The Dance Of Death discussion thread.

But that's just it - I really didn't have any expectations. I didn't know what to expect from it, and all I hoped for was that it would be great. And unfortunately, to my own personal taste, it's incredibly boring. It doesn't matter about the name of the band on the CD, fuck I'll listen to anything if I think it sounds good. But I just don't enjoy this. I'm disappointed only because this is a band I love. But it comes to all good bands in the end, so I should be used to it by now. :)
 
I've finally found the work I'm looking for to describe the sound: muffled. It sounds like I've got a blanket over the speakers.

As to the quality of the songs, I said on the first page that I was dissapointed in the "revisitation" of the earlier albums, but listening to it at least once every day for a week has made iti grow on me, alot. I kinda look at it as an evil scientists lab. You know, you walk through it and see the hideous results of earlier experiments but the end result is pretty damn fine indeed, even if it does want to kill you and is like an unstoppable killing machine. OK, I think the analogy broke down somewhere there.

So, it's not the most original album, but it's the album that should have been VXI. Although BNW is a damn fine album too.
 
Mark said:
If you're happy to have an album where they rehash past riffs, recycle the same ideas they've been using since 1992
Come on, Iced Earth are one of my favourite bands. :lol:
Mark said:
putting in soulless performances (IMO)
I disagree there too, I think to some degree, VXI and BNW are a bit soulless and empty sounding, and while DoD still has a little of that vibe to it, it is much more energetic. On tracks like 'Face In The Sand' though, I LOVE the really damp feel they have going, it makes the song very spine tingling, much like TXF material.
As for it all being a re-hash, there is a whole heap of original ideas on the album, it is just all wrapped up in the Maiden we know and love, which is one reason I really dig it. The title track is the best example, it is a pure Steve Harris epic, but not what you would expect. The themes are very imaginative, and the awesome riffing just conjours the images of ghostly figures waltzing around a haunted dance hall. To me, it is in the same class as songs like 'Rime', 'Hallowed', 'Alexander The Great', 'To Tame A Land', 'Sign Of The Cross', 'The Clansman', etc, in the way that the music just paints a picture of the song, and takes you away in a way that only Maiden can.

I dunno, I guess I am just touchy because I think it is really a great album and I don't like seeing people not giving it a fair go, but really, there is bound to be people who won't like it, and each to their own. I just hope that if you don't like it, it is for the right reasons.
 
I really like the song DOD, except it doesn't conjour up ghostly waltzing for me. I see ghostly debauched jigs. A bit like Riverdance, but not as scary. And he got away from it.

I like the whole "story-telling" aspect to it, which I guess is reminiscent of Rime. It sounds like an old guy in a pub just talking to people near him.

It one of the songs I wasn't really sure about at first, but I kinda liked the jig in the middle, and then the rest grew around that.
 
Indeed, I love Maiden's epic that have a real traditional story vibe about them, like the ones I mentioned above, and I think DoD (the song) is a great example.

Paschendale and Face In The Sand are the other songs that I am really into at the moment, but the whole album is great. The intro to FITS is so spine tingling, I love it, and Paschendale is just another great Maiden epic (but not so much of the story telling type).
 
yeh i like the way dance of death is written. The song progresses nicely, but it does sound like debauched jigging
 
Spiff said:
Prissy - both.

When Blaze was in the band he had great timing, especially on songs he wrote. He reminds me of Rush in that regard - Neil Peart's lyrics suit the music's rhythm perfectly.

Further on those lryic issue from various tracks on DoD....

You know, other than 'Arry's stubborn lyrics, I reckon Bruce fancies his vocal abilities as being so superior he can sing anything and it will sound good. And this is where K. Shirley should be putting his foot down as producer and pointing out to the guys - "that sounds crap - take out a word or two".....

These sorts of problems were not evident when Martin Birch was around, apparently he was a bit of a task master, and it shows how influential he was in helping Maiden perfect their craft in making records.
 
Blitzkrieg said:
Me too, as he went on to form an awesome band and make 2 killer albums afterwoulds, and stick it right to the band that gave him the arse....
yeah, I've heard other people say that, in particular with reference to 'Silicon Messiah'..........and I say good luck to him. he seems like he'd be an orright sort of geezer.........
 
The_Prisoner said:
I'm sure this must happen every time a Maiden album has been released. People started slagging the band from Killers onwards.
I don't understand or agree with this comment - I feel it is universally acknowledged that Iron Maiden circa 'Seventh Son' were the absolute top of the heap.......not too much slagging off happened, IMO, until NPFTD came along.........