SOMEWHERE IN TIME

It is not surprising to me that Maiden has been included here in the archives. Albums like "Somewhere In Time" (this album) and "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" are definitely progressive enough to be included here, as well as the rest of their discography, considering that their post-"Fear of The Dark" albums all featuring strong progressive elements to them.

Released at the top of their career, "Somewhere In Time" was stepping even further into progressive territory and saw Iron Maiden experimenting with guitar synths, giving the music a dark and spacey atmosphere throughout the album. It also has a bright epic feeling to it due to the spacey mood of the music and the cover for this album should give you an idea of this fact. Some Maiden fans found this album irritating and "cheesy" because of that when it was released back in 1986, but I think it works extremely well, especially on the album opener "Caught Somewhere In Time" which sets the mood for the album perfectly. This album is less heavy than 1984's "Powerslave", which is their heaviest, and best, but not any less good. This album could be considered as a concept album since the song titles match each other as a story of sorts, but it really isn't, though I'm not exactly sure yet. I would say this is their most progressive album in their 80's period.

The songs are for the most extremely good, very good performance from the band too. The production fits the music well and the only weak thing about this album is "Heaven Can Wait" which is to me the worst track here, though still being good. Bruce Dickinson's voice sounds great here and he masters the lyrics well. He might go a bit overboard sometimes, but you'll get used to it. Adrian Smith and Dave Murray's guitars are clear and not too heavy, though their usual heavy riffing also is present here. Nicko McBrain's drumming is excellent too; His powerful drumming style is defined well here without getting out of control. The album is greatly supported by an amazing cover art by Derek Riggs, who also drawed most of their other covers.

The best tracks here are "Caught Somewhere In Time", "Stranger In a Strange Land" and "Alexander The Great". This is to me Iron Maiden's 2nd best release, only towered by "Powerslave". I'll give it 4.6/5. Recommended to any prog-metal collection, at least!

For the first time, Iron Maiden use synthesizer guitars through a sound quite similar to their previous Powerslave album; this gives a real modern & slightly futuristic sound to the whole: it even may make you think there are modern keyboards played in the background; unlike on the Judas Priest's Turbo album, the synthesizer guitars here rather sound atmospheric. Looking at the complete art cover, one may inevitably think about the Blade Runner movie. The rhythmic electric guitar riffs are very sustained: their sound is however less razor & incisive, a bit more fuzzy and unclean than on Powerslave. Dickinson's voice has a slight permanent echo: he still adopts a repetitive, complaining & angry tone. One can notice Harris' omnipresent typical spring-like noise produced on his bass strings. The excellent drums are restless and they sound like on the Powerslave album. The compositions are certainly progressive related. I find the Somewhere in Time album a bit faster than the Powerslave one. There are some excellent backing vocals like on "Heaven can wait" and "Alexander the Great". There are many slightly echoed guitar solos, and the long one on "Alexander the Great" is absolutely memorable.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Iron Maiden's Somewhere in Time is my favourite IM album; it's different from the other previous albums, mature and complex. After a strong album such as Powerslave and an amazing live album (IMHO) Life after Death, the band needed to comfirm their "rock giants" status; they surely did, and the '86 album comfirmed their value. There aren't any filler songs here; the use of keyboards is great and a surprise to all fans (at that time). From the first song to the last, the musicianship is amazing, the guitar duo Murray/Smith doing an outstanding job (again IMHO). Bruce Dickinson's vocals sound fresher and better than ever; the rhytms section bass/drums worked great. And we all know what Steve Harris is capable of when he picks up his bass guitar and his work on this album makes no exceptin - an excellent work.

All these being said, I highly recommend this album to all prog-rock and prog-metal fans everywhere, get this album quickly if you have the chance, you won't regret it.

3.8 stars

Somewhere in Time is marks a progression within a band that will later lead into their highly-acclaimed "Seventh Son of the Seventh Son". I believe Somewhere in Time is a transitional album with the band experimenting with a more symphonic sound, with the help of guitar synths that sound like keyboards. This album is in my opinion their most enjoyable album since the debut.

Caught Somewhere in Time is an energetic and sophisticated composition that is worthy of opening the album. From the beginning, you can hear the guitar synths working well with the introductory guitar melody. A big portion of the song is devoted in guitar soloing. Wasted Years is a relatively simple mid-paced track focused on melodies. Sea of Madness is another melodic tune but with a faster pace and a darker tone. The guitar playing is very good here. Heaven Can Wait is an interesting song, with catchy melodies and a wonderful section with a sort of "football-chant" melody on top of guitar soloing. The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner is a good long song with a great instrumental section. Stranger in a Strange Land is another of those tunes with well-constructed choruses, but this one has a wonderful instrumental section with good use of the guitar synths. A guitar solo plays at the end, which is something new for Maiden. Deja-vu is a nice fast-paced rocker. I especially like the guitar melody after its choruses.

Alexander the Great is the highlight of the album and their "proggiest" song up to this point. IT is very classical in terms of arrangements, as it is supposed to take you back in time. It begins with a military kind of beat and a nice and soft guitar solo, then the beat progresses and a wonderful guitar melody prepares you for the song. The synths are prominent in this song, very effectively used. The songwriting in the verses-choruses are excellent Afterwards, an fast paced instrumental with guitar noodling tricks you with its shifting time signatures until when you least expect it, an incredibly full and heavy guitar solo floors you. The instrumental continues with guitar melodies and a very long guitar solo that is very good. Another verse/chorus finishes the song.

