crimsonfloyd
Active Member
SSOASS used to be my favorite, but when I really overplayed all of their albums as a total Maiden fanboy, it was the first I got sick of. The most riffless of their classic albums, something like half of the songs rely on shitty beat-counting riffs (DUH duh duh DUH duh duh DUH duh) or galloping, and the keyboards and fancy leads don't justify it as a supposedly "prog" album. I'd rank it below NPFTD, The X-Factor, and Brave New World in addition to the first six. Really, the only thing consistently great about it is the guitar solos and harmonies. Even songs like Infinite Dreams (the anthem rock "Even though we've reached new heights" section) and the title track (fucking horrible chorus) have significant flaws.
Oh lord. There are countless great riffs on that album and the "beat counting riffs" are excellent as well. Its their most cohesive and fluid album with the "highest lows," while also having a number of Maiden's greatest compositions.
As for their newest album, I like it decent enough, but Red and the Black is the only great track on the album. Most of the rest is solid if unspectacular.