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RAVEN – Walk Through Fire
Raven – Walk Through Fire (2010, Metal Blade Records)
Original Release: 2009, King Records (Japan only)
1. “Intro” … 0:52
2. “Against The Grain” … 3:52
3. “Breaking You Down” … 3:02
4. “Under Your Radar” … 4:05
5. “Walk Through Fire” … 3:20
6. “Bulldozer” … 3:53
7. “Long Day’s Journey” … 4:50
8. “Trainwreck” … 3:34
9. “Grip” … 3:31
10. “Running Around In Circles” … 3:40
11. “Hard Road” … 3:45
12. “Armageddon” … 6:31
13. “Attitude” … 3:24
14. “Space Station #5″ … 4:01
BONUS TRACKS
15. “Live At The Inferno” [live] … 4:17
16. “Rock Until You Drop” [live] … 5:32
Band:
John Gallagher – Vocals, Bass
Mark Gallagher – Guitar
Joe Hasselvander – Drums
Producer: Raven
This album was originally released exclusively in Japan in 2009 but received European/U.S. releases in 2010. I’m American and I have the American version that features two new bonus tracks, so that’s good enough to call this a 2010 album for me. Previous to buying this album, I owned only one Raven release — their debut Rock Until You Drop. It was okay but didn’t thrill me enough to catch up on the rest of their catalog. Still, I was willing to give this new release a try, even willing to buy the Japanese import but it was so expensive. I was relieved to hear a U.S. distribution deal was finally secured for this album.
Though I haven’t followed Raven’s career, I can at least report this album continues the NWBOHM meets early thrash/speed style they started with. For anyone else unfamiliar with this band, the closest comparison I can think of is Anvil. Both bands have that New Wave British metal sound while slightly pushing it to the limit and into the territories of speed & trash metal. I’m particularly impressed with John Gallagher’s high pitch vocals. It adds to the charm of this old school metal release.
Though this album isn’t going to make my Top 10 for the year, it’s still a fun heavy energetic listen carried by John’s vocals and great guitars. Hardcore Raven fans should be very pleased.
I hate this album cover, it’s so cheap looking but it appears they were maybe giving a nod to previous album covers for All For One and Live At The Inferno. In another bit of annoyance “Necessary Evil”, a new studio track, was left off the European/U.S. releases and replaced with two live “bonus” tracks. Frankly, I would have rather had a listen at another new song especially when John’s voice seems strained on “Rock Until You Drop” and the crowd seems rather subdued (small?).
Highlights: “Against The Grain’, “Under Your Radar”, “Long Day’s Journey”, “Trainwreck”, “Hard Road”
http://www.ravenlunatics.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ravenlunatics
DEF LEPPARD – Hysteria
Def Leppard – Hysteria (1987, Mercury Records)
1. “Women” … 5:41
2. “Rocket” … 6:37
3. “Animal” … 4:02
4. “Love Bites” … 5:46
5. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” … 4:25
6. “Armageddon It” … 5:21
7. “Gods of War” … 6:37
8. “Don’t Shoot Shotgun” … 4:26
9. “Run Riot” … 4:39
10. “Hysteria” … 5:54
11. “Excitable” … 4:19
12. “Love and Affection” … 4:37
Band:
Joe Elliot – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Phil Collen – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Steve Clark – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Savage – Bass, Backing Vocals
Rick Allen – Drums
Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange
What can I say? This album is a pop-metal masterpiece on par with Def Leppard’s previous release Pyromania (I should really extend my “review” of that album). And like that album, SEVEN singles were released from this album all of which were hits and most of which can still be heard on radio and dominating Def Leppard’s live set to this day. I think “Women” is the only single the band doesn’t don’t play as much and I know it’s too long to have gotten play on pop stations but I think “God of War” could’ve done really well on rock radio and “Love and Affection” should’ve been a single as well.
I just recently bought this album. I held off on it for so long because I know most of these songs already practically every rock fan does whether they own the album or not. I first heard the complete album around 1999 when I was visiting a friend in Virginia who had recently picked up a used copy on CD. I always drag my feet on picking essential albums when I know them so well, for so long I couldn’t bring myself to pick up an album where I already knew half of it extensively.
