"7th Son Of A 7th Son" is a very melodic album, for the first time in the history of Iron Maiden, the use of keyboards allowed. The band continued its chosen line of "Somewhere In Time" continues, the synth sounds generated but less of guitar synthesizers, but just mainly from a keyboard. The distorted guitars often act more in the background, but still the more diverse instrumentation forms a sound compact unit. I got in this context often read that the production is not particularly well, a criticism that I can not really share and want. The sound is not quite as punchy and warm as Iron Maiden until now used to, but I guess that is intended for "7th Son Of A 7th Son" so and wanted. Eddie had been probably placed not just happen in the cover on ice.
With the intro of "Moonchild", which "The Young Only The Good" also represents the end of Outro, waited with the game on an acoustic guitar a then further innovation in the sound universe of Iron Maiden on. "Prophecy" also has an on the acoustic guitar played, sounding very much like folk Outro. As already described, the songs are indeed still heavy sound and certainly by Iron Maiden, but are very melodic, acting almost a bit trendy in some places. "7th Son Of A 7th Son" is full of fine tunes, and is quite varied. Really stands out for me are the very melodic "Infinite Dreams", the even somewhat gruff "Evil That Men Do", "The Clairvoyant" and the almost 10-minute title track. First of all, I could not start so much with the latter. The title song of keyboards seemed overloaded, and reinvent a half-baked attempt to "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner ', but the more I dealt with it, the more I stayed in tune, the chorus and the odd, unusual time signatures depend. The old sailor is not exceeded, gets in character of the seventh son but provided a fitting successor to the side. Only "Can I Play With Madness" I stand against a little ambivalent. Although the number is musically and lyrically no outliers, suggests the song for me in terms of riffs and a Preview Cowbell something in the notch of the 80-year-Guns N'Roses sleaze rock. The somewhat feeble chorus would have been, however, also a pop number to shame. "Can I Play With Madness" still fits quite well in "7th Son Of A 7th Son", and is not a bad Iron Maiden song.
The concept of the seventh son of a seventh son goes back to the old myth that after such a son is born, or equipped with superhuman powers. In some narratives he is supposed to be in league with the devil. If I do not let myself be fooled, this folklore springs from the English and Irish-speaking world from the time of the announcement took place at King Arthur. Iron Maiden pursue this concept, or the idea of this concept, but without rights. The songs deal with more questions of good and evil, heaven and hell, and the afterlife. You can follow and listen, without addressing even the slightest with the lyrics of the album well. In "Operation: Mindcrime" Queensrÿche one is against it from the storyline almost killed (which is not pejorative sound).
"7th Son Of A 7th Son" is a compact, varied album that offers eight Iron Maiden songs, which may well stand alone. Among the B-sides of the singles you will find two new recordings of "Prowler" and "Charlotte The Harlot", as well as the successful Thin Lizzy cover "Massacre", which is not very serious "Black Bart Blues", and a wealth of live recordings , "7th Son Of A 7th Son" is certainly not the reference work, the hardest, the most outstanding or album of Iron Maiden, but a great and somewhat unusual power of Maiden, I always like to hang up and let play. 4.5 stars.
