Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls
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On September 4, 2015, "Iron Maiden" released their 16th album - "The Book of Souls".
What was not said about this album? A grandiose, bombastic, most ambitious, the first double album of "Iron Maiden"'s career, It is all right! But if you peel the layers from each song one by one, you will find that it is not much different from what the band has done in recent years. Here you will find biting and kicking tracks reminiscent of "Be Quick or Be Dead", sweeping, "bold" and "brave" moments that will correspond with "Brave New World", dark and gloomy songs in the atmosphere of "The X Factor" and of course epic and grandiose works in the magnitude of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner ".
When "The Book of Souls" was released, it marked the longest interval between any two "Iron Maiden" albums, arriving five years after "The Final Frontier". Many assume the extended gap was due to the album's length or Bruce Dickinson's cancerous tumor. However, this wasn't the case! Despite being the band's longest album, featuring 92 minutes of music and the longest track ever at over 18 minutes, it was one of the quickest to be written and recorded. The album was ready by the end of 2014 and was fully recorded before singer Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with a throat tumor. Its release was postponed from December 2014 to September 2015 to allow Bruce time to recover from surgery.
The reason this lengthy and grandiose album was written and recorded in such a short span (around three months) likely stems from the band's new working methods. Unlike their previous albums, this time the band members composed the songs in the studio, rehearsed, and recorded them on the spot, spontaneously, with minimal repetitions and corrections. This approach also lent most of the songs a "live recording" feel. This is probably why the album ended up being so lengthy. Bruce Dickinson mentioned that after completing six songs, he told Steve Harris that if they didn’t stop, it would become a double album. Ultimately, the band agreed that each song was essential to the album, and if it needed to be a double album, then so be it!
The album's grandeur is evident from the very first track. "If Eternity Should Fail" is an intricate and lengthy piece, exceeding 8 minutes, with a style and essence typically found in the epic finales of the band's albums, not at the beginning. This track was originally intended for Bruce Dickinson's solo album, and he started composing it with guitarist and producer Roy Z, who collaborated with him during his solo career. Bruce composed the keyboard parts for the song in Roy Z.'s bedroom. He mentioned that the band took his demo and developed it further.
Right after that is the quick and intense "Speed of Light" penned by Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith, concluding a pair of tracks that Bruce had a hand in writing right at the album's start. This hasn't occurred since “Powerslave” and highlights Dickinson's remarkable influence on this album, which we will discuss further later. The song, in its ambiance, evokes "Be Quick or Be Dead" from the album "Fear Of The Dark". It is also the first single from the album to be released with an impressive video clip, serving as a tribute to four decades of gaming and video games. Adrian Smith mentioned that the song emerged from his renewed exploration of the pentatonic scale. He began experimenting with it on his guitar, creating various versions, which are evident in the song. Bruce mentioned that this track serves as a tribute to "Deep Purple," a band that all the members admire. He explained that upon hearing the riff, it instantly reminded him of "Deep Purple's" "Burn," and then he suggested to Adrian that they include a scream in the style of Ian Gillan at the very start of the song.
We ease into a slower pace with "The Great Unknown," reminiscent of the opening track "If Eternity Should Fail," and aligned with themes such as good versus evil and life versus death, both of which would seamlessly fit into the album "A Matter of Life and Death". Musically, the song starts with a laid-back vibe that is swiftly disrupted by a "circle of violence." The first verse begins in a calm and serene manner, before bursting into a heavy sound in the following verses, literally portraying a peaceful world that transitions into a violent and malevolent one. By "The Great Unknown," Steve Harris and Adrian Smith allude to death, illustrating how violence corrupts positive traits and allows death to thrive and perpetuate further death.
"The Red and the Black" was written by Steve Harris and it opens with his chord passages on bass guitar, until the entry that takes us, in terms of melody and rhythm, directly to 1984, into the arms of the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". This piece spans over 13 minutes but at the same time is one of the most melodic and catchy tracks on the album. It turns out that the words Harris wrote were not simple for Bruce Dickinson to sing. Harris said that Bruce told him that he could not sing those words and that he did not understand how difficult it was sometimes for a singer to sing a certain sequence of words that did not really roll over the tongue. Harris noted that Bruce is such a great singer and he told him that he was sure he would nail it, as so he did.