I highly recommend this album for any progger interested in knowing what Iron Maiden is all about. This album is an excellent blend of both their sides: the energetic and the sophisticated. You won't have brainless 3-minute rockers nor a long dullfest that is "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

I just got the remastered and expanded versions of this, and Seventh Son, for £10 the two at musiczone. A wonderful bargain! Now, I am no fan of heavy metal, and not a particular fan of most of Maiden's output. Tracks like 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter' leave me cold. But this album is different. It certainly has progressive elements, and whilst the guitars are riffing and screaming, as befits the genre, they also provide some subtle touches at times, and Steve Harris' bass playing is a delight. Every track here has something of value in it; no weak songs on this album. Melody is in abundance all over the place, and Bruce sounds really powerful and at the top of his game here. My favourite track must be the epic 'Alexander The Great' which closes the record, but 'Sea Of Madness' and 'Stranger In A Strange Land' run it close. My least favourite is probably 'The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner' but even that song is highly listenable and has some excellent playing on it. All the songs contribute to the atmosphere on this album, yet all are different enough to remain in the memory long after the cd has stopped, and you may well find yourself humming segments from different tracks to yourself for days after! Highly recommended! Although not strictly prog, it is still a strong four star album.

The eighties were a great time to be an IRON MAIDEN fan, from 1982-1988 they put out 5 classic albums. "Somewhere In Time" is a melodic and reflective record from the band that is one of my favourites.The futuristic album cover is pretty cool as well.

"Caught Somewhere In Time" opens with an interesting guitar melody, and the bass lines are great ! The melody picks up tempo until were galloping.The interlude is filled with some fantastic guitar solos. "Wasted Years" is my favourite song on the record. It's so melodic, as they look back on the good times. What an uplifting tune ! Again like the opening song the instrumental interlude is amazing. "Sea Of Madness" opens with a flury of drums and some fat bass in this heavier song. We are treated to some screaming guitar as well. Steve Harris is all over this song.

"Heaven Can Wait" is an uptempo rocker that isn't as good as the first three. "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner" opens with tranquil guitar that is blown away by fast paced drums and guitar. Being a long distance runner myself this song has special meaning. "Stranger In A Strange Land" has lots of heavy drums and riffs. When Bruce sings of the" land of ice and snow" I can totally relate to that right now up here in Canada. "De ja vu" has a haunting intro that turns into a fast paced tune. "Alexander The Great" has a nice relaxed guitar melody while the drums pound away.The song picks up speed as Dickinson's great vocals come in.The guitar melodies are beautiful and the bass is fantastic !

For me this is just a notch below "Powerslave" but it's no less a masterpiece.

Right after the release of their most successful studio album at that time and following what might be one of the biggest tour in those days, Iron Maiden took some time off... well, most of Iron Maiden anyway. Adrian Smith was working on writing the majority of what would become Somewhere in Time. Having reached the top of their game with Powerslave, it was time to try something a bit different. Guitar synths and keyboards were thrown in, and to amazing results, though many fans were bewildered at this bold move at first. What cannot be denied, anyhow, is the effect this album has had on the development of metal, and is definitely what should be considered as a proto prog- metal album, if not the first modern prog-metal album.

From the opening notes of Caught Somewhere in Time, Maiden makes it clear ; they have made something new and exciting, yet they still have their trademarks : dual guitar harmonies, thomping and clacking bass lines, tempo changes, high caliber musicianship and intelligent songwriting. We find an energized and original Nicko McBrain, giving it his all. And what about Bruce Dickinson ? He delivers what I consider to be his finest vocal recording ever, and that throughout the album.

On with the songs. Caught Somewhere in Time kicks of the album with an amazing guitar harmony, complete with synth guitars. The intro then incorporates drums and bass, climaxing into the song's main pattern at high velocity. Amazing theatrical vocal performance courtesy of Dickinson. And the band are up to it : intricate arrangments, time signature changes, great solos. The addition of sinth guitars adds A LOT to the atmosphere of this song, and throughout the album.

Wasted Years is the most popular single off Somewhere in Time, and I understand it though it must be my least favorite song from this album, even though I love it (and that says it all about an album, when you enjoy even your less favorite track). The main guitar motif has become an anthem. Anyway, the song is a straight-forward hard rocking tune with beautiful arrangments and, again, wonderful vocals.

Sea of Madness is a gem. You know when bands make a song that is different from what they usually do and are incredibly successful doing it ? That's the case here. Hard rocking and galloping when it needs to be, uplifting and beautiful in other moments, all the while offering a great display of musicianship and mastery of their craft. A truly progressive song.

Another anthem is found in Heaven Can Wait, a classic Harris penned number with a great sing along chorus. The band takes us, once again on a few mood swings throughout this song.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a very fast song, bringing to mind the strides of a runner in a race. The song is so relentless you can almost feel breathless when it ends. Great arrangments and vocals here too, and McBrain never gives up in this one. I suspect he is the runner here.

Next comes another gem (as in my description above), Stranger in a Strange Land. Right from the start, you cannot help but either headbang or tap your foot, and when the guitars kick in, you just do it harder. Such a mean and original riff!!! The ambiences created through the song are amazing, as is the way the song builds up.

