Matter Of Life & Death

When Brave New World was released I was impressed at how well the album was done. Even though I bought the CD when it came out I doubted Maiden had it in them anymore. I thought, "Here is a band past their prime looking for a cash grab". I decided to buy the CD anyhow and Oh how wrong I was! Brave new World was an attention getter. Iron Maiden was serving notice to the world that they were back and meant buisness! On Maidens next CD I heard so many bad things ranging from the CD cover to the music itself that I figured it was a bad CD. (I for one love the CD cover. It remindes me of the Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut) I didnt buy the CD when it came out. I waited almost two years after it was released before I bought it. I saw it at a record store for $4.99. I thought, "What the heck?" Even if its bad I really havent lost much. I put the CD in on the way home and immediatly fell in love! From the opening track Wildest Dreams I was hooked! Rainmaker, Montsegur, Dance of Death, New Frontier, Journeyman, and one of my all time favorite Maiden songs, Pashendale! I had heard about how weak this album was. How there were "weak" tracks on it. I listened to the hype and almost missed out on one of Maidens strongest releases. After this I remember thinking "I wont doubt them again" It wasnt until 2011, just before the release of Final Frontier, that I bought A Matter of Life and Death. Yeah, I know, I doubted them again. I dont know why I did either? AMOLAD had won album of the year in 2006 when it came out. (by Metal Storm and Metal Maniacs) There was alot of good reviews about it. However, there were alot of bad ones also. I guess I thought "Can Maiden really keep it up?" How can these guys keep getting better? There has to be a day they will slack off and make a bad CD. HA! Fat chance! No, instead they made the second best CD to 7th Son. 7th son was their masterpiece. Most bands, no matter how long they are together, usually only get one masterpiece, if they are lucky. How can you expect a band to have two? Well as hard as it may seem to be to believe, Iron Maiden has done it again. I've been listening to Iron maiden since 1983 so I could say I'm a connoisseur of sorts. No expert, but very familiar with them. I grew up listening to such albums like Killers, Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time, and 7th Son. Just those five albums alone are some of the best albums/songs released in the 80s. You cant go wrong with any of them. This is the standard I hold Maiden to, these five albums. (Apparently they hold themselves to that same standard also) So for about five years I was unaware that Maiden had released another masterpiece. That was until Amazon had a sale and I got AMOLAD for $5.99! What a deal!(Thanks Amazon!)From the first listen the whole thing really didnt jive with me. But there was something about it that kept me listening. The biggest thing that jumped out at me at first was the thick bass in this one. Im a huge bass guy so this kept me interested. Steve Harris really laid it down in this one. (He really tears it up in Lord of Light!) A bold move on Maidens part. But It really sets the tone for the whole album. There were people who bashed the production of this CD. I'm not sure if they think the production was "bad" because of the heavy bass on this album, or what? But I really dont know how much better of a production you can get? Everything is at an even keel. Not too much of one thing or not enough of another. Maiden was on their A game here and knew exactly what they wanted. And they got it. I remember reading a review about AMOLAD. In it a man claimed that Mr. Dickinson spent way too much time in the high range. If you say this Sir then you couldnt have listened to the CD. Dickison's voice ranges from some highs too alot of lows. Done perfectly. He does some things I havent heard him do before. His vocals on For the Greater Good of God kept me listening from the beginning. The way he does the chorus for that song really caught my attention. Some have said that Mr. Dickinson's vocals weren't as strong as they once were. I say nonsense! What he does on The Longest Day shows proof that his range is intact. I'm sure most people who have bashed this record arent "true" fans of the band. By true I mean the ones that know Maiden for what they are. A band that makes Epic songs. Some call it progressive. Regardless of what you call it the fact remains that Maiden has the ability to make a 9 minute song seem like four. The songs dont "drag" on as one might think because of their length. This is what the true Maiden fans look for. Not saying we dont like the radio friendly tunes but "epic" ones are the real gems here. And AMOLAD has plenty of them! The other fans are the ones that as soon as they dont hear Run to the Hills, 2 Minutes to Midnight, Wasted Years, or Can I Play with Madness they dismiss it as a failure. They dont want to take the time to understand what Maiden is doing on this album. And what are they doing? Setting a somber mood. I remember thinking when I first started to listen to this CD was that all the songs sounded alike. It would be easy to quickly write off this album because of this. But this is not an album that your going to "get" the first or second listen. Ive listened to it at least two dozen times and things are still setting in me. It's alot to take in. Theres so much that there is no way possible to absorb everything in a few listens. This is definatly a grower and lengthens the life of the CD. Your more likely to listen to it more often just so you can wrap your head around everything. I started by listening to it every other day then it grew to a couple times a day. Then it was three or four times a day. I'm still picking up on things I haven't picked up before. It will be at the top of my rotation for a long time (like 7th Son did for three years after it came out) If your looking for killer solos then you need to look no further. AMOLAD is chock full of them. Inspiring solos! I'm not quite sure where the inspiration came from on this CD. There are some real eye opening solos here. I havent heard so much inspiration since 7th Son! These solos that can be missed though, due to everything else going on. Especially the whole mood that Maiden had set on this record. It sucks you in and almost puts you in a trance. Your so enthralled with the mood you miss some things like the solos. Another distracter is the songs. You get so involved with what Mr. Dickinson is singing about that you could miss a solo. Not to mention other things like the well placed synths. (Just like they were in Pashendale and Dance of Death) Drums? I seriously thought Niko McBrain had been replaced with someone else. He is stellar! He also is inspired! I never knew how talented this guy was. Bravo! Mr. McBrain. All in all this CD proves Iron Maiden hasent given up on crafting excellent songs. After all these years they still have "it". Since their "reunion" they have progressivly gotten better with every release. Now with everything positive I've heard about Final Frontier I look forward to buying that CD. By that time Iron Maiden will probably have released another CD. If thats how it is, so be it! I know I'll have alot of enjoyment in the time I'm using to catch up! And let it be known from this day forth I will never doubt Iron Maiden again.

