paorcamp wrote:
		well..while these little kids keep talking nonsense (no offense but it's a bit irritating having that shit all over this site) I'll say that the cover was dissapointing and the content (of this new album) just reinforced my first impression about it...I still think Iron maiden is one of the best bands ever! there could be no mention to metal history without taking maiden into account, but their lastest albums haven't been that good...It still makes me want to cry just remembering that I saw them live, just the fact of knowing that they came twice in a year to this little piece of land forgotten by the world makes me feel incredibly good, and because the tour was based on those 80's songs I can say I enjoyed every single second of it. I lost my voice for 3 days and I'm proud of it...JD, I love the evil that men do but of course I accept your decision of hating it...I also think that blaze's albums are crap...but listening to dickinson performing man on the edge makes me want to shot him down! because that song sounds better when it's bailey's version (I'm not saying it's good...but I really like that damn song)...and mr evans, I have nothing against you,I won't say you're a fanboy or that you're in a terrible blinding obsesion with Iron maiden because I don't really care... but if you mess with spapad don't expect most of us to help you out because nothing could be done to save your soul from eternal damnation... that's not gonna be a good reference to anybody...and the fact that you could not answer that insignificant question doesn't help either...keeping this stupid argument with JD will only demonstrate how stubborn you may be, and finally, keeping it this way, paying attention to every single comment they post, and replying to every single one going around the bushes instead of addressing directly the questions or opinions won't make you many friends around nor make you popular...so pay attention because it's not always convenient to fight the world...mainly if you know you can't win...so please open your mind a little and accept the others' points of view...help us improve this area we all love instead of being one of those who make it worse every day Edited at: Friday, August 20, 2010 11:08:09 PM

Nope, don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon but you know where the door is. lmao. If you really think those lame post of yours bother me then your dead wrong. I can take anything you dish out, even though its all a bunch of rubbish, take your best shot man. Like I said before I'll still be here when the smoke clears. I enjoy laughing at you lame and obsessive control freak post. lmao No I didn't say anyone could not bash Maiden when I created this thread but you take it too far like you have a grudge against the band or something. I'm sure they could care less what you think just like I do so knock yourself out and keep the lame comments comming. UP THE IRONS idiot.

		Jeanine wrote:
		Hellrider, I think you are right. Okay Brian, I love that you love one of my favorite bands but to make JD's point mute, please do name one song that is a bit off kilter by them. I will go out on a limb and say I was not fond of the Blaze era.      hellrider 31038 wrote:   hey Jeanine i think you should put them over your knee and spank them.lol      Jeanine wrote:   How old are people in this thread? Can't there be an adult chat about this? Wow. One might not like Iron Maiden, but to say they suck is a little strange to me. They clearly can play quite well. I still have not formed a decent opinion about the new album. I must add that nothing jumps out at me IMHO. Please know that my favorite albums by Iron Maiden are Iron Maiden and Killers. I have seen Maiden in 1983 and I have seen them in 2009. They are just simply an amazing live band. Even though my favorite two albums are the first two, I think Bruce Dickinson is perfect as a frontman for them now. I tend to prefer Steve Harris written songs over anyone else in the band. When I hear a song I love by them it is usually written by him. I don't absolutley love the past few albums but I do really like A Matter of Life and Death. I think that was a great album. I also like the song Paschendale off of Dance of Death. It is fantastic. Everyone has their opinions, it doesn't mean we have to agree with them. That is kind of control freak mentality.

		Jeanine wrote:
		Hellrider, I think you are right. Okay Brian, I love that you love one of my favorite bands but to make JD's point mute, please do name one song that is a bit off kilter by them. I will go out on a limb and say I was not fond of the Blaze era.      hellrider 31038 wrote:   hey Jeanine i think you should put them over your knee and spank them.lol      Jeanine wrote:   How old are people in this thread? Can't there be an adult chat about this? Wow. One might not like Iron Maiden, but to say they suck is a little strange to me. They clearly can play quite well. I still have not formed a decent opinion about the new album. I must add that nothing jumps out at me IMHO. Please know that my favorite albums by Iron Maiden are Iron Maiden and Killers. I have seen Maiden in 1983 and I have seen them in 2009. They are just simply an amazing live band. Even though my favorite two albums are the first two, I think Bruce Dickinson is perfect as a frontman for them now. I tend to prefer Steve Harris written songs over anyone else in the band. When I hear a song I love by them it is usually written by him. I don't absolutley love the past few albums but I do really like A Matter of Life and Death. I think that was a great album. I also like the song Paschendale off of Dance of Death. It is fantastic. Everyone has their opinions, it doesn't mean we have to agree with them. That is kind of control freak mentality.