Dave Murray's only penned number on SiT, Déjà-Vu, is another great track, not unlike The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (if I am not mistaken, they share the same bpm). It is surprising this song fits so well in the context of the album considering it was Murray's only contribution.

What better way to end an album than an epic ? Alexander The Great is a biographical resume as much as it is an amazing epic, complete with time changes, odd time signatures, complex arrangments and yet again an amazing deliver from Dickinson.

The production fits the theme of the album, and at that time was unlike anything previously heard. Futuristic, spacey, yet hard and heavy.

This is one of Maiden's really prog albums, and as such, deserves a rating as a prog album alone. Considering the lasting influence this album has on prog, metal and prog metal, considering the groundbreaking factor and the amazing quality of the material presented here and the high caliber of every musician involved, this album deserves nothing less than five stars.

Without a doubt, this album has one of the best covers in all the Iron Maiden/Eddy catalogue, with a futuristic approach and even some irony. Not that this matters that much for a musical standpoint, but I thought I had to mention Maiden's covers at least once in my series of reviews.

This album arrived two years after the preceding one, POWERSLAVE, which means that for one year there was no new studio record by the British. 1985 only viewed the release of LIVE AFTER DEATH, Maiden's first proper live album and one that would capture the hearts of its fans even more. It seems that that hiatus from the compositional stage worked, as SOMEWHERE IN TIME is, in my eyes, far superior to POWERSLAVE, to the point that it may well be, alongside SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON, my favorite Maiden disc with Dickinson on vocals.

This album presents a slight change of style in Iron Maiden's music. If the focal point of the music in POWERSLAVE seemed to be speed and energy, in this record we find, alongside fast, pure-adrenaline tracks, more atmospheric moments, more use of the guitar synth, and a couple of songs which are absolutely progressive, maybe the first ones since "Rime of The Ancient Mariner" and much more so. The use of textures, of guitar harmonies, the dialogues between the two guitars get more complex, more interesting; Harris' bass continues to astound with its marvelous mix of simplicity and virtuosism; McBrain's drumming is just as tight as always but he seems more secure in this album, like if he finally felt himself 100% a part of Iron Maiden. And one of the factors that I love the most about this band is showcased here to a great extent: the ability to create ultra-fast metal pieces but filled with lots of catchy, even beautiful melodies. If there is something that no metal band has managed to do is to write fast music so tuneful. All the bands that have hopelessly tried to emulate Maiden (mostly power metal and progressive metal outfits) are yet to match the wonderful experience that some tracks in this album can produce in a fan, that sense of hearing music that belongs to you, metal that's yours. A fan gets to become one with the songs, and the songs are designed to do that. More on that later.

Caught Somewhere In Time (9/10) A typical Maiden-esque melody in guitars opens this fast track that, unlike most Maiden openers, lasts over 5 minutes. The main verse is faster, like a horse galloping at full speed the bass takes us through this journey. At every moment we're dazzled by short but glorious little melodies by the guitars. Dickinson sings even better than usual here. It has a long instrumental section with a great guitar solo and some truly inspired bass work. Another fantastic opener by the Irons, maybe not as instantly memorable as others like "Aces High", but surely more complex and easy to grow with time.

Wasted Years (10/10) Not much can be said about this anthem of anthems in the already-full-of-anthems catalogue of The Beast. Speed, energy, beautiful guitar melodies, a sense of weird melancholy and nostalgia, the years that passed us by are gone and the song makes us pay them homage but also leave them as relics of an ancient, dead past, making us look for the future. Smith and Murray just blow their axes away with a magnificent display of guitar playing and one of the best solos in the band's catalogue. The chorus can't be more memorable. This song is the stuff of legends. The first song ever by Maiden that I need the urge to give a 10/10 to, but certainly won't be the last (as my chronologically-wrong review of FEAR OF THE DARK can easily attest).

Sea Of Madness (9.5/10) The opening verse of this song is quite unique, the rhythm has a certain weird groove to it. The chorus is very good again, but the relentless stop- and-go main riff of the song is what truly makes it instantly recognizable. The middle section is slow and quiet, more melodic, atmospheric almost, with another great display of prowess by Harris. Great song. Another grower.

Heaven Can Wait (10/10) This track may well be THE anthem by Maiden, and in this case almost literally so. It starts very quietly, haunting, only strings (bass and guitars it's what I mean; they work with strings after all). Then another energetic verse with a breathless delivery by master Dickinson. The chorus is very likeable but rather generic. The song is going great but as it is up to this point would be just another good fast song. Then we start going upwards, the guitars stars dueling with each other, the battle seems unstoppable. A sudden change in speed, a little slower, Dickinson sings and then we're invited to join in a true anthemic moment made for stadium chants and for uniting all the thousands of fans of The Beast. A moment that, if maybe not incredibly fantastic from a musical point of view, some may see it as cheesy, but is just magical because it unites the music and the fan, both are made into one. The speed comes back and the guitars' fight reaches a climax where neither one seem to be able to win, and they just join forces, as we already did with this music. This rollercoaster of a songs started like a regular decent track and by the end became one of the all-time greats by The Beast.

The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner (9.5/10) The beginning of this song sounds like future albums like THE X-FACTOR will sound. The bass goes up and down, one guitar plays chords, the other a soaring high melody while the hi-hat provides the touch of heart-less mathematics to such a warm start. The main verse starts, Dickinson delivers as usual, some great double melodies by the guitars ensue, melody after melody. Excellent.

