(Rated this album with 4 out of 10) Reviewed by
Chris Googs
from USA
When I first bought this album, I was immediately disappointed by a few key things: 1. The absence of Adrian Smith and the presence of Janick Gers (not metal's worst guitarist, but hardly innovative or dyanmic) 2. The flat, lacksluster production 3. Some very uninspired songwriting That being said, I almost threw this CD in the garbage before getting to the 5th track. However, I decided not to because it costed me [money] and was still a Maiden release. After a while, some of the songs clicked with me. Tailgunner is an engaging tune, as well as Run Silent, Run Deep and Bring Your Daughter....To The Salughter, although none of them are as immediate or outward as Flight of Icarus or The Number of the Beast. Additionally, some tracks are really embarrassing (The Assassin sounds like a parody of early Iron Maiden and Holy Smoke is a total farce), making the album sound uneven and uninspired. And while I can usually tolerate lineup changes in most bands (take Zakk Wylde replacing Jake E. Lee in Ozzy Osbourne's band or Dickinson replacing Di'Anno in Maiden), Janick Gers is no match for Adrian Smith on guitar. There was a lot of energy in Smith's playing, but none in Ger's. Overall, this an okay album for Maiden fans because it does have some decent material on it (though not enough). If you are not a Maiden fan or are one but only like their older output, steer clear of this one.
