Not their best, but still good enough, Empire of the Clouds best song in the album imo

Listened to it a couple of times again today... it is average music targeted at average people, just like the new Slayer album.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.09.2015 at 21:35

Listened to it a couple of times again today... it is average music targeted at average people, just like the new Slayer album.

how did you manage listening to it twice in a day is beyond me, last time I tried listening to it, I stopped after the first song on cd 2

Written by Guest on 15.09.2015 at 22:08

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.09.2015 at 21:35

Listened to it a couple of times again today... it is average music targeted at average people, just like the new Slayer album.

how did you manage listening to it twice in a day is beyond me, last time I tried listening to it, I stopped after the first song on cd 2

I think you should brush up on your reading comprehension. I said "again" which implies I have listened to it before. But it was indeed extremely hard going trying to listen to it once in one go

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.09.2015 at 22:24

I think you should brush up on your reading comprehension. I said "again" which implies I have listened to it before. But it was indeed extremely hard going trying to listen to it once in one go

well, you said - "Listened to it a couple of times again today" which, to me it says you listened to it twice, today, or use a comma, "listened to it a couple of times, again today" which means you listened to it only once, today (LOL). Brushing up my reading is next thing for me to do.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.09.2015 at 21:35
targeted at average people

Wow you sure are a grumpy old fuck.

Written by Nicko's Nose on 15.09.2015 at 23:14

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.09.2015 at 21:35
targeted at average people

Wow you sure are a grumpy old fuck.

Not really. I just stand for good old fashioned quality. Which can't be found on this album.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 16.09.2015 at 00:18

Written by Nicko's Nose on 15.09.2015 at 23:14

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.09.2015 at 21:35
targeted at average people

Wow you sure are a grumpy old fuck.

Not really. I just stand for good old fashioned quality. Which can't be found on this album.

Says the translator who writes old-fashioned without a hyphen. Talking about quality, haha.

So far, I find The Book of Souls to be enjoyable though. I wouldn't call it average. It might not be great overall, but there are for sure some great moments.

Well I haven't give my viewpoint about this one, and here it goes.

It was a little hard to myself to get the nice side from TFF, but after some spins I got it. When I heard Speed of Light I awaited for a new and nicer direction for this new album, and I got it.

This one got me since its beginning till the end and I could say IMHO is at the level of Brave New World and Dance of Death (the best XXI century albums in my book). The only flaw I note is that: Bruce's vocals sometimes sounds tired, most than usual. But netherless is an album I enjoy too much.

Indeed this year has brought excellent albums, not only from the most known bands

A Matter of Life and Death is tied with Seventh Son of a Seventh Son as my second favourite IM album, and I was largely disappointed by The Final Frontier as I felt it was most similar to the Blaze Bayley era for me, completely the wrong direction after AMOLAD.

This album though, this is what they should've done after AMOLAD, it feels like a natural evolution of the sound and style they utilised on that album, and yet I can hear traces of Brave New World, Dance of Death and even a few elements from Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind.

This album is staggeringly good imho, my faith had been shaken after TFF, but The Book Of Souls has reminded me once again why Maiden is and will always be my favourite band of all time.

I wish someone would do something about the 1 ratings, they're obviously not genuine.

Written by Nicko's Nose on 18.09.2015 at 19:04

I wish someone would do something about the 1 ratings, they're obviously not genuine.

So are some of the 10s, but they're (the vote-rigging ones) harder to spot, since there's way more 10s than 1s.

Written by M C Vice on 19.09.2015 at 09:57

Written by Nicko's Nose on 18.09.2015 at 19:04

I wish someone would do something about the 1 ratings, they're obviously not genuine.

So are some of the 10s, but they're (the vote-rigging ones) harder to spot, since there's way more 10s than 1s.

Atleast the people who gave it 10 actually listened to the album.

Written by Nicko's Nose on 19.09.2015 at 21:38

Atleast the people who gave it 10 actually listened to the album.

Not necessarily. Some could be just to bump down something else.

Yeah, I remember when Citadel got quite a chunk of 10's removed.

..........at least over 300 people at Amazon USA got it right.....4.5 of 5 stars!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZYW5M52?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00#customerReviews

First of all, i have to say I love Iron Maiden and almost everything they put out. Iron Maiden have waited 5 years to make a new album, and that's a long time to wait between albums.

I know it's impossible if you're a big band to please everyone?
I personally think that Book of Souls has some great moments, but it's also sounds a bit like new Bruce Dickinson solo album (If Eternity Should Fail and Empire of the Clouds are representative example of that). Don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing but IