Iron Maiden - Brave New World

[MarcusGHedwig]

Listening to it again for the first time in quite a few years, and I think the production is really fantastic, the perfect modernization of their distinctive sound from the 80s IMO (love the drums and guitar tones especially) - anyone have any info on it? Great songs too, naturlich

 

[MindMunch]

I love this album, I was listening to it this week and it may be my favourite from them. It´s the beggining of the prog vibe that ruined the next albums, but on Brave New World it works.

I remember reading an interview with McBrain at the time and he talked a little about the production, I gotta see if I can find it.

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Yeah, I wasn't nearly as crazy about Dance of Death, and haven't bothered listening to anything after that - if you can dig that interview up, that'd be awesome!

 

[Jevil]

Best album since 7th Son. Great songs and production is gold in comparison with the last 2 records.

 

[Skinny Viking]

Thought it was better than "No Prayer ..." but not as good as "Fear ...."

I personally can't stand any of the newer Maiden stuff ... Dance was horrible, Matter was just boring and the last one just sounds like a bunch of mediocre ideas on repeat

"BNW" was ok though, still some overcooked ideas on it but at least it had Bruce back

 

[kvoid]

Best album since 7th Son. Great songs and production is gold in comparison with the last 2 records.

Agreed. Actually I think the production was pretty damn great, best that Shirley did with 'em. However not a patch on Birch sadly.

I personally can't stand any of the newer Maiden stuff ... Dance was horrible, Matter was just boring and the last one just sounds like a bunch of mediocre ideas on repeat

"BNW" was ok though, still some overcooked ideas on it but at least it had Bruce back

Yes, yes, yes and fuck yes. Goddamn Maiden became the most boring band in history. Every disc you get from them is one good/decent radio hit and the rest is all bullshit prog tirade that last ten minutes but feels like two hours. I'm sure someone likes it. But I just wanna hear something like FUCKING ACES HIGH ALREADY/

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Wow, Kevin Shirley engineered it? I never liked what he did with Dream Theater (especially pretty much any of Portnoy's kick/snare sounds), but this is awesome

 

[Skinny Viking]

when everything is as long as "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" it ceases to be epic

its like saying everything is priority ... essentially you're saying that nothing is priority

 

[Steven Otto]

Somehow I didn't really like the sound of the Brave New World album. It's just not my taste and rather give the Rock in Rio dvd a spin when I want to hear the tunes from that album

 

[grywolf627]

Somehow I didn't really like the sound of the Brave New World album. It's just not my taste and rather give the Rock in Rio dvd a spin when I want to hear the tunes from that album

This. For me, the ultimate Maiden album is Somewhere In Time. Just pure sonic perfection (to my ears), and I like every track on it. 7th Son is a close second. Songwriting is just as good, but I prefer the production on SIT.

 

[kev]

Brave New World is my most listened to Maiden album, so I guess that makes it my favourite. I actually saw them in concert last night funnily enough and they were fucking great too. Dave Murray's solos are just awesome live as you never know whats going to come out. I know precisely ZERO about the guitars on BNW, but I know on DoD there was some 5150 action in there.

 

[AllanD]

I love the way the snare pops on this album, sounds gooooood. I still love Steve Harris' tone as well.

 

[88mph]

Somewhere in Time has one of the best productions in music world (I'm not saying metal world) Every fuckin detail is crystal clear on that record. Noone even Maiden themselves couldn't beat that perfection since then. BUT! If we're talking about the new six-piece Maiden, Brave New World is the best damn sounding material. You can tell every guitar player from their unique sound. Adrian has such a crispy sound, as seen on Wicker Man's intro. Dave's sound is mellow as always and of course there's Jan's raw, Blackmoresque sound. Snare drum is so tasty and I love how it rings. Kick drums is way cooler than any other records. Beefy, but not in modern metal way, but in Maiden way. Bass is no longer without a body like FOTD and Real Live/Dead One era. You still can hear Harris' trademark cling clang sound but it's got a nice low end at the same time. Also the orchestrations on the Nomad. TASTY! Ghost of The Navigator: One of the best Maiden songs imho.

 

[Terminus]

The best three albums imo are Powerslave, SiT and 7th Son. The overall themes and non-story-book approach is lost on me after that era. BNW is ok, but the artwork is atrocious (Riggs only made the sky/face, the other guy made the mess of a 3D city), the songs dont have that surreal quality to them etc. and they just end up being a bunch of songs with no overarcing theme or story.

One thing I will say, I saw them on the Somewhere Back In Time tour and it was easily the best show I've seen. They havent lost any vigor or urgency at all there. I just wish they'd make some faster soaring songs up, seems like most of the new stuff is that plodding dun-dahdah-dun-dahdah-dun rhythm over and over and that's as fast as they can go.

 

[Trevoire520]

Best sounding record Kevin's done with the band. Probably one of my favourite albums as well. I know that alot of this album is recorded live, though I think there's more overdubs compared to the last couple of albums. Would love it if someone has some interviews about the production.

 

[P-E]

Too lazy to quote well but : "One thing I will say, I saw them on the Somewhere Back In Time tour and it was easily the best show I've seen."

SO TRUE. AMAZING.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Amazing album. Amazing band. Amazing empire.
They are professionalism personified.
No info on the production, but man, those tunes kick hard.

 

[MindMunch]

Yeah, I wasn't nearly as crazy about Dance of Death, and haven't bothered listening to anything after that - if you can dig that interview up, that'd be awesome!

Oh, found it. It actually had nothing interesting about the production, only that he (Nicko) used a single pedal for the kick (DW5000) and when it sounds like double bass (like Out Of The Silent Planet) it´s just him being locked on with Steve's bass.

This thread put me on a massive Maiden mood. I see myself liking songs that I didn´t liked at first. Rainmaker, These Colors Don´t Run, Coming Home, Starblind...

 

[TheSoulsRemain]

Guillaume Tell Studio lost some clients after their records.
It smell too much smoke of cigarettes !

 

[Skyweaver]

I love Maiden, its a good album - really dig the latest release musically, the production is ok - would love to hear Andy mix a Maiden album - actually would love to hear him Produce the band, I think Kevin just hits record and the band does whatever they want, he let Bruce get away with a lot on the last album imo...