Most legendary bands reach an inevitable point in their career, when they are struck with the realization that their days of artistic glory are over. Though their latest releases sell well, the band is loved mostly for the achievements they made 20-30 years ago. They realize that they have gained the "legend" status and cannot perform concerts without playing their old hits and set a limit to experimentation to preserve their "classic" sound which the fans have grown to love over the years. With Book of Souls, Iron Maiden boldly refuses to be such a band and proves they're still the unstoppable force they were in the 80s.
Book of Souls is beyond anything we could have expected. Creating 90 minutes of sheer theatrical epic-ness is, by no means, an easily achievable task, but Maiden makes it seem effortlessly simple. Though the lyrics follow the same old signature Maiden themes of battles and adventures accompanied by melodic dual-guitar, soaring dramatic vocals and of course bad-ass bass-lines, the album sounds more grandiose and ambitious than anything the band's done before. The 18-minute closing track Empire of Clouds stands as proof.
Starting off with Bruce Dickinson singing over a lone piano harmony, the song builds itself up slowly, with guitars and drums kicking in, into a beautiful metal symphony. It is nothing less than watching a long spellbinding theater performance.
The Red And The Black is another gem. Throughout its length of 13 minutes, with its clever riffs and Bruce's vocal delivery, the song keeps you captivated. The "Whoa oh oh oh" chants are just infectious.
The mid-sized tracks on the album, are just as strong, the opener If Eternity Should Fail, being my favorite out of them.
If you are one of those people who lost faith in the power of Maiden, after listening to their previous album The Final Frontier, you definitely need to hear Book of Souls. Though they've made it 40 years into their career, the album is one of their best.
Favorite Songs: If Eternity Should Fail, Empire of Clouds, Book of Souls, Red and the Black
Rating: 8.5/10Starting off with Bruce Dickinson singing over a lone piano harmony, the song builds itself up slowly, with guitars and drums kicking in, into a beautiful metal symphony. It is nothing less than watching a long spellbinding theater performance.
The Red And The Black is another gem. Throughout its length of 13 minutes, with its clever riffs and Bruce's vocal delivery, the song keeps you captivated. The "Whoa oh oh oh" chants are just infectious.
The mid-sized tracks on the album, are just as strong, the opener If Eternity Should Fail, being my favorite out of them.
If you are one of those people who lost faith in the power of Maiden, after listening to their previous album The Final Frontier, you definitely need to hear Book of Souls. Though they've made it 40 years into their career, the album is one of their best.
Favorite Songs: If Eternity Should Fail, Empire of Clouds, Book of Souls, Red and the Black
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