Why A Matter Of Life and Death is Iron Maidens best album

Where Eagles Dare

Keep Your Distance! Walk Away!
The year is 2006. I'm in 6th grade and to me Iron Maiden is the greatest band of all time. My dad surprises with tickets to see them on there A Matter of Life and Death tour. I'm ecstatic and can't wait. As the day of the concert draws more near he keeps bugging me to listen to the new album or I won't enjoy the concert as much. We'll, being is 6th grade my ability to think ahead is somewhat non existence and I don't listen. Finally the day of the concert arrives and I'm so happy. I'm going to get to hear my favorites like Run To The Hills and The Trooper. We'll to my disappointment that doesn't happen. Iron Maiden decides to play there new album in whole. I'm pissed. My favorite band has just ruined my first metal concert.


Well years later I'm angry about that concert for a different reason. I realize the reason they played the album in whole is because they knew it was there best album they had recorded and forever would be and I wished I has been able to sing along with every word.


In my opinion this is there best album for a multitude of reasons. Firstly just the overall feel of the album. Its got a very dark tone throughout but one that doesn't bring you down but rather is very uplifting. Almost as if to pull you through all the depressing subject matter there discussing in each song. Which leads me to my second point about which makes this album so great. The lyrics. While not a concept album, every song seems to relate to either religion or war and maiden pulls it off flawlessly. By far there greatest album lyrically which I'll go into further detail later.


My third point regarding the greatness of this album is the musicians themselves. By far this is Bruce's greatest album vocally. Sure he doesn't have his cynical power of the 80's but his voice is much more refined and fitting for the the music.


I'm not much of a musician but there something about this album that sounds very modern to me, between the guitars, drums and bass. Almost as if this is a brand new band who hasn't put out 7 albums in the 80's. To me this is the only album they escaped that "80's" sound and it's amazing. I wish I could hear more from this "new" Iron Maiden.


The first track on this album is Different World. I've never really encountered someone who said this is there favorite Maiden opener and I'm not really sure why not. This is probably the albums least depressing song but still seemingly dark. The lyrics tell of a man who thinks his life is planned out until something life changing occurs. The overall message is how everyone views the world differently and we should appreciate our lives. The composition of this songs seems to be one of a kind. It starts with bruce singing normal, then goes to a chorus track with 2 Bruce's overlapping and then Bruce goes into a high note ( don't know the actual note lol) to finish the chorus. To me this is probably maidens strongest opener next to Moonchild simply because it's so different.


The next track is These Colors Don't Run. Somewhat of a pro war song which may be Maidens only. It tells the story of how every solider must go through the same thing. They must leave there family behind to go fly a flag in some foreign earth. To die for there country, possibly in a lonely unmarked grave. While this all sounds horrible the chorus explains why it's all worth it. For the passion, for the glory, for the memories, for the money. Towards the end of the song it goes into one of maidens typical whoa whoa whoas. What's untypical about it, is it has the feeling of many men doing it. You can almost envision soldiers chanting like this just to keep each other going. This is a great song with a refreshing message that sheds some light on why someone may choose to go to war. A stand on the topic not many bands have ventured into before.


The third song is Brighter Then Thousand Suns, my personal favorite on the album. It tells the story of the creation of the atomic bomb with some historic content sprinkled here in there. At one point it asks what ever would Robert have said to his god about how he mad war with the sun. An obvious reference to Robert Oppenheimer who worked on the Manhattan project. It also mentions E=mc2 the equation that allowed the atom bomb to be created. Musically this song is incredible. It's constantly changing tempos throughout and never seems to get boring. It seems to somewhat be one of a kind with the only song I could really compare it to is the Angel and the Gambler, but still it's light years ahead.


The fourth song is The Pilgrim. It could be considered the throwaway song of the album but to me it's still a 9/10. It seems to be one of the songs in Maidens many stories about sea travel. To be honest the exact meaning of thee song I haven't really decoded but much like the rest of the album I love it's composition. During the chorus it has the somewhat typical Bruce over Bruce vocal track but one of the vocals seem to be in a much higher note then the other (which could be usual and maybe it's just me) but it seems so much better done here. Much like in Different World after the chorus Bruce goes into a very powerful "spirit holy, life eternal" which is just amazing.