Well, I was browsing Best Buy and had a $25 gift card, saw it for $9.99 and grabbed it. I know there’s a deluxe super duper remixed remastered bonus tracks edition available (and having heard it, I can say the bonus stuff is actually really good) but it goes for $25-30 most of the time. I’m fine with owning the original material and nothing else in order to shave off $15-20. Maybe years from now if it hits that $10-15 range I’ll get it.
I’m having a hard time deciding whether this album or Pyromania is their best. Pyromania set the blue print, Hysteria has sold more (though not by much), both seemed to equally be hailed as not only the best Def Leppard album but as one of rock’s best as well. I think I slightly lean towards Pyromania just based on the fact that most of the singles on this album have been played and played and played and played so much more than anything from Pyromania and with me at least when songs are overplayed as much as these, they tend to lose impact. Still great songs but it’s like “yeah yeah, I could go a few years without hearing this song”.
Hysteria was certainly my introduction to the band. I can remember watching “Pour Some Sugar On Me” on MTV (I would’ve turned SIX not too long after it was released) and I’ve always felt a close connection to “Hysteria” and “Love Bites”. Those are the three singles I remember most from those days. By the way, I HATE the “Animal” music video. I can’t believe they still do the whole circus theme on the video screens when they play it live.
Now, there is some filler on this album. “Don’t Shoot Shotgun” (which is just an odd title to me), “Run Riot” and “Excitable” are fairly uninspired and make the album feel bloated. They should’ve gone for 9 or 10 tracks like they did with Pyromania.
Highlights: “Women”, “Rocket”, “Animal”, “Love Bites”, “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Armageddon It”, “Gods of War”, “Hysteria”, “Love and Affection”
WHITE WIZZARD – Over The Top
White Wizzard – Over the Top (2010, Earache Records)
1. “Over the Top” … 5:08
2. “40 Deuces” … 4:35
3. “High Roller” … 4:35
4. “Live Free or Die” … 5:35
5. “Iron Goddess of Vengeance” … 7:33
6. “Out of Control” … 4:01
7. “Strike of the Viper” … 4:05
8. “Death Race” … 4:21
9. “White Wizzard” … 6:58
Band:
Wyatt “Screaming Demon” Anderson – Vocals
Erik Kluiber – Guitar
Chad Bryan – Guitar
Jon Leon – Bass, Guitar
Giovanni Durst – Drums
Producer: Ralph Patlan
White Wizzard is a band based in L.A. that is a part of the whole “retro metal” scene that basically tries to relive the 1980s. Is there anything with that? NO!!! The type of style they played is heavily influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. This is the band’s first album, though they had a self-titled EP released in 2008 which was later re-released in 2009 as High Speed GTO.
With the release High Speed GTO, that’s when myself and many others first began to notice the band. The song “High Speed GTO” was, dare I say it, a high-octane heavy metal song which helped the EP garner some high praise. I didn’t buy the EP though because I was holding out for Over the Top thinking “High Speed GTO” would be included.
This is actually the second incarnation of White Wizzard with the band’s founder, Jon Leon, being the sole holdover from the EP sessions. He had fired the original band and then decided to carry on with an all-new White Wizzard after “High Speed GTO” made it’s way onto an Earache metal compilation. Honestly, I much prefer Wyatt “Screaming Demon” Anderson’s vocals over their previous singer anyway (who wasn’t a bad singer at all), so it all works out.
The band doesn’t break new ground, this is entirely retro with no attempts to modernize NWOBHM. These guys are fans of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, NWOBHM in general and it shows. “40 Deuces” and the epic “Iron Goddess of Vengeance” sound like Iron Maiden and the bass heard throughout some of these songs definitely is reminiscent of Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris.
This is a very good traditional heavy metal album by a very good and young metal band. Hopefully they can sustain the momentum High Speed GTO started for them and stick around for years to come.
There’s a limited edition featuring two covers: Cloven Hoof’s “Gates of Gehenna” and Judas Priest’s “Heading Out to the Highway”. I didn’t realize there was a limited edition until buying this version but I checked out “Heading Out to the Highway” on YouTube and it’s good and faithful to the original.