OK, I am obssessed with this album. Pleasantly and surprisingly so. I've stayed faithful to these guys, even through the hated "Blaze" years (a period in which I contend that Harris' production did more damage than Bayley's vocals ever could). I loved Brave New World, although it did beg the question, "Why 3 guitars?" Besides keeping the peace, of course. Also lacking was any sense of the spirit of Dickinson's superb, and I mean SUPERB duo of masterpiece records, "Chemical Wedding" and "Accident of Birth." But those questions aside, Brave New World was a satisfying, epic album. Then came "Dance of Death," an offering that was as resoundingly uninspired as "BNW" was a return to form. With the exception of "Montsegur" and "Pachendale," "DOD" was to my ears the second weakest release in the entire catalog, after "Fear of the Dark." Meantime, Dickinson released "Tyranny of Souls," a very good (if slightly sterile) album that emphasized his different vocal approach vis a vis his solo vs Maiden work. Now we have "A Matter of Life and Death," and my God, its like Maiden set out to answer and resolve all of my questions. The three guitars are finally working together, weaving in and out and complimenting each other in ways are simply stunning. "BNW" and "DOD" always sounded like two guys were doing one thing while the other was somewhere else. Here, they all have their own parts, and in a marvel of moderm music engineering, their own place in the sound field. A big hats off to Kevin Shirley for the production on this one. And Dickinson is finally bringing his ball to the playground. A much more varied phrasing, remisiscent of some of his best solo moments, is evident on this album. A stellar performance from the only great metal voice whose pipes seem to be getting BETTER with age. When it comes to maintaining his range and timbre, Bruce must know a secret Geoff Tate and Chris Cornell never figured out. But all that aside, what really shines on this record are the SONGS. They went all out epic on this one, more so than "BNW," equalling even the grandeur of "Seventh Son" at times. The weakest track is the opener, a curious problem Maiden have had for some time now. It's almost like they want to get the 4-minute radio song out of the way and move on to bigger and better things. Fine by me. From then on out, there's not a weak one in the bunch. "Brighter Than 1000 Suns" is an incredible, multi-faceted epic that manages to be melodic and heavy as hell at the same time. (For the music geeks out there, it also sees Maiden venturing into odd time land, something they don't do often; the main body of the song is in 7/4. More striking is the use of downtuned guitars, a first to my knowledge. Sure, its only a 1/2 step, but that's drastic for these guys.) Then there's "The Pilgrim," a shorter, more rollicking tune than veers from Celtic to Eastern modalities and back, "The Longest Day," a midtempo epic with a great chorus, followed by "Out of the Shadows," a kind-of ballad that merits mentioning if only because it sounds like it could easily have shown up on Dickinson's last solo album. Very cool to hear one of Dickinson's ideas given the full Maiden treatment. Then comes "Benjamin Breeg," the much lauded lead single. Read the other reviews to hear about it; there seems to be a consensus on this one. Then we hit the only song on the album penned by Harris alone. "For The Greater Good of God." Over 9 minutes. About a million ideas, riffs, and melodies. Awesome. Things get a bit darker on "Lord of Light," which seems to balance the previous track, lyrically. The last, and possibly best, song, "The Legacy," is incredible. Great intro, very cool, slowly building midtempo gallop verse and chorus, and then the whole thing goes for broke with a rollicking 6/8 riff that bears a more than passing resemblance to the middle riff from "Black Sabbath." Fitting that it was probably written by Gers, who's got his lead roots in late-era Iommi splatter solos. There is a passion, almost a rasp, to Dickinsons's voice on this one that isn't present on the rest of the album. Works to great effect on this song. So there you have it. A great album from a band that should've landed in the has-been bin over 10 years ago. Can't keep a good Iron down, I guess.

