A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

I've been giving this a lot of play on my in-car CD play recently.Maiden have been a class above the opposition for some years with a style that sends them very close to prog if not exactly diving in head first.Here they explore some contemporary ideas with the occasional nods to Dream Theater and Tool and with less of the full on metal that was more their trademark in the early days.I really like the meaty production and Nicko has never sounded better behind the drums for my money.The songs are all around the 6-7 minute mark..well developed but not overdone.This is classy stuff and one of the most enjoyable albums I've listened to for a long time.I'll leave it up to you to decide whether its ''prog'' or not but for me its a safe 5 stars.