Customer Reviews

Brave New World

5 star:		(376)
4 star:		(100)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Sing this to the tune of the chorus in Ghost of the Navigator:

Take my heart and set it free, Cast Kid Rock into the sea. Manson is a skank, Korn should walk the plank, Let the sharks feast on Britney.

Keelhaul Limp Bizkit today, Flog 'N Sync without delay. The Spice Girls are wh0res, Chain them to the oars, And send the ship far, far away.

THE CASE FOR MUSICAL JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD: The general reaction to this album is overwhelmingly positive, with a decidedly small presence of people who think that a band is as good as dead after three albums and that the new stuff can never touch the old (any band that has been around for more than two years has idiot fans like that).

THE CASE AGAINST MUSICAL JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD: In the USA, this CD was released on the same day as Kid Rock's "History of Rock". Anyone care to guess which CD was bought by merchants and consumers in obscene quantities with its own in-store display while the other was nonchalantly crammed into the bin with all of the artist's previous releases?

I think the Case Against carries more weight than the Case For. Alas, the war against musical incompetence is being fought by far too few.

Brave New World is an incredibly solid release. Iron Maiden could probably have made a killing in sales to the sheeplike by adopting that astoundingly obnoxious rap-with-guitars sound that people can't seem to get enough of these days. Instead, they turned out ten true-to-form tracks reminiscent of the material on Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (all hail 9-minute songs). The Wicker Man is the hit single, The Nomad and Dream of Mirrors are the epics, and Ghost of the Navigator is the song that single-handedly renewed my will to live in a world upon which the musically inferior (in both skill and taste) are dominant. If Korn and their ilk ever form their own independent nation, raise a massive army of clueless MTV junkies, and conquer the Earth, I shall simply lock myself in a windowless underground room and play Ghost of the Navigator until I die of dehydration, rather than pulling a Cobain.

If you're already a Maiden fan, chances are you already own this CD. If you're not a Maiden fan, then chances are I'm not going to convert you. So instead, I merely say:

1. Up the Irons, and

2. Join the War Against Musical Incompetence (W.A.M.I.) if you don't want your children and your children's children to grow up listening to what somebody else wants them to listen to (as of yet there is no official War Against Somebody Else, but I'm working on it).

THE BAND: Steve Harris (bass/keyboards), Bruce Dickinson (vocals), Dave Murray (guitar), Adrian Smith (guitar), Nicko McBrain (drums), Janick Gers (guitar).

THE DISC: (2000) 10 tracks clocking in at 67 minutes. The disc contains a 14-page booklet with band pictures, lyrics and thank you's. Recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios in Paris, France. Bassist Steve Harris once again is the creative force behind the album - co-producing and writing or co-writing each of the 10 songs. Each of the other band members (except McBrain) contribute in the writing of at least one song as well.

COMMENTS: Most of what Iron Maiden put out in the 1990's was horrid, so I came apon this album with hesitation. Exit Blaze Bailey, re-enter Bruce Dickinson. Seeing the original line-up from the 1980's back in tact (plus Gers), I decided to absolutely chance it... having only been kept alive on Dickinson's solo work throughout the 90's. "Brave New World" (BNW) is a pleasant surprise. Gone are the bass and guitar synth's that were present on "Somewhere In Time" and "7th Son"... BNW features voice, drums, driving guitars, and an occasional stroke on the keyboard. This is easily their best studio album in 12 years (7th Son...), maybe more. Bruce Dickinson is back and sounds great. Although I do miss his high piercing vocals (like on the classic "Where Eagles Dare")- and I really didn't hear it until the last song ("Thin Line Between Love & Hate"). I have a slight problem with the title of the last song - an Iron Maiden tune with the word "Love" in it? It just doesn't sound right. The band sounds very tight on "Brave New World". They have obviously taken their time to do things write on this album. Nicko sounds like he has a new drum kit. The snare drum sounds a bit higher pitched than normal. That's okay tho, it sounds good. Track 1 "The Wicker Man" is one of those classic "2 Minutes to Midnight" type songs, fast from the get-go. The title track has a nice slow intro and then the rest of the band kicks it up a notch. Track 4, "Blood Brothers" has a Jethro Tullesque feel to it (no problem). "The Mercenary" and "The Fallen Angel" are the hardest rocking tunes on the disc - and they kick some seious tail. "The Nomad" is a marathon of a song at just over 9 minutes. I like it's irregular guitar chords and story line. The album ends with "The Thin Line Between Love & Hate" - this song has it all... It's fast, it's slow, Bruce is all over the place (a good thing) and the song has a great melody. At the very end you'll hear one of the band say "I missed it". If any of them missed something, I don't know what it is. The song is a strong one - the whole album is STRONG. "Brave New World" gets my vote for best metal album of the year in 2000, and 'Comeback Artist' of the year as well. Up the Irons! Great disc.