Ótimo item e custo benefício.

Buen Lp de la docella de hierro. Otro más para la colección. UP THE IRON MAIDEN.

Pas écouter entièrement, bon son, disque non rayé, super album avec de superbes chansons,d'Iron Maiden, album à mettre dans sa discographie, je le recommande

Buena edición, por la relación calidad precio está bien, aunque un poco austero.

...zeigen so mancher neuen Band wo's lang geht und das nach über 25 Jahren Bandgeschichte! Ich kann auch nicht verstehen was die Leute hier über den Sound motzen, ich finde das ist die best-produzierte Scheibe seit "Fear of the Dark". Vielleicht liegt's ja daran das die meisten Leute nur noch die computer-getriggerte Sch..... gewohnt sind und ein Album, wo die Songs (zusammen) an einem Stück und ohne Klick eingespielt sind, nicht mehr respektieren! Ich habe zumindest seit der Reunion von Maiden kein so kraftvolles und richtungsweisendes Album mehr gehört! Die Songs im Einzelnen: 1. Diffrent World: Typischer Maiden-Opener. Ein schneller Song á la "Wicker Man" mit eingängigem Refrain, schönen Solo's und einem Groove der sofort in die Beine, ähhh in den Nacken geht! Der Übergang von der Bridge in den Refrain ist echt der Hammer! Die Bridge ist (für Dickinson Verhältnisse) sehr tief gesungen und der Refrain verdammt hoch! Des kickt! :-) 10/10 2. These Colors don't run: Nun gut, seltsamer Titel, aber der Song! Hammer! Er baut sich langsam auf und reisst einen einfach mit! Vorallem der Refrain verleiht schon beim ersten Hören zum Mitsingen! Eindeutig einer der Besten Songs vom Album! 10/10 3. Brighter than a thousand Suns: Der Song handelt vom nuklearen Holokaust. Und so wie eine Atombombe, schleicht sich auch der Song in eure Gehirnwindungen. Sehr spannend aufgebaut und der Refrain kommt sehr bedrückend daher. 09/10 4. The Pilgrim: Der Anfang kommt sehr Maiden-typisch daher. Erinnnert mich etwas an "Mother Russia" von "No Prayer for the Dying". Doch nach dem Intro (wenn man es so nennen will) geht der Song dann ziemlich ab! Er ist allerdings irgendwie nicht so eingängig! Vielleicht muss ich ihn einfach noch 10 mal anhören! :-) Für mich einer der schwächeren Songs des Albums! Trotzdem noch mindestens 7 Sterne wert! 07/10 5. The Longest Day: WOW! Das ist ein wahnsinn's Song! Er handelt vom D-Day und man fühlt sich sofort dorthin versetzt! Der Song baut eine unglaubliche Stimmung auf und erweckt dieses Hoffnungsgefühl in Einem! Eindeutig einer der Besten Songs des Albums! 