Iron Maiden: The Book of Souls Review.

                                  A Book of Souls Inside a Wicked World


                                        The Writer Is The Engineer Of the Human Soul
                                                                                              -Joseph Stalin

Illustration by: Derek Riggs

There are  only a few of my constituents that know more about Heavy Metal music and, less that are more familiar with Iron Maiden.  Bill Swanson (Maiden Chicago) and Dane McCartney (Judas Beast) are perhaps two men that are on the same page as myself when the music roars for the Beast. But I will give the Devil no partisan support for His seven deadly sins, Let's keep that perfectly clear, because a time will come when you will have to face your inner demon, and cry out God's name to be saved from a living Hell. I should know. I've been there, and it's that fear that will keep the strongest of men humble.

In an advertising new age full of thieves, pimps and cell phone junkies, the sin of being a subnormal idol-servant will kill you faster than a speeding truck. The real challenge is to ride out this vicious storm of life and  embrace the music of Iron Maiden. Five years is a long time to wait for any recording artist no matter who is on tour. With Iron Maiden, "The Book of Souls"  has been the longest wait time between albums. Other releases such as "Powerslave" and "Seventh Son of the Seventh Son" offered galloping guitar riffs, along with superior lyrics. However, "The Book Of Souls" offers much more!

Lead Vocalist: Bruce Dickinson

At first, the listener is captivated  to a sound of darkness in Iron Maiden's first track titled: "If Eternity Should Fail." Each note evolves from a murky sludge of musical notes, to a higher evolution of existence. The lyrics have you locked into a transitional phase of wonder inferring to the soul of a man. Wow! This is what great song writing is all about. Next, the tempo picks-up a sequence of master storytelling and emotional lust. To obtain a better understanding of the human soul, one must study the works of  Dr. Duncan MacDougal. During the early 1900's at the Cullis Consumptive Home, Tuberculosis patients were weighed after they had passed away. Conclusive research showed that a human soul can be measured at approximately 21 grams. But let's move on, and skip the story of  Necropolis.

As many Iron Maiden fans may or may not know, Greek Mythology and famous novels have been the Genesis for creating such awesome songs such as "Flight of Icarus" and "Where Eagles Dare." There are now 140 songs totaling Iron Maiden's repertoire, and each opening riff shares a powerful message worthy of critical thinking.  For example, "Still Life" is the tale of Narcissus, a Greek God of mythology that was proud of his beauty. Prepossessing to a pool and unable to leave his own reflection, Narcissus drowned. "The Book of Souls" builds on that heritage and members for this sixteenth release include: Bruce Dickinson (Lead Vocals) Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers (Lead Guitars) Steve Harris (Bass) and Nicko McBrain (Drums). Each of them have brilliantly engineered 92 minutes of pure Heavy Metal, making this their longest studio release with double disc adding to the legacy of madness.

Iron Maiden

With this in mind, we can examine Iron Maiden's second track titled: "Speed of Light" and music video concept. Traveling through a wormhole of 8, 16 and 32 bit gaming systems, Iron Maiden explores the last four decades looking back, drawing inspiration as Eddie moves into the future of different worlds. Indeed. There are many pleasing tracks to enjoy, yet "Tears of a Clown" commemorates the tragic suicide of the late comedian/ actor, Robbin Williams. Without the universal truth of food, shelter or love the pain is that Demon I mentioned earlier in this review. Handling adversity is how God shall place value on the human spirit, A soldier in God's Army is a heavy price for the mortal man, and no one said this will be an easy task to become a Trooper. History is another priceless commodity that can teach us that each day is a gift from a higher power in the universe.  "Empire of the Clouds" is the last track for "The Book Of Souls" and features Dickinson's piano skills. A glimpse into the past, the listener learns about Lord Thomson Airship, R101 that crashed into a water tower in France, killing forty-six passengers on a silver ghost of despair. Perhaps Samvel Yervinyan was playing the violin in this 18 minute somber melody. Fans my never know the answer to that, and many other questions about Iron Maiden.   Significantly, "The Book of Souls" will go down in the Heavy Metal archives as a powerful production and will be enjoyed for the years to come.  

At more than 90 minutes, it’s the lengthiest project Iron Maiden have ever attempted, and it concludes with the longest single track they’ve ever released. Still, The Book of Souls was largely created in the studio, and a sense of visceral engagement runs through the album. They experiment with non-standard tuning in “If Eternity Should Fail”; with free-form jamming during a striking solo segment featuring Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers on “The Red and the Black”; with melancholy ruminations on “Tears of a Clown”; and with a elegiac piano figure in the concluding “Empire of the Clouds.”

Read More: Iron Maiden, 'The Book of Souls': Album Review | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/iron-maiden-book-of-souls-review/?trackback=tsmclip

At more than 90 minutes, it’s the lengthiest project Iron Maiden have ever attempted, and it concludes with the longest single track they’ve ever released. Still, The Book of Souls was largely created in the studio, and a sense of visceral engagement runs through the album. They experiment with non-standard tuning in “If Eternity Should Fail”; with free-form jamming during a striking solo segment featuring Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers on “The Red and the Black”; with melancholy ruminations on “Tears of a Clown”; and with a elegiac piano figure in the concluding “Empire of the Clouds.”

Read More: Iron Maiden, 'The Book of Souls': Album Review | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/iron-maiden-book-of-souls-review/?trackback=tsmclip