On August 17th, 2010, the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden released their 15th album, The Final Frontier. For this review, I'm going to go track by track on the album and go into each song. Here's some general information about the album. It is 76 minutes long, which makes it Maiden's longest album ever, 2006's A Matter of Life and Death is the second longest which is 71 minutes long. I myself have been waiting for this album to come out for a long time, and i really hope it isn't their final album, which might be foreshadowed by the album cover. But i don't think that is a possibility, because as long as Steve Harris is alive and well, there will always be an Iron Maiden. Now to the review.
1. Satellite 15.....The Final Frontier
This song is one of those songs that has two parts to it, like Megadeth's Holy Wars......The Punishment Due. The first half starts off with Nicko McBrains drumming and the distortion of guitars. Some people might hate the first half of the song, but personally i love it. Around the 4:45 mark on the song, The Final Frontier starts, which sounds like a Maiden classic. Anyone going to see Maiden in the future should expect them to start off concerts with this song. The only gripe I have about the song is that the chorus is just Bruce Dickinson singing The Final Frontier, but that is a very minor problem with the song.
2. El Dorado
El Dorado starts off with a jam of sorts, then goes into the heavy gallop that Iron Maiden always has on their songs. It has a great chorus and the solo's are great on the song. It is one of the heavier songs on the album which is good, because without it the album would definately be worse. Bruce sings the crap out of this song, and seeing it live makes it that much better, expect to be seeing this in Maiden setlists for the foreseeable future. I just don't understand how El Dorado goes with a space themed album, but most of the other songs don't go along with it either.
3. Mother of Mercy
This is a Maiden classic. Period. This is the best song off this album, I hate to say this, but i don't think that Iron Maiden will be playing any of the other songs off this album live, these first three are the most concert worthy and they are the most mainstream sounding. But the song starts off with some beautiful guitar, they gets heavy, this song sounds like another of their epic songs like Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Stranger In a Strange Land. I say this a lot about Iron Maiden, but Bruce sings his heart out on this song, and the whole album.
4. Coming Home
You can tell that Bruce Dickinson had something to do with the writing of this song, it's about coming home from a flight. Now if you don't know, Bruce Dickinson is a trained pilot, and it's easy to tell this is about him. This is the only real ballad of the album(which is good, ballads most of the time suck), it's quite heavy for a ballad, so i give it a reccomendation.
5. The Alchemist
Right after the somewhat slow ballad, is a song that sounds like it could fit on an album like Piece of Mind or Powerslave. It has the same fast catchy quality of those two albums song's. It sounds great and is about some guy that is a sailor and an alchemist. I really like this song, as i love classic Maiden. The guitar is great and doesn't sound crappy. The lyrics really flow together also.
6. Isle of Avalon
Now starts the epic parts of the album, the shortest song from now on is, Starblind which is 7:46 long. Isle of Avalon is another of the classic songs off the album, it sounds like it could fit in on Dance of Death or A Matter of Life and Death. It's got the same epic quality that songs like Paschendale and The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg have. The chorus is absolutely awesome and the solo after the first chorus is great, then the prog rockish breakdown after the solo is unlike Iron Maiden, but I absolutely love it. Fans of Rush or any prog rock band should love this song.
7. Starblind
The beginning of the song sounds almost dreamlike or spacelike. The riff after the opening lines is awesome, and Bruce is a god on this song. It sounds like nothing i've heard before from Maiden, the chorus is great, and the guitar work from Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, and Dave Murray are great on this song. Another of the great songs off this album.
8. The Talisman
Starting off with a folky type of guitar at the beginning, it goes from soft to dark and brooding, despite being 9 minutes long, this song goes by fast, Bruce bellows out the vocals. It explodes after the beginning with a riff that sounds like it should be on A Matter of Life and Death, the guitar work is really great on this song. The song is one of the faster songs on the album, but it's still 9 minutes long. Might i mention the drumming of Nicko McBrain, which is superb, he is still one of the best in Metal.
