Iron Maiden Album: “Final Frontier”

Maiden worked on this CD for basically four years, so any reviewer who listens to it a couple of times before they beat it down isn't doing it or themselves any justice. It took me many listens to really get into AMOLAD and now I consider it one of their better albums (not one weak song in the bunch).

Now I know everybody always says that they've been Maiden fans since day one and that makes them some kind of expert on the band. Not quite for me, but how about since I first heard Killers back in 81. They lost me for a little while with No Prayer and the Blaze CD's but since then their music and penmanship have been fantastic. Is Maiden the same band as they were back then...of course not, who is? They have changed and matured musically. This is not your typical metal, you know...verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, fade out, written in two minutes in a drunken stupor. God knows there are enough of those groups and CD's out there. The lyrics on this CD are fantastic and desrve a good reading, especially if you do some research on the subject matter.

Just give this CD a fair shot and you will enjoy it, slightly more progressive than other Maiden CD's but definitely worth the purchase.

This review is not about the album itself (I thought it was very good), but about the actual product. Most of music newspapers, magazines, sites, and so on reviewed the album already (with positive result), so, no point of rewriting them.

Before I start, the rumors have it that it might be the band's last album, so I expected an extra treatment. The metal case with a little window is pretty neat. Upon opening it, I expected 2 CDs, the album and the bonus DVD, like A Matter of Life and Death for example. There was only one CD. I thought that maybe it's all there then. No, just the album. For bonus you go to their site, it verifies that you have this CD inserted and then gives you access to perhaps the crapiest bonus material I have ever seen.

Final Frontier (The Director's Cut) has been available through YouTube for some time now, in better quality.

Final Frontier Mission Debrief has even worst quality than the first video.

Pictures, barely any, and they are not that good either, especially at such low resolution.

Game, something I don't care about.

Wallpaper. Really wanted that, to find a good wallpaper with the actual band is literally impossible. There are none. Absolute crap. Most of it is just snapshots from the video. There are few wallpapers that stand out from photography perspective, but none with the band itself.

The only reason to buy this edition over regular one is the reason such as 'why not? It's just $2 more'. Don't buy it expecting an actual Deluxe Edition, besides the metal case, which is pretty cool I admit, this version has nothing else to offer.

Also, I am sure that in a few months they will wrap up that bonus website leaving us with no bonus at all.

I will be the first to admit that I did NOT like this album very much the first time I heard it. The songs are long, very progressive, and not as straight-up "metal" as classic Maiden. But let me tell you that this album grew on me with each listen, and now, after about 5 or 6 listens...it is AMAZING! There are just so many great melodies all over this album, and the guitar solos are the best in a long time.

Stylistically, I would say this album does sound like a natural progression of all the "reunion" era albums (Brave New World and later), but also with hints of Somewhere In Time/Seventh Son era Maiden, and even a bit of Chemical Wedding/Tyranny of Souls era Bruce Dickinson solo material (especially Satellite 15 and Coming Home). One of my favorite things about The Final Frontier is that it brings back some of the '80s era clean guitar tone that is instantly recognizable from songs like Alexander the Great, and Infinite Dreams, that we really haven't heard much of since then. Also, Maiden has really relegated the harmony lead guitars to the background since The X-Factor, but with this album they are back a bit more prominently.

You have to go into this album with an open mind. Maiden is no longer just a metal band. They are a progressive metal band. The days of Powerslave are long gone. The songs are longer, more complicated, and less instantly catchy. But if you are willing to accept all of that, and put in your time to listen to this album several times carefully (preferably at full blast), there is MUCH to love here!

Finally, I have to get this off my chest. Maiden is now more than ever a thinking man's band. They are and have always been a mix of British rock, metal, and prog. They do not fit neatly into the narrow niche that "metal" has become over the years. Yes, they are still heavy a lot of the time, but they are also doing rock and folk influenced parts, drawing on influences like The Who, Wishbone Ash, and UFO. I bet a lot of the people slagging this album have never listened to those bands. I think a lot of the backlash against their recent stuff is from narrow minded metal heads who just want everything to be heavy and fast, and can't appreciate slower, lighter, more thoughtful material. If you like to hang out in a wife beater, you probably will not like this album. If you think it's cool to pound a bunch of cheap canned beer and then crush the cans on your forehead, look elsewhere. But if you actually appreciate GREAT MUSIC, whether it is heavy or not, then Maiden is still one of the greatest bands in the world and you will probably love this album!