		spapad wrote:
		As much as it repulses me to respond to a thing you say pseudo Brian. Since your have never had a "serious" (or is that sreious) Iron Madien Discussion with anyone on this board, I know things are not likely to change.      Brian_Evans wrote:   I don't think anyone can have a sreious Iron Maiden discussion with you because you have a total meltdown every time someone talks about them. And what did I lie about? Nothing....you're just grabbing at straws here. Go back and check my post, I don't care because you will find nothing. I have nothing to hide. What are you talking about here???? "He slandered me first(big mistake) and this is the consequence he is suffering. i'm laughing out loud at that statement....whatever man, say what you want because it goes in one ear and out the other.You can say all you want, bash maiden all you want but I'll still be here in the maiden thread. You're obsessed with bashing maiden .    (Quoting Message by J.D. DIAMOND from Thursday, August 19, 2010 1:16:36 PM)   J.D. DIAMOND wrote:   HA HA HA! Don't buy it Jeanie what Evans just said is a bold faced "LIE". He is a "liar" and a fake. Ask him about an opinion between albums,he only has one: "They are all equally 100% top notch". Ask him about an opinion between songs,any of thyem and he only has one: 'They are all equally" great". Again,this dickhead has the right to his opinion but we can't have any kind of "serious" Iron Maiden discussion because he can't discuss anything because he says its all equally the same. Jeanie's favorite albums are Iron Maiden and Killers,Brian will say that The X Factor and Virtual Eleven are equally as good.Pick a song,any of them and he will say that every Iron Maiden song is equal to the next one no matter what song,no matter what album. That is not a "discussion" that is an "obsession". Again,nobody cares if he thinks this way or not but he gets his feelings hurt and starts crying when the entire forum calls him a "fanboy". Nobody can discuss Iron Maiden with him because of his fanboyism. We all knew that he would lable "The Final Frontier" equal to any Iron Maiden album before he heard it and before it came out. He slandered me first(big mistake) and this is the consequence he is suffering. Iron Maiden as a band are extremely talented,they play live very good and top notch,I never said they didn't. I said "they suck" because of thier modern day "song writting". It utterly amazes me that when someone says a band "sucks" they would automatically think that you are refering to the bands ability to preform live and not thier song writting?? There is nothing to discuss with him as he is the real "joker" ,ask "anybody" here and they will tell you the same. This thread he created applies to anybody but Brian Evans. Now Brian,tell the forum if I'm telling the truth or not?Remember,anybody can back track and post your exact words. How about telling Jeanie the Iron Maiden song you dislike the most? (LOMFL!)  He calls me a "Saxon fanboy" but the entire forum laughs at him because I can name many songs and a few albums by Saxon that are 100% "shit"!! Brian can't say the same about Iron Maiden,can you Brain? LOL!   Edited at: Thursday, August 19, 2010 1:35:26 PM Edited at: Thursday, August 19, 2010 8:41:31 PM

		J.D. DIAMOND wrote:
		HA HA HA! Don't buy it Jeanie what Evans just said is a bold faced "LIE". He is a "liar" and a fake. Ask him about an opinion between albums,he only has one: "They are all equally 100% top notch". Ask him about an opinion between songs,any of thyem and he only has one: 'They are all equally" great". Again,this dickhead has the right to his opinion but we can't have any kind of "serious" Iron Maiden discussion because he can't discuss anything because he says its all equally the same. Jeanie's favorite albums are Iron Maiden and Killers,Brian will say that The X Factor and Virtual Eleven are equally as good.Pick a song,any of them and he will say that every Iron Maiden song is equal to the next one no matter what song,no matter what album. That is not a "discussion" that is an "obsession". Again,nobody cares if he thinks this way or not but he gets his feelings hurt and starts crying when the entire forum calls him a "fanboy". Nobody can discuss Iron Maiden with him because of his fanboyism. We all knew that he would lable "The Final Frontier" equal to any Iron Maiden album before he heard it and before it came out. He slandered me first(big mistake) and this is the consequence he is suffering. Iron Maiden as a band are extremely talented,they play live very good and top notch,I never said they didn't. I said "they suck" because of thier modern day "song writting". It utterly amazes me that when someone says a band "sucks" they would automatically think that you are refering to the bands ability to preform live and not thier song writting?? There is nothing to discuss with him as he is the real "joker" ,ask "anybody" here and they will tell you the same. This thread he created applies to anybody but Brian Evans. Now Brian,tell the forum if I'm telling the truth or not?Remember,anybody can back track and post your exact words. How about telling Jeanie the Iron Maiden song you dislike the most? (LOMFL!)  He calls me a "Saxon fanboy" but the entire forum laughs at him because I can name many songs and a few albums by Saxon that are 100% "shit"!! Brian can't say the same about Iron Maiden,can you Brain? LOL!   Edited at: Thursday, August 19, 2010 1:35:26 PM