9. The Man Who Would Be King
I hate to say it about this awesome song, but it is my least favorite on the album. That's not saying that the song is bad, it's not my favorite on the album. After the slow, beautiful opening, it goes into doom sounding chords and then goes into the great chorus and solo's for the songs. It's not really what i expected after the beginning, but it's still a very good song nonetheless.
10. When The Wild Wind Blows
This is the most beautiful song that Iron Maiden has ever written. It's a disaster/end of the world epic, but it's not as dark as some would expect, i really have to say that i like this song more than the darker heavier songs on the album. Bruce Dickinson shows his great vocal range especially near the end of the song. It's sort of depressing but so beautiful at the same time. It's not about the end of the world itself, but the end of the human race. It's definately my favorite song off the album, which might surprise people. This will be a song that i really hope that they play live.
Verdict: I think that this is the best album that Maiden has written since Seventh Son of a Seventh Son(1988). That's saying a lot. It's so musically diverse, and there is a song for everyone on the album. For the first time, there is not a bad song on this album. Most Maiden albums have at least 1 bad filler song, this album doesn't have any of that. I personally hope that they do what they did with A Matter of Life and Death in 2006 and play the whole album live in order, it's that good. I have no problem giving this a reccommendation to anyone. To clarify, I said that Mother of Mercy is the best song off the album, it is but it's not my favorite.
10/10 perfect
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Expendables(minor spoilers)
A few months ago, i was searching on imdb.com, and i ran across the page for this movie. I saw how it had almost every action star from the 80's and 90's. It was almost an action movie fan's wet dream. Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, Randy Couture, and cameo's from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. I knew it was going to be an awesome movie.
Now, yesterday I watched the movie with my parents(rated R), for the people that are worried about seeing this with your parents, it has no nudity only violence. As soon as the movie starts, you are thrown into the action. You see the whole team, but right from the start you see that Statham and Stallone are the two friends in the team. They take out some pirates that have abducted some people. Then the movie really picks up.
I want to start here saying that i absolutely despise CG. This movie probably only uses CG for the explosions and the death effects. Other than that it is flawless only using miniatures and human stunts. The stunts in the movie are great, from every gunfight to every fist fight they are done perfectly. Also the choreography is spot on, the best examples of this are when Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren are fighting, it's brute strength versus finnesse. But the best fight is probably the two fights with Steve Austin versus Randy Couture and Stallone.
Even though Terry Crews is only in the movie for a small amount of screen time, he is great. His story about his "girlfriend", his AA12 shotgun, is awesome when he's bantering with Randy Couture. If there is a sequel to this movie, i really hope he has more screen time.
Mickey Rourke's character in the movie is also perfect, he's the old mentor to the whole team, and he gives them the mission, and even though he doesn't fight with the team, he's great. Also going in, i thought that Randy Couture would be the weak link in the cast, because he doesn't have any acting experience, but he really does a great job, showing that MMA fighters can be actors too. The scene with Stallone, Willis, and Schwarzenegger is wonderful, putting together the three best action actors in the 80's and 90's.
In closing, The Expendables is a movie that is a feast for the eyes and will kick your ass all the way through. I highly recommend this movie to any action movie fan, or someone who wants a good time. It doesn't take itself seriously, and that's a good thing.
Now, yesterday I watched the movie with my parents(rated R), for the people that are worried about seeing this with your parents, it has no nudity only violence. As soon as the movie starts, you are thrown into the action. You see the whole team, but right from the start you see that Statham and Stallone are the two friends in the team. They take out some pirates that have abducted some people. Then the movie really picks up.
I want to start here saying that i absolutely despise CG. This movie probably only uses CG for the explosions and the death effects. Other than that it is flawless only using miniatures and human stunts. The stunts in the movie are great, from every gunfight to every fist fight they are done perfectly. Also the choreography is spot on, the best examples of this are when Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren are fighting, it's brute strength versus finnesse. But the best fight is probably the two fights with Steve Austin versus Randy Couture and Stallone.
Even though Terry Crews is only in the movie for a small amount of screen time, he is great. His story about his "girlfriend", his AA12 shotgun, is awesome when he's bantering with Randy Couture. If there is a sequel to this movie, i really hope he has more screen time.
