Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Iron Maiden - Brave New World (2000)
Who in the metal world hasn't heard of Iron Maiden? They're known as one of the most influential bands in all of metal, having developed the NWOBHM movement and sold millions of copies around the world. Is it surprising that I haven't thought of listening to and reviewing an entire album by this band until recently? Sure seems like it, but I've rarely had the incentive to check out full albums from the more popular classic heavy metal bands. And now I'm ready to take on this offering by these British metal legends.
Like other famous metal bands that have existed for around half a century, the 80s was known as the band's pinnacle of fame and glory, then the 90s was when the quality dropped and gradually withered into forgettable oblivion. And the second half of the decade didn't even involve the widely-revered vocalist Bruce Dickinson whose temporary replacement was Blaze Bayley. Then when Mr. Dickinson came back to the band along with guitarist Adrian Smith, the result for this album is what's been hailed by many as a return to their earlier form of melodic anthems. So let's enter this Brave New World to see if I can agree...
The track that kickstarts the album "The Wicker Man" is basically their way of telling the listeners that they haven't lost their earlier talent. This is especially true in the chorus with its guitar melody and Dickinson's inspiring line of "Your time will come!" Next track "Ghost of the Navigator" is an easy one for new listeners to get into. It works for riding your horse through fields of sorrow. The bass and drums also help make that track a highlight that's hard for other bands to surpass. The title track is another reason why the wait for this album was worth it for earlier Maiden fans, a perfect way to exemplify their sound. The soft guitar soon rises to distorted melody, as Dickinson brings his vocal power up. The chorus is so catchy, especially with Steve Harris' audible bass. The band has given fans a proper welcome back with that one.
The sorrowful "Blood Brothers" practically tells a tale of heroism and tragedy. A great funeral song for any metalhead, to say farewell to a brother of the metal brotherhood. "The Mercenary" is a more rock-on track. Once again, the chorus is slower and sounds more inspiring, as Dickinson encourages you to "show them no fear". The centerpiece of the entire album is "Dream of Mirrors", the first of 3 epics circling 9 minutes. It is quite progressive as it starts off sounding like a dreamy ballad ("The dream is true"), before rising gradually in the instrumentation, complete with power chords, reaching its explosive climax in a second chorus to appear before repeating the first one ("I only dream in black and white"). So powerful and mind-blowing! The song becomes faster in the second half, and while it makes the chorus sound a bit odd, I wouldn't change anything about that magnificent epic. "The Fallen Angel" is a short highlight to help get your mind set before more of those epics to come.
"The Nomad" is the second of the 3 long epics. It starts off fine and mid-paced though it may be off-putting for the speedier fans, then it gradually becomes heavier and more progressive. The Middle-Eastern vibes and the midsection are what make that song sound so great. The rest of that track though, it's OK but doesn't reach the same height as the other epics. "Out of the Silent Planet" is the one track that I think doesn't belong here. The melody is just a little too draggy, and the epics are much better executed when it comes to that. Case in point, "The Thin Line Between Love & Hate" ends the album with some of the best melody here. Truly an underrated track!
So if "The Nomad" was trimmed to around 5 minutes in length instead of 9 and "Out of the Silent Planet" was cut entirely, Brave New World would've been perfect enough for me to listen to this band full-time. Nonetheless, the album is full of high-energy anthems that have made me understand how essential the band is. For many longtime fans, it is a comeback, but for the newer listeners such as myself, it's indeed a brave new world to explore....
Favorites: "Ghost of the Navigator", "Brave New World", "Dream of Mirrors", "The Fallen Angel", "The Thin Line Between Love & Hate"