published: 19 /
5 /
2005
Label:
Mayan
Format: CD
Accomplished solo album from Iron maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, which will be loved and loathed in equal measure depending eniterly on whether one sees the demise of old fashioned metal as a good or a bad thing
Review
It would clearly be foolish to ask you to believe that Bruce Dickinson’s new album is a radical step forward, fusing wide-ranging influences together to create a bold new form of metal. Of course it’s not - the new album from the Iron Maiden frontman reveals him to be not in the least bit altered. Excessively fiddly guitar solos and fantasy infused gibberish lyrics are all present and correct.
Whether you love or loathe this album will depend entirely on whether you view the demise of old fashioned metal as a blessing or a terribly sad thing.
Dickinson clearly doesn’t recognise that old metal has passed on. 'The Tyranny of Souls' is technically accomplished in a typically Iron Maiden way. It is also a step back in time, with Dickinson wailing about the tyranny of souls, being a soul intruder and navigating the seas of the sun over purely retro riffs.
Just as certain parts of metal have always been highly progressive, embracing drum and base, hip hop or whatever else was around, so others remain firmly entrenched in the past, daring us to raise an eyebrow, or the horns metal-sign. Personally I find it inspiring that there is still room in this world for Bruce. As soon as my hair grows long enough I’m going to crank my hi-fi up to eleven and stick two fingers up to irony. And yes, they will be making the metal sign.
Track Listing:-
1
Mars Within
2
Abduction
3
Soul Intruders
4
Kill Devil Hill
5
Navigate the Seas of the Sun
6
River of No Return
7
Power of the Sun
8
Devil On a Hog
9
Believel
10
Tyranny of Souls