Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Well, here we are with an Iron Maiden double album, over 90 minutes long, and regardless of how the naysayers might paint it, I love the damn thing. And I mean love it, every song, every note, every melody, the whole thing. Does that mean I'm saying it's a better album than “Number of the Beast” or “Powerslave”? Hell no. Because that, to me, would be pointless. Iron Maiden is a different beast, so to speak, than they were in the '80's.....or the '90's......or the early '00's. Maiden has been around for a LONG time, and even though they have a trademark sound that is always present, their style is different now, and shouldn't be judged as a comparison to their older material. Today's Iron Maiden is a mature, highly professional, heavy metal/prog rock/hard rock powerhouse, an identity that has evolved through four decades of releasing albums. In other words, don't bother with the “how dare you give this five stars, it's not as good as Piece of Mind!” because I'm not into comparing apples and oranges. If you like what Iron Maiden is in 2015, you're going to love “The Book of Souls.” It's a modern classic that's in keeping with the direction we've seen from them in recent years, but with just enough old school to tie it to their illustrious past and keep longtime fans smiling. I enjoyed this album's predecessor, “The Final Frontier,” even though a contingent of fans found it overlong. And I can agree that it has lagging moments here and there. “The Book of Souls,” though, is both a continuation of and improvement on that release. It's more hard rock/classic metal-oriented than I expected given the number of long songs. I thought it would be more proggy overall, and while it has a healthy share of prog rock, it has an abundance of old-school style riffs and solos with an '80's vibe, but without sounding dated. I find the musicianship more involved here than with “Final Frontier,” more varied, layered, and often with a darker tone. Bruce's vocals are outstanding, and while that's par for the course with Maiden, I really enjoy his approach for this album. A lot of his phrasing, like on “If Eternity Should Fail” or “The Red and the Black,” reminds me of '80's Bruce, and a good bit of his vibrato just has a nostalgic quality to it, like on “Death or Glory.” I've seen people try to pick apart his vocals and “prove” that he doesn't have it anymore.....please. Clean your ears, because Dickinson sounds incredible. With an album this long, I won't try to go through and break down every track, but I'll mention several of my favorite moments. All of “If Eternity Should Fail” is fantastic, especially the vocals, and the part five minutes in where the beat picks up for a sweet solo section. I also like the freaky spoken outro. “The Great Unknown” is a highlight, with some of my favorite vocal melodies on the album. I love the first riff on “The Red and the Black,” and the chugging, galloping riffs in the verses that give it a retro feel. That style is actually found on several tunes here. The title track has a “Powerslave” feel with an Egyptian sounding riff, but slowed down and grooved out for a more modern sound. This one's an outstanding song, and I can see why they chose it as the name of the album. “When the River Runs Deep” and “Death or Glory” are both butt-kickers, good solid metal/hard rock tracks. Finally, “Empire of the Clouds” is quite an impressive accomplishment. Over 18 minutes and written almost entirely by Bruce, it progresses from balladry to power metal, to some killer guitar harmonies and a classic metal gallop. By the end, it comes full circle with a soft finish showcasing Bruce's vocals. This is not only a great modern epic for Maiden, but in my opinion a masterpiece of progressive heavy metal. Whether you prefer classic or current Maiden, this is the music they want to make today, and I say more power to them. It surprises me how quickly the longer songs, and really the whole album, go by. Even passing the 90 minute mark, Iron Maiden still leaves me wanting more. And that's the mark of a truly legendary band. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed in the coming years that “The Book of Souls” won't be their last chapter.