		Jeanine wrote:
		How old are people in this thread? Can't there be an adult chat about this? Wow. One might not like Iron Maiden, but to say they suck is a little strange to me. They clearly can play quite well. I still have not formed a decent opinion about the new album. I must add that nothing jumps out at me IMHO. Please know that my favorite albums by Iron Maiden are Iron Maiden and Killers. I have seen Maiden in 1983 and I have seen them in 2009. They are just simply an amazing live band. Even though my favorite two albums are the first two, I think Bruce Dickinson is perfect as a frontman for them now. I tend to prefer Steve Harris written songs over anyone else in the band. When I hear a song I love by them it is usually written by him. I don't absolutley love the past few albums but I do really like A Matter of Life and Death. I think that was a great album. I also like the song Paschendale off of Dance of Death. It is fantastic. Everyone has their opinions, it doesn't mean we have to agree with them. That is kind of control freak mentality.

		Brian_Evans wrote:
		I don't care what you say or think about the new Maiden album. Your opinion doesn't matter to me at all so you might as well move on and stop wasting your time here in this thread. But if you want to keep rambling on and on saying the same thing over and over then knock yourself out. The Maiden thread is here to stay. UP THE IRONS.      J.D. DIAMOND wrote:   Yes Vail,this album is "SHIT".  Only weak minded people will like this piece of shit of a recording like the weak minded Brian Evans(yes the fucking fake one). What a fucking lame product it really is. Bruce's voice is crappy,he is struggling to hit the high notes and it shows,the songs every one of them are "shit". This is the worse piece of garbage by Bruce I have ever heard and apparently 90% of fans think the same way.The other 10% are "fanboys". Down the Evans and down the fuckin Irons. This band is "DEAD" like they have been for 24 years now."FUCK OFF" to Iron Maiden those weak bastards!      Vaillant 3.0 wrote:   The Final Frontier=overall pain in the ass to listen to. Bruce's voice hasn't aged well, to be honest. His high notes sounded weak and annoying and he says too much in one line. How he takes a breath in between lines is beyond me. I would not recommend this album if you want to have a good time. This is music to listen to if you want to fall into a coma. If this is Iron Maiden trying to be progressive, then they aren't doing a good job. The Talisman, Where the Wild Wind Blows, The Man Who Would be King, Mother of Mercy, and Starblind, especially = My one salvation from the crappiness of the former: 1916 from Mötorhead. well done, Lemmy and co.!!

It has been four long years since the last Iron Maiden album, almost to the date. And as the day of release of the 15 studio record, The Final Frontier approached, the buzz in the air for diehard fans began resembling that of a Cup Final match. At last, August 16 was upon us, and the long awaited D Day (in Sofia, Bulgaria, anyway) arrived. A swift cup of bitter coffee in the morning and off to the music store before work, but as luck would have it – it was closed. I extended my heartfelt wishes to the family of the store's owner and vowed to be back at 6pm. Several hours later, I ran through the front door, and with a sweaty grin asked the bloke behind the counter:

"Do you have it?"

"Have what?" And almost as soon as he realised the sheer daftness of his question, he pulled a grin and said "Oh, right mate, yes, of course we got it."