Stranger In A Strange Land (8.5/10) The bass and the drums open this one in unusual fashion, and then the guitars come in and we're fooled for a second into believing this is a ZZTop track (please, stop the violence, only for A SECOND). The use of guitar synths is clear here, the song is not so fast as the preceding ones, but is more atmospheric, even futuristic at moments. The texturing work is just great as in every track in this album. The chorus is good, not great. This song is another proof as to the progressiveness in Maiden's metal. (Harris' most important influences were Squire and Rutherford among others, as he himself has recognized and, most importantly, as the music SHOWS.) Very good slow track. Only the slightly average chorus deters it from being excellent.

Déjà Vu (9.5/10) Another slow, melodic start where the three string-based electric instruments seem to dialogue with each other. And then suddenly one of those legendary lightning-fast riffs by The Beast attacks. McBrain adds to the energy while Dickinson forces his throat to the limits. A fantastic fast track, very melodic all the craziness notwithstanding. At moments sounds like a "progged-up" version of "Killers", the title track of Maiden's sophomore release.

Alexander The Great (10/10) The longest and most progressive song in SOMEWHERE IN TIME, it starts like a slow march filled with evil, dark spirits. Guitar melodies fly over the marching snare-drum rhythm and the pedal. Then the main verse comes into scene. The tempo is similar to that of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" in POWERSLAVE, but the song as a whole is much more progressive, varied, complex. Instrumental sections abound, guitar solos inhabit this epic track as the most honorable of citizens of the land of melodic metal. Another superb song that deserves a perfect rating, even if it hasn't reached my heart as much as the other two, but maybe that's because of exposure, as this is another example of why I love Maiden.

This album is better than almost any other in all of Iron Maiden's catalogue (bar, in my opinion, SEVENTH SON and X-FACTOR), but it's definitely a "grower": one has to give it time, and it will grow; one has to give it a few listens, an it will show its true face. The first true masterpiece by The Beast, it gets a 5 from me, and I think the rating is in accordance to PA guidelines, for this is a true progressive album.

Recommended for: Every Iron Maiden fan and every Metal fan. But give it time to grow with you as it did with me.

. and be ready to chant in communion with The Beast, and tell Heaven that it will have to wait... at least till you finish listen to SOMEWHERE IN TIME.

A very slick and highly polished Iron Maiden release with a classy sound and line up of songs, creative guitar work, and clever use of the band's varied talents; however, none of the songs here have the staying power or memorability of other releases, making "Somewhere in Time" a good, but sometimes forgettable record when placed alongside the band's library. No fan would be disappointed though, and a few listeners coming strictly from within the prog-metal realms may find a lot to like here as well.

Iron Maiden's sixth studio album "Somewhere in Time" is a heavily discussed album by fans of this legendary English band. It was very original in its day, as the band switched to synth guitars on this album and were among the first band to use that instrument in a way that enhanced their sound. At the same time the synth sounds alienated many fans, of which quite a few would say that this album showed a band in creative and musical decline.

Musically the band has perfected their sound on this album. The playing is tighter than the proverbial duck's arse, and the band members are experienced enough to add the extra touches to ordinary tunes to make them sound good, adding small nuances and touches in turn to make the songs sound interesting; as can best be heard on opening track "Caught Somewhere in Time". Adding the synth sounds to the music also elevates many tracks from the realm of the ordinary to something better, where the slightly softer edges of the synth guitar riffs adds flavout and atmosphere to Iron Maidens trademark harmonic and melodic soloing and riffing, and giving a warmer touch to Maidens pacey songs, where the fast paced bass guitar and drumming do sound better accompanied by the slightly softer synth guitars.

A new aspect to Iron Maiden's sound on this album, or at least an aspect much developed here, are several examples of songs where Bruce Dickinson's vocals are used as a melodic instrument in itself. These songs are rather monotone and repetitive apart from the soloing, and Dickinson's vocals carry as good as all melody in the singing parts of these songs. "Wasted Years" is a very good example of this. If this is planned or more an indirect result of the synth guitars slighter fuzzy sound is of course something that only can be speculated upon.

The influence from progressive rock continues on this album as well; an aspect of their music surfacing on their previous studio album "Powerslave". As with that album, in many songs the progressive elements are more to be found in structure than in actual playing; and the elements are most noticeable in the long, epic tracks on this release.

The individual songs on "Somewhere in Time" are a rather mixed affair. Although musically at their peak now in my opinion, the songs as such aren't as good as on previous albums. The creative well seems to have run dry; with fewer songs than normal containing original or really captivating elements.

The addition of the synth guitars to their sound as well as the band members ability to play on individual and collective strengths are the factors that elevate this album to an interesting, albeit varied, release.

Same sort of recipe as in "Powerslave" (their previous albums) : longer compositions, more hard-rock than metal oriented and very little prog to my ears. I am only amazed to read about the progressiveness of this album (or band).

Would you ask back in 1985 to which genre Iron Maiden's music was related, I bet you that NO ONE would have linked it with prog, that's for sure. Did they become prog with the remastering of their albums ? .Strange. Although the same progressive trends have invaded lots of bands which were never considered as such before. I must have missed their reconversion.

Anyway, this is another very good Maiden album. To be faithful to your roots was not an easy task in those mid eighties but Maiden did it remarkably. It is difficult to find a weak number in here. The album opens brilliantly on the title track which is one of the highlight.

