THE X FACTOR

I've got to have respect for Iron Maiden carrying on with such an ambitious record without their iconic front man, "X-Factor" being a dramatic shift in mood and tone for the band, featuring some good atmospheric work as well as occasionally creative guitar and group playing. However, everything good the band is doing is utterly sabotaged by the utterly lame Blaze Bayley-- who is at best tribute band material and carries NONE of the power, range, or emotion present in even Bruce's wimpiest delivery. His voice is stale, bland, and out of place, and in my opinion makes this album almost unlistenable. The band makes a good show though, and for those who can look past the uninspired vocals (which I can't) they'll likely find some of Maiden's most creative instrumental work. Maybe not even for committed fans, since Bruce's voice is such a huge part of the band's sound. Listen before you buy!

Songwriting 3 Instrumental Performances 3 Lyrics/Vocals 2 Style/Emotion/Replay 2