The fifth song is The Longest Day. Based on the movie of the same tile. It tells the story of the soldiers who invaded on D Day in WW2. The intro could be Maidens greatest with a killer baseline and a very ominous guitar rift. Bruce starts by somewhat whispering the first lyrics slowly increasing his seriousness as if to symbolize the soldiers nearing the beaches. While he's doing this you can hear the instruments slowly building with him. Eventually the song explodes into the chorus "how long on this longest day, until we finally make it through." Those are probably the most important lyrics in the whole song because it's probably the only thing on the soldiers minds. How long until they can just go home on a day that seems to last forever. Also maybe not super important but this song mentions Overlord, your master not your god. Which is just interesting because that was D Days "secret code name"


The sixth song is Out Of the Shadows. The only song that really slows down for the entire song through out this album. I don't have much to say about this song. Because of its beauty you can't really explain it in words, you just have to listen. The message is one that's very simple but also very meaningful. Bad things will happen to you in life but you just have to keep going to see the true beauty of life. At least that's how I see it.


The seventh song is the Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg. It tells the story of a man Iron Maiden created named Benjamin Breeg. If you haven't heard the story do some research, it's pretty cool. This song to me should be in at least everyone's top 15. It's amazing. It has a slow atmospheric intro which leads into a very powerful explosion of instruments. Bruce is narrating through the perspective of Benjamin Breeg asking why has he been cursed and why so many bad things have happened in his life. I know I sound like a broken record but I don't think Maiden has ever made a song much like this and it is somewhat one of a kind.


The eighth song is For The Greater Good of God. A very meaningful song to the whole world. Religion has ways been the main cause of war and had caused the most human deaths. The way I look at it is Maiden is asking is it really for God? Would your god want you to kill to show how much you care about him. They mention " You know religion has a lot to mention for" I don't want to get into a debate or anything bit for someone who is very anti religion as myself this is very meaningful.

I said anti religion not anti faith, just saying lol.


The ninth song is The Lord of Light. Many people seem to not love this song as much as me and that I don't understand. The content of the song seems to be through lucifers perspective, and how he is misunderstood. I think Bruce puts the most effort on this song then in any other song on the album. Overall this song is a great rocker with some very interesting lyrics that can be viewed in many different way.


The last song on the album is The Legacy which like most of the album focuses on war. It seems to tell the story of a nation that listened to a leader they thought would bring them peace who ultimately did the opposite. It also touches upon how world leaders don't really care about there people and are only worried about there own profit. It mentions that human kind has hope but we have to start treating out fellow man better. I say it again this song is 100 % one of a kind compared to all of maidens other songs. It starts of slow with acoustic guitars, makes it's way to somewhat of an instrumental section, blast into hard rock then finishes with the Bruce over Bruce AMOLAD style vocal track.


Sorry if some of the points I've made don't make sense to some of you lol. I guess my overall message is when I listen to this album, even though I adore maiden it's almost a different band and I have to say I like it better. Now having listened to maidens entire discography multiple times I can easily say this is there best effort light years ahead of anything else they've done.
 
I love AMOLAD. I had only Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Ed Hunter, and Killers when it came out, as I was still pretty new to Maiden. I remember listening to Benjamin Breeg on my old iPod mini on repeat for about a week straight after buying it from iTunes. When they announced that they were playing the whole album live, I was absolutely overjoyed, but being 16 and the nearest gig being 2-hour drive away on a school night, I wasn't allowed to go (never gonna let my parents forget that one, hahaha...).

Overall, it's definitely one of Maiden's "black sheep" albums as it were, along with Piece of Mind and SiT, in that there's a lot of very underrated material within it. However, I do think that The Legacy and Greater Good are a bit weaker than the rest of the tunes on the album. Despite this, it's a very serious, moody side to Maiden that we haven't seen since the Blaze days, which is part of the reason I love it so much. It's got light and shade, beautiful dynamic range (thanks to NO MASTERING! Yay! :D ) and some of the most tasteful performances (particularly by Bruce and Nicko) I've ever heard. All in all, it just feels so complete and like the band really believed in it, which I really can't say for The Final Frontier.
 
I love AMOLAD. I had only Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Ed Hunter, and Killers when it came out, as I was still pretty new to Maiden. I remember listening to Benjamin Breeg on my old iPod mini on repeat for about a week straight after buying it from iTunes. When they announced that they were playing the whole album live, I was absolutely overjoyed, but being 16 and the nearest gig being 2-hour drive away on a school night, I wasn't allowed to go (never gonna let my parents forget that one, hahaha...).

