What the hell?
Hmmm, yet another Iron Maiden tribute album. This makes three that I know of. This one and the two Call To Irons albums. Maybe next time around they will get it right, but they sure as hell didn't get it right this time.
This album, unlike the other two, consists of just one band, made up of members of various hard rock and heavy metal bands. (well, if you consider Bad Company to be hard rock...) There are different singers on the tracks too. Doogie White of Rainbow, Paul Di'Anno from Killers(and Maiden before that), and Steve Overland from FM are a sampling of the singers on this album.
Let me just start by saying that I was dissapointed by this album. It just didn't so too much for me, I'll explain why as we go.
The first song on the cd is Can I play with Madness, from the Seventh Son album. Steve Overland sings on this track, and though I have never heard any of FM's music, I can only imagine that they sound like Bad Company. Why? Because this song sounds just like Bad Company covering an Iron Maiden tune. The vocals are just too polished, and the track has none of the raw energy that makes Maiden such a classic metal band. In fact, let me save myself some trouble, and tell you right now that track number 10, Run to the Hills, also features Steve Overland on vocals, and also sounds like BC doing Maiden, badly I might ad. Whew, now I feel better.
Track two is a bland cover of Two Minutes to Midnight. That's it. Not bad, not good, just, well, bland. Steve Grimmett of Grim Reaper supplies vocals for this one.
Track 3, Wrathchild, track 5, Running Free, track 7, Phantom of the Opera, and track 9, Iron Maiden, all feature Pal Di'Anno on vocals. These tracks sound good, if not just a little too studio slick, but what was the point? I already have all of these songs on cd, with Di'Anno doing the vocals. C'mon people, if your are gonna stick the original singer on an album like this, make him do songs we all haven't heard him do. Jeez.
Tracks 4 and 6 are the real reasons I bought this album, and the reasons why I was so dissapointed with it. Doogie White, from Ritchie Blackmoore's Rainbow, sings on these two tracks. I love Doogie Whites vocals. In fact, it came down to a choice between him and Blaze Bailey when Maiden lost Bruce all those years ago and had to replace their singer. I personally think Steve HArris chose the wrong guy, and that Doogie would have seriously kicked some arse in that band, but hey? Who am I to argue. That all said, the reason I am so dissapointed is that Doogie's vocals are just so bland on these two tracks, and they playing behind the vocals is just not, right, for lack of a better word. Hallowed Be Thy Name is my absolute favorite Maiden track, and this just does it no justice. I prefer the version Solitude Aeturnus did on the Call to Irons album, as it just rocks. They put so much more energy and feeling in to it, and it shows. Sorry Doogie, my man, you sucked out on this one. Better luck next try.
That leaves us with only tracks 8, Number of the Beast with vocals by Steve Grimmett, and 9, The Trooper with vocals by Garu Barden. Um, well, hmmmm. Let's just say that they are not all too memorable covers of very memorable songs.
All in all, the album isn't bad, just lackluster. Everything they did has been done, and done better, on other albums. Not really worth your time or money for this one guys. Instead, check out A Call To Irons I and II. They also have some horrifying moments, but just enough really memorable covers to make it worth it.
What I would really like to see is a Maiden tribute album featuring Helloween, Gamma Ray, Hammerfall, Stratovarius, and some other good euro-metal bands. Yeah, that would be cool. (Hint, hint, Mr. Record Company Exec....)
|
|
>This page has been visited