Read my review on the new Iron Maiden album A Matter of Life and Death

Iron Maiden are back… again.

The world is a confusing place these days.  Every radio, TV announcer, Blogger, Anchorman, and distinguished professor of English literature is pointing out just how much War, Pain, Fear, Despair, Poverty, Religion and Death surrounds the human race.  At times like these, it takes a certain artist with a certain amount of talent and a penchant for poetic musings that is able to state the current state of the world is just the right way and some how is able to put things in just the right wordings. 

Iron Maiden is one of those artists.  A Matter of Life and Death is by far the most powerful political and social commentary that Iron Maiden have ever released. 

However, before going on to the lyrical content, the actual music needs to be talked about first.  The musician ship on this album is excellent, and I feel it’s better than their last album (Dance of Death).  The songs are hard and heavy, with a heavy emphasis on chords (like in songs off of Dance of Death) as opposed to single note riffing (such as in songs like ‘The Trooper’).  The chords are needed for the feel of the album, and it creates a great atmosphere.  The band also manages to make their instruments sounds like things other then guitars on the album as well, particularly in the beginning of the song “The Longest Day” where the instruments sound like boat engines chugging through water.  As to be expected with an Iron Maiden album all of the songs are filled with lots of changes, galloping bass lines, riffing drums, and long guitar solos.  In fact all of the songs are the album are long (with the exception of the first song ‘Different World’).

Now onto the lyrics.  The lyrics of the song are poignant, disturbing, moving, and though provoking.  Dealing with an entire spectrum of issues revolving around war, death and life the album comes to a climax on the final track ‘The Legacy,’ which is one of the most powerful songs about war I’ve ever heard.  The lyrics on this album are by far the most advanced I’ve ever heard in an Iron Maiden album, and they’ll leave you thinking for weeks. 

A Matter of Life and Death is a powerful and heavy album, and without a doubt shows that Iron Maiden still have the power within them to move mountains.

Definitely buy this album, 

-Awesome McCrunchFist

Here’s the videos for the song ‘Different World’ off of the album as posted on YouTube:

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