For most MAIDEN fans this album has been an eight-year wait. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson returns to the band, as does guitarist Adrian Smith, and both make their presences felt on BRAVE NEW WORLD. As much as most fans expected (or hoped) BNW to be a return to the POWERSLAVE and PIECE OF MIND style, it only gets part of the way there. BNW takes from the style of VIRTUAL XI (and, to a lesser degree, THE X FACTOR) just as much as POWERSLAVE and PIECE OF MIND, giving it a more progressive feel than early to mid 80's era MAIDEN had. Heavier than either of the last two studio albums, BRAVE NEW WORLD will satisfy most MAIDEN fans, but might leave those who did not like SEVENTH SON a little cold. The album gives occasional nods to late 90's style hard music, but make no mistake, this is an IRON MAIDEN album, and an uncompromising one at that. BNW is filled with A LOT of tempo changes, mood changes, dynamic changes, stylistic changes, etc, and features 4 songs over seven minutes in length (and three more over six minutes long). Some riffs are even reminiscent of their KILLERS era material. But is it good? Oh, HELL YEAH! ...(And it grows on you. A lot.)

PERFECTION. This is the first word that comes into my mind every time i listen to this masterpiece. Everyone up to the release of this album either considered Maiden to be a thing of the past or dead. But here they come to prove everyone wrong. Bruce performs like he did in his previous solo records (Accident of birth, Chemical wedding etc) Murray, smith and gers sound amazing together, haris brilliant as ever and finally after the seventh son Mcbrain demonstrates his talent. All the songs are so powerfull that makes it really hard to pick up a favorite one. Ghost of the navigator, fallen angel, the nomad and out of the silent planet are definately some of the best ever written my the band while the thin line between love & hate is something they haven't done before with amazing vocals and a vast number of guitars in the end of the song (like savatage do sometimes). Fan or not of Iron Maiden don't miss this one. Up The Irons....

Throughout the '90s, many music snobs had claimed that classic heavy metal was officially dead - and Iron Maiden were one of the bands that was always mentioned in those remarks. Who could blame them? The band was putting out mediocre material in the wake of Bruce Dickinson's departure, and most of the so-called "metal" that was being released around that time was watered-down, poser, commercial nonsense. However, in 1999, Dickinson decided to rejoin Maiden after a six-year absence, and guitarist Adrian Smith (who played on two of Bruce's solo albums)came along for the ride as well. With the revamped line-up, which now included three guitar players (Smith, along with Dave Murray and the ever underrated Janick Gers), the new 21st century Maiden went on a short reunion tour and headed to the studio afterwards.

The result is the aptly titled BRAVE NEW WORLD, an album that brought good ol' classic, melodic, epic, no-holds-barred heavy metal back to the masses. While the band's trademark galloping sound is as fearsome as ever, this is also the band's most experimental release to date, and the most complex since SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON. You would think that with three guitarists in the band it would be a disaster, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. You get the best of all worlds on here. From the heavy punch of Murray, to the melodic instinct of Smith, and to the technical flash of Gers, all three players get the job done. Steve Harris' rapid-fire bass playing is just as sharp as ever, and Nicko pounds the skins like a madman while also showing that his playing has matured since he first joined the band back in 1983. The real standout, however, is Bruce himself. He sounds better than ever on this release. This is definitely his crowning achievement as a vocalist, combining the rougher style of his solo albums with the classic "Air Raid Siren" style of Maiden's golden era. A tour de force performance.

With 10 songs topping 67 minutes, there is not a wasted track on here, making this Maiden's most consistent album ever. "The Wicker Man," "The Mercenary," and "The Fallen Angel" are pounding riff-heavy rockers in the IM tradition. Short, fast, and to the point with awesome choruses. Both the title track and "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate" show that Maiden is maturing and that heavy rock can be emotional if done right. "Blood Brothers" is the most unique thing they've done. It's mostly bass and keyboard-heavy, with stunning orchestrations and great solos to complement the arrangement. "Dream of Mirrors" is a masterpiece and probably the band's best epic. It's mostly slow, but stay with it - it's that good. Bruce's vocals are incredible, the chorus is so powerful, the lyrics are brilliant, and the escalating musicianship (leading to a furious time change around the 5:47 mark) is nerve-wracking. Nine minutes never went by so fast.

