IRON MAIDEN — The X Factor (review)

IRON MAIDEN — The X Factor album cover Album · 1995 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Pekka
I've become comfortably numb. That's why Bruce Dickinson left Iron Maiden, he said in an interview. He saw no challenge anymore, but with the iconic frontman gone the band faced one like they'd never known. Add to that the fact that Steve Harris was at the time losing his father and going through a divorce, and the murky feel of the eventual album should come as no surprise.

The band's vocalist of choice was Blaze Bayley from Wolfsbane, a very different type of singer than Bruce. A lot can be, and has been said about him, but no matter how inadequate his range was for some Bruce era tracks live, I think he did a very good job in studio most of the time. Choosing a vocalist so different was a courageous move, and for a band known for openers like Aces High and Be Quick Or Be Dead, starting an album with low humming and monks chanting is a courageous move as well. What the slow beginning evolves into is an eleven minute massive masterpiece called Sign of the Cross, a truly fantastic start to a new era.

Tempo is then picked up with a couple of faster rocking tracks following. Lord of the Flies is slightly hampered by the chorus that due to Blazes limited range doesn't really take off as it could, but Man on the Edge is classic Maiden with great riffs and a memorable chorus. But then the band takes it down again for most of the eight remaining tracks, showcasing them at their darkest and slowest, with lyrics dealing with subjects like war, suffering, war, desperation, war, emptiness and war. Here Maiden also got the sometimes over used habit of starting songs with extended calm intros that take their time and then lead to the verses.

For a long time it was difficult to tell the rest of the tracks from each other. This sameness is both a minus and a plus: though Judgement of Heaven comes close, the latter half of the album could use an uptempo rocking piece to give it a bit of variation, but on the other hand the mood established is incredibly strong and effective, and the tracks good enough to keep interest level high. My favourites would perhaps be Look for the Truth, Blood on the World's Hands which opens with an acoustic Steve Harris bass jam, 2 A.M. and The Unbeliever, all of which have some exceptional melodies relieving the darkness.

This is the dark, slow and heavy Maiden album, difficult to get into but ultimately very rewarding. Very recommended if you want to delve deep.
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