DANCE OF DEATH

After the very impressive Brave New World came the disappointing Dance Of Death. It is still a good album that holds up reasonably well compared to some earlier albums, but it pales in comparison with most of the band's classic 80's albums and the excellent Brave New World. While listening to this album I often get the feeling that I've heard it all before. It sounds a bit formulaic and archetypal. The first song has a raw, almost garage type sound to it. This is emphasised by the spoken 1-2-3-introduction.

Dance Of Death is pretty much Iron Maiden by the numbers. Rainmaker is a much better song with a stronger melody and a much better sound. It is almost as if the different tracks were given different production. No More Lies sounds like something we have heard before. The title-track sounds lyrically and musically naive and somehow lacks substance.

The songs on Dance Of Death are generally shorter than those on the previous album, but they often run out of steam before they are through. It is also the case that this album often sounds rushed, underdeveloped and the production is sometimes muddled. It is certainly not of the sonic quality of Brave New World or Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.

Dance Of Death is also significantly less progressive and more straightforward compared to the very progressive Brave New World. Paschendale is the only truly progressive song here. But it certainly would not have been good enough to fit in on Brave New World.

Face In The Sand is significantly heavier than the other tracks which adds a nice diversity, but the melody is basically the same as on Blood Brothers from Brave New World (not the chorus).

Journeyman is an acoustic song with strings, which is very unusual and surprising for this band. This might also be the best song from Dance Of Death. But, again, the melody sounds familiar somehow and while it is clearly something new within the context of this group it is certainly nothing adventurous in a general sense.

Good, but not more than just that.

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