I think I've said enough. This is just an amazing accomplishment from a band that proved it still has staying power. Maiden is in the studio now recording their new album which should be out in this summer. If it's anywhere near as good as BRAVE NEW WORLD, the music world is safely secure.

Iron Maiden has always occupied a strange place in the world or heavy metal: virtually no acknowledgment outside the metal community, yet within that hailed as one of the forms most potent, challenging, and ground-breaking bands. Their work in the early to mid-80s set standards that will never be equaled, so to see them reform their classic line-up in 1999 was to question their very existence. Then, they put out this album--within the metal community the buzz was high, because they had a huge legacy to live up to.

After a short, well-received tour last year, Maiden went back to the studio to produce an entirely new album, "Brave New World." And to the relief and delight of true metal fans the world over, it's a scorcher, filled with everything that made Maiden great in the '80s.

It's dense, rich, filled with a sense of loss and melancholy. The songs have come to life, insinuating themselves into my head to rival classics like "The Trooper," "Hallowed Be Thy Name," and the rest. It combines the best of all their greatest work: the SF cosmic sound of Somewhere in Time, the complex arrangements of Seventh Son of a Seventh Song the hooks and metal attack of The Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind and the epic historical scope of Powerslave.

Bruce Dickinson's voice has never sounded clearer, more emotionally wrought, or more convincing. His voice carries the album, double-tracked at times to great effect. He means every word, soaring transcendently, growling with menace and then dropping to a heartfelt, world-weary croon. His voice is showcased best on "Out of the Silent Planet," "Dream of Mirrors," and "Blood Brothers." These songs are melodramatic powerhouses, with choruses sure to move you in a way Maiden never has. Remember the longing and regret of "Stranger in a Strange Land" and "Wasted Years"? Those feelings are even stronger here, lending a sadness and maturity one does not expect from Maiden.

"There are times when I feel I'm afraid for the world/ There are times when I'm ashamed of us all," he sings on "Blood Brothers," the chorus of which seems to lift off this world. In the album's longest song, "Dream of Mirrors," the band builds and builds slowly, the chorus bolstered by fat riffs and mid-tempo drumming, finally releasing all the pent-up feelings, Dickinsons growls, "Lost--a hell that I revisit/Lost--a nightmare I retrace," and then they're off, Smith, Dave Murray, and third guitarist Janick Gers trading some serious harmonies with Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain holding down the backbeat. "The dream is true," Dickinson sweetly sings as the tune comes to a quiet resigned end. Whew!

As for historical scope, "The Nomad" evokes a real sense of mystic, ancient desert wastes, legendary figures that wander this earth alone. The long musical interlude, including Harris on keyboards, is marvelous. You can lose yourself in it, just like in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" or "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son."

Other fantastic songs include "Out of the Silent Planet," "Ghost of the Navigator" and the title track "Brave New World"--as Huxley intended, ironic--wherein Bruce sings: "Dragon kings dying queens/Where is salvation now/Lost my life lost my dreams/Rip the bones from my flesh...Dying to tell you the truth/You are damned in this Brave New World."

These are songs that reflect upon loss, death, dashed hopes and an ache for understanding and knowledge that will probably never come. Plus they're all catchy as hell, with muscular, brutal riffs and headbangin' drumming.

The musicianship and songcraft is superb, rivalling anything from the mid-80s. This is not recycled Maiden, but a true, honest continuation of their greatest and most unique talents.

Iron Maiden's twelfth studio album, released in 2000, marked the return of singer Bruce Dickinson (who left the band in 1993, before returning in 1999) and guitarist Adrian Smith. While some other bands in their shoes would have just made a rehash of a past album and called it a "return to form," this legendary New Wave of British Heavy Metal band continued to evolve. "Brave New World" was an appropriate title for the new record, because Iron Maiden first started to discover a more "progressive" sound. This gradual trend towards a new sound meant that the music on "Brave New World" was usually not quite as fast or exciting as most vintage Maiden albums. But, still, these songs are full of potential; some tracks, like "The Fallen Angel," are as energetic as anything the band has ever done, and "The Nomad" is as catchy as anything they've produced this side of 1982's "Run To The Hills."

The instrumentalists--Steve Harris, bass; Nicko McBrain, drums; and the trio of guitarists (Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers)--are in fine form, here, and the vocals are, of course, pretty friggin' amazing! As he has proved so many times in the past, whether singing slowly and extended (during ballads like "Blood Brothers") or rather speedily, no one can hold a note or hit a hook better than Bruce Dickinson. And on this disc, he continues to pour his heart and soul into delivering his vocal parts.