10/10 6. Out of the Shadows: Was die ersten 30 Sekunden nicht vermuten lassen, hierbei handelt es sich um eine Art Ballade á la "Wasting Love" oder "Tears of the Dragon" (von Bruce's Solo-Scheibe). Sehr eingängige Nummer, vielleicht die eingängigste vom Album zusammen mit "Diffrent World". Kein Übersong, aber trotzdem schön anzuhören! :-) Bruce's Stimme ist der Hammer! 08/10 7. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg: Die erste Single-Auskopplung der Scheibe, sofern man einen Song mit 7.21 Min. als Single bezeichnen kann! :-) Er fängt sehr ruhig an und verwandelt sich dann in ein Riff-Monster erster Güte! Das Riff ist echt der Wahnsinn! Der Refrain ist glaub' ich einer der Besten Mit-gröhl-Refrains der ganzen Scheibe! Da freu' ich mich schon live drauf! :-) Bleibt nur noch die Frage offen, wer ist dieser mysteriöse Benjamin Breeg??? 10/10 8. For the greater Good of God: Hier ist er nun, der Beste (und längste 9.24 Min.) Song des Albums! Wobei ich hierzu sagen muss, das die Strophen hier vielmehr kicken als der Refrain selbst! Der Refrain ist schon der Hammer, aber die Strophen sind einfach nur genial! Vorallem wenn das erste Mal die Drums einsetzen! Erinnert mich streckenweise an "Dream of Mirrors" von "Brave New World". Hier hat sich der alte Herr Dickinson selbst übertroffen und Herr Harris hat einen der besten Songs seiner Laufbahn geschrieben! 10/10 9. Lord of Light: Nach einem sehr seltsamen Intro (Bruce singt mit einem Wah-Wah-Effekt oder so?!?!), kommt ein Riff, das seines gleichen sucht! Dies ist ein richtiger Nacken-Brecher-Song! :-) Da kommt der gute alte Maiden-Gallop wieder zum Einsatz, den wir von Songs wie "The Trooper" gewohnt sind! Nur leider wird das alles im Mittelteil wieder gebremst, was ich etwas schade finde! Trotz alle dem, ein solider Song mit gutem Refrain! 08/10 10. The Lagacy: Sehr schwer zugänglicher Song. Den muss man sich erst 10 Mal anhören bevor man gefallen dran findet. Vom Aufbau her tendiert dieses 9 minuten Opus in die "Paschendale"-Ecke, was ich eigentlich garnicht schlecht finde, nur wo ist der Refrain??? Das kriegt man leider auch beim 10.ten mal Hören nicht raus, weil der Song einfach keinen hat und das ist etwas schade! 07/10 FAZIT: Super Album, Super Produktion! Was will man mehr??? Das die Eisernen Jungfrauen kein Zweites "Seventh Son of a seventh Son" oder "The Number of the Beast" kreiert haben war ja wohl von vorneein klar und das ist auch gut so! Denn wenn das jetzt so wäre, hätte jeder gemeckert: "Die entwickeln sich ja net weiter und machen immer das gleiche Zeug!" oder nicht??? Ich bin voll und ganz von diesem Album überzeugt und in diesem Sinne... ...UP THE IRONS!