Death. As a French person, it really makes think of what a Front National voter would write about "society".
"Age Of Innocence"

I can't be compromising in my thoughts no more
I can't prevent the times my anger fills my heart
I can't be sympathizing with a new lost cause
I feel I've lost my patience with the world and all

And all the politicians and their hollow promises
And all the lies, deceit and shame that goes with it
The working man pays everything for their mistakes
And with his life too if there was to be a war

[Chorus:]
So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
And we only got one life, can't exchange it
Can we hold on to what we have, don't replace it
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream

A life of petty crime gets punished with a holiday
The victims' mind are scarred for life most everyday
Assailants know just how much further they can go
They know the laws are soft, conviction chances low

[Repeat chorus]

You can't protect yourselves even in your own home
For fear of vigilante cries, the victims wipe their eyes
So now the criminal they launch right in our face
Judical system lets them do it, a disgrace

Despondent public worries, where it will all end?
We can't protect ourselves, our kids from the crime trend
We cannot even warn each other of evil in our midst
They have more rights than us, you cannot call that just

[Repeat chorus]
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You DEFINATELY have a point , but i actually prefer a right wing view on criminal behaviour and punishment than a right wing view about a war masking itself as a "peace-loving" song .
 
Mosh said:
Honestly Janick is the only good thing about that album IMO. He's the only one who sounds like he gives a shit.
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Sorry Mosh, but that's pure nonsense. There's plenty of good playing & writing on FotD.
johnglen said:
What is wrong with FOTD ? I could write an essay about what is wrong with this particular album, for me by far the worst Maiden album . It shares the same philosophy with NPFTD but, at least , NPFTD is a "so bad, it's good" album and entertains while FOTD is just boring crap.
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I assume you're deliberately being provocative? If you're opening gambit is going to be this album is "boring crap", then I for one ain't going to read the rest of what you taken the time to type; as that kind of opinion of the album is imbalanced & bordering on farcical.
 
CriedWhenBrucieLeft said:
Sorry Mosh, but that's pure nonsense. There's plenty of good playing & writing on FotD.

I assume you're deliberately being provocative? If you're opening gambit is going to be this album is "boring crap", then I for one ain't going to read the rest of what you taken the time to type; as that kind of opinion of the album is imbalanced & bordering on farcical.
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Boring crap is boring crap, i'm sorry....
 
mirtilo said:
In my opinion ATSS lyrics are very very Harrish.
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Best possible way to put this.

Black Bart said:
It can't be more offensive than "Age of Innocence" right-wing lyrics on Dance of Death. As a French person, it really makes think of what a Front National voter would write about "society".
Click to expand...
I don't see this song as right-wing - it doesn't mention any of the traditional right-wing things, like immigrants or anything. Interestingly enough, the last time that Iron Maiden wrote about crime was Be Quick or Be Dead, where Bruce lamented white collar crime - a very left wing thing to do.
 
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