If you are in need of energy : grab this album (or another earlier Maiden one like "Killers"). You will be rejuvenated. A killer song as "Heaven Can Wait" will just beat you down. Great chorus, majestic guitar work and incredible beat. Extremely powerful.

I would have rather titled the next song "The Loneliness Of The Short Distance Runner", because one can hardly believe a long distance one can run as fast as the amazing beat available here. It is one of my fave from this album. Fantastic guitars again and SUPER fast rhythm. Almost punkish. But that's not the first time that Maiden flirts with this genre. Another highlight.

The heaviest song is not the best one available : "Stranger In A Strange Land" has a slower-paced tempo (but I agree that it is difficult to remain on the levels of the other songs so far). This type of tracks usually doesn't please me a lot (whatever the band). I prefer energetic to heavy. Bizarrely, an atmospheric break is the start of a brilliant (guitar) solo. So, my judgement about it is mixed.

Smooth guitar to open "Déjà vu" which will be very soon converted into a fast metal mood. Drumming here is very good. Countless hits on the drum kit all the way the way through. Very effective song and nice vocals-guitar interplays.

The closing number is also a highlight. Starts on a bolero-like mood (but this doesn't make a song prog, even if the riff of "Watcher Of The Skies" from who you know is seriously borrowed around minute four). A good overview of the history of this great conqueror and an epic metal track.

This album will please any Maiden fan. It is purely in the band's trradition. No real change with this work. Four stars.

I wanted to review this for a long time and now I finally urged myself to do it. I still have many prog albums to go but now it's Iron Maiden time. Is Iron Maiden prog of any kind ? Personally I don't think so, but if there's an album that comes close it could well be this one. This was my absolute favourite hard rock album of the eighties. Really good and inventive compositions for a simple (?) hard rock band I thought back then. But if I see the number of reviews on this website for this band and the ratingaverages they score you really start to believe this is prog (related).

Anyway, now about this album. I'll start with the highlight which is the last track of the album: Alexander the Great. I'm in love with this song for over 20 years now and it will probably never go away. It must have something to do with the progressive elements you can find in it. The instrumental part is mindblowing and suits me 100%. Unfortunately none of the other tracks can keep up with this class act but still there are several real nice ones, like Stranger in a strange land, Heaven can wait and Sea of madness. And actually the others aren't bad at all either. So it's not really hard for me to come to the 4 star conclusion. Great effort by Iron Maiden.

This was the first actual metal I owned, after hearing Wasted Years and being impressed by the opening guitar lead riff. While Bruce Dickinson is a focal point of sorts, this album showcases all of the band members on the top of their game, well balanced, executing well, and full of energy. Where some of the earlier albums may have rocked harder, they always had a looseness to them that didn't appeal to my musicality (Run to the Hills is a great example), and the subsequent album was almost poppy to my ears, Somewhere in Time struck the right balance.

Is it prog? No. Is it as sophisticated as much of the material in our Prog Metal category. Yes. And just as well executed. Further, I think Iron Maiden influenced those bands perhaps more than any other. Certainly my old favorite, Queensryche, started as a Maiden clones, and in fact one of the classic riffs from Eye of a Stanger resembles the signature riff from Somewhere in Time to a suspicious degree.

My favorite songs from this album: Caught Somewhere in Time, Wasted Years, Stranger in a Strange Land

Least favorite Deja Vu

Somewhere In Time is the sixth full-length studio album by UK heavy metal act Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden had enjoyed great success with their previous album Powerslave (1984) and the ensuing world tour in 1984-1985. Listening to Somewhere In Time it´s fortunately quite obvious that they had no intention of slowing down or abdicate the heavy metal throne in favour of new forces at this point. In other words they had not become lazy or tired because of success. Somewhere In Time is another great album in a long line of classic heavy metal albums by Iron Maiden but there´s something different about the sound on this one compared to earlier releases by the band that makes Somewhere In Time one of the most unique studio albums yet by Iron Maiden.

The music on the album is at its core melodic heavy metal as on any other album release by Iron Maiden, so the basis in the music with Bruce Dickinson´s powerful and distinct vocals, the thunderous ( read: Galloping) rythm section and the twin lead guitar attack is as present as ever. The difference between Somewhere In Time and earlier releases by Iron Maiden is that Somewhere In Time actually moves slightly into progressive territory. The use of synth guitars and a general epic atmosphere on the album helps on that impression.

There are eight tracks on the album. Three are written by guitarist Adrian Smith while the last five are written by bassist Steve Harris. Bruce Dickinson had written songs for the album but the rest of the band favoured the songs written by Adrian Smith and Steve Harris. Wasted years and Stranger In A Strange Land were used as A-sides for the two EPs released to promote the album. All songs on the album are of high quality and while it´s almost impossible for me to pick out favorites I´ll give a special mention to opener Caught Somewhere In Time, the fast paced The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner, the melancholic/ nostalgic sounding Stranger In A Strange Land and the grand epic closer Alexander The Great. All songs on the album leave me awe strucken though and a great feeling of joy always overwhelms me when I listen to Somewhere In Time. While I mentioned the word progressive above, the music on Somewhere In Time really isn´t progressive metal and shouldn´t be regarded as such. There are many progressive elements on the album though that has been greatly influential on the progressive metal genre and should I point to one album by the band that warrants Iron Maiden´s inclusion on a progressive rock site it would definitely be Somewhere In Time.