"The Wicker Man" opens up the album with a running guitar lead and soulful vocals. The next song, "Ghost of the Navigator" starts out slowly, but it eventually becomes a buzzsaw rhythm, and Bruce's proper singing and a guitar solo caps it off. Following this is the title track, which has careening guitars and an impressive vocal range which more than makes up for the somewhat repetitive lyrics. Bruce begins with kind of tuneful spoken word vocals, but his voice quickly leaps and his vocals are soaring within a matter of seconds. (Track six, "Dream Of Mirrors," is also like this, because Bruce needs almost no time to ascend from low key crooning to a lung stretching high note.) Following the aforementioned ballad, "Blood Brothers," comes a much more up tempo number, "The Mercenary," which is the last standout track. It has fast, chug and churn riffs, thumping drums, and two wailing, back-to-back guitar solos.

"Brave New World" may not have any timeless/classic songs, and some of the tracks may be overly long (see "Dream Of Mirrors"), but this album proved Iron Maiden were still a force to be reckoned with, and this has my vote for being Maiden's best effort since "Powerslave" was released in 1984.

It's been years since Iron Maiden has sounded so vibrant and creative. Brave New World is a fine achievement of quintessential heavy metal songwriting; a return to form for one of metal's preeminent bands. Maiden shows considerable growth here, but the energy captured on this record is nearly concordant with their zenith of intensity (I refer to albums like Piece of Mind and Powerslave). This is the album Maiden fans have awaited for years, ever since they began to lose their fervor with No Prayer for the Dying.

So, Blaze Bailey out, Bruce Dickinson in. A good trade, to say the least, but even better with the canny melodic sense and creativity of guitarist Adrian Smith, who also returns. This ups the line-up to three lead guitarists, which might sound excessive, but it's remarkable how well they make it work. The arrangements don't sound cluttered at all, and overall the band handles this approach intuitively. The production is stunning, and succeeds and isolating and preserving the ineffably energy of Iron Maiden's music.

As always, Iron Maiden is defined by the impetus of heavy metal's intensity with a shrewd melodic awareness unique among metal bands. The difference is that the band shows considerable progression here. While there are cuts that just ooze the classic Maiden sound (like "Wicker Man," "The Mercenary," and "Fallen Angel"), while others explore the band's more ambitious tendencies. Shades of these inclinations have often been evident ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son," "Heaven Can Wait," for instance), but here the band delves into them farther. Behold the Middle Eastern influences of the epic "The Nomad," the mix of quiet and loud passages in "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," and the lush orchestrations of "Blood Brothers." So, while the band retains their classic feel, they also expand on this with rewarding results. Truly, they are one of the most sophisticated heavy metal bands ever. (Steve Harris does enjoy many progressive rock bands, you know.)

My only complaints are that the band sometimes protracted the songs unnecessarily. "Mercenary" and "Fallen Angel" are great, save for the fact that they are too repetitive. "Dream of Mirrors" is, again, a great song, but it should have been 2 or 3 minutes shorter because a lot of it is needless repetition. I'm left thinking that the band was trying too hard to impress at times.

Still, despite these complaints, I can't deny that this truly is a recovery for Maiden. Good job boys. (Sweet cover art, too!) Now how about another solo album, Bruce?

Back in 1990, when the album No Prayer For The Dying was released, the result was so disappointing, so disheartening for myself, that it became clear to me that Iron Maiden's true swan song was the Seventh Son album. The music world was passing Maiden by, as terrific new talent dominated the music scene. Just as damaging was the fact that Maiden fans like myself, who had spent their teens in awe of the classic Dickenson-Harris-Murray-Smith-McBrain lineup, simply grew up. My musical interests were broadening greatly, and as I spent the better part of the next decade listening to a wide variety of artists, Iron Maiden simply took a back seat, the old tapes of theirs packed away in a box, seemingly for good. However, in late 1998, something happened that reawoke the metalhead inside me who had been dormant for years: the entire Maiden catalog was rereleased, with every album remastered and featuring original artwork, tons of photos, and an astounding cd-rom feature. I consider the reissues to be the best, and most comprehensive, cd rereleases in rock history.

So, coincidentally, it was during this period of my renewed interest that Iron Maiden decided to reunite the great mid-80's lineup and Janick Gers aboard as well, marking the return of Bruce Dickinson after 7-odd years, as well as the first time that the band would sport a six-man lineup. I was definitely interested, but had no idea how great the new album would be.

Brave New World is outstanding, and compared to Maiden's lacklustre output in the 90's, the improvement is all the more staggering. The band is playing with renewed life, and Dickinson has never sounded better.

