Iron Maiden

Brave New World

Ahhhhhhhhhhh?Bruce

Review Score:

(10/10)
The world was almost ready to stop rotating when the word of Bruce Dickinson's return to Iron Maiden was circulating. I remember my friend showing up at work with "Brave New World" and playing it for me and me being astonished at what I was hearing. I thought "This is the best thing I've heard since Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son". Despite not having a job in the summer of 2000, I made a point to see Iron Maiden on that summer's tour and purchased "Brave New World" 3 times; once on gatefold picture disc vinyl, once on CD and once on cassette.

Without a doubt, this was the best Iron Maiden album I had heard in years. It marked the return of the singer that made them a metal household name, it was a significant release in the metal world and from a musical standpoint, it was full of life. It beared all of the best elements that Iron Maiden had possessed from day one. Beautifully written melodies with punchy tracks of epic proportions described the whole of BNW in a short breath. It was, essentially, the album that so-called Maiden purists had been waiting 10 years for and now, it was here. Iron Maiden had seemingly shouted "WE'RE BACK".

On paper, that sounds very accurate. "Brave New World" is a monster of an album and is most definitely their best since 7th Son. Everything came together and it seemed that the stars were aligned perfectly as the whole process went down. So, where does my somewhat discerning tone come from? Everyone was quick to call this a "comeback album". But, where did they ever go? Nowhere. Granted, I love the idea of The Human Air Raid Sign fronting my favorite band but that only discounts the other five, equally important members of this monumental outfit. The 90s saw Maiden suffer some serious blows but through it all, they managed to create top notch albums that have merely gone unnoticed. Put aside the fact that Bruce is absent and you still have Iron Maiden, noting that Bruce isn't even the original singer.

I suppose I got off track there some. I think that this has more to do with my being hesitant to call this a "comeback album" than anything else. I'd call "Brave New World" more of a "modern classic" as it is Iron Maiden stealing the thunder from most everyone else once again. "Brave New World" bleeds power and stature in an age where simplicity and unoriginality reigns supreme. It has set a new benchmark for metal in the new millenium and for that, I am grateful that this album has surfaced at all. Another gem from an exceptional band.

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