Mickey Rourke's character in the movie is also perfect, he's the old mentor to the whole team, and he gives them the mission, and even though he doesn't fight with the team, he's great. Also going in, i thought that Randy Couture would be the weak link in the cast, because he doesn't have any acting experience, but he really does a great job, showing that MMA fighters can be actors too. The scene with Stallone, Willis, and Schwarzenegger is wonderful, putting together the three best action actors in the 80's and 90's.
In closing, The Expendables is a movie that is a feast for the eyes and will kick your ass all the way through. I highly recommend this movie to any action movie fan, or someone who wants a good time. It doesn't take itself seriously, and that's a good thing.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Top 10 Iron Maiden songs I want to see played live
First off, i'm going to say that i did not think of this list by myself, the podcaster Mike C. from the Maiden Fan Podcast gave me the idea after his latest podcast. The list will comprise of the top ten songs I want Maiden to play live. Some of these songs i know for sure that they will never play live, and some of them i will still hold on to the last bit of hope i have. I have seen Maiden twice now and i was lucky enough to see them on their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, where they played many songs that i thought that i would never see played live. On to the list.
10. Chains of Misery
This song might be a big surprise for some people, just because it's not a song that most would pick to see Maiden play live. It's not one of their best, but it just has a catchy quality that some Iron Maiden songs have, and Bruce Dickinson sings the living hell out of this song on the album. It's off the 1992 album Fear of the Dark. Which also happens to be the last Iron Maiden album to feature Bruce Dickinson until 2000's Brave New World
9. Tailgunner
Coming back to more late Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden albums. This is off their 1989 album No Prayer for the Dying. This song has a special place in my heart for Iron Maiden, because it happens to be my first favorite song by Iron Maiden. Now that's not saying much because my favorite Iron Maiden song revolves more than Connor Boyd's group of friends revolves with girlfriends(inside joke) It starts off with a thumping guitar, and it continues with the Air Raid Siren himself Bruce Dickinson singing the living hell out of the chorus'. The guitar solo's aren't half bad either.
8. Alexander the Great
This song being this low on the list might surprise the major fanatics of Iron Maiden. I put it here because I only really started listening to this song about 2 months ago. Every time i tried to listen to it before, the speech by Alexander's father threw me off and i would always skip it. After a few listens i realize why Maiden fans want them to play this song live so bad, it flat out kicks ass. But the reality is that the man of Iron Maiden Steve Harris(bassist) said that they would never play this song live, ever. The lyrics would be quite difficult to sing for Bruce Dickinson, so for all the Maiden fans holding out hope to hear this, it's a very grim chance that you'll hear it.
7. Virus
Now to some Blaze Bayley era Iron Maiden. Blaze Bayley was the replacement singer for Iron Maiden when Bruce Dickinson left the band in 1993. The 1996 greatest Hits compilation called Best of the Beast was the only album to feature this song. Blaze Bayley really puts emotion into the song especially into the chorus of the song, which you really have to listen to to experience. The solo screams Iron Maiden, but sadly I don't think that Iron Maiden will ever play this song live unless Blaze rejoins the band, which is at a percentage of 0.
666. 22 Acacia Avenue
This is the fourth track off of the classic Maiden album Number of the Beast. Iron Maiden usually plays some songs off this album in their usual concerts. But the second song off of the Charlot the Harlot quadrilogy of songs(Charlot the Harlot, 22 Acacia Avenue, Hooks in You, and From Here to Eternity) they never seem to play, actually come to think of it, they don't play any of these songs anymore. Now that's what i wish, for them to play all 4 of them in a row, as a story. Now the latter two songs only mention her vaguely, but still that would be awesome. The song is sung quite well by Bruce, and it's one of Maiden's heavier songs.
5. Still Life
Off of 1983's classic Piece of Mind, this song starts the beginning of the 4 songs that most people don't recognize off of this album. I think of The Trooper and Die With Your Boots On when i think of this album, but after The Trooper comes this song, with the backwords opening of drummer Nicko McBrain criticizing the backwards words on other songs. After the slow beginning, it goes to classic Maiden with great dual harmonies and Bruce Dickinson singing like a madman. I just wish that Maiden would do what some metal bands are doing today, and just play all the songs off of one album, like Piece of Mind for example.
