Iron Maiden's Reviews
Brave New World (Average Rating: 9.08 out of 10)
Maiden Strikes Back (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Ed
from Mofo Central, USA
What happens when a band that were kings of all metal falls from grace(rather ungracefully)during the proceeding decade? Why they reunite their classic lineup and shatter the expectatons, of course! Following the 5-year split with singer Bruce Dickinson (and nearly a decade split from guitarrist Adrian Smith), the Classic Maiden line-up plus 3rd guitarrist Janick Gers reunited to stage a comeback that would take the metal world by storm. The resulting album was Brave New World, an album that picked up in the directon of their last classic album 7th Son of a 7th Son. It was essential that Bruce was with them during this album, as former singer Blaze Bayley would not have had necessary range. The album isn't without it's faults. At first listen it'll be near perfection but when given a closer listen one will notice some of its flaws. the first half is mildly dissapointing, but the brilliant second half more than makes up for it. The album starts of in the explosion of The Wickerman, one of the finest openers of Maiden's career and one of the most climatic songs too, this song is vintage Iron Maiden, an a glorious way to start the album. Ghost of the Navigator is a fine song, as is the title track, but they do not really display much feel and dont rise much above average. Blood Brothers is an improvement, and a pretty good track with great lyrics and good keyboard work. The Mercenary is the lowest point, a track that barely reaches mediocrity. The first epic, the 9 minute Dream of Mirrors is where the band hits its stride, delivering an huge epic about dreams and deja vu's, with another great climax and an awesome use of dynamics. The Fallen Angel is a heavy rocker, the heaviest track of the album, and not dissapointing in the least bit. The Nomad is another song of epic proportions. it takes a while to sink in, but its worth it, as it'll hit you hard at some point or another. The melodic assaoult of Out of the Silent Planet, with its trademark huge chorus is yet another awesome song, one of the finest of the album. The closer "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate" provides such a great end for a great album, a haunting track that may even finds its roots in Pink Floyd (another reference to this band is in Wickerman, "piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way")! As a whole, this album may not be the most consisten Maiden outing, but it is indeed a great comeback effort and one of the finest metal discs of the new millenium. Song Ratings:
Wickerman- 10/10
Ghost of the Navigator- 8.5/10
Brave New World- 8/10
Blood Brothers- 9/10
Mercenary- 7.5/10
Dream of Mirrors- 10/10
The Fallen Angel- 9.5/10
The Nomad- 9.5/10
Out of the Silent Planet- 10/10
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate- 10/10
Buy this album on Amazon at $10.99
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