Highlights: “Over the Top”, “40 Deuces”, “Iron Goddess of Vengeance”, “Strike of the Viper”, “White Wizzard”
http://whitewizzard.net/
http://www.myspace.com/whitewizzard
JUDAS PRIEST – Sin After Sin
Judas Priest – Sin After Sin [Remastered] (2001, Sony Music/Legacy Recordings)
Original Release: 1977, Columbia Records
1. “Sinner” … 6:45
2. “Diamonds and Rust” … 3:27
3. “Starbreaker” … 4:49
4. “Last Rose of Summer” … 5:38
5. “Let Us Prey/Call For The Priest” … 6:12
6. “Raw Deal” … 6:00
7. “Here Come the Tears” … 4:37
8. “Dissident Aggressor” … 3:06
BONUS TRACKS
9. “Race With The Devil” … 3:06
10. “Jawbreaker” (Live) … 4:02
Band:
Rob Halford – Vocals
K.K. Downing – Guitar
Glenn Tipton – Guitar, Piano
Ian Hill - Bass
Simon Phillips – Drums
Producer: Roger Glover and Judas Priest
Sin After Sin is Priest’s first major-label album. It is also one of the first Priest albums I had in my collection so I’ve always had a soft spot for it. I remember listening to this one a lot while I was on my own in Virginia attending a community college. Heck, I remember “Last Rose of Summer” playing in my car during that winter while I pulled into a Wendy’s drive-thru. Funny how the most random stuff sticks with you through the years, isn’t it?
By this point, the band was already starting to perfect their sound. “Sinner” and “Starbreaker” (what a cool title) are early Priest classics and I’ve always loved their cover of Joan Baez’s “Diamonds and Rust”. It wasn’t until many years later that I heard the original and I think it’s a pretty awful song. It’s amazing that Priest was able to work their magic with it. They totally made it their own.
The rest of the album is very good featuring Priest straddling the line between the early stages of heavy metal and what we would now call classic rock. The only stinker is “Last Rose of Summer”. Looking back at all the things the band has done since then, it just seems like a really weird song for them to record. They are no strangers to tossing a ballad or two our way even to this day, but this one is a very strange ’70s trippy number. “Here Come the Tears” is much more in line with the standard Priest ballad format but also features some great sorrowful wailing from Halford. I love his performance on this song. Then you’ve got fan favorite and early metal classic “Dissident Aggressor” which is pretty heavy even in this day and age, so I cannot even begin to imagine what this song must have sounded like to virgin ears!
All told, this is a classic release and essential for any fan of Priest and heavy metal in general. The seeds were being sown for the future and this album doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
Highlights: “Sinner”, “Diamonds and Rust”, “Starbreaker”, “Here Come the Tears”, “Dissident Aggressor”
JUDAS PRIEST – Screaming for Vengeance
Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance (1982, Columbia Records)
1. “The Hellion” … 0:41
2. “Electric Eye” … 3:39
3. “Riding on the Wind” … 3:07
4. “Bloodstone” … 3:51
5. “(Take These) Chains” … 3:07
6. “Pain and Pleasure” … 4:17
7. “Screaming for Vengeance” … 4:43
8. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” … 5:09
9. “Fever” … 5:20
10. “Devil’s Child” … 4:48
Band:
Rob Halford – Vocals
K.K. Downing – Guitar
Glenn Tipton – Guitar
Ian Hill – Bass
Dave Holland – Drums
Producer: Tom Allom
This album was a great way to start my Judas Priest obsession. I bought it back in 1998 and I remember going up to Virginia to visit friends during winter break and making one of them play this in his car as we drove around town. Good times!
There were a number of tracks that I instantly fell in love with. The killer 1-2 combo of “The Hellion” and “Electric Eye” is legendary. “(Take These) Chains” I always thought was really good and pretty underrated. Priest is really good at writing haunting ballads. “Bloodstone” I think is another Priest gem. Of course, even years before this album I was familiar with “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” (freakin’ Burger King feature it in a commercial at one point!).
The album is a great return to classic material after the unimpressive Point of Entry, but it sees the band caught in the middle of transition from ’70s heavy metal act to ’80s commercial metal act. With their next few releases, the band streamlined and glossed up their sound and kept looking for a mainstream hit.
As good as this album is and as popular as it is (going double platinum, Priest’s best-selling album), it jump-started an era of the band that some people do not like. Personally, I love their slick synthesizer-heavy albums of the ’80s.