Overall album review:

I've been an Iron Maiden fan since The Number Of The Beast and like a lot of Maiden fans love the post-reunion albums, especially Brave New World and A Matter Of Life And Death. I was reluctant about this new album when I first heard El Dorado but after listening to the whole album about 50 times now I'll say this is among their best work. Actually I've grown to like El Dorado after hearing it in the context of the whole album now. My only three complaints are: a) I wish Satellite 15 was it's own track (I tend to skip it a lot now); b) Bruce seems a little uninspired on the verses in El Dorado; and c) the guitar solos are a little too low in the mix. Otherwise I think this is a mind blowing album and love every track. If you liked any of the recent reunion era albums you'll most likely love this. If you hated any of them then skip this. Highly recommended!

Edit and Vinyl review:

Sound Quality:

I originally wrote this review before receiving my vinyl copy so I was going by the sound of the CD and have now had many times to listen to the vinyl version and take back my third complaint, the guitar solos don't seem as low in the mix on vinyl. Maybe it's my set up (amp, receiver, turntable cartridge, etc.), but the solos sound much better with this configuration. Which brings me to the sound quality of the discs: absolutely awesome! Even though these are picture discs which apparently may have compromised sound quality, I'm very impressed with how they sound and think they sound just as good as regular vinyl records. The only time pops and hisses are audible are in between songs or when the music is relatively quiet such as the first part of The Talisman which isn't that big of a deal and in my opinion adds to the experience of listening to albums on vinyl.

Packaging:

The look and feel and overall packaging is phenomenal. I couldn't expect it to be any better. The inside cover has sketches by artist Melvyn Grant on each side (page 12 from the CD booklet). The first sleeve has some of the lyrics on one side with a space illustration behind them (pages 5-6 from the CD booklet), and the other side a huge Eddie skull logo. The second sleeve has the rest of the lyrics with another space illustration in the background (not in the CD booklet), and the other side a close up of the alien Eddie (page 1). Each record has a picture on each side: Side 1 is the album cover; Side 2 is the alien Eddie; Side 3 is a silhouette photo of the band (back cover of the CD booklet); and Side 4 has a sort of moon in the center surrounded by various Eddie skull logos. Aside from a few dings on one of the sleeves and a "pop" on one song, I'm thoroughly impressed and happy with my purchase and say buy this in a heartbeat if you're either a collector or have a turntable and want to hear one of Maidens best albums on vinyl.

Honestly, I am quite sickened, shocked, and puzzled by the negative reviews here. It's not just here but it's on other sites as well. Seems like many Maiden fans out there want the band to play the same old 4 minute songs. Maiden built their fame with those classic 80s songs, but those songs have already been written! The guys are older and it's time for them to move on.

This album, in my opinion, is their best since '88s Seventh Son. I mean, the Rush-influences, and proggy-direction is AMAZING! I friggin' love every song on here. This is indeed a different Maiden album, but in a very good way. None of these songs even feel long. What is 9 minutes lasts for what seems like half that time! The album goes by quick, and there are a lot of memorable moments on this record. The breakdowns on a couple of the songs are just mind blowing and spectacular.

The ballad "Coming Home" is INCREDIBLE! I can't wait to hear this song live and sing a long the chorus with the thousands of Maiden maniacs! All the songs are my favorites, but besides "Coming Home", "The Talisman" is another one that keeps getting repeated listens. It starts with a great acoustic intro (JANICK IS THE MAN!), and after the first 2 and a half minutes, explodes into a headbangin' riff... The chorus is amazing... especially the "WEEEEEESTWARD WE SAIILL" part, which has Bruce hitting notes that I haven't heard him hit in a very long time. Another song I can't wait to hear live. The amazing "Isle of Avalon" and the 80s sounding rocker "The Alchemist" are awesome as well.

Everyone's performance is absolutely AWESOME! Adrian wrote a lot of the material, and he's obviously the dominant guitarist on this album, but each and every one stands out as well. Bruce sounds excellent throughout the album, and he still got the air raid siren he's famous for!

Listen, Iron Maiden are the most influential and inspiring heavy metal band of all time... this new album shows them trying out new things, and it does not fail! Do yourself a favor, you're on this webpage for a reason... you're checking out to see The Final Frontier. People, BUY IT! Just BUY IT!! BUY 2 COPIES like I did!! Buy the album. Let's see heavy metal at #1 on the charts!

Support heavy metal, support Iron Maiden, buy the records! This album will not disappoint! If you do buy it, and don't like it after your first listen, listen again, and again, and again, and again, completely brainwash yourself to love it!! It's only 10 bucks, just BUY IT! It's a masterpiece of epic proportions! UP THE IRONS!!