New album info?

[tazz1973]

From Metal Hammer from Facebook:

SATELLITE 15…THE FINAL FRONTIER

Everyone has heard the album’s title track by now, and it’s a straightforward and infectious slab of muscular hard rock that seems destined to open Maiden shows for the foreseeable future…but it’s the first part of this bi-polar album opener that is going to blow fans’ minds. A disorientating maelstrom of swirling distortion, thudding double kicks and bizarre spectral vocals, Satellite 15 is undoubtedly the weirdest thing the band have ever recorded. It’s heavy, it’s left-field and it’s utterly unexpected.

EL DORADO

Opinion seems to be divided about whether El Dorado is simply a solid, straightforward Maiden tune or something genuinely special. In fact, it’s a bit of both; a bold and boisterous seven-minute epic with an infectious chorus and a few deftly-executed twists and turns, all custom-built to go down an absolute storm live.

MOTHER OF MERCY

A dark and menacing song that could easily have been on A Matter Of Life And Death, this is one of those archetypal horrors-of-war anthems that Maiden do so well. It starts with a faintly proggy intro – a whiff of Steve Harris’ beloved Jethro Tull, perhaps – before morphing into a brooding, slow-motion gallop, not a million miles from Stranger In A Strange Land (from Somewhere In Time), but with a much more sinister overall vibe. “Sick of all the killing and the reek of death…” sings Bruce at one point.

COMING HOME

A bombastic, lighters-in-the-air ballad with a difference, Coming Home marries a giant, sing-along chorus to some subtly progressive riffs and a typically adventurous arrangement. Undeniably sentimental, this is plainly Bruce Dickinson’s song, as he sings about returning home and seeing the lights on the runway as his plane descends to Earth. Not many bands could pull this off without setting off the cheese alarm. Maiden do it brilliantly. A live classic in the making.

THE ALCHEMIST

Arguably the most old fashioned song on the album, this punchy four-minute burst of speed, energy and irresistible Lizzy-esque lead guitar harmonies would have fit neatly onto Fear Of The Dark and nimbly ticks all the necessary boxes to please the die-hards. Interestingly, this has the same title as a song from Bruce Dickinson’s classic solo album Chemical Wedding. The two songs are utterly dissimilar, however.

ISLE OF AVALON

Possibly the finest thing on The Final Frontier and certainly one of the strongest songs Maiden have produced in years, Isle Of Avalon takes the band into unfamiliar melodic territory, with a few unconventional time signatures and proggy detours adding to the intense freshness that pervades throughout its nine minute duration, and a simply enormous chorus that will surely translate extremely well live. There’s a vague hint of Paschendale (from 2003’s Dance Of Death) and a nod or two to Maiden’s Somewhere In Time album here.

STARBLIND

Another song that is full of surprises, despite Maiden’s unmistakable sound, this is another epic that brims with great riffs, melodies and subtle textural touches. Almost psychedelic in places, Starblind has a genuinely otherworldly feel, particularly during its intricate midsection which boasts a phenomenal bluesy lead break over some sumptuous, mellow guitar work from the Three Amigos.

THE TALISMAN

Another song that would have fit on A Matter Of Life And Death, The Talisman is dark and complex, but it also flows beautifully, spreading out from its folky intro into a powerful main verse riff and a seriously explosive chorus with Bruce bellowing at the top of his not inconsiderable lungs. Despite being nine minutes long, this one whizzes by in what seems like half that time.

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING

An eerie, unsettling intro leads into some crushing, doomy chords before this sprawling epic switches direction and heads into a superbly catchy and muscular verse riff and another big chorus. Like many songs on The Final Frontier, The Man Who Would Be King seldom does exactly what you would expect, and yet it all makes perfect sense by the time its rambling, harmony-packed intro fades gently away…

WHEN THE WILD WIND BLOWS

Based on author Raymond Briggs’ grim post-nuclear fallout graphic novel (When The Wind Blows), the final track on Maiden’s 15th album is every bit as bleak and unnerving as its subject matter would seem to demand, and yet this is as musically fascinating and lyrically brave as anything the band have recorded. Densely-layered and uncompromising, this one will take a few listens to sink in, but there is an insane amount of atmosphere and countless inspired melodic touches on display here. A stunning finale.