Highlights: “The Hellion”, “Electric Eye”, “Riding on the Wind”, “Bloodstone”, “(Take These) Chains”, “Screaming for Vengeance”, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”
RIOT – Thundersteel
Riot – Thundersteel (1988, CBS Records)
1. “Thundersteel” … 3:49
2. “Fight or Fall” … 4:25
3. “Sign of the Crimson Storm” … 4:40
4. “Flight of the Warrior” … 4:17
5. “On Wings of Eagles” … 5:41
6. “Johnny’s Back” … 5:32
7. “Bloodstreets” … 4:39
8. “Run For Your Life” … 4:08
9. “Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)” … 8:55
Band:
Tony Moore – Vocals
Mark Reale – Guitar
Don Van Stavern – Bass
Bobby Jarzombek – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Mark Edwards – Drums (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7)
Producer: Steve Loeb, Rob Hui and Mark Reale
What was I thinking ?!?!?! Never judge an album by its cover because then you miss out on some great music! That’s a lesson I’ve learned quite well with Riot. Despite reading for years that they were a great American NWOBHM-style band, I never bothered picking any release up. The main reason? Those awful album covers. I can’t think of any other band that has had so much terrible cover art. It really put me off and had me thinking these guys were cheap, cheesy metal that was not worth my time. How wrong I’ve been proven with Fire Down Under and now Thundersteel!
Out of the two Riot releases I’ve heard so far, Thundersteel is definitely my favorite. Fire Down Under saw the band in fully entrenched in New Wave of British Heavy Metal coming off like Diamond Head, but Thundersteel has a blend of NWOBHM, power metal and a more traditional ’80s metal sound that brings to mind Helloween, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
This was Riot’s “comeback” album after not having released any music since 1983′s Born In America. The band has continued to released albums every few years, but it’s a real shame this one wasn’t a huge success for them and that this band and album are fully appreciated like they should be.
While I had no problems with Guy Speranza on vocals, I much prefer Tony (his first album with the band), but I think each one was perfect for the type of metal the band was playing at the time. Tony has greater range though and that shows on “Run for Your Life”, which is actually my favorite song on the album. It sounds like the band was going for a Judas Priest vibe, right down to Moore’s vocals and the song would fit in well on Ram It Down.
A definite classic metal album well worth any headbanger’s time.
Highlights: “Thundersteel”, “Sign of the Crimson Storm”, “Johnny’s Back”, “Bloodstreets”, “Run For Your Life”, “Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)”
ENDEVERAFTER – Kiss or Kill
Endeverafter – Kiss or Kill (2007, Razor & Tie Records)
1. “I Wanna Be Your Man” … 3:06
2. “Baby Baby Baby” … 4:14
3. “Gotta Get Out” … 4:04
4. “Poison” … 4:14
5. “Next Best Thing” … 5:18
6. “Tip of My Tongue” … 4:06
7. “Road to Destruction” … 5:41
8. “All Night” … 3:35
9. “Slave” … 3:44
10. “From the Ashes of Sin” … 4:09
11. “Long Way Home” … 6:14
Band:
Michael Grant – Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar
Kristan Mallory – Guitar
Tommi Andrews – Bass
Eric Humbert – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Butch Walker, Grace Sims, Tom Jane, Azeron, Skye Nicolas – Backing Vocals
Jessica Catron – Cello
Producer: Stacy Jones with Bill Lefler
Here’s a strange album for ya! Endeverafter are a fairly recent band that seems be torn as to what kind of rock that they want to play. Are they the next Fall Out Boy? Do they want to be the next generation of pop metal? Or would they rather play nu-metal or NWOBHM or post-grunge? Well, they aren’t sure yet and neither am I because this album waffles more than John Kerry, but I’ll get back to you as soon as they decide!
Don’t let the band’s looks and touring credentials fool you either — sure, they have opened for KISS, Poison and Cinderella but I have no idea what songs they would have played to win over those types of crowds when sound their sound has much more in common with Fall Out Boy than the previously mentioned bands. In addition to that, they’ve performed on ’80s rock packages like Motley Cruise and ShipRocked which makes their primary choice of music even more puzzling.
FOB is one of the worst bands to come out in the past decade. I have heard a lot of their stuff and it’s terrible and they’ve spawned countless (and equally terrible) copycat bands. The songs here with the FOB are just as bad as the real thing. Now, they did try to spice things up a bit. It’s not all alt rock/pop. A handful of songs break out of alt. rock/pop mode and get a bit heavy or at least bit more spirited than the majority of the album.
