Any way you look at it, a new Iron Maiden album is always an event. However, when the dramatic news broke that Bruce Dickinson, the legendary singer, was suffering from cancer, the backdrop to the creation of ‘book of souls’ became even more dramatic. Even whilst fans were excited at the prospect of the first ever double album from one of metal’s most revered bands, that excitement was tempered with deep concern for one of the genre’s most instantly recognisable and passionate figureheads. AS we know now, Bruce took the illness in his stride and, as the album’s release drew near, was able to announce a clean bill of health, but even so it is hard not to attach a somewhat celebratory air to this monumental release.
If any metal band are capable of delivering a double album, it surely is Maiden. The lengthy ‘matter of life and death’ was already moving in that sort of direction, and book of souls takes that heady progressive beast as its cue and ramps the drama up a notch. Of course, just because we’re referencing the dreaded p-word, it does not mean that Maiden have gone soft. Far from it. One listen to the opening track, the eight minute ‘if eternity should fail’, will convince you that Maiden sound more vital than any band in its fourth decade has any right to sound. A band that has steadfastly eschewed nostalgia, Maiden have insisted on alternating live sets of classic material with sets that focus almost exclusively on the new, and there has been little interest from the band (beyond the excellent series of history DVDs) in box sets and other such shenanigans when an album of new material can be offered instead. Whilst ‘if eternity…’ eases the listener in, ‘speed of light’ harks back to the band’s earliest days, with an almost punkish riff and Bruce’s evil cackle making a welcome return. A cracking, full-tilt track, it’s Maiden doing what they do best with confidence and ease and there is sure to be a crazed mosh pit when the band unleash this live. Opening with a throbbing Steve Harris bass line, ‘the great unknown’ benefits from some beautiful guitar work and subtle keyboard elements before exploding into a mid-paced assault of chugging guitars and an assured Bruce vocal, the band all the while maintaining the atmosphere of mystery developed in the opening minutes. A genuine epic, ‘the red and the black’ sits at the heart of disc one and takes up a monumental thirteen minutes. As we’ve seen before, Maiden are more than adept at writing multi-layered songs (never more so than with the stunning ‘rime of the ancient mariner’) and that skill has not deserted them. Opening with that patented Iron Maiden gallop and folky guitars, Bruce proves to be the star of the show here, spitting out syllables with potent force as the guitars chug away beneath him. Somehow, amidst the progressive madness, with fluid guitar solos galore, the band also manage to cram in the sort of sing-along chorus that will have stadiums around the world singing as one, and it’s hard not to stand in awe of Maiden’s progressive might. Following with a shorter track, Maiden hit a tough groove with ‘when the river runs deep’, delivering the heavy metal goods to the faithful with a taut rocker that will get heads banging appreciatively before the first disc ends, all too quickly, with the title track. A stunning highlight of the first disc, ‘book of souls’ is a mid-paced track that crushes the opposition with its churning riffs and Bruce’s impassioned delivery. Kevin Shirley’s fingerprints are all over this one, from the weight he gives to the grinding guitars to the Eastern influence that finds its way into the synth-string arrangement, whilst a sky-scraping chorus shows that Maiden are firing on all cylinders with this release.
The second disc, hardly less packed than the first at forty odd minutes, opens with the bristling fury of ‘death or glory’, a classic Maiden track in the mould of ‘2 minutes to midnight’ or ‘die with your boots on’. It’s Maiden at their full-throttle best, Bruce still sounding godlike as he tears into the lyrics like a man possessed. Classic Maiden is referenced yet again on ‘shadows of the valley’, only this time it’s ‘wasted years’ that gets the nod with a stair-stepping guitar line leading the band into a monstrous epic that harnesses power and melody in equal measure. It’s Maiden doing what they do best – referencing their illustrious past, but keeping a keen eye on the future, adding progressive elements but always following their melodic muse, and the result is a track that will fit comfortably into a set packed with Maiden classics whilst still pushing the band forward. ‘Years have flown’, which must be how the band view their own turbulent time in the music industry, is a mid-tempo belter, Nicko’s taut beat propelling the song ever forward whilst ‘the man of sorrows’ is a remarkable ballad that opens with some truly stunning lead work before slowly building into a hard rock beast with a noble progressive crest and brutal, metallic claws. Even with so much material on offer, Iron Maiden did, however, manage to save the best for last. ‘Empire of the clouds’ is an eighteen minute masterwork that combines all of Maiden’s strengths into one impressive summation of their career. Here you’ll find rich piano work, haunting strings, unerringly brilliant guitar work and, of course, at its heart, Bruce’s mighty howl, still able to bring shivers down the spine after all these years
Iron Maiden have never compromised. They have never backed down nor changed their sound when faced with fickle fashion and fly-by-night trends. Slowly the band have evolved their sound though, and the work that Iron Maiden have done since Bruce’s much heralded return with ‘brave new world’ remarkably ranks alongside their earlier, ‘classic’ works. Part of the band’s success lies in the unholy confidence of Steve Harris, who has steadfastly led the band through good times and band, always emphasising the new material and giving fans the time they need to get to know it rather than ditching it in favour of the hits at the first sign of trouble. It’s paid huge dividends because when other acts have been forced to rely increasingly on an illustrious past, Iron Maiden exist purely in the now, delivering albums that just seem to get better the longer you spend in their company. Until now I’d argue that ‘a matter of life and death’ was the band’s most progressive album (and also one of their finest), but that title is now fairly taken by the amazing ‘book of souls’. The band have made good use of the double album length, building huge progressive epics with real depth and substance, but never skimping on that metallic might that has made them so beloved. That the album has appeared in the light of Bruce’s recovery makes it all the more celebratory, and Iron Maiden have shown, once again, that they have never underestimated their fans or sold them short. Iron Maiden remain one of the finest and most beloved bands on the planet for a good reason and there is a strong argument that ‘book of souls’ ranks up there as one of the very best albums the band have ever put their name to.