Iron Maiden are a band who are unflinchingly British heavy-metal but who, unlike many others around, are not afraid to evolve their music, but do so in a way that preserves their heritage and identity. The Final Frontier (or rather, the New Frontier) has nothing to do with Killers, or Piece of Mind, or Somewhere in Time. It has no relation to Brave New World or The X Factor either, and yet, the unmistakable Maiden signature is evident from top to bottom. It takes only two notes for you to know, that this is, indeed, Maiden. They have evolved over the years but fans should – and we do – take each album as it is. And herein, lies the problem. Although I am supposed to write a critical review for the album, being a die-hard Maiden fan since 1989, it is all rather difficult, because I tend to be more critical and do take it more emotionally than someone neutral who would simply listen to it and just reflect on it.

The Final Frontier begins with Satellite 15, a four-minute introduction to the title song The Final Frontier. This opening is as dark as Maiden gets. To say that this song is bizarre would be a gross understatement. The bass, drums, guitars and the vocals sound like you are in a spaceship drifting somewhere in space. Uncontrollably. Chaotically. The dimension of time, space, madness and chaos all intertwined, blasted through the bass of Steve Harris, and sound of the triple guitar attack. Nicko McBrain's drumming is heavy and atmospheric, and you are instantly submerged in some bizarre world. The fabric of the sound, the sheer chaos of it all is completely un-Maidenish, considering their obsession with immaculate harmonies and melodies. And then suddenly one drifts into the Final Frontier, and a more typical Iron Maiden sound.

To analyse the album - song, by song, would be tedious, it would take ages and it will not do the music any justice, so I will refrain from doing it. There are several reasons for that. The album is very complex, rich in composite harmonies, time changes, elaborate and epic solos and diverse vocal lines. Everyone would hear something that someone else is bound to omit, or not bother reflect on it. What makes the album hard to describe is that it lacks "distinguishable hits", just as there are no "weak links". It is the sort of composite album that takes time to grow on you, it needs to ferment properly, one must listen to it several times, and with each go, new covert harmonies, solos, drum beats, vocal and bass lines, are discovered.

What to expect? Its a conceptual album for the most part, much like the 1988 vintage Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, only the theme is futuristic, although not all songs would fit the mould. And apart from The Alchemist, Coming Home and Mother of Mercy (songs that are roughly five minutes in length), you will be treated to an epic, after epic, after epic, songs which are anywhere from eight to eleven minutes in length.

Heavy riffs on Starblind sounding like a lost spaceship, drifting through a distant galaxy, while that is interspersed with folkish melodies that first appeared on Dance Of Death, and were subsequently perfected on A Matter Of Life And Death and are now featured again. The Alchemist recalls lyrical themes of redemption, of battle-worn philosophy. And just about everywhere, you will encounter Maiden's unmistakable genetic makeup – their trademark 200km/h gallop. Adrian Smith, who is very heavily involved in the song writing process along with Steve Harris, has some mouth-watering solos, and the triple guitar attack with Dave Murray and Janick Gers, is as always, refined, simultaneously melodic, beautiful and brutal. Dave Murray has co-written only one song this time around, The Man Who Would be King, while Bruce Dickinson has co-written four, along with Harris, Smith and Gers.

The verdict? The album is positive, dark, it is heavy and melodic and sad all at the same time. Rich in beautiful vocal lines and guitar harmonies. It is soft and aggressive, heavy and enchanting. Is it better than their vintage? No it isn't, and it isn't worse. It is just different, and progressive but the Final Frontier is unmistakably – Iron Maiden. Make no mistake - there is no selling out here. Real Maiden fans ought to buy it because they will like it – it is as simple as that. It is also bound to attract its new share of fans on board of the Maiden bandwagon. As for those of you out there who never liked Maiden's music in the first place – don't worry – you won't like this one either, and that's just as well, because you are not welcomed in the community anyway.

Over a career chaptered by 15 studio albums spanning about 35 years, Maiden have always experimented with their ideas, but since Dickinson and Smith returned to the fold for Brave New World, the band have enriched their patented gallop with a generous dose of musical exploration. The scary thing is, they are getting older, better and more refined with time.

Considering their age, and the amount of time Maiden has been around, it is shocking just how good, modern and relevant they sound – by doing exactly the opposite – never being fashion conscious, never betraying their roots, and never wanting to be bloody relevant in the first place.

Was it worth the wait? Abso-bloody-lutely.

Up the Irons!

The songs, in full:

01  Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
02. El Dorado
03. Mother Of Mercy
04. Coming Home
05. The Alchemist
06. Isle Of Avalon
07. Starblind
08. The Talisman
09. The Man Who Would Be King
10. When The Wild Wind Blows