The production by Martin Birch has a grand and clean futuristic sound that goes very well with the extensive use of synth guitars and the sci-fi theme on the album. One of the most unique heavy metal productions I have ever heard. It´s very different from the sound on earlier albums by Iron Maiden.

My own story with Somewhere In Time probably has some effect on my final rating on the album. Not only is this an absolutely fantastic album but it was actually my first ever LP purchase ( I had some cassettes but an LP is something special IMO). I get all nostalgic thinking about that purchase. I even remember which store I purchased the album in. Putting that LP into an empty shelf ( which would soon be full) in my now long gone teenage bookcase is something I will treasure forever. My copy of the album actually turned out to have an error in the first song on Side 2 The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner which means that the needle jumps. Very annoying and I of course went to the store where I had purchased the album and made them give me a new copy. The only problem was that the new copy had exactly the same error and I gave up trying to get a new one. It must have been a whole shipment to Denmark with LP copies of Somewhere In Time with the same error because my brother has a copy with the same error and two of my friends have copies with the same error too. I´ve since purchased Somewhere In Time in both a flawless LP version and on CD but fortunately my first meeting with the album didn´t take away the fact that I enjoyed this album very much the first couple of years after I purchased it. There have been times when I haven´t listened much to Iron Maiden but this is the album I always return to when the urge to listen to some great melodic heavy metal comes over me. A Masterpiece well deserving a 5 star rating.

On Powerslave Maiden had served a nice taste of prog metal, on Somewhere In Time they took another step forward and tried to evolve and develop their sound into synth-metallic directions, similar to what Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne were doing around that time, be it with varying degrees of success. At the moments where Maiden comes up with adequate songs it works successfully, but there's just too much filler and big sing-along choruses to make up a good album.

On the opening Caught Somewhere In Time everything they do is superb though, only the chorus is a bit grating to my ears. It's a pattern that returns in much of the songs. Only Stranger In A Strange Land fully convinces me. Most songs are average at best, featuring unremarkable verses and bridges and choruses that vary between inadequate and commercial. Also Alexander The Great doesn't speak to me.

I remember this album didn't click with the fans back in 1985 but going by the ratings that seems not to be the case for the prog crowd. One thing is sure, from the next album onwards, Maiden re-turned to the Powerslave formula and gradually became a self-derivative and irrelevant band. Here, at least they tried. It can't convince me a bit really. 2.5 stars

Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time (1986)

In a time 'progressive' was a cursed word Iron Maiden changed their direction in exactly that direction. This somewhat strange move for one of the most popular metal band of their times wasn't perceived as a progress by the fans, but in our progressive community it was seen as a pleasant career-move. Might Harris had always intended to extend his melodic and inventive ideas for the band? Perhaps the roots for this new style can be found in the new technology of it's time (synth-bass and synth-guitar). I don't know, but I learned to like this one-of-a-kind album in their discography.

On the Somewhere in Time album the metal-sound got some electronic edge to it and there now was a frequent use of synthesizers, albeit guitars-synths. The vocals of Dickinson are less close to the listener due to the use of reverb effects. The sound of this album is also a bit more abstract and perhaps a bit spacey to some. The drums are still recognizable Maiden style.

The songs. The album opens with the title track and to be honest, it's not my favorite track of the album. I know a lot of people who really like it, but I think it sounds un-interesting and the melodies just don't seem to work. Even some of the guitar-solo's don't work for me, usually a strong part of the Maiden title tracks. A pity. The next track, Wasted years, is a stronger track with a nice guitar theme and a catchy refrain. It's slight electronic sound works really well here. Sea of Madness is a bit more progressive and has a great bridge and refrain. The lyrics are bit dull IMHO.

Heaven Can Wait is the first masterful Maiden track on the album. This epical track about a near-death-experience has many parts put together in an intelligent and fresh way. The many guitarsolo's work well and the atmosphere works pretty well with the lyrics. Great! The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner is a song with a lot of instrumental guitar parts that work very well with the up-tempo approach. I used to think of this song as a real treat: the more melodic guitar parts the better. Stranger In A Strange Land is a simple but effective song like Wasted Years. Somehow the simplistic rhythmical approach (one might say kind of eighties-rock like) works very well. It give focus.

Déjà Vu is an up-tempo track with again a lot of melodic guitar parts and a good lyrical theme. This albums keeps getting stronger! Alexander The Great is the big epic of the album. It has all of the epic ingredient Maiden has to offer: many melodic instrumental parts, a story-line, some more development with instrumental parts (this time even in an odd time- signature!) and a good conclusion.

Conclusion. A strange Maiden album with synths and a slight progressive approach. This new slightly progressive sound is established by it's sound, Iron Maiden already had lot's of inventive songwriting and many melodic parts. Somehow I can understand this album is not for every-one and it might not even be appreciated by all fans of the band. I myself like it, though I think side two is better then side one. Four stars. A lot of guts to make experimental metal like this in the mid-eighties!

First album after the proclaimed Iron Maiden trilogy that begun with The Number Of The Beast turned out less successful in the hits department and is generally considered to be slightly weaker than the two juggernauts that surround it. While I can understand that the fans might prefer hits like Aces High and Two Minutes To Midnight over this material, this doesn't make Somewhere In Time a lesser release by any means. On contrary, this actually happens to be my favorite Iron Maiden by far!