There are no throwaway tracks whatsoever, with every song being a highlight: 'The Wicker Man' will remain a classic album-opener, their best single since 'The Clairvoyant'; 'Ghost of the Navigator' and 'Brave New World' are classic old-school Maiden songs destined to be live favourites; 'The Mercenary' evokes previous classics like 'Prowler' and 'Killers', while 'Dream of Mirrors' and 'The Fallen Angel' would fit alongside the songs on Seventh Son.

On this new album Iron Maiden continue to stretch their classic sound on four songs: 'Blood Brothers' is the closest they come to stumbling, but the song is saved by an outstanding orchestral score in the last half of the song; 'The Nomad' revisits the themes heard on Powerslave, but this time incorporates Middle Eastern-sounding guitars and a strong syncopated rhythm delivered by Nicko McBrain; 'Out of the Silent Planet' continues where the progressive rock of Somewhere In Time left off, delivering an instantly memorable melody and chugging tempo. The true highlight of Brave New World is 'The Thin Line Between Love and Hate', sounding nothing like anything the group has done before. The song begins with a dark riff before picking up in tempo, featuring some of the most introspective lyrics Steve Harris has ever written, building up to an amazing chorus, with Dickinson's soaring voice singing "I will hope/My soul will fly/So I will live forever." By the end of the song the melody wins out over the churning guitar riffs, giving the album a fittingly optimistic conclusion.

The only mild complaint I have with the album is that it didn't have the alternate version of 'The Wicker Man', which is featured on the radio promo single. The song is remixed with more backing vocals and harmonies in the style of 'Flight of Icarus', making the great song sound even better than the version heard on the album.

Longtime fans of Iron Maiden will not be disappointed with Brave New World...it's a return to form no one in their right mind could have anticipated, deserving to be placed in the hallowed company of the band's 80's classics. Believe me, it's that good...without a doubt the best Iron Maiden album in twelve years.

Up The Irons!

In 1999, it was announced that vocalist Bruce Dickinson & guitarist Adrian Smith were returning to Iron Maiden after being gone for six & ten years, respectively. The metal community rejoiced, because the albums that Maiden put out following Smith's departure in 1989 (NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING & FEAR OF THE DARK) were not very good, & the ones they released after Dickinson's left in 1993 (X FACTOR & VIRTUAL XI) were just plain awful. They would retain Adrian Smith's replacement, Janick Gers, which made Maiden a three-guitar band (Dave Murray being the third guitarist). Bruce Dickinson's repalcement, Blaze Bayley, left the band. Maiden would have a new album out in 2000, entitled BRAVE NEW WORLD. There was a great deal of anticipation surrounding it. K-ROCK in New York even played the first single from the album, "The Wicker Man" (yes, believe it or not, you could hear rock music on the radio in New York in 2000). Anyway, the song sounded great & I was stoked to get the new album. I guess I was hoping for an album that was as strong as their self-titled debut or THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST. Let's just say that I was in for a bit of a disappointment when I finally heard BRAVE NEW WORLD.

The album starts off strongly with the aforementioned "The Wicker Man" & "Ghost Of The Navigator." These songs have great guitar riffs & they flow nicely. The album goes downhill from here though. During the years that Blaze Bayley was their singer, Maiden got into the very bad habit of repeating chorus sections in some of their songs over & over & over again. Unfortunately, the band failed to break that habit here. The album's title track is a prime example of this. Another is "The Mercenary," which is a shame because the song has a great verse riff. Listening to Dickinson sing "Show them no fear, show them no fear" repeatedly just gets tiring.

"Blood Brother" is a ballad-like song that just doesn't work. There are two prog-ish sounding tracks here, "Dream Of Mirrors" & "The Nomad." "Dream Of Mirrors" is not very good & has an absolutely jarring intro. "The Nomad" is much better & is one of my favorite songs on the album. Another track that I like is "The Fallen Angel," which is a straight-forward riff-rocker. "Out Of The Silent Planet" is an okay song but nothing great. I guess you say the chorus is kind of catchy. Bruce Dickinson's vocal line in "The Thin Line Between Love & Hate" just sounds awkward. Definitely a song to skip over.

Kevin Shirley produced BRAVE NEW WORLD, & he did a fine job. The guitars come through crisply & clearly as does Steve Harris' bass guitar. Murray, Smith & Gers find room to take solos. Bruce Dickinson's voice sounds very strong. If you've read my reviews of some other Iron Maiden albums, you've probably noticed that I'm not a big fan of drummer Nicko McBrain. While I still believe that Maiden was a better band with Clive Burr on drums, McBrain does a good job on BRAVE NEW WORLD. Unfortunately, Iron Maiden didn't come up with enough good material to match the high production values.