The new Iron Maiden single is out.
The song was written by Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith and is track number two on the forthcoming album The Book Of Souls.
The video was probably directed by … someone.
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Maiden Revelations 
Made by Incendium Games I think. Search @Llexileon on Twitter. Great song b
Cool, thanks! Really weird video… In the grand tradition of Wildest Dreams and The Angel And The Gambler…
i love it!!!!!
Lyrics could be better.. too generic for my taste .. but after all it’s Maiden so.. I just think this could be a way better song if it was lyrically some kind of Maiden’s career reflection something like “wasted years” or even “the final frontier”…
The music seems .. ok Nicko keeps the rythm and all .. could be faster … Solos are ok … In some parts sounds similar to “el dorado”.. Vocals is exactly what I expected… Strugly on the highs too low and raspy on the lows … But probably cancer was already taking it’s toll on Bruce’s throat – tongue.. and age..
The video is another forgettable attempt to look cool and modern similar to wildest dreams, different world etc.. I’d like to see some maiden even if it was in the studio similar to the Dvd version of Different World on the special edition of AMOLAD…
Let’s wait for the full product too see if it fits.. It might sound better, between the other songs..
The production in my opinion is better and louder than previous efforts.. Clean and clear.. Proper mastering maybe ? Adrian had his way ? who knows … We’ll see.. Up the Irons ..
Couldn’t disagree more about Bruce. I think he sounds amazing here, and that he balances his different tones better than he has done in a long time. Some of this performance reminds me of his 90s solo work. And why he shouldn’t sound struggling on the highest notes … that argument I just don’t get. The very point of really high notes is to portray struggle. Unless you go for the power metal-ish no struggle high notes that don’t deliver any kind of drama. Bruce gets my vote every day of the week.
I just felt he reached them more.. organically on previous efforts.. I just see the same bruce post 2010 … Still great but nowhere near the late 90s early 00s bruce … Just my opinion … Not saying he’s bad … He’s still my fav vocalist alive today.. What are your thoughts on the production ?
I agree with Christer!
Nice hard rocking song with very good sound (listening to the Spotify version at the moment with headphones).
I cannot wait to hear the rest of the album on 4th September.
I can’t hear much of a difference from last time, to be honest, except the vocal delays. But I’ve always been happy with the Shirley productions. 🙂
A solid effort. Starts off sounding something like the early days … first riff is great … nice Bruce scream. Verse rumbles along nicely, more lyrics about space etc. The chorus lifts the song a bit for me. I’m getting the comparisons to Bruce solo and El Dorado. 3/5 expecting better from the album tracks. Video is completely disposable, but I think that’s more a sign of the times than anything else. It’s not 1984 anymore when the video was the main thing that “sold” your song on MTV or Top of the Pops.
Good points! For me, the single is never the most exciting song on a Maiden album, so I think this is a good sign of what is to come.
This new Maiden track is really great! It’s an adrenaline rush at the speed of light, it’s in your face, making no excuses – like the album cover, just raw and provocative, like a wild animal about to attack you. It feels good in the gut and spine and I’ll enjoy it just like that for a while before trying to analyzing it with my brain 🙂 Up the Irons!
Am so looking forward to hearing the entire album in its full glory. For nearly 40 years these guys haven’t sold out to the money men and record labels. They keep producing fantastic ( 1 or 2 not so ) NEW albums with new material. They keep pushing them selfs rather than sit back and live of a production line line of old songs in new guises, unlike some other bands out there . And their tour their hearts out for us fans through out the world. First seen them in 79′ and their shows are still on top of anyone. Up the irons
Except the fact that they have spent the past three years in retro land, touring with an 80s set and reissuing their catalog several times … New music is cool! 🙂
I listened to it twice in a row and much like most Maiden it gets better the more you listen. I thought it was heavier than the first singles from the reunion albums and I would rank it the second best lead off single in the reunion era behind The Wicker Man.
It grows!
The opening riff has a Ides of March feel to it, not to mention cowbell (Can I Play With Madness). It seems to have elements from many Maiden songs through the times. I like it and agree the first released song is typically not indicative of what’s to come with the other songs. Great start.