Next, we come to the fifth track, "When the River Runs Deep," capable of wearing out your car's clutch. The song transitions from rapid verses to slower bridges and choruses, putting strain on your gearbox. However, don't be concerned; what might be tough on your car could be excellent for your body. This track is ideal for running, with well-timed breaks between sprints.
The theme song "The Book of Souls" concludes the first album in an epic manner. It begins beautifully with keyboards and acoustic guitar, creating a classic, immediate entrance. The keyboards, imitating strings, enhance the song's "Kashmir" oriental vibe. Bruce's vocals are inspiring, and despite the challenge of hitting high notes—likely due to the cancerous tumor he battled during the album's recording—he consistently demonstrates why he's known as "The Air-Raid Siren." The song's lyrics align with Eddie's character on the album cover, which draws from Mayan culture, emphasizing the belief in the eternal existence of souls even after death. To ensure the authenticity of the album cover's imagery, the band consulted "Mayanist" scholar Simon Martin, who also translated the song titles into hieroglyphics. Although not a concept album, references to souls and life after death are prevalent. Steve Harris, who co-wrote the song with guitarist Janick Gers, told "Classic Rock" magazine that the song was inspired by the intriguing Mayan culture of South America, similar to his interest in ancient Egypt for the album "Powerslave". The Mayans' belief in the "Underworld" and their fear of losing their souls were key elements of the song. Harris also noted that the flowing, fast riff resembles the "Losfer Words" section from "Powerslave", although this time it was written by Janick Gers.
The second album kicked off energetically with the rapid "Death or Glory" penned by Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith. This track is among the shortest on the album, featuring a straightforward melody in the verses and an impressive tune in the bridge. Interestingly, the guitar work here somehow evokes a "Thin Lizzy" vibe.
"Shadows of the Valley" is a great song that gets a little lost in the musical abundance that this album has to offer and which could easily have been a hit, just in case it was part of one of the band's albums from the nineties for example. The triple-guitar work in this song is noteworthy, especially the spectacular solos given here by all three members: Janick Gers, Adrian Smith, and Dave Murray. The keyboards that accompany Bruce Dickinson's vocals throughout the song add a lot to the song's unique sound.
"Tears of a Clown," penned by Smith and Harris, stands as one of the most poignant tributes by "Iron Maiden" throughout their illustrious career. This melancholy track addresses the depression and suicide of actor Robin Williams in 2014. The lyrics serve as a sort of farewell from the band members to him and are arguably the album's finest. It is a straightforward yet deeply personal and touching song.
We maintain the melancholic tone with the bluesy solo that opens "The Man of Sorrows", reminiscent of a ballad by "Scorpions". The guitar work by Dave Murray, who co-wrote the song with Harris, is flawless and unparalleled, especially his Legato technique. His playing sets the overall mood of this melancholic track, which directly follows the previous one both musically and lyrically, serving as a bridge leading us to the album's epic conclusion. It's important to clarify that this song is unrelated to Bruce's solo track of the same name from his 1997 album "Accident of Birth".
The highlight of this album is the amazing work that completes it. "Empire of the Clouds" is a wild 18-minute piece written exclusively by Bruce Dickinson. The song in which Dickinson also plays the piano for the first time, tells the story of the British airship "R101", which crashed in northern France on October 5, 1930, during its maiden flight. During the recording, Dickinson read the crash report of the R101 and it gave him the idea for the song. He composed the piece on Steinway's grand piano in the studio, inside a soundproof glass box, during the breaks the band took during the recording sessions. According to Adrian Smith, Dickinson worked on the song for about a month on his own and it was a big challenge for the rest of the band members who later had to learn it and follow Dickinson's piano, just from the instructions he gave them along with producer Kevin Shirley. Nicko McBrain is experimenting with a variety of percussions, including a gong to recreate the airship crash.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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