Iron Maiden Album: “The X Factor”

Oh my god, BRUCE isn't on this album!!! *throws the CD in the trash without even listening to it* Unfortunantly a lot of Iron Maiden fans are this way.

The only reason that people don't like this album is (1) They are the fan I mentioned above or (2) They don't get into heavy metal. I'm sorry, but Bruce Dickinson was NOT Iron Maiden. Blaze Bayley brings a totally new style to the band...

The music is very dark, very doom like. Quite a few songs deal with the "War is Hell" category. It sounds like nothing Iron Maiden had ever done before. The Music sounds different, the vocals sound different(of course), and that is enough to send most Maiden fans running.

Blaze added new life to the band who were dying. Bruce Dickinson was very indulged in his solo career during No Prayer For the Dying and Fear of the Dark, and I think it shows on those albums. Sure, he does not possess the range that Bruce did, but he sure is good! Maybe he wasn't the "best" choice for Maiden, but I'm sorry, there is only ONE Bruce Dickinson. There is also only ONE Blaze Bayley. Just remeber that Bruce Dickinson was a replacement for Paul Di'Anno, and there were a lot of people unhappy by that decision too(at first anyway)...In my not so humble opinion, this was the BEST Iron Maiden album sinec Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and one of Maiden's most UNDERRATED works.

70 minutes and 54 seconds...That is the running time of the cd. I'm impressed just to say the least. Maiden always did the "epic" the best, and with only 11 tracks, there has to be some PRETTY long song on here. That was something Maiden had moved away from on No Prayer for the Dying and Fear of the Dark.

What are my highlight tracks? I am very partial of the following...

Sign of the Cross: They open the album with an epic. This one is one great song. It should be right up there with "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" Sadly it isn't.

Fortunes of War: Accoustic opening, very solemn and packed full of emotion and maybe some hate? It picks up in a hurry and before you know it you are in the middle of a heavy metal song. The only complaint I have is one that appears on a few other songs as well. The chorus. All he says is "Fortunes of War" x3 "No Pain anymore" Every chorus gets faster and faster however and it does happen to be quite catchy. The song ends the way it started...

Blood on the World's Hand: I have no idea what it is about this song. I like the message the song gives, and it just gets stuck in my head. The chorus suffers a bit like the "Fortunes of War" chorus.

The Edge of Darkness: It starts out with a helicopter flying in, which is accompanied by some soft, almost spooky guitar work. Blaze comes in...the drums come in softly...and then "BOOM!" it just erupts into the heavy metal you know is coming. No chorus problem, because there is NO chorus! This might be my favorite song on the album. The line at the end where Blaze practically screams "Here I am the knife in my hand now I understand why the genius must die" just sends shivers down my spine everytime. Another very underrated song...

The chorus problem is not nearly as bad as it would get to be on Virtual XI. All of the other tracks are pretty solid too. I personally don't care for "Lord of the Flies". "Man on the Edge" will probably remind you of the Maiden of old, which is why it is probably on several Greatest Hits albums.

Overall, this is a VERY solid offering. If you could listen to this album with no pre-expectations or think of it as any other band other than "Iron Maiden" you will like it. Give it a chance...Just, give it a chance. Accept it for what it is.

Is this the most underrated album in all of Iron Maiden's discography? You bet your a** it is. For all the haters out there that dislike and disregard this album simply because Bruce Dickinson isn't performing the lead vocals I say, go to hell!. Blaze does a great job on this album, particularly on songs like Sign of the Cross, Man on the Edge, Look for the Truth, Blood on the Worlds Hands and 2 A.M. Give the guy a break, and really take the time to listen to this album without any biased veiws and you will enjoy it, for sure. (Oh, and anyone wanting to hear a really brilliant live version of Look for the Truth, check out Blaze's Alive in Poland DVD, the intro to which his sings particularly well)

When I heard about X Factor coming out I was actually kind of excited that Maiden would be producing an album without Bruce Dickinson on vocals. Yes, I am a Dickinson fan, but I don't think a band should be held hostage simply because one member is unavailable, and let's face it, Iron Maiden is Steve Harris' baby, and Bruce only came to Maiden on the 3rd album. And I liked that Maiden chose someone who wasn't a Bruce clone as Judas Priest did with Ripper Owens replacing Rob Halford. Maiden chose someone who was almost the polar opposite of Bruce, with Blaze Bayley.

