Dance of Death [Import]

Iron Maiden | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 13, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: PID
• ASIN: B0000AOWV1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  DVD Audio  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (521 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #644,876 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Japanese edition of the British metal icons' 2003 album is scheduled for earliest release. Details TBA. Toshiba. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, October 6, 2003

By 

The Wickerman (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance of Death (Audio CD)

I've been holding off on reviewing this for a while, because I wanted to soak it in, get a feel for it, make sure I didn't miss anything. And I'm glad I did. The first couple of times I listened to this, it didn't really grab me. There were a couple of songs that stood out, but for the most part, I found it to be a bit boring. Some songs just didn't seem to have that special something that the Maiden classics of yore had. But I listened to it more. And then I realized...

This album is just fantastic. No, really. Expanding upon the more elaborate arrangements of "Brave New World", adding in a bit of the harder feel of the oldschool stuff, and throwing a few surprises our way, "Dance of Death" proves to be a very strong release. It's one of their most diverse and musically ambitious albums to date. Why didn't it register with me before? Well, I really have no idea. I suppose the album is one you've just got to become acquainted with. You're not going to just pop it in, and form an opinion right away. It's gotta sink in a bit, and sink in it did.

The great songs abound. "Rainmaker" and "Wildest Dreams" are fast-paced and melodic, with the kind of vigor that the band hasn't exhibited in years. "Montsegur" has a killer riff, and a performance from Bruce that proves he's still got it. "New Frontier" has a sort of "Somewhere in Time" feel, with a great chorus. There are also a wealth of great epics here, such as "No More Lies", "Pashendale", "Face in the Sand", and the title track. Some of these songs were the ones that took a few listens to get into, but when they finally hit me, they hit hard. My favorite from the album is probably "Age of Innocence". Featuring a brutal staccato riff on the verses, and an overwhelmingly catchy melodic chorus, this is one of their best songs to date. The politically oriented lyrics are also a bit of a departure from their usual lyrical arsenal. The album ends on a great note with the acoustic "Journeyman".

This album as a whole is difficult to describe, because there's just so much cool stuff going on. The guitar work is excellent (as usual), and there's even the occasional string section here and there to enhance the killer melodies. This is the first time the band has used actual strings (until now, they were done on a keyboard), and they really work well. I would actually like to see them go into an even more symphonic direction on subsequent releases. Might not get the best reaction from the purists, but I think it'd be great.

If there's one thing I can complain about here, it's that the production is a bit weak. While it does give the album a rawer, more oldschool feel (as opposed to the more slick and lush arrangements of BNW), it also leaves some of the music a bit pushed back in the mix. Nicko really doesn't stand out like he should. On BNW, he was brought much further up into the mix, and it was easier to focus on what he was doing, but you've really gotta strain a bit more to make out the intricacies of his drumming. Steve's bass doesn't stand out quite as much either (although, admittedly, his basslines have been better). I'm hoping that maybe they'll remix this album some day, but I kinda doubt it.

Anyway, despite taking some time to appreciate, this is a great new release from the kings of metal. Not many bands that have been around for 20 years or more are still making music this good, so it's a real relief to still have Maiden in the business. I caught them on their last tour, and it was possibly the best show I've ever seen. The youthful exuberance that these guys display in their mid to late 40's is just amazing. I have the feeling these guys still have a few good years ahead of them.

I highly recommend this to all of the fans. It may take a few spins, but it's worth the effort.

47 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than most bands today, but still not "classic" Maiden, December 3, 2003

By 

Just Bill (Grand Rapids, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance of Death (Audio CD)

I've seen Maiden in concert a half dozen times. I own everything they've released in about three or four different formats/versions. Remastered and non-remastered. Vinyl and CD.

Not to mention DVD.

So I bought Dance of Death with great expectations -- especially I had just seen Maiden blow away a sold-out audience in Detroit a month prior to its release.

Sadly, Dance of Death is only marginally better than Brave New World. And maybe not even better. Maybe just about as good.

What disappointed me about Dance of Death was its dearth of originality. Many of the songs reminded me of songs from Brave New World. (I dare any fan to deny that.) Or, worse, Virtual XI and X Factor. There's still a lot of repetition of verses going on, bad habits from the Blaze Bayley days, I'm afraid.

What saves this album, in my opinion (surely not its cheesy cover art -- where's Derek Riggs when you need him?), is the fact that it is, after all, Iron Maiden. And the classic line-up (plus one!) of Iron Maiden at that.

Nobody writes music like Iron Maiden. Nobody sounds like Bruce Dickinson. Nobody plays bass like Steve Harris. Nobody showboats like Janick Gers. Nobody has the speed and melody of Dave Murray or Adrian Smith. Even when they seem to parody themselves, Iron Maiden is still light years beyond most bands today.

And maybe that's why I've been harder on Dance of Death than I probably should have been. This is Iron Maiden, for Pete's sake! I've heard what they're capable of. They blow the roof off concert venues when they tour. And their back catalog of music still electrifies me some 15-20 years on.

That said, I must confess that "Wildest Dreams" was a blast to see performed live. And "Paschendale" is a fascinating epic of a song. "No More Lies" suffers from Brave New Worldism, sounding too much like an outtake from the previous album. But "Monstesegur" rocks and "Gates of Tomorrow" features a cool intro riff.

Every track has something of value in it. It's just that, taken as a whole, Dance of Death doesn't surprise and delight like it could have.

Still...

This is Iron Maiden. So you have to buy it, anyway. It's required. Eddie says so.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars People are either open-minded or close-minded..., September 12, 2003

By 

Jim Harrison (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance of Death (Audio CD)

Toss out all the grandstanding here -- in favor of AND against Dance of Death. These facts are undeniable about the album:

1. Bruce is awesome, but he's 20+ years older than Piece of Mind. Give the guy a break and respect him for the badass that he still is, and stop whining about the badass he WAS because he's not hitting the same notes...

2. There are more 3 part harmonies here than on BNW. And the solos are a return to form of sorts, sounding more like "classic" Maiden than BNW.

3. There are more longer, drawn out songs here than BNW. Harris would do well to lose the intro/outro disease and whittle down things a bit. When in doubt Steve, simplify. Simplify.

4. Nicko's song is no letdown at all! Let's see what else he's got up his sleeve.

5. Maiden still have fire and passion, although Harris might be a tad too inflexible with his formulas. I don't know the man and I wasn't there during the songwriting to see if he really runs the show with an "Iron" fist as they say, but holy s**t, Chemical Wedding about blew my d**k off compared to BNW and DOD. I'd like to see Maiden take a stab at "changing musical directions" and experimenting with more visceral songwriting that's free of overproduced embellishments. I get the feeling Adrian and Bruce wish they could "cut loose" more. However, the varied credits on this album suggest the winds of change might be blowing as far as the songwriting goes, so lets all reserve judgement until the next album is released in a few years.

6. The question everyone is asking: Can the new revitalized Maiden recapture it's glory, or should we be waiting for Bruce and Adrian to do another kickass solo album? The answer: Hey folks, lighten up and enjoy it all. It could be worse -- they might have retired after the Blaze years. Give it up for these guys and all they've done for us and quit knocking them down.

Buy the record. It's great stuff. Or get in your camaro and put on Powerslave. Just enjoy the music and stop being so hypercritical. Enjoy it while it lasts!