Dance of Death (2015

At the age of 16, I had spent a quarter of my life worshipping Iron Maiden. Wishing I’d been at Long Beach, collecting every bit of vinyl they ever produced, including the Soundhouse Tapes. I saw them 4 times of the Seventh Son Tour, and I was at the last ever gig of that tour, and some might say the last ever gig of the classic years. I waited and waited afterwards at the back door of the Hammersmith Odeon hoping my heroes might come and meet a diehard. They sped past in their cars and I missed my last train home. Love affair over. I then discovered indie, grebo, dance music, E, hip hop and our paths went other ways. I laughed at No Prayer for the Dying, and then stopped even looking up from my copy of Mojo magazine. Bruce and Adrian came back and I heard good things but I just thought ‘ahhh cmon lads...’ give it up. Look at the elderly Rolling Stones. In the last few months however, at the age of 45, I’ve delved back. I still can’t bring myself to buy No Prayer, but Fear of the Dark isn’t toooooo bad, even though Here to Eternity’s lyrics are godawful (grow up Bruce/‘Arry). I might even give the Blaze albums a go (I saw Wolfsbane before they were signed and they were never as exciting again). I bought the comeback album Brave New World first and it underwhelmed me. Dance of Death is another matter. They sound assured, confident and totally back in their stride. The music is powerful and muscly like Piece of Mind or Powerslave, without sounding dated. It sounds fresh and new like Somewhere In Time did. I’m genuinely surprised. The lyrics aren’t cheesy, the sound is varied and the songs really aren’t too long, unlike what some press reviewers have said. So if you’re a rambling auld fart like me that bought Number of the Beast when it came out, try Dance of Death. I might even forgive them for Janick. Maybe.

I assumed this album wouldn't be as good as the greats, like seventh son of a seventh son, or number of the beast. But THIS is my favourite Maiden album now, it is simply outstanding. (I am only highlighting a few songs) "Rainmaker" is full of power, though it isn't heavy, it is very nice to the ears. Another great goes by the name of "Journeyman" again, this isn't in the traditional style Maiden are known to produce, however it is very energetic in it's own way. and if you are ever in a depressed mood, this will certainly make you feel better. Passchendaele (Well, they call it "Paschendale") Is rather unique but still in the British metal style. "No more lies" has strong vocals and the chorus will get you singing along. I wouldn't call it the best, but definitely a great. Dance of Death is the name of the album and I know why they chose that name, "Dance of death" is simply a must listen, Maiden sometimes make songs about adventures or rather mystical stories. A good example is "Still life" (In Piece of mind) But Dance of death really goes for the story telling and the general feel. I am very pleased with it. "Montsegur"? I think it is a bit over-rated although VERY CATCHY. I love it. :) All in all, Dance of Death is by far superior to other albums like Fear of the dark (And fear of the dark is a must get in my unpopular opinion) I cannot describe how amazed I was when I finished listening to it. I give this 5 stars. Effort= 10/10 Musical Talent= 9.4/10 Maiden, you did NOT disappoint me. The Album in general deserves a solid 9.8/10 A few guitar solos were same-old same-old, but awesome nonetheless.

This is one of the maiden albums from after dickinson rejoined, maiden have created another epic album after the superb brave new world, yet this is more melodical metal than before. 1.Wildest dreams- Awesome intro track, powerful, melodic and uplifting, nothing to break the mold, but still good 9/10 2.Rainmaker- Another very good track, awesome chorus and an epic intro riff, one of the best songs on the album. 10/10 3.No more lies- Darker and more moody than the previous tracks at first, dead good intro, leads into an excellant song 9/10 4.Montsegur- Classic galloping maiden riff, very melodical and epic track, uplifting. 9/10 5.Dance of death- Slow moody metal, great solo, slightly long winded, but still a good track 8/10 6.Gates of tommorrow- intro sounds like an acdc song, then leads into something that sounds like from here to eternity off the fear dark album, but not as effective. Probably my least favourite song on the album, but still worth listening to 7/10 7.New frontier- Another powerful riff, sounds like something off brave new world, good track, nice solo 8/10 8.Paschendale- Drags on a bit, but still with a cool and melodical chorus, some nice guitar licks 8/10 9.Face in the sand- nice slow build up, leading into a pretty good track, no powerful chorus though 7/10 10.The age of innocence- not a bad song, nothing special, pretty good riff, very good chorus 7/10 11.Journeyman- Beautiful closing track, orchestral music sounds fantastic, vocals are fantastic. An absolute maiden classic 10/10

I didn't like it but the person I bought it for did

Ok

Très bon album

Takes a few listens to truly appreciate this album...really grows on you. I loved Brave new world and had high expectations out of this as well....am not disappointed.