Musically, X Factor is pure Maiden. The guitar riffs, the heavy bass lines sometimes taking over meloday, the pounding drum work, all sounds familiar. Lyrically...well Blaze just doesn't have the chops to front Maiden. His vocal range is very small, his baritone doesn't fit the music as well, and he just lacks the power needed to be Iron Maiden's lead singer. With Paul Di'Anno you had the lower vocal register, but man...he sang with power and passion. Bruce Dickinson's vocal range is amazing, and when he sings, you take notice. Blaze was just kind of there, a mediocre lead vocalist at best. I can appreciate what Maiden was trying to do, and there are some moments that work on the album, "Sign of the Cross" and "Lord of the Flies" are two, pretty good rockers, just not up to the Iron Maiden level we are used to.

I think the thing with X Factor, is that Maiden fans will always wonder what if......what if Dickinson had sung lead, or what if Di'Anno had rejoined the band for this record? Though full of potential, X Factor doesn't really get off the ground.

The X Factor is without a doubt, the most underrated Maiden album. While its true that The X Factor isn't on par with some of the classics such as Piece of Mind, this is still a solid release from Maiden, and in fact, the best album that Maiden put out between Seventh Son and Brave New World.

Right of the bat, it is apparent that this is a different sound from all of Maiden's previous releases. This album is more guitar-harmony oriented, so in other words, if you enjoy songs such as Afraid to Shoot Strangers from Fear of the Dark, you will enjoy this album. The roots of Brave New World and Dance of Death's progressiveness can be found in The X Factor.

This is also a very dark album. There aren't any happy songs such as Run to the Hills, Can I Play With Madness, Holy Smoke, etc, but instead, we have songs that are have a dark mood, and rightfully so since Steve Harris was going through a lot of turmoil at the time.

It is also cool to experiment a little and not be so formulatic. For example, the album's big epic, Sign of the Cross, is the album opener(which is unusual, considering epics usually close off albums). However, sign of the Cross is a great track with some good instrumetal work in the middle of it. The two singles that came out of this album, Lord of the Flies and Man on the Edge are fast rockers that are enjoyable to listen to. Fortunes of War is a great song that tells of returning soldiers and the hell they go through. Look for the Thruth is a good song that starts out soft but then goes into a slow maiden gallop. The Aftermath is another good song that is similar to its predesessor, but has some really good guitar solos. Judgement of Heaven is a solid track with a really catchy guitar harmony in it. Blood on the World's Hands follows the same formula as a lot of the songs on this album, but like the others, its a good track. The Edge of Darkness is an excellent track with some really cool lyrics about a Vietnam War era version of the novel Heart of Darkness (which ironically, I'm currently reading because it was assigned to me from school). The Edge of Darkness is my personal favorite track from this album. 2 a.m. is another solid song with some good guitar work, and then the album closses off with The Unbeliever, which is the second epic off the album, and is a fine closer to a good album.

This is a good album and it does not deserve the the criticism it gets. I also agree that Bruce is better than Blaze, but I'm an Iron Maiden fan before I'm a Bruce Dickinson fan, and lets face it, The X Factor isn't as bad as some say it is. Its definetaly superior to No Prayer For the Dying and Fear of the Dark. Also, I understand that some people won't like this album, but to call people who actually like this album "Not" true maiden fans is an injustice. Please, give me a break, where not true Maiden fans for liking a Maiden album? Where's the logic in that? Anyways, I recommend this album and be open minded about it.

This album recieved unfair criticism in my opinion people tending not to concentrate on the music but what Bruce Dickinson would sound like on this album. Blaze was stunning and co-wrote some of Maidens finest songs Man On the Edge and Look For The Truth. The guitaring was also superb and the Dark feel to the album was also fantastic....paving the way for superb instrumental sections

Sign of the cross is one of the best Songs ever written, superb chorus one of the many highlights on the album,get out and buy this master piece!!