There is potential here. The band is totally Michael Grant’s show. He wrote all of the music and lyrics. He sounds way too much like Patrick Stump, but I hear bits of good hair metal (and good metal in general) within some of these songs. He just needs to decide what kind of band Endeverafter is. It’s too bad American Hi-Fi’s Stacy Jones, as producer, couldn’t straighten these young chaps out and tell them to pick a sub-genre and stick with it.
I totally took a chance on this band. Classic Rock magazine was hyping them up as the second coming of Poison and Motley Crue and that’s just not the case at all. Hm… Do you think it has anything to do with the band’s UK label being the Classic Rock-owned Powerage Records? Shame on you, CR!
Luckily, the album can be found fairly cheap so it wasn’t a huge loss. I would be interested in new music from this band, but I’d have to hear some samples first before buying.
Highlights: “I Wanna Be Your Man”, “Baby Baby Baby”, “Poison”, “From the Ashes of Sin”
JUDAS PRIEST – Angel of Retribution
Judas Priest – Angel of Retribution (2005, Epic Records)
CD:
1. “Judas Rising” … 4:15
2. “Deal With The Devil” … 3:54
3. “Revolution” … 4:42
4. “Worth Fighting For” … 4:17
5. “Demonizer” … 4:35
6. “Wheels Of Fire” … 3:41
7. “Angel” … 4:23
8. “Hellrider” … 6:06
9. “Eulogy” … 2:54
10. “Lochness” … 13:28
DVD:
1. “Breaking the Law”
2. “Diamonds & Rust”
3. “The Hellion/Electric Eye”
4. “A Touch of Evil”
5. “Metal Gods”
6. “Hell Bent For Leather”
7. “Living After Midnight”
8. Documentary
Band:
Rob Halford – Vocals
Glenn Tipton – Lead Guitar
K. K. Downing – Rhythm Guitar
Ian Hill – Bass
Scott Travis – Drums
Producer: Roy Z
This album was a soundtrack to 2005 for me! Despite owning Demolition, I thought Priest with Tim “Ripper” Owens was merely “okay”, but at the same time, I was loving what Rob Halford was doing in his solo band. When it was finally announced Halford was back in Priest after a 13 years absence, I was really excited about it (though a bit disappointed that his band would be put on hold).
Much to my surprise, the lone single from the album, “Revolution”, actually got a fair amount of radio play in my area. I’ve got good memories of blasting it real loud in the truck I was driving while doing lawn care whenever it came on. It’s a great track and definitely my favorite on the album. It’s a bit modern, but a bit classic Priest as well.
Roy Z, who produced Halford (the band) produced here as well and he does good job of not letting this become a lame nostalgia album as he combines classic and modern metals sounds. “Judas Rising” and then “Deal With The Devil” are definitely old school Priest and after the awesome “Revolution”, “Worth Fighting For” is my second favorite song and it has an ’80s Priest vibe sounding like something could have come from Ram It Down or Defenders of the Faith. “Wheels of Fire” takes it back even further, sounding like something they might have done in the late ’70s!
Lyrically and conceptually, the album is supposed to be somewhat of a sequel to 1976′s Sad Wings of Destiny, but a lot of lyrical references are made to other albums and songs throughout the band’s career, which is a really cool thing to pick up on if you know your Priest history.
This album was pretty well-received by metal fans across the land, but looking back, I think I like this album even more than I did back when it was new and it easily trumps the two Ripper albums (sorry, Tim).
There were two versions available upon release. You could get the “DualDisc” CD or the CD/DVD combo. Of course, I went for the DVD combo which features a few live performances.
Highlights: “Judas Rising”, “Deal With The Devil”, “Revolution”, “Worth Fighting For”, “Wheels of Fire”, “Hellrider”
BLACK TIDE – Light from Above
Black Tide – Light from Above (2008, Interscope Records)
1. “Shockwave” … 3:38
2. “Shout” … 3:25
3. “Warriors of Time” … 5:53
4. “Give Me a Chance” … 3:34
5. “Let Me” … 3:30
6. “Show Me the Way” … 3:59
7. “Enterprise” … 4:31
8. “Live Fast Die Young” … 3:01
9. “Hit the Lights” … 3:42
10. “Black Abyss” … 4:06
11. “Light From Above” … 5:46
Band:
Gabriel Garcia – Vocals, Lead Guitar
Alex Nuñez – Rhythm Guitar
Zakk Sandler – Bass
Steven Spence – Drums, Percussion
Producer: Johnny K
One of 2008′s best new bands was Black Tide, a band made up of teenagers! These guys are total old school heavy metal, you won’t hear any thing “nu” or alternative from them. They proudly will tell you their idols, not that you need them to — it’s obvious by listening to this album that the band was heavily influenced by the likes of Metallica (they cover “Hit the Lights” after all), Megadeth and Iron Maiden. They band is able to fuse thrash, NWOBHM with Maiden-esque solos, hard rock and catchy choruses and melodies into one fantastic package.
