A followup to their very disappointing No Prayer for the Dying, this is defenitely an improvement (though nothing spectacular), but it has the signs of the band's end (and a terrible new start) all around it. Pity - it was once a great band.

Don't let the rating fool you - this album has some high quality material buried beneath pounds of filler material. First the good stuff... Be Quick or Be Dead, Afraid to Shoot Strangers, and the title song are all Maiden classics. Be Quick...features an extremely fast, punishing, yet melodic pace, as Bruce barks out lyrics about crooked politicians who care about nothing 'cept the $$$'s... Afraid to Shoot Strangers is a terrific slow song about a guy afraid of going to war. Starting out in a very mellow and melodic pace, the song later proceeds to a slightly faster and heavier chorus, and the usual galloping solo. Finally, the title track is a Maiden masterpiece, and THE highlight of the album. 7:16 minutes of pure metal power with a slow intro and outro, and fast and dramatic music in-between...

Now - the rest of the stuff. Childhood's End, Wasting Love, and From Here to Eternity (the conclusion of the Charlotte the Harlotte trilogy) all have their moments here and there, although none of these is really that remarkable (From Here to Eternity has a great video though). As for the bad stuff...a good number of songs are not only unmemorable, but are in truth quite bad. Apparition, Fugitive, (ugh) Weekend Warrior, Judas Be My Guide are extremely disappointing fillers that do not deserve a place on any album, especially Maiden's. Of these, the worst would probably be Weekend Warrior, an unbearable AC/DC ripoff that's simply nauseating from start to finish. Still, this is a very nice album, and a must for any Maiden fan. Enjoy the last moments of the band's glory years. What comes next is...well...quite bad.

My rating - 7.4

I always thought this album was quite good. Be Quick or Be Dead isn't bad, a bit repetitive, but not bad.   From Here to Eternity is an enjoyable tune, a very Maiden-ish tune, and right off the bat, judging by these two songs, this album is getting off on alot better foot than their last one did, No Prayer for the Dying.  Highlights include Fear is the Key, which   has a medium paced addictive rhythm, kind of slow and slinky, expressive and mesmerizing at the same time.  Bruce's vocals sound really good, and the sound has an overall sneaky sound, that captures the emotional ranges of fear.  Wasting Love is more of a ballad than anything, soft and slow but still retaining that classic Maiden sound.  It even has a wasted kind of sound, like there is no hope left... I actually like Judas Be My Guide, I think its a very 80s sounding song that fits more in the hard rock vien than anything else, but that's the kind of music I usually really love, so at first listen this was the one that got my attention and kept me coming back for more.  Weekend Warrior really isn't as bad as some say it is too, again, it has alot more in common with Judas.... than anything else, but its catchy, addictive, and definitely 80s.  This song is more pop metal with a heavier backbone than Maiden, but I love it!  A big chorus and a great solo.  Move over Whitesnake and Poison and Firehouse, here comes Iron Maiden!  Uhm...so whatcha gonna do on Monday??

So Weekend Warrior wasn't a classic Maiden song, never fear!  Here comes Fear of the Dark! Slower, more ominious, more plodding, and with deeper lyrics.  Its creepy, its sneaky, its Maiden!!!  It picks up and it rocks! The other songs are so-so, you range from faster material to even slower stuff, all Maiden-ish, and good background music, nothing spectacular and no other standouts. 

Bruce's vocals are good, the song writing , is not top notch, but there are alot of tracks that are good Maiden tunes and good non Maiden-ish tunes.  Overall its ALOT better than Prayer for the Dying or anything that the Blaze Bayley era has churned out.  A bit too commercial sounding in places for the true Maiden fanatics, but even some of the more hard rock people might be able to get into this a little better.  Still not as good as my favorite Maiden album, Somewhere In Time.......

Rating=7.5