Wildest Dreams: 3/10. Forgettable crap. The chorus is awful. The solos saves it from a ZERO rating.
Rainmaker: 9/10. Awesome, albeit radio-friendly rocker. Great meolody, great chorus.
No More Lies: 6/10. Good song, but too much a "been there, done that" vibe throughout.
Montsegur: 8/10. I actually really LIKE the chorus (yes, I'm the only one who does). This just sounds different from anything Maiden's dones (well, not, oddly enough, it does sound similar to Sherrif of Hudersfield!). Good song!
Dance of Death: 8/10. If not for the AWFUL vocal performance by Bruce, it would rate MUCH higher. Of course, I've never heard the SPinal Tap tune that everyone compares it to, so my view is not jaded! I love the keys!
Gates of Tomorrow: 9/10. Overcomes cheesy, awful "hair metal" intro & rises to greatness! LOVE the dual-vocals by Bruce, and the AWESOME chorus!!
New Fronteir: 4/10. Filler. Clearly.
Paschendale: 10/10. OK, it's NOT "Hallowed", or "Rime" or "Phantom" but it's an awesome, heavy, powerfully moving tune - a classic by Maiden!
Face in the San: 10/10. The other soon-to-be classic on DOD. This song is just mesmerising! The key sweeps actually HELP, not hinder, the dynamic of this tune! And the double-bass drums are a great addition. The vocals could have been better, however.
Age of Innocence: 8/10. Another very strong song. Murray always has his hands in good writing!
Journeyman: 9/10. Only the chorus/Bruce's vocals keep it from being a 10. It is highly emotional, however! Great ending song.
Overall, the lyrics are mostly cheese (but Maiden's NEVER been known for quality lyrics), the vocals are a major let-down (although not as bad as Fear of the SHIT), and the production is GOD-AWFUL - maybe HARRIS, and not Shirley, actually produced this - the sound IS THAT BAD. And only Harris can ruin sound like this. The snare drum is NON-existant, and there's tons of muddiness. This needs a severe remixing job!
But, again, the songs simply kick ass!~
