- Nov 24, 2002
- 14,104
- 156
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I'll try to deliver some reviews of upcoming albums
WOW! Bruce is back and I mean back. Forget about BNW and DOD, hell forget about Maiden this album feels like just a year after Chemical Wedding (and not seven).
A small doom type intro (Mars Within) leads to the very energetic opener.
Abduction: Composition is in top form, strong, heavy, powerful metal. A pefect opener so everybody knows you're not buying a mallcore album or some hip-hop crap. This is the essence good metal is about.
Soul Intruders: opens and close with a really fast Europower type drumming, in between a great song that feels like coming from AOB, and not only in composition Bruce vox feels like time has no passed at all, is amazing (wonder why Maiden couldnt achieved the same).
Kill Devil Hill: is slower but not to the doom point. Has a lot of the Accident Of Birth feeling, again top notch vocals predominate in the song. Melody and energy intertwined for good.
Navigate The Seas Of The Sun: starts with a nice acoustic guitar and develops into a soft but emotional song. Roy Z may be a good producer but as a performer hell never ceases to amaze me, a truly underrated guitar player, his solo in this song is so deep and touching, I missed a lot of this type of rock lately (five songs already and not a single miss).
River Of No Return: another mid-tempo melodic song, that definitively has the old school base. Bruce does not experiment with modern sounds, no need for. He knows his game, he knows what he likes to play. The mid section and solo are a bit darker and progressive but no wank in here.
Power Of The Sun: more gas on this one. Remind s a bit of Steel Prophet by parts (no wonder considering SP is heavily influenced by IM). The chorus is pretty catchy, the melody and the guitar work keep flawless. So far the song I like the most of the album.
Devil On A Hog: heavier guitars on a neat rocker. Kind like something Taraxacum or Jorn Lande could have pull. Very catchy song, another instant fave.
Believil: maybe the weak piece of the album. A dark tune in the vein of Balls To Picasso material and also some of Chemical Wedding. Mid-tempo and not very interesting.
Tyranny Of Souls: title track and last of the album (already gone?). Starts also very dark and slow, based on atmospheric guitar and Bruce voice. Not doom enough, but not goth stuff either here. Is very Bruce material but doesnt compare to some better moments of the album.
The album surely cant compete with its predecessors but is a very solid effort, much more than anyone can say about Maiden last albums (or any since 1988). Better return than Judas Priest, Megadeth, Metal Church. After seven years Bruce showed he has not lost a bit of creativity or quality. The Tribe Of Gypsies continue to deliver great craftsmanship of playing.
Highly recommended to fans and no-fans alike.
WOW! Bruce is back and I mean back. Forget about BNW and DOD, hell forget about Maiden this album feels like just a year after Chemical Wedding (and not seven).
A small doom type intro (Mars Within) leads to the very energetic opener.
Abduction: Composition is in top form, strong, heavy, powerful metal. A pefect opener so everybody knows you're not buying a mallcore album or some hip-hop crap. This is the essence good metal is about.
Soul Intruders: opens and close with a really fast Europower type drumming, in between a great song that feels like coming from AOB, and not only in composition Bruce vox feels like time has no passed at all, is amazing (wonder why Maiden couldnt achieved the same).
Kill Devil Hill: is slower but not to the doom point. Has a lot of the Accident Of Birth feeling, again top notch vocals predominate in the song. Melody and energy intertwined for good.
Navigate The Seas Of The Sun: starts with a nice acoustic guitar and develops into a soft but emotional song. Roy Z may be a good producer but as a performer hell never ceases to amaze me, a truly underrated guitar player, his solo in this song is so deep and touching, I missed a lot of this type of rock lately (five songs already and not a single miss).
River Of No Return: another mid-tempo melodic song, that definitively has the old school base. Bruce does not experiment with modern sounds, no need for. He knows his game, he knows what he likes to play. The mid section and solo are a bit darker and progressive but no wank in here.
Power Of The Sun: more gas on this one. Remind s a bit of Steel Prophet by parts (no wonder considering SP is heavily influenced by IM). The chorus is pretty catchy, the melody and the guitar work keep flawless. So far the song I like the most of the album.
Devil On A Hog: heavier guitars on a neat rocker. Kind like something Taraxacum or Jorn Lande could have pull. Very catchy song, another instant fave.
Believil: maybe the weak piece of the album. A dark tune in the vein of Balls To Picasso material and also some of Chemical Wedding. Mid-tempo and not very interesting.
Tyranny Of Souls: title track and last of the album (already gone?). Starts also very dark and slow, based on atmospheric guitar and Bruce voice. Not doom enough, but not goth stuff either here. Is very Bruce material but doesnt compare to some better moments of the album.
The album surely cant compete with its predecessors but is a very solid effort, much more than anyone can say about Maiden last albums (or any since 1988). Better return than Judas Priest, Megadeth, Metal Church. After seven years Bruce showed he has not lost a bit of creativity or quality. The Tribe Of Gypsies continue to deliver great craftsmanship of playing.
Highly recommended to fans and no-fans alike.
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