Progressive seems to be a
word that has been bandied about rather a lot about this new
album by the Maiden. From the Electronic Press Kit to the
reviews and interviews in the major printed press Steve
Harris et al have been at pains to point out that 'A Matter
Of Life And Death' is by far the most 'progressive' album of
the band's career. Now I am no expert, but if by progressive
it means long complicated songs that challenge the listener
at every turn with complicated arrangements, off kilter time
& mood changes and an aversion to the normal verse, chorus
solo type of song then yeah I totally agree. In reality 'A
Matter Of Life And Death' simply builds upon the foundations
of the two previous albums recorded with the current six
strong line up and expands on what has gone before.
One thing that 'A Matter
Of Life And Death' does demand is the listener's attention
at every turn. This is most definitely not an album suitable
for background music. In fact on first play it would be
entirely possible to dismiss the record as a non entity but
repeated plays reveals the depths that 'A Matter Of Life And
Death' contains as the layered guitars, vocals and keyboard
washes unveil themselves. Actually this lack of immediacy is
a very, very brave move on the band's part. Nothing as
commercial as say a 'Wicker Man' or a 'Run To The Hills'
here. This is Maiden on their own terms, a big 'Fuck You'
to the radio, to television and indeed to anything that
could be deemed as corporate...
Amongst the ten tracks on
offer it's hard to find a moment of weakness but three
tracks stand out head and shoulders above all the others,
and for different reasons. 'Brighter Than A Thousand Suns'
takes the listener back to a time when instant nuclear
annihilation was as much a probability as a
possibility. strong riffs coupled with Dickinson's caustic
vocals and lyrics. How many songs do you know that can
incorporate the famous E=MC2 equation and name check father
of the atom bomb Robert Oppenheimer without sounding bloated
and self important. Well here's one. And then comes the mid
album pairing of Out Of The Shadows' and first single, the
ludicrously titled 'The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg'
that really showcase the diversity of Maiden and hence the
band at their best.
'Out Of The Shadows', a
Dickinson/Harris composition, very much draws on the
vocalist's solo work for its inspiration. Think 'The
Chemical Wedding' and you won't be far wrong. Perhaps
containing the most obvious chorus on display and beautiful,
sympathetic guitar flurries, it is a bold move for Maiden to
get so close to Dickinson territory but that one that most
definitely works. And then there's 'TROBB'. The quiet
opening, harmonic guitars and lyrical content takes the
listener back almost twenty years recalling the fabulous
Seventh Son album from 1988. Then the main riff kicks in and
its almost a hook in itself. Simply superb and a song that
will lodge itself in your head the more you listen and one
that is likely to become a staple of the live set for years
to come.
As I stated earlier
AMOLAD is not an immediate album and the listener must be
prepared to put some work in to reap the rewards of the
album. However if you are prepared to put that work in you
will most definitely find, arguably, one of Maiden'
strongest albums in a career that has lasted over a quarter
of a century and that is perhaps is the true legacy of both
AMOLAD and of Maiden themselves.
Steve Cummings
