Opinia dziennikarza niemieckiego Rock Hard po przesłuchaniu albumu "A Matter of Life And Death"!!!
Dance of Death was not a very good album, even if most of the Hard-Rock-readers (including us) praise every Maiden-album because they are the most important Metal-Band in europe.
The new Album "A Matter of Life and Death", which we could hear in the London Sarm Studios together with the band and their manager Rod Smallwood, is a 72-minute-long, surprinsing progressive and very strong one. It's better than Dance of Death, but i won't judge if it reached the level of Brave New World (an album with only two fillers) after just listening AMOLAD twice. Maiden did not take the easy way with this album, but did without any compromise some expermients with their music ,which they had not done since "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son".
Most of the new songs are very long and hard to listen to at first, but that even makes them quite more interesting after a few listenings. The weak songs on "A Matter of Life and Death" are the shorter, maiden-ish songs (of wich I guess there are 3 / 4), they sound uninspired compared to the longer, epic tracks.You also notice that a lot of songs, similar to Hallowed be thy Name, begin with a slow,calm melodic intro, then build up through several parts and in the end reach the beginning part again as an outro. [NOTE: The magazine calls it the Steve-Harris-Circle ]. Wether you judge this as "boring and effortless" or "cult and maiden-ish" depends on yout taste of music.
I had to sign a contract before the first listening that I am not allowed to analyse the album song by song, but I can reveal my personal highlights to you:
The Legacy:
This 9-minute-long ending song of the album is the most unusual and surprises you with unpredictable breaks and turns. It made me think of my first time listening to "Phantom of the Opera" with it's totally new and originally structure: All the typical Maiden-Parts were totally new and surprised every Metalfan, who was used to hear songs from Priest, Motörhead, Kiss, Scorpions or AC/DC. Maiden rolled over everything with their ingeniously arrangements and were the new heroes right from the start. The Legacy ( Great vocals by Bruce, who makes use of all the possibilities of his voice on the album) is in it's own way as brave and innovatively like Phantom of the Opera was, and in a short time it will be the new favourite song of all [NOTE: Yes, he really says "all"] Maiden fans.
Finally you can hear that the band records with 3 guitars!
Out of the shadows:
This great power-ballad has an atmosphere like Bruce Dickinsons solo-highlight "Tears of the Dragon" or "Man of Sorrows" and takes it's power from Bruce's impressing voice. It is a song with a clear structure, which you will like right from the start.
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg:
(Ah well, didn't we all hear it, if you want me to translate this part I will )
Further Details and interviews with Bruce Dickinson, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray will be in the next issue.