[Sands Of Time]

Not long now, and after reading that review i just wish the next 4 weeks would just hurry the F**k up.

Thought i would post the songwriting credits

01. Satellite 15....The Final Frontier (Smith/Harris) (8:40)
02. El Dorado (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) (6:49)
03. Mother Of Mercy (Smith/Harris) (5:20)
04. Coming Home (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) (5:52)
05. The Alchemist (Gers/Harris/Dickinson) (4:29)
06. Isle Of Avalon (Smith/Harris) (9:06)
07. Starblind (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) (7:48)
08. The Talisman (Gers/Harris) (9:03)
09. The Man Who Would Be King (Murray/Harris) (8:28)
10. When The Wild Wind Blows (Harris) (10:59)

[Sands Of Time]

A less than glowing review from Radio Metal



1. Satellite 15... The Final Frontier - 8'40 :
The opening to Iron Maiden’s new album is a long experimental intro with drums sometimes tribal sometimes martial and guitars. After a short silence, a few subtle arpeggios and Dickinson's voice come into play, while Nicko McBrain (drummer) starts a robotic rhythm section with the double bass drum and well... I don't really know what to think of the result. After yet another silence, (one more out of many on this album) it all becomes clearer as an old Maiden riff and a chorus with easy lyrics to remember starts to play: “The Final Frontieeeer, The Final Frontieeeeer...”.

2. El Dorado - 6'49 :
This first single, which is available to download for free already on the band official website, is neither the big hit of the album nor the most representative. It begins the same way Satellite 1 ended, a punchy guitar along with Nicko McBrain drumming loudly on his cymbals. This kind of firework effect is usually used to conclude a song or a show. Then comes Iron Maiden’s traditional horse-like rhythmic with a riff peering on Megadeth's heavy/thrash style. The chorus is catchy but not quite memorable and cruelly reminds me of the anecdotal opening tracks on the two previous albums. These tracks seemed to be there to fit the form of the album itself rather than the result of any kind of inspiration. Another habit of Maiden’s on this album is that the song often ends the same way it started.

3. Mother Of Mercy - 5'20 :
A slightly medieval atmosphere, like a warrior's hymn, emanates from this track which begins, as many more to come on this new album, with a clean sounding part, as in the prelude of “No More Lies” on Dance of Death. After some guitar riff explosions, here comes the same verse again, played in a louder guitar version, and once more, the inevitable “click clock” horse-like riff. The chorus is another easy one to remember aka – the song's title – Dickinson seems to be literally “throwing” his voice to reach the higher notes.

4. Coming Home - 5'52 :
The power ballad of the album is similar to “Out Of The Shadows” on A Matter Of Life And Death. However, this song is catchier as the chorus is good and the subtle keyboard makes a sensible appearance. Note also that there is a really nice lover's solo.

5. The Alchemist - 4'25 :
We get quickly into the thick of things with this plain track. No intro, no bridge. Only verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, verse, chorus. End of story. It is a traditional track with Maiden’s rhythmic riffs and Nicko McBrain's signature cymbal punching.

We are a third of the way through and all Maiden’s gimmicks have been distinguished already. However, this album seems different. These tracks were meant to be catchy but they eventually turn out to be average... At this moment, I think to myself “wait, that's weird, I didn't remember as many short tracks...”. My memory only slightly drifted away mostly because of the flood of never-ending tracks that struck me when reading the track-listing.