I agree it’s a grower, especially the chorus is a bit of an earworm. I still find the verses to be a bit too On about my 5th listen now. In terms of the lead singles I would say Wicker Man > Speed of Light > Different World > El Dorado > Wildest Dreams. Based on that quick assessment I do think the lead single is somewhat indicative of the overall quality of the album (I would rank the reunion albums in the same order as the singles above) so I’m hopeful for The Book of Souls.
Sorry, meant finish, the verses are a bit too reminiscent of other material e.g. El Dorado 🙂
This is kind tune kind of reminds me of No Prayer for the Dying era Maiden. Maybe it is the rawness of the sound or the cowbell or Bruce’s raspy voice. We’ll see if this grows on me. I hope this is not indicative of the sound of the entire album.
Guitar solos appear to be Murray and then Smith, correct?
Well I got to say that impressed me on first listen… to my surprise.
Has a Deep Purple or Dio-era Sabbath vibe to it which is great, Bruce sounds excellent, and the band as a whole sound like they’re having a whale of a time… and Kevin Shirley’s production/mix doesn’t sound too bad either.
So far, so good…
I think it’s awesome! Sounds like they tried to marry the old and new sounds, and I think the result is damn good.
Speed Of Light classic strong Maiden song What more do you need ?
Have to say I love it! The band sound on great form and I’m even more excited about the album now. OK, it’s not the ‘epic’ we associate with Steve’s writing, but Bruce and Adrian still write bloody great songs!
I really love the song. The best single since The Wicker Man !!
And I really love the video and all the references to video games from 90’s to now !!
Donkey Kong :
[img]http://maidenfrance.fr/forum/userimages/dk.png[/img]
Contra :
[img]http://maidenfrance.fr/forum/userimages/contra.png[/img]
Metal Slug :
[img]http://maidenfrance.fr/forum/userimages/slug.jpg[/img]
Mortal Kombat :
[img]http://maidenfrance.fr/forum/userimages/kano.png[/img]
Turok :
[img]http://maidenfrance.fr/forum/userimages/turok.jpg[/img]
Call of Duty :
[img]http://maidenfrance.fr/forum/userimages/call.jpg[/img]
Its definitely a bit of a grower and I got a Purple vibe too on the 1st listen. The lyrics are awful and I could certainly do without the cowbell or Bruces wail at the start. It reminds me of the way he sings when Maiden do covers for b-sides, kind of pub rock/blues singer. Not massively impressed but they certainly seem to be enjoying themselves and you can pretty much guarantee that its the only song on the album with that kind of ‘happy rock n roll’ feel. The lead work is solid and and quite fun (bit of a Celtic/Lizzy feel) and much like Wildest Dreams and El Dorado, it will probably go down a storm live.
In relation to the album, I’m looking forward to the Gers/Harris numbers, they seem to produce top tunes – Lord of the Flies, Dream of Mirrors, Dance of Death, The Legacy, The Talisman.
Its gona be 3 long weeks!
I don’t get the criticism of the lyrics, but that’s probably because I’m in Keldian. 😉
I had to search Keldian online. Pure class, good work man! Come play Ireland!! I promise we won’t boo if you wave a Norwegian flag on stage….
This gets better wirh every listen – and I’m listening to it a LOT! The more I listen, the less I understand the criticism of Bruce’s singing; he totally nails it – especially the chorus. It may be that the days of the ‘Air Raid Siren’ are almost gone but the ‘Foghorn’ is firing on all cylinders and if there is a richer vibrato in metal today, rhen I have missed it!
Absolutely gagging to hear the new material, especially Steve’s ‘The Red And The Black’ and Bruce’s customary air-travel composition ‘Empire Of The Clouds’. I can feel that ‘……Souls’ is going to be making the journey to work a lot more bearable on a constant loop in both the car and on the train.
UP THE IRONS ! ! !
I agree. Bruce sounds like Bruce. I’m not understanding any criticism of the vocals. I like the song. For me it has elements of the sound from Killers album coupled with the sound of the Final Frontier album.
As usual, the video itself is an afterthought. However, it should be pointed out that the Eddie in the video is a street punk, which is a deliberate throwback to the Paul Di’Anno days. Similarly, the new cover design resembles that of their debut album cover. To my ears, “Speed of Light” sounds very classic (anyone notice the riff from “Remember Tomorrow” in the verses of “Speed of Light”?), with hints of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Thin Lizzy, just to name a few most obvious ones, and with an overall feel and sound that, even in the production year 2015, isn’t all that removed from the feel and sound of the classic Soundhouse Tapes from 1979. In addition to being classic sounding, the song is also an example of what Maiden, notably through the influence of Smith and Dickinson, have been trying to accomplish since the 2000 reunion: to produce radio-friendly rock, not metal ,music. I don’t think that the reason for this is to make money, but rather to make music that is in line with the individual band members evolving music tastes, a good example of that being Adrian Smith’s “Tortured Tone” from his Primal Rock Rebellion collaboration.
