Virtual XI
- Thread starter The Amazer
- Start date
Priest of Evil
Adores the Number 666
- Dec 1, 2005
- 1,938
- 4
- 38
Bucko
Member
Priest of Evil
Adores the Number 666
- Dec 1, 2005
- 1,938
- 4
- 38
TinMan666
Member
good album.
on a side note, i caught up with a mate after work the other night,and there was a dude there who randomly announced "i'm good mates with lance lazer". I was like "you know lance lazer? woah!"
how about that ey?
on a side note, i caught up with a mate after work the other night,and there was a dude there who randomly announced "i'm good mates with lance lazer". I was like "you know lance lazer? woah!"
how about that ey?
Shadow298
UNLEASH THE GUAN
it was $10 here, same as X Factor (which I still need to complete my collection).
I have the record sleeve edition, just for the fact it was cheap 2nd hand.
has some good songs -such as Futureal but, over all, aside from Como Estais Amigos and The Clansman, it isn't memorable.
issue for me is more the song writing then Blaze's vocal.
Maiden seemed to have simply run out of steam and seriously need to to put things aside.
I have the record sleeve edition, just for the fact it was cheap 2nd hand.
has some good songs -such as Futureal but, over all, aside from Como Estais Amigos and The Clansman, it isn't memorable.
issue for me is more the song writing then Blaze's vocal.
Maiden seemed to have simply run out of steam and seriously need to to put things aside.
Goreripper
Metal as fuck
Not having listened to Virtual XI all that much, I can still see where you're coming from. The only real sticking point for me is "The Angel and The Gambler", but unlike No Prayer for the Dying, I can listen to most of this album without going "Oh my God, why are you doing this to me?"
Spiff
I have the power
It's a funny album. There are some great songs - Futureal is in my top 5 Maiden songs, and I love The Educated Fool and a few others - but it just doesn't gel together as an album. Download the radio edit of The Angel and the Gambler if you can because it's far superior without the 15 minute chorus. The only song I really don't like is Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger. Blaze is great on the entire album.
Re: No Prayer, it has another of my top 5 Maiden songs - Hooks In You. I love that song. I can take or leave most of the others (Mother Russia was my least favourite Maiden song until the one-two punch of Face in the Sand and Age of Innocence).
Re: No Prayer, it has another of my top 5 Maiden songs - Hooks In You. I love that song. I can take or leave most of the others (Mother Russia was my least favourite Maiden song until the one-two punch of Face in the Sand and Age of Innocence).
Shannow
Stunt Plough Rider
I've got a problem with Virtual XI.
After No Prayer for the dying, I stopped listening to 'Maiden. Still listened to their classics, but didn't even see them in the stores...didn't buy anything metal for ages.
Was in Bathurst, and picked up Virtual XI for $8 (was a lot of money back then).
Played it and was thoroughly shocked,that's not 'maiden. Found out about Brice Leaving, Blaze etc.
Found Bruce Solo stuff (Didn't know anything beyond Tattoed Millionaire was produced), found X-Factor, Ed Hunter, hung out for BNW, bought Silicon Messiah.
It was Virtual XI that simultaneously pissed me off, and reintroduced me to 'Maiden and Metal in general.
I actually prefer Blaze singing Virtual XI songs than Bruce.
After No Prayer for the dying, I stopped listening to 'Maiden. Still listened to their classics, but didn't even see them in the stores...didn't buy anything metal for ages.
Was in Bathurst, and picked up Virtual XI for $8 (was a lot of money back then).
Played it and was thoroughly shocked,that's not 'maiden. Found out about Brice Leaving, Blaze etc.
Found Bruce Solo stuff (Didn't know anything beyond Tattoed Millionaire was produced), found X-Factor, Ed Hunter, hung out for BNW, bought Silicon Messiah.
It was Virtual XI that simultaneously pissed me off, and reintroduced me to 'Maiden and Metal in general.
I actually prefer Blaze singing Virtual XI songs than Bruce.
Mark
Not blessed, or merciful
S'funny. When VXI was about to be released, it was leaked onto the net (specifically the Maiden usenet group is where I found it), but in really compressed Real Audio files. So when I listened to it, I thought it was layered with acoustic guitar - even the organ part in 'Angel...' sounded like acoustic guitars 
I thought, "Fuck, this is AWESOME! What a departure!".
Then I bought it, and realised it was nothing of the sort, just yet another patchy 90s Maiden album
I thought, "Fuck, this is AWESOME! What a departure!".Then I bought it, and realised it was nothing of the sort, just yet another patchy 90s Maiden album
Spiff
I have the power
Southy
Proud Brisbane Metaller
If the album was better produced and a couple of songs had shorter repetitive parts it would be an awesome album IMO, Blaze really hit his peak with Maiden there, if they done another album with him and was of decent lyrical/musical standard, he would of absolutely slayed it. But alas they did BNW which is now my least fav of the new Bruce stuff, too much slow reflective stuff on it now, I still listen to it, just slows down in the middle a bit
Mark
Not blessed, or merciful
These days I'm happy if I like 50% of a Maiden album. There isn't a single LP of their's that I like every track, though, except maybe the debut.
Spiff
I have the power
Shadow298
UNLEASH THE GUAN
I've always had the issue with Iron Maiden is that off all their albums, I only like a few songs and find all the rest as filler.
As for Tailergunner and Fear of the Dark, they have their moments but for the most part they show Maiden being seriously caught up in themselves and not knowing where to go next and X-Factor and Virtual XI are proof of this, with some songs -such as Sign of the Cross & Futureal- which was written for Bruce to sing.
As for Tailergunner and Fear of the Dark, they have their moments but for the most part they show Maiden being seriously caught up in themselves and not knowing where to go next and X-Factor and Virtual XI are proof of this, with some songs -such as Sign of the Cross & Futureal- which was written for Bruce to sing.
Mark
Not blessed, or merciful
Shadow298
UNLEASH THE GUAN
It all went steeply downhill once Janick joined.
And no, I will never get tired of saying that
when did he join and why?
I'm not too familiar with the history of members and such, apart from Bruce and Adrian Smith following him from and back to again.
Goreripper
Metal as fuck
Janick joined in 1990 after Adrian was fired for apparently not being commited enough to Iron Maiden. He came in because he'd played guitar on Tattooed Millionaire.
Mark
Not blessed, or merciful
Adrian left early 1990, just as they began recording No Prayer.
Janick, who'd recorded and toured with Bruce for Tattooed Millionaire, was the only one auditioned, and given the job after two songs (Trooper and summat else). I believe it was mainly because Steve thought he was a decent bloke, and also played football.
Bruce left in 93, replaced by Blaze.
Bruce and Adrian both rejoined early '99.
Janick, who'd recorded and toured with Bruce for Tattooed Millionaire, was the only one auditioned, and given the job after two songs (Trooper and summat else). I believe it was mainly because Steve thought he was a decent bloke, and also played football.
Bruce left in 93, replaced by Blaze.
Bruce and Adrian both rejoined early '99.
Mark
Not blessed, or merciful
Adrian wasn't fired per se - he couldn't make up his mind on whether he was committed (they'd had a similar discussion before 7th Son I think?), so it was kind of mutually agreed that he'd leave (with pushing from Steve).
Honestly, at this time Steve must have been taking crazy pills - he made two huge fuck-ups in the space of weeks; letting Adrian go because Adrian expected a certain high-quality in Maiden's writing, and then hiring the Dancing Wizard, Janick, to replace him.