My love for this record is not a nostalgic one since I've discovered it pretty recently and it wasn't even among the first batch of albums that I've heard from the band. This is a very honest and unbiased response to a solid record and a rarity within the Iron Maiden discography. Not only does the album feature most of my favorite compositions from the band but it also pretty much nails the experimental fling that I've been lacking on their previous releases.

Right off the bat you know that this album is special judging by the excellent album cover. I just had to buy the vinyl in order to be able to decipher all the hidden messages and clues of the band's past depicted on the front and back cover work, easily their best album cover to date! The music doesn't disappoint either. Caught Somewhere In Time is a magnificent album-opener that kicks the record into high gear from the get-go with the dual guitar action followed by drums and stomping bass only to let Dickinson enter more than a minute into the composition.

Wasted Years is the more commercial out of the two singles released from the album but it's really not a bad song by any means. Yes, the chorus might sound a bit cheesy to some but the instrumental arrangements make up for most of the possible flaws that some people might mention. Sea Of Madness and Heaven Can Wait are another two rather commercially oriented tracks, surprisingly neither of the two were released as a singles. Solid tracks but somewhat disappointing in the context of the rest of the album.

If you feel a bit discouraged by side one of the record then fear not, side two is the far more superior of the two! The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner kicks things off with another signature guitar melody that will most likely get stuck in your head for days on end, I know that it did so with me. The album's second single Stranger In A Strange Land is really a weird but fun choice for a single since it's really not as radio-friendly as any of the tracks off side one. Luckily, it only makes me love it even more!

Now here is an odd number for any Iron Maiden fans who claim that the band has never played dangerously close to Power Metal. Déjà Vu is easily the most Power Metal oriented composition that the band has released and it almost makes me imagine this whole parallel universe where Iron Maiden is a Power Metal band playing exclusively tracks like this one. Ain't that a funny thought? Time for another epic history lesson and Alexander The Great clearly doesn't disappoint in that regard. This is an epic composition at it's finest, everything is done here just the way I like it, even down to the odd time signature section played in 7/8.

Even if Somewhere In Time is my personal favorite among the Iron Maiden albums I'm not sure that it's the album for everyone. You should probably start your journey with Powerslave and then move on to either this album or the great 1980 debut release. Hopefully you'll get just the right amount of exposure to the band by going through these three albums since I've found most of their other releases to be lackluster in one regard or another.

***** star songs: Caught Somewhere In Time (7:26) The Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner (6:31) Alexander The Great (8:37)

**** star songs: Wasted Years (5:07) Sea Of Madness (5:42) Stranger In A Strange Land (5:45) Déjà Vu (4:56)

*** star songs: Heaven Can Wait (7:22)

There's little doubt in my mind that Somewhere In Time isn't quite as good as the preceding Powerslave, but at the same time it's still a very good Maiden album which is somewhat underrated in the band's catalogue. The main sticking point for me is probably Wasted Years, a flirtation with a more commercial style of metal which, whilst it doesn't actually stray into hair metal territory, often seems as though it's threatening to. Beyond that song, however, the band do a decent job of incorporating synthesisers into their sound and present more epic, progressive songwriting of the sort that by this point was what we all expected of them.

I only had a chance to know better about Iron Maiden quite late in year 2000, actually. But I then collected their albums and found out their first five albums were very good. When I got this Somewhere In Time, I did find anything new coming out from their musical creativity - it's just usal stuffs - nothing new and challenging. It's still a good album even though not as powerful as its predecessor Powerslaves. The band seemed like in a stagnant period - or may be they got bored with the music?

Caught Somewhere In Time is actually quite unique which demonstrates excellent Dickinson vocals with catchy chorus. Deja-Vu proves the roots of Maiden's sound with excellent guitar work from Murray and Smith. Alexander The Great, at over eight minutes, enjoys some moments, but unfortunately it lacks cohesion. The other remaining tracks, by Maiden standards, quite boring and not quite good, actually. Wasted Years is maybe only good to be performed live. Heaven Can Wait is also similar even though it has quite good lyrics. The Loneliness Of The Distance Runner best sounds mundane and it shows how actually the band started lacking of creativity.

Overall, it's still good album even though it's not as excellent as the previous five albums. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Featuring the best album cover in the history of such things and a fresh new synthesized sound, Iron Maiden's 1986 album 'Somewhere In Time' finds the East London metal kings casting off the shackles of their constricting NWOBHM origins and writing much more expansive material influenced by bassist Steve Harris' youthful love of progressive rock. The group's first, fully-fledged attempt to integrate synthesizers and keyboards into their powerful sound, 'Somewhere In Time' can be counted as something of a surprise success. Whilst many rock bands would ultimately stain their once-proud resume's during the 1980's thanks to their attempts to 'stay modern'(just think Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis...the list is endless) Iron Maiden actually managed to pull off the neat trick of enhancing their sound. The addition of slinky yamaha synths and hi-tech keyboards to the group's speed-metal-inflected brand of pumping heavy rock proves a bold departure for a group whose simple-but- effective formula had seen them conquer the globe. The anthemic hooks, rousing choruses and screeching guitar solo's are still in check, the glitzy electronic edge adding a real instrumental depth to such big-sounding tracks as 'Wasted Years' and 'Heaven Can Wait', the album's stand-out moments, and the powerfully-charged Steve Harris-penned epic 'Alexander The Great' becomes a kind of proto-progressive song-suite filled with atmospheric sound effects and some genuine musical grandstanding. It's all very far removed from the simplistic sound of 'Killers' and the early-eighties big-selling 'Number Of The Beast', and in some quarters is seen as a major influence of the burgeoning prog-metal scene(Just ask Queensryche). Figuratively speaking this is still heavy metal, yet the strong symphonic overtones brought about by the group's new approach shows that Iron Maiden are much more refined outfit than their blood 'n' thunder reputation suggests. As an album 'Somewhere In Time' still has it's flaws - 'The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner' drags it's feet and 'Deja Vu' seems forced and awkward - yet there is much here that will delight both die- hard fans of the group and those with more progressive tastes. Featuring a slick new direction, this is very much Iron Maiden at their most adventurous.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