Lyrically, Speed of Light is a meshup of some new ideas and flagrant self-plagiarism (“another place, another time” lyrics taken from the song “Purgatory” off the Killers album, for example), including borrowed themes from some of Dickinson’s solo work. Instead of plagiarism, one might also call it self-indulgence, but you get the point I’m trying to make. Overall, the lyrics for the song are a bit unfocused and rambling, revisiting some spacey ideas from the Final Frontier album, but in a much less worked-out form. Quality-wise the lyrics are just a cut better than the nonsensical lyrics from the Janick Gers-penned songs Montségur, The Alchemist, and The Pilgrim, but the song does redeem itself by being warm in overall sound and feel—the kind of song veteran musicians are proud to make, just like Halloween, for example, are doing these days on their most recent effort. By most accounts, gone are the days of technically interesting guitar work, which has now been replaced by improvised and more organic sounding solos that convey feelings rather than ideas. Not bad, if you understand what the band are trying to accomplish.
I suspect that The Book of Souls will be a more classic-sounding, riff-driven affair, while also capitalizing on the primitive and raw sound that we’ve been conditioned for on Benjamin Breeg and El Dorado. An aggressive classic album? Not a bad idea, if you ask me. Let’s hope it’s as good as it sounds when the album finally comes out!
no matter how much i have always liked bruce, the singing sounds like shit. tune down for gods sake! i dont see wayne gretzky playing anymore, so why does bruce still pretend that he is still 20,.? the video i guess is made for children? it didnt work with edhunter and it wont work now. some nice riffs here and there though, i dont know who the hell picks the singles, but he sure aint no genius. always the worst track of the album. well since 1982 anyway..
Wow. If this is shit singing, I’d be thrilled to be a shit singer.
Congratulations on the first troll post on Maiden Revelations!
If only I was as shit a singer as Bruce – then I could give up my day job😃.
If Bruce’s performance on the new album is down to this low standard then we’re all in for a treat of monumental proportions✌🏻✌🏻.
shit compared to what he once was. just like halford or i guess any singer in their sixties. i just dont get it why everyone has to defend him with tooth and nail. when its obvious that he is struggeling. im a huge maiden fan, but it just dosent sound good when he is trying to reach those high noteses he just cant hit anymore. the scream in the very beginning is good though. my point is, the singing would sound GOOD if he would not overdo it all the time. hand on heart, would you have liked him as much if he would have sounded like this on number of the beast?
That’s an impossible question, and I think you know it. Can you travel in time or create alternate universes?
My opinion, being a singer myself, is that Bruce has kept his voice in great shape when you take his age and activity into account. And if your problem is the high note in the chorus, “shadows in the STARS”, then it’s worth pointing out that Bruce has done high notes like that as far back as No Prayer For The Dying. If you don’t like it, that’s fair enough. The Air Raid Siren was turned off in 1985. A more mature version of it emerged in the mid-90s. Apart from that, Bruce has had many different approaches to his singing in different eras.
As for “everyone” defending him “tooth and nail”, that’s a shit argument, or more like a shit straw man.
I give up. My point was that you would get a better bruce both live and on record if he would not sing his nuts of all the time. but i seem to be alone with my opinion. I dont think that judas, manowar or metallica sounds that bad tuned down. Andi deris sang his best on the dark ride tuned down. And i think that bruce would sound amazing too. and perhaps we could hear some new old songs live where the vocals is a live issue. Just a thought..
Even in this very thread there are people saying basically the same thing as you, let alone the official forum and others, so don’t feel sorry about being “alone” with your opinion. You’re clearly not. And no one is resenting your opinion either, but it might have been better to state it like you did just now, instead of going “the singing sounds like shit”, maybe?
I don’t disagree with the notion of tuning down, but I strongly disagree that the vocals on Speed Of Light are “shit”, even in comparison to Bruce’s earlier work. I’ll stand by that. Peace! 🙂