6. Isle Of Avalon - 9'06 :
Iron Maiden demonstrate their talent for the crescendo intro with “Isle Of Avalon” : at first the guitar plays an Arabic motif by itself, then along with the same double quaver playing on the hi-hat as on “El Dorado”. The bass drum then comes in discreetly. Following the example of “The Longest Day” on the former album, the drums really show up like powerful explosions and a couple of rounds on the toms producing an indisputably dramatic effect. Overall, it is a good track that follows in the tradition of the epic songs on “A Matter Of Life And Death”.

7. Starblind - 7'48 :
After another clean guitar/keyboards part followed by silence, the English band moves on to a heavy and lively part with a subtle soulful melody. The great chorus – slightly speed melodic – alternates between high and low vocal lines.

8. The Talisman - 9'03 :
With an acoustic guitar in the background, almost like an old magician, Bruce Dickinson tells us a story with an old man’s voice, creating a mixed feeling of comfort and disturbance. Then the prelude comes to an end, slowing down to announce a dimming silence and crashing into a new heavy start. It's getting a bit old and by now we know the drill. The Talisman is nonetheless a great track. These 9 minutes are a succession of intense moments, with the song’s catchy guitar riffs, and we are favorable to the “woooooohoooohooo”.

9. The Man Who Would Be King - 8'26 :
For this track, of which the title reminds me of Blaze Baley's album names, Iron Maiden play the surprise card with... a clean sound intro. Once again. This prelude ends again in a short break before switching to a livelier song. Half-way through, the band goes into a break which does not puzzle us with its change of tempo, much like the unconvincing twist of a Hollywood movie. Note the pleasant guitar solo. The song comes to an end in an interesting way with a slow and progressive fade out, a true epilogue for this heavy moment of bravery.

10. When The Wild Wind Blows - 10'59 :
Some journalists, including your humble servant, let out an “Oh no!” when they announce the last track and its duration. The fact is that the end of “The Man Who Would Be King” would have been a great conclusion, having put up with these 4 mini-epic tales to move on to another never-ending track, the longest of the album, well it doesn't make you feel like listening to it. Needless to say, the prelude is once more made of keyboard and clean guitars. Dickinson's singing is once again in the narrative style. After the incredible suspense provoked by the ‘nth silence, the track begins and the guitars carry on with the prelude theme in an electric version. It is pretty standard yet remains efficient. “When The Wild Wind Blows” is the merriest song on the album. It seems impossible not to jump up and down when you hear it. After 11 minutes and some forgivable auto-plagiarism, this title ends in perfect symmetry, with a couple of arpeggios leaving the way to a windy sound.

Opinion on the spot:
I'm sick of these journalists who constantly begin their comments with “It was only a first listening session, thus too difficult to give an opinion, a more in-depth session would be required to really reveal the subtle BLABLABLA...”. We know, you moron, that's precisely what it's all about. So here it is; an opinion with a total and responsible lack of retrospective at the end of this session. But be cautious because this was only the first listening session, thus... ahem... well here it is.

A new era has come; Maiden don’t know how to write hits anymore. Maiden are no longer comfortable or sharp, as shown with the wheezy and anecdotal tracks “El Dorado” and “The Alchemist”. Paradoxically, the never-ending tracks turn out to be catchier ones. They are much better constructed and less redundant than those on the previous album. They form great epic songs with a succession of great riffs, great melodies, great choruses and smart twists which wouldn’t shatter all those who are impervious to progressive patterned breaks. Nevertheless, this great step forward is dried up by this redundancy because of the way the tracks are written. After the fifth clean intro, you cannot help but smile. You just have to deal with it; today Maiden is a progressive metal band - albeit a good one.

[stormster]

Meh - I don't really like the first 2 tracks to be honest, but i've only given them one listen each. The latter tracks sound more to my liking. I've already pre-ordered the album. F**k yes!

[Sands Of Time]

Mark Morton of Examiner.com recently conducted an interview with IRON MAIDEN cover artist Melvyn Grant about Grant's work on MAIDEN's forthcoming album, "The Final Frontier". An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Examiner.com: As there have been many different incarnations of Eddie that you have painted, how much of his metamorphosis has been your imagination, and how much was input by the band?