4. The Prisoner
Based off of the TV show of the same name, The Prisoner is off the 1982 album Number of the Beast, this song is hard and heavy right from when the drums kick in. It keeps kicking your ass all the way to the end of the track. I know that Iron Maiden has played this song live before, but it hasn't been in my lifetime and i would love to see them play this, it's just a magical song that Bruce sings like crazy, and the interlude into the solo will make you shit your pants from awesomeness.
3. Holy Smoke
Back to the 1989 album No Prayer for the Dying, this song is the second track and it follows the hard and heavy WW2 track of Tailgunner, with more classic Iron Maiden. This song is about TV avengelists, which are the priests that go on TV and try to get your money. It's about the crooked and unjust priests that take the money for their own pocket or do crazy stuff outside of TV that you wouldn't expect a priest to do. To get the full experience of the song, you have to watch the music video which is just hilarious. But this song i think would be perfect live, to replace Wrathchild(which is overplayed as hell in my opinion) on their setlists, it's only three and a half minutes long and it's a classic short and sweet Iron Maiden song.
2. Tie, The Clansman and Futureal
These two songs off the 1998 album Virtual XI(11) are, in my opinion, the most classic Blaze Bayley era Iron Maiden songs. These two songs are very different, but they are both classic and i can't take them apart. The Clansman might be the most epic song i have ever heard. It's about the scottish clans fighting for their freedom, and is supposedly written about the movie Braveheart. The chorus of this song has to be experienced by every metal fan in the world. Futureal is a short but sweet song(Iron Maiden has a lot of these) and whether it's sung by Blaze or Bruce, they both sing the shit out of it. Both these songs should be in Iron Maiden's setlist everytime they go out on tour.
1. Stranger in a Strange Land
Now on to the final song of the list. This track off the 1986 album Somewhere in Time, is truly a masterpiece of Iron Maiden. The song, written by Adrian Smith(guitarist), is really the best song that Iron Maiden never plays. They've played it a few times, but it really should be apart of every setlist, the solo for this song is the best Iron Maiden solo they've ever written and performed. Bruce Dickinson once again puts everything he has into singing this song. Adrian Smith shreds the solo to pieces, please, PLEASE Iron Maiden play this song live. But sadly, Adrian Smith said that he would never play this song ever agian.
That's it for the list, hope you liked it.
UP THE IRONS
Bye bye
10. Chains of Misery
This song might be a big surprise for some people, just because it's not a song that most would pick to see Maiden play live. It's not one of their best, but it just has a catchy quality that some Iron Maiden songs have, and Bruce Dickinson sings the living hell out of this song on the album. It's off the 1992 album Fear of the Dark. Which also happens to be the last Iron Maiden album to feature Bruce Dickinson until 2000's Brave New World
9. Tailgunner
Coming back to more late Bruce Dickinson Iron Maiden albums. This is off their 1989 album No Prayer for the Dying. This song has a special place in my heart for Iron Maiden, because it happens to be my first favorite song by Iron Maiden. Now that's not saying much because my favorite Iron Maiden song revolves more than Connor Boyd's group of friends revolves with girlfriends(inside joke) It starts off with a thumping guitar, and it continues with the Air Raid Siren himself Bruce Dickinson singing the living hell out of the chorus'. The guitar solo's aren't half bad either.
8. Alexander the Great
This song being this low on the list might surprise the major fanatics of Iron Maiden. I put it here because I only really started listening to this song about 2 months ago. Every time i tried to listen to it before, the speech by Alexander's father threw me off and i would always skip it. After a few listens i realize why Maiden fans want them to play this song live so bad, it flat out kicks ass. But the reality is that the man of Iron Maiden Steve Harris(bassist) said that they would never play this song live, ever. The lyrics would be quite difficult to sing for Bruce Dickinson, so for all the Maiden fans holding out hope to hear this, it's a very grim chance that you'll hear it.
