Good Rocker

In my CD player is just the third disc of Iron Maiden turns to the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith from 2006, who was in Germany at No. 1 on the album charts. Thus, in my expectations were very high, on the one hand due to the high chart position, partly because of two very strong previous albums.

This plate provides a somewhat darker atmosphere than its predecessors and has a lot of very long pieces with a total length of 72 minutes. It's just a piece of less than 5 minutes and 6 are about 7 minutes. The pieces are difficult, complex and have heavy riffs. The single criticism looks like this:

, Different World 'is a good, groovy opener with a beautiful voice and guitar melody. With 4:17 minutes and the shortest piece of board. 8 out of 10 points.

, These Colours Do not Run 'has with the most beautiful melodies of the album, the text anticipates any war propaganda from. The synthesizer can be used discreetly, what an all round in all Opus results. The piece is through-composed and has not stretched, despite its length. 9 out of 10 points.

, Brighter Than A Thousand Suns' is about nuclear weapons airdrops and refers certainly those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Musically somewhat oblique, but very interesting and the chorus will also hang. The solos are compact and like the rock fan. Rhythm changes and breaks not absent in this epic with 8:44 minutes piece, of course, as you know it from IM, also. 8 out of 10 points.

, The Pilgrim 'begins with a beautiful guitar melody synthesizer with support, then it is rocky in the stanzas. The solo by Janick Gers is strong, it reminds me, like him have often, at Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, which should not be a negative criticism. The lyrics are in this piece to Jesus. 8 out of 10 points.

, The Longest Day 'begins and you barely noticed that the previous song is already over, although written by other authors. The chorus will then, however, clear that there is a piece with its own face comes to light, which deals thematically to the Allied landings in Normandy. The chorus gets stuck - for the third time Adrian Smith was involved in composing. The instrumental part can already convey a war scene - the solos are melodic - the complete song to me is a bit too long. 7 out of 10 points.

, Out of the Shadows' we encounter in verses like a rock ballad, is in the chorus but even harder - solid number with break towards the end. 8 out of 10 points.

, The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg 'is the only piece on this album, in which Davey Murray participated in the writing and begins with a beautiful guitar motif and a quiet held stanza. After about two minutes, then goes the right way of punk riffs from -hard, Dickinson puts also into stuff. The refrain remains in the ear - super solo - the number I like.. 8 out of 10 points.

, For The Greater Good Of God 'begins again quiet but then abruptly harder with a stakkatohaftem rhythm. The chorus can be long in coming, a couple of times is then repeated with a beautiful guitar accompaniment. The synthesizers are used, but not the focus. There are 8 out of 10 points from me.

Lord Of Light 'starts very quietly, then rocking but with the same melody continues after about 2 minutes. The Solo begins bulky, then comes even with properly with speed in drive. 7 out of 10 points, as too long.

, The Legacy 'starts with acoustic guitar and a very quiet sung verse. After about three minutes the electric guitar comes out. The tune is a little crooked - this is not necessarily a catchy tune. The break comes after about 5 minutes, so that the song still is a little stronger. Towards the end comes back the opening motif. All in all too long: 6 out of 10 points.

Conclusion: I have heard the disc now determined often enough, but have never done me at a difficult review. I'm range considered very sympathetically than Maiden fan since the early praise was nevertheless already present inflationary. However, my opinion is still divided. Somehow the work already a lot from rocks, has melodies that remain hanging quite well after the second, third hearing, but I lack the variety, in instrumentation, in sound and in the compositions, as well as the pieces are clearly too long. Less would clearly been here. Furthermore, lacking an absolute belter that stands out. Nevertheless, we have here a good Maiden album that belongs in every closet, so 4 out of 5 points.