Grant: Well, Derek Riggs and his style of artwork never appealed to me, so naturally I wanted to change it and do my version of Eddie. But that was stopped by MAIDEN, who didn't want me to stray too far from the original style, which obviously all of the band's fans like. You get so used to something that it becomes your "thing," and you fall in love with that version of Eddie. I did try to change him a bit, in a way that suited me and made me happier with it. The latest version on "The Final Frontier" is not Eddie, as such. I'm not going to say anything more on that, because I don't know what IRON MAIDEN have got planned, so I'm not going to tread on any toes or mess up any surprises. Okay, I'll tell you, he is actually an alien. The old Eddie might still come around. I enjoy working with the MAIDEN crew, but it does exasperate you when you have to keep changing things. Rod [Smallwood, IRON MAIDEN's manager] and I get on pretty well; I haven't met him for years. But after I did the first one, the teaser "Eddie head," he called me and said how much he really liked it. His words, I think, were "F**king amazing!" Which was very nice of him to do, because they were very busy setting up this tour. Everything's happening all at once, and yet I find that they are very nice people to deal with. On the copyright agreement side, we worked out mutually good things. And if they plan on using things that they like, they pay for it.They don't mess around.
Examiner.com: From where do you draw inspiration for your visions of Eddie? It seems that when you aren't doing a single or a live album, you tend to stray away from the "human" aspect of the Eddie character.

Grant: The original Eddie seemed to be very happy causing all sorts of chaos and hacking people to bits with axes and things like that. I did want to put more psychological tension in it. For instance, on "Fear Of The Dark", the first one I did, I don't think many people realize that Eddie is not actually sitting in the tree. He's actually coming down the tree. So you can really look at it either way. The body is coming down from the tree, and it looks like Eddie has a tail close to the moon. I try to put a little more depth into it aside from utter brutality. On "The Final Frontier", I did various sketches based on the title alone. Then they came up with the idea of doing something on the space craft. Originally, when I did it, it wasn't Eddie reaching in like he is; he was more meaty-like and stealthier in a more evil way. Originally, they didn't want the space craft all ripped to shreds. They wanted it to look like a hatch had come off and there would be a skeletal crew inside. So I wanted to make Eddie almost slither in. But gradually, it molded into the more brutal one, which is what you see now.

Read the entire interview at Examiner.com.

[Sands Of Time]

'Well, Derek Riggs and his style of artwork never appealed to me'

Geez, on that comment alone, you sir are a wanker

[TROOPER71]

30 second samples of the new IRON MAIDEN ALBUM CAN BE FOUND HERE
www.full-metal-shop.de/p6-i5099964777221/the-final-frontier/index.html

[skrabsta]

Jul 29, 2010 17:54:19 GMT 10 TROOPER71 said:

30 second samples of the new IRON MAIDEN ALBUM CAN BE FOUND HERE
www.full-metal-shop.de/p6-i5099964777221/the-final-frontier/index.html

[tazz1973]

I hate MG's eddies.... and he sounds like a tool, why are maiden using him still?

Am staying away from the samples... next thing i hear will be a cd in my player...

[skrabsta]

Jul 30, 2010 21:29:33 GMT 10 tazz1973 said:

I hate MG's eddies.... and he sounds like a tool, why are maiden using him still?

i'm not alone !

[stormster]

i cant listen to the songs!! stupid non-working links

[Sands Of Time]

Not long now, just a few more sleeps

(fingers crossed we don't have another AMOLAD cockup with the release dates)

[tazz1973]

The album has leaked... who is going to wait for the CD on Friday like me?

[bigmax]

I will be taking a long lunch in my car on Friday so I can play it on the CD and listen uninterrupted.

[Mr Damage]

^ I'll wait. I prefer the first listen through quality headphones while pouring over the booklet & reading the lyrics. Unreal, new album & concert tickets all in the same week, an awesome time to be a Maiden fanatic.