Despite being signed to a major label (which itself is a great achievement for a group of teenagers playing a classic metal style), Black Tide kinda came in under the radar. I remember reading a blurb about them in a magazine, may have been Rolling Stone and that’s actually how I came across them. I album was released at the beginning of 2008, I had owned it must of that time, but I was just lazy about reviewing it, otherwise, there’s a good chance this would have made my top ten list for ’09.
This is definitely a band to watch. I can’t wait to hear something new from them because they’re only going to get better.
Highlights: “Shockwave”, “Warriors of Time”, “Give Me a Chance”, “Let Me”, “Show Me the Way”, “Enterprise”, “Light from Above”
IRON MAIDEN – Brave New World
Iron Maiden – Brave New World (2000, Columbia Records/Portrait Records)
1. “The Wicker Man” … 4:38
2. “Ghost of the Navigator” … 6:50
3. “Brave New World” … 6:19
4. “Blood Brothers” … 7:14
5. “The Mercenary” … 4:42
6. “Dream of Mirrors” … 9:21
7. “The Fallen Angel” … 4:01
8. “The Nomad” … 9:06
9. “Out of the Silent Planet”… 6:26
10. “The Line Between Love & Hate” … 8:27
Band:
Bruce Dickinson – Lead Vocals
Dave Murray – Guitar
Adrian Smith – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Janick Gers – Guitar
Steve Harris – Bass, Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Nicko McBrain – Drums
Producer: Steve Harris & Kevin Shirley
This was my very first Iron Maiden album and over time it has become one of my favorites as well. Initially, I wasn’t much of a fan the album. I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting, but it just seemed boring to me. Another issue for me was/is that I’ve always had a hard time getting into the themes that Iron Maiden uses. Fantasy stuff is cool, but I generally favor songs and bands that write about things I can relate to. Still, it’s a minor quibble because I’m quite proud and happy that Iron Maiden has continued to successfully wave the banner of heavy metal high in the 2000s.
Anyway, this was the comeback album for Maiden. After the abysmal sales and harsh reviews for 1998′s Virtual XI, singer Blaze Bayley was out by early ’99 and Bruce Dickinson was back in after leaving the group in ’93 to go solo. Also rejoining the group was guitarist Adrian Smith (who left sometime in 1990). So, for the first time, we had not two but THREE guitarists in Iron Maiden as Janick Gers, Smith’s replacement, stayed on. The band ran through a successful reunion tour, release another greatest hits album and then set about to record Brave New World.
Needless to say, the album was a major success as Iron Maiden was one of the few acts signed to famed A&R man John Kalodner’s revived Portrait Records label and this album would eventually go gold, also proving Maiden to be the only successful act for the label’s short-lived return.
Listening to the album now, I think I see why I didn’t care for it at the time. It’s a very melodic, epic slow album. Not that there aren’t a few rockers, but most of these songs are slow-tempo and make use of keyboards a lot. So at that time, I was wanting balls-to-the-wall heavy metal. Perhaps an album full of “Run to the Hills”, “Can I Play With Madness?”, “2 Minutes to Midnight” or “The Trooper” was what I was looking for it. Nothing here matches the urgency and punch of those songs, but the album comes pretty close with “The Wicker Man” and “Brave New World”.
The numbers have a slower pace and are less metallic, but this is still a must have Maiden album, IMO.
According to Adrian Smith, “The Nomad”, “Dream of Mirrors” and “The Mercenary” were songs originally written to Virtual XI.
Highlights: “The Wicker Man”, “Ghost of the Navigator”, “Blood Brothers”, “Brave New World”, “The Mercenary”, “The Nomad”, “Out of the Silent Planet”