As along-time Iron Maiden fan, I simply had to get this album. Many people, fans or not, would automatically make the naïve assumption that a band who are known strictly as “an ‘80s band” would not be able to release anything good anymore, claiming that their time has “come and gone.” However, those people could not be more wrong, as this is nowhere even close to the case of the mighty Iron Maiden, who do what they do, not to make money, but because it is their LIFE. They make music to make music, because it is what they do best. Along with this album’s predecessor, “Brave New World,” this album is definitely a showcase of the band’s shift towards a more progressive metal sound in contrast to their traditional NWOBHM for which they became known in the ‘80s. I find it very clever to have two shorter songs at the beginning of the album, namely “Wildest Dreams” and “Rainmaker” which, as I interpret it, is a way of being able to set the mood of the listener to be able to digest the longer, more complex songs that follow. One cannot help but appreciate the way that some of the songs start out nice and easy, and then gradually pick up along the way. Such is especially the case with “No More Lies,” “Dance of Death,” and “Paschendale,” the three longest songs on the album. Other songs, such as “Montsegur” simply go straight into an upbeat intro right from the start. Equally impressive was how they included a more acoustic-oriented song, “Journeyman,” at the end. As I see it, a song like that is an ideal way to end an album. No matter which way you look at it, each and every song is worth every second of the listen, and none of them make the listener want to skip over to the next. I will definitely say that if you prefer simple verse-chorus structured songs, then this album is most likely not for you. Bruce Dickinson sounds as great on this album as he ever did on any ‘80s-era Iron Maiden album, distributing every corner of his vocal range across every song. He could be blasting the high notes one minute, and then soothing the listener into dreamland the next. The guitar work is highly complex as always, especially that which is pulled off by the legendary Adrian Smith, be it with super-fast, technical shredding, or steady, emotional flowing. Honestly, no song that does not have that top-notch guitar complexity, virtuosity and layering is worthy of being called a true Iron Maiden song, no questions asked. Altogether, the musicians clearly demonstrate how much of a team effort any true metal band, or any true band in general, truly is, and that cooperation, heart, and soul really do make all the difference when it comes to making true, honest ART. The fact that Iron Maiden has proven, and continue to prove, that they care so much about continuing to make music, just goes to show what true music is really all about. With this album, as well as with all their others, they make it clear that money and fame ARE NOT what matter, and that it is really the skill, talent, heart and soul that REALLY matter. True, they have garnered world-wide acclaim and commercial success, but they themselves always have and always will care first and foremost about the MUSIC, and not the money. They have touched the hearts of millions the world over, and no one can ever deny their importance as a band in the history of quality music. There is a reason that people still listen to and talk about them in reverential tones, even to this day. The same will never be able to be said about any of those awful nu-metal and metalcore bands, and certainly not any of those no-talent pop hacks, DJs, and rappers who continue to pollute the airwaves. I should not even have to say that, because that is just common sense. Anyways, if you call yourself a Maiden fan, or a fan of great, quality music in general, then you definitely need to get this album without delay. Maiden deserve all the love they can get. Just stop reading this review and buy the album already! You know you want to! UP THE IRONS!!! \M/\M/

Zunächst einmal, ich bin Iron Maiden Fan der jüngeren Generation. Die Zeiten um Powerslave, Piece of Mind usw. habe ich nicht aktiv miterlebt. Deswegen neige ich vielleicht dazu, auch die 2000er Werke der Band sehr zu mögen und sie fast mit den Meisterwerken auf eine Stufe zu stellen. Lange Zeit habe ich von Dance of Death die Finger gelassen. Habe sie erst vor kurzem bestellt. Vorher kannte ich nur den Track "Paschendale" von diesem Album. Das miese Coverartwork und die schlechten Kritiken haben mich immer von einem Kauf abgehalten. Dance of Death ist ein exzellentes Album. Es ist keine 2. Brave New World, sie ist weniger euphorisch. Aber härter, deutlicher und sie kommt ohne diese Euphorie auch mindestens genauso gut rüber. Den Sound empfinde ich als etwas aggressiver, die Songs sind nicht weniger ausdrucksstark als die von der Brave New World. Natürlich kann man Dance of Death nicht auf eine Stufe stellen mit den 80er Jahre-Werken der Band, das wäre auch vermessen. Aber die Umstände sind anders. Die Zeiten haben sich geändert und seitdem Bruce zurückgekehrt ist 2000, ist die Musik von Iron Maiden progressiver geworden, eben anders geworden. Die Geschichten, die Steve & Co. mit den Songs kreieren, sind genial. Der Titeltrack Dance of Death hat meiner Meinung nach eine der genialsten Melodien, die Maiden je geschrieben haben. Die Texte sind komplex, manchmal etwas abstrakt, regen aber immer zum Nachdenken an, haben etwas positives und mitreißendes. Mir gefällt Dance of Death sehr gut. Ich respektiere jede andere Meinung zu diesem Album. Und das Cover ist schon beinahe so schlecht, dass es fast schon wieder... aber egal.