Overall, it's definitely one of Maiden's "black sheep" albums as it were, along with Piece of Mind and SiT, in that there's a lot of very underrated material within it. However, I do think that The Legacy and Greater Good are a bit weaker than the rest of the tunes on the album. Despite this, it's a very serious, moody side to Maiden that we haven't seen since the Blaze days, which is part of the reason I love it so much. It's got light and shade, beautiful dynamic range (thanks to NO MASTERING! Yay! :D ) and some of the most tasteful performances (particularly by Bruce and Nicko) I've ever heard. All in all, it just feels so complete and like the band really believed in it, which I really can't say for The Final Frontier.

I've got to say my father was always really good about letting me miss school for concerts :). I guess I could agree that the legacy may have been slightly weak but then again I think the message was very good.
 
Each to there own, but AMOLAD wasn't my cup of tea, long intros, generally over long songs that don't really get going, mid-tempo and plodding, lacking great hooks. Certainly don't agree its the masterpiece people talk about. No, im just not into the Kevin Shirley albums too much, i like the songs on BNW but not the live sounding/muddy production he is known for.
 
Hey! Where Eagles Dare! I was at the same gig in Boston at Comcast Center! Maybe I saw you there, I was the drunk Canadian guy talking to everyone.

Also, whoa, long post dude.
 
AMOLAD is my 2nd favorite Maiden album behind Piece of Mind. I still remember when I first heard it, it was so fresh and different from what I had heard before. I have a hard time explaining it, there are even a few songs I don't care for, yet listening to the entire thing creates a feeling that isn't quite matched by anything else. I really wish I could've seen the album played live. It's a crime that there's no DVD from that tour.
 
It is my favorite post Seventh Son for sure ... and it is a shame there is nothing official from that tour or at least put on the songs they played on the US leg of the TFF tour on a live release.

The whole album just flows so well, it really is a musical journey :)
 
As thematic whole, versus a collection of songs, AMOLAD is definitely among the stronger albums.
Others that get bonus points for this include Killers, X Factor and, of course, 7th son.
 
It is my favorite post Seventh Son for sure ... and it is a shame there is nothing official from that tour or at least put on the songs they played on the US leg of the TFF tour on a live release.

The whole album just flows so well, it really is a musical journey :)
I completely agree. It's the thematically strongest album they've ever put out, IMO. Even more than 7th son (which wavered quite a lot from the concept). The fact that no live release of the first leg of the AMOLAD tour exists is so dissapointing, that stage and light show, coupled with the great atmosphere of the music, must have been amazing to witness in person!
 
As thematic whole, versus a collection of songs, AMOLAD is definitely among the stronger albums.
Others that get bonus points for this include Killers, X Factor and, of course, 7th son.
And of course Fear of the Dark. I know this album is highly unpopular and overlooked out here, but like it or dislike it; it is out there, thematically.
Looking at the history of metal, I'd say it's about one of the more rare and original themes, probably wavering less from it than AMOLAD.
 
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That's interesting. I've never seen a specific theme attached to Fear, care to explain?
 
Fear.

I am not sure how to explain it, but I think that this subject runs through all songs. I'd say, read the lyrics and see if you disagree. (I might be mistaken, please discuss if you think I'm wrong ;-)

On AMOLAD:
While not a concept album, every song seems to relate to either religion or war
These are two themes. And I guess Benjamin Breeg, Different World, Out of the Shadows and The Pilgrim have nothing or hardly to do with these.
 
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I agree fear is the main lyrical theme being explored in FotD, but I wasn't talking just lyrics.
It was also song order and feel, the idea that everything fits together, that each song logically follows the next and the album works best when listened to as a whole.
And FotD is among Maiden's weakest on that level.
 
I want to say more, but I'm leaving soon so I'll just say this for now:
There's definitely a recurring lyrical theme, though I don't think it's the only one and I don't think it's explored in every song. Mckindog is right, Fear is more of a song oriented album. As a whole, it doesn't play the same way as AMOLAD, Seventh Son, or especially X Factor.
 
I agree fear is the main lyrical theme being explored in FotD, but I wasn't talking just lyrics.
It was also song order and feel, the idea that everything fits together, that each song logically follows the next and the album works best when listened to as a whole.
I don't think that has much to do with "theme". That's flow.
And FotD is among Maiden's weakest on that level.
I beg to differ. I think the album flows very well as a whole.

I think this has especially to do with taste but also with noticing certain things. An example: Judas My Guide follows The Apparition very well (see my review of The Apparition if interested).
 
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AMOLAD is a great album. It's not my favorite by a long shot, but I do love it.

I like that it sounds like Maiden experimenting. It does get a little bloated and a little plodding, but the overall mood of the album is brilliant. I would say it falls into a category similar to The X Factor, it's incredibly dark and moody, and only appreciated by half of Maiden's fanbase.
 
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