Iron Maiden- "A Matter of Life and Death" review

Like most Iron Maiden fans, I began eagerly anticipating a new album almost as soon as Dance of Death was released back in 2003. While that record was amazing, Bruce Dickinson's vocals sounded scratchy and strained in places, which had me worried whether he was losing his touch. But as soon as songs started being released from their 14th album, A Matter of Life and Death, all my fears were instantly put to rest. I'll start by saying that in my humble yet educated opinion, this record is one of his finest vocal performances ever. Almost every word is clear as a bell, and he hits high notes that belie the fact that he's been doing this for over 20 years. But as much as Bruce's voice is an important factor in his music, it doesn't mean much if you don't have the songs to back it up (as he proved on his last solo album). Luckily, that's not a problem here either. Almost every song on A Matter of Life and Death is a standout. They don't break a whole lot of new ground here, but as the old joke goes, Iron Maiden have made the same album a dozen times, but it was a great album.

"A Different World"
As usual, the album kicks off with a fast, short barnburner, with great riffs and a catchy chorus. Of the three songs that were released early by the band, this is the strongest. It's reminiscent of "Rainmaker," both in sound and lyrics. Bruce belts out the chorus with trademark precision, as Adrian, Dave, and Janick storm along in the background through a strangely familiar, yet amazing main riff.

"These Colours Don't Run"
What would a Maiden album be without a couple of war songs? This is the first one; a commentary of soldiers heading off to war. Even though the song is pretty solid, it feels like we've been here before (pun intended). Maiden have tread this ground so many times that it starts to wear a little thin. Plus, I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes the first time I read the song title. If it wasn't for that British "u" in "colors," it's something that you'd see slapped on the back of a pickup truck, right next to the NRA sticker. However, a great chorus saves this one from total mediocrity.

"Brighter Than a Thousand Suns"
This was another one of the songs released by the band before the official album release. The lyrics talk about nuclear proliferation and the awesome destruction wielded by atomic weapons. The riffs are bone-crushing, and the verses will probably stick in your head for days. The chorus, though, is a bit tedious; just the title repeated a few times. Maiden can sometimes pull this off well, but this isn't one of those times. Plus, I'm pretty sure "E=MC squared, you can't relate" will probably go down as one of the most embarrassing Maiden lyrics ever. I cringe everytime I hear it. This is a fairly mediocre song, but it has some strong points.

"The Pilgrim"
Maiden rarely touch on religion, and it's usually in vague terms. But this is one of two songs on the record that are quite explicit about it. This one, obviously, is about Jesus, as if the lyric "he turned the water into wine" wasn't enough of a clue. The lyrics are a little silly, but it's another strong track, with some great singing in the chorus as well as an awesome solo. The drum intro is a nice touch, too.

"The Longest Day"
Ah, it's time for the requisite war epic. As you can probably guess from the title, this one is about D-Day. Think "Paschendale" if it were Saving Private Ryan instead of All Quiet On the Western Front. In fact, the lyrics take many visual cues from the former film. This is definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album, with a chorus that will take your breath away and some chilling, vivid imagery. The riffs are solid too, especially the machine-gun like, staccato chords that kick in around the six minute mark. If there's one thing that this band does really well, it's war songs from the point of view of the soldier, and this one is no exception.

"Out of the Shadows"
Without lyrics to reference, it's kind of hard to tell what this one is about. It doesn't really matter, though, as this is definitely one of the weakest songs. It's a fairly predictable mid-tempo number, and doesn't really bring much to the table. But on a record as good as this one, the occasional slip-up is forgivable.

"The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg"
A song with such a strange title and long running time (over 7 minutes) doesn't seem like the logical choice for a first single, but that didn't stop them. A quick digression of sorts: This album really piles on the slow, bass-y intros. Almost every song has one. It gets a little old, but most of them still keep it interesting. This song definitely has one, and it starts off very mellow with some good interplay between the bass and guitars. Then, out of fucking nowhere, you get kicked in the head with one of the heaviest riffs they've ever written. The guitars really drive this song, and the chorus is suprisingly low-key and understated, but that's why it works so well. Oh, and I still don't know what the lyrics have to do with anyone named Benjamin Breeg.

"For the Greater Good of God."
The second of two specifically religious songs, this one is also the longest on the album. The chorus repeats itself a little bit, but it doesn't get boring, even though it crosses the 9-minute mark. Overall, it's a solid song, but not quite a standout.

"Lord of Light"
Now we're fucking talkin'. Definitely one of the best songs here, and it makes great use of dynamics, switching between loud and soft effortlessly. The chorus is also outstanding, and instantly memorable. The typical slow intro lulls you into a false sense of security, The riff that comes roaring in at the beginning of the song will catch you off guard, and you'll be banging your head in no time. Kudos to Nicko from some excellent drumming as well. This one will definitely be on repeat for a while.

"The Legacy"
I know what you're thinking: "Another 9-minute song??" Don't worry, this is one of the best and most interesting songs, and a great way to close the album. Once again, there's a damned slow intro, but like "Lord of Light," it gets much better after that. There's a really interesting, almost symphonic riff with lots of distortion and reverb that lays on top of some acoustic guitars, and it creates a very unique sound. The chorus is another standout, with Bruce hitting some seriously high notes, with some doubled background vocals (might be kind of hard to reproduce live). The verses are a sort of mid-tempo gallop and are very catchy. Great solos as well, with a nice heavy riff underneath the first one. An amazing track in every respect.

It's too early to really say how this ranks among the rest of their albums, but it certainly is on par with at least Brave New World. All the slow intros stunt the flow of the record, but they soon give way to some great stuff. There are lots of very heavy riffs, maybe more than most Maiden records. The lyrics are also a bit dull/lame in spots, but there's some flashes of greatness as well. Overall, the strengths outnumber the weaknesses. I'm not disappointed in the least, and I'm sure it will turn out to be one of my favorite albums of the year.

Rating:
9/10