7. Virus
Now to some Blaze Bayley era Iron Maiden. Blaze Bayley was the replacement singer for Iron Maiden when Bruce Dickinson left the band in 1993. The 1996 greatest Hits compilation called Best of the Beast was the only album to feature this song. Blaze Bayley really puts emotion into the song especially into the chorus of the song, which you really have to listen to to experience. The solo screams Iron Maiden, but sadly I don't think that Iron Maiden will ever play this song live unless Blaze rejoins the band, which is at a percentage of 0.
666. 22 Acacia Avenue
This is the fourth track off of the classic Maiden album Number of the Beast. Iron Maiden usually plays some songs off this album in their usual concerts. But the second song off of the Charlot the Harlot quadrilogy of songs(Charlot the Harlot, 22 Acacia Avenue, Hooks in You, and From Here to Eternity) they never seem to play, actually come to think of it, they don't play any of these songs anymore. Now that's what i wish, for them to play all 4 of them in a row, as a story. Now the latter two songs only mention her vaguely, but still that would be awesome. The song is sung quite well by Bruce, and it's one of Maiden's heavier songs.
5. Still Life
Off of 1983's classic Piece of Mind, this song starts the beginning of the 4 songs that most people don't recognize off of this album. I think of The Trooper and Die With Your Boots On when i think of this album, but after The Trooper comes this song, with the backwords opening of drummer Nicko McBrain criticizing the backwards words on other songs. After the slow beginning, it goes to classic Maiden with great dual harmonies and Bruce Dickinson singing like a madman. I just wish that Maiden would do what some metal bands are doing today, and just play all the songs off of one album, like Piece of Mind for example.
4. The Prisoner
Based off of the TV show of the same name, The Prisoner is off the 1982 album Number of the Beast, this song is hard and heavy right from when the drums kick in. It keeps kicking your ass all the way to the end of the track. I know that Iron Maiden has played this song live before, but it hasn't been in my lifetime and i would love to see them play this, it's just a magical song that Bruce sings like crazy, and the interlude into the solo will make you shit your pants from awesomeness.
3. Holy Smoke
Back to the 1989 album No Prayer for the Dying, this song is the second track and it follows the hard and heavy WW2 track of Tailgunner, with more classic Iron Maiden. This song is about TV avengelists, which are the priests that go on TV and try to get your money. It's about the crooked and unjust priests that take the money for their own pocket or do crazy stuff outside of TV that you wouldn't expect a priest to do. To get the full experience of the song, you have to watch the music video which is just hilarious. But this song i think would be perfect live, to replace Wrathchild(which is overplayed as hell in my opinion) on their setlists, it's only three and a half minutes long and it's a classic short and sweet Iron Maiden song.
2. Tie, The Clansman and Futureal
These two songs off the 1998 album Virtual XI(11) are, in my opinion, the most classic Blaze Bayley era Iron Maiden songs. These two songs are very different, but they are both classic and i can't take them apart. The Clansman might be the most epic song i have ever heard. It's about the scottish clans fighting for their freedom, and is supposedly written about the movie Braveheart. The chorus of this song has to be experienced by every metal fan in the world. Futureal is a short but sweet song(Iron Maiden has a lot of these) and whether it's sung by Blaze or Bruce, they both sing the shit out of it. Both these songs should be in Iron Maiden's setlist everytime they go out on tour.
1. Stranger in a Strange Land
Now on to the final song of the list. This track off the 1986 album Somewhere in Time, is truly a masterpiece of Iron Maiden. The song, written by Adrian Smith(guitarist), is really the best song that Iron Maiden never plays. They've played it a few times, but it really should be apart of every setlist, the solo for this song is the best Iron Maiden solo they've ever written and performed. Bruce Dickinson once again puts everything he has into singing this song. Adrian Smith shreds the solo to pieces, please, PLEASE Iron Maiden play this song live. But sadly, Adrian Smith said that he would never play this song ever agian.
That's it for the list, hope you liked it.
UP THE IRONS
Bye bye
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