Hail the chorus effect!

I do enjoy a lot of Iron Maiden's albums and i used to like Somewhere In Time a lot once, but listening to this now the main problem of this album is that it has no great material, the songs does not have the same impact on me as before. One thing that bothers me is the sound, i used to like it before, but it's too similar sounding, the guitars are heavy chorused and does not stop, or use a different sound at all. Dickinson's vocals are good but i don't like his operatic vocals on this album, i like his regular vocals better.

Some of the material is good and some is boring, it seems Iron Maiden went for a simple formula this time, the writing is not exciting at all and is hardly progressive. The songs contain some changes and some nice interludes, but it all sounds flat and not dynamic, most of the riffs are uninspired and that's what is bringing the whole album down. Few of the riffing are good but a lot of it is just boring 80's metal stuff. I used to like pretty much everything the guitars did in their early days, but nothing of it is remotely close here, the solos are not memorable, they are just there because the song gotta have a solo right?

This is definitely a classic Iron Maiden album though, and fans of the Dickinson era will worship this blindly, the band gave their fans all they want, Iron Maiden riffing, Iron Maiden vocals and Iron Maiden rhythms, but it is not enough this time. I admit there are a lot of enjoyable parts here and there, about every song contains one part or two and that's the problem, the good parts are spreaded on the entire album and are far apart, I find my self waiting to hear those thirty seconds that i like and the rest is nothing special, i would expect Iron Maiden to do better.

I have one song that i really like though, I knew this song before i got a copy of the album, and it remained my favorite here, 'Wasted Years' is a great song, it's different from the rest of the album, although i saw some reviews stating this song is cheesy and maybe the album's worst, i love it, it works, it has a good riff, good vocals, great energies and an amazing solo, just perfect.

I really wanted to rate this album higher but i can't, as much as i love Iron Maiden the album does not move me anymore. Although i can not say the band is playing bad, i wish the material was much stronger, because they are a beast and overall the band does work. The album's rating is 3 stars but i'm knocking out one star because of my personal feeling.

After bursting from his grave from wearing himself out from the "Powerslave" tour on the "Live After Death" album, Eddie springs back to life and takes up time travel on IRON MAIDEN's sixth studio album SOMEWHERE IN TIME. Although it seems like it should be a concept album it only has a handful of tracks dedicated to time. This is the first album the band utilized synthesizers in their sound but as a complementary background setting instead of a full-on keyboard effect. This album to me sounds like there is a lot of recycled riffage going on. There are parts here and there that clearly remind you of previous albums, but despite it all MAIDEN deliver yet another satisfying album from beginning to end. Unfortunately this album just sinks a little between the ones surrounding it for me.

Despite being a tad musically inferior, I have to say that the artwork is one of the best album covers in musical history with tons of references to previous songs, albums and themes. Derek Riggs outdid himself on this one with the Blade Runner themed sci-fi extravaganza. I was initially disappointed that this album was not the fully formed concept album that "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" eluded to moving toward on the previous album. We would have to wait until the next album for that to happen, but this is still a strong album that despite seeming a little bit like IRON MAIDEN on cruise control still has enough melody and metallic fury to satisfy. Yet another essential listening experience for anyone even remotely interested in traditional metal of the 80s. 4.5 rounded down

Somewhere in Time is the first Iron Maiden album to incorporate the use of synthesized guitars, softening the power of their traditional double guitars. This earned them some criticism from their most radical fans, who did not see with good eyes that the group tested new proposals that were less harsh than those typical of heavy metal. But Steve Harris and the rest of the band always recognized their musical influences, and hence the nods to the progressive genre have been constant in their discography. Somewhere in Time is a demonstration of this. Without neglecting its essence, since after all, they are a group with a metal root, they give us songs of remarkable quality related to prog-rock.

To especially highlight the more than 8 minutes of the extraordinary and epic Alexander the Great, an evocation of the Macedonian king and conqueror, in my opinion, one of the best songs in the Iron Maiden discography, which has failed to transcend more than it deserved, probably due to the initial suspicion that the album got, in addition to the fact that they never played it live. Other great songs are the painful Stranger In a Strange Land and its deep, melancholic guitar solo, and the dynamic Wasted Years and The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner.

The rest of the songs, like the galloping, Caught Somewhere in Time or Heaven Can Wait, are closer to their traditional heavy metal style.

Time has given Somewhere in Time a much fairer place than the one it had at its release, recognizing its value as a work of a very good level, despite the differences with their previous albums.