Iron Maiden certainly isn't in shortage of praise in this version of reality, and this ant meant to sell anyone on the band who hadn't yet been exposed to their thirty plus years as the rock band Goliath from England.
At first glance it's a typical Maiden album. Ed cover - check. Double disc- check. Five tracks on each disc - check. Half dozen tracks in excess of ten minutes - check. But what's to be noted is the sound production captured on the release. The compression leaves the album slightly in the distance and adds a layer of warmth that have been missing on their past few release of the twenty-first century.
With that being said, "The Red and The Black" takes advantage of this trait with Sonic the Hedgehog synths roaring in the background. This is probably the standout track I would have anyone willing to get involved with new Maiden and doesn't have the luxury of time most of us require to listen to albums from start to finish.
It's important to note that it took me two days to get through this album. From traveling to work, walking to work, and living my normal life, this wasn't an easy listen. When track after track exceeds double digits, there's some warranted consultancy. Especially when most tracks repeat a rather consistent pattern, with average verses and choruses and an occasional epic bridge or two. Very rarely are there epic builds that you'd expect to find in extensively timed tracks generally explored in prog territories. So if you're looking to get started with The Book of Souls just know it's the typical sailing through the seas of Maiden when nothing out of the ordinary happens about an hour or so in. Just enjoy the subtleties and keep waiting for Download!
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