Iron Maiden's Reviews
Dance of Death (Average Rating: 8.32 out of 10)
A Solid, Professional, Heavy Metal Album by Iron Maiden (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
mh29255
from USA
Iron Maiden has helped to shape the sounds of heavy metal since they formed in London, England in 1976. With more than a dozen recorded albums, which include "The Number of the Beast" (1982), "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" (1988) and "Brave New World" (2000), Iron Maiden's latest album, "Dance of Death" (2003), demonstrates how professional and dedicated these six men are in composing and performing solid, sophisticated, heavy and complex music. The eleven songs on "Dance of Death", which total nearly 68 minutes of music, include unusual metering, changes in meter, key changes, compelling melodies, complex harmonies and vibrant vocals thanks to the band's six members: Steve Harris (bass, the band's founder), Bruce Dickinson (vocals), Dave Murray (guitar), Adrian Smith (guitar), Janick Gers (guitar) and Nicko McBrain (percussion). My ranking (out of 5 stars) for each of the album's songs follow:1. "Wildest Dreams" (5+). A fast and catchy song with very melodic & intense choruses.
2. "Rainmaker" (5+). Another fast & catchy song with great chord changes and choruses.
3. "No More Lies" (5+). A complex & melodic song that builds layer upon layer of sound, with meters in 2/4, 4/4 and 8/8 (as 1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2) in the chorus.
4. "Montségur" (4.5). Heavy percussion, bass and guitar with intense vocals are featured in this intense, melodic song that features several key changes in the chorus.
5. "Dance of Death" (5+). A melodic trio of guitars in 3/4 begins with increasing layers of sound, then smoothly transitions to 4/4 for most of the song. It later transitions back to 3/4 for the last few measures.
6. "Gates of Tomorrow" (4.5). Fast staccato guitar begins this song before giving way to its melodic interior.
7. "New Frontier" (5). A fast and heavy melodic song with several key changes.
8. "Paschendale" (5). Another very complex song with several changes in meter including 8/8 (as 1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2 and 1-2,1-2-3,1-2-3), 4/4 and 2/4.
9. "Face in the Sand" (5). A ballad-like beginning in 3/4 increases in intensity as it switches to 6/8 time.
10. "Age of Innocence" (4.5). A slower but intense beginning with unusual chords that increases in intensity and speed.
11. "Journeyman" (5+). A very melodic ballad in 3/4 and 6/8 time. Overall, I rate Iron Maiden's 2003 album "Dance of Death" with a very well deserved 5 out of 5 stars. Even with several changes in lineup over the years, Iron Maiden continues to set the standard for great heavy metal. Whether you're a long-time Iron Maiden fan or not, I highly recommend that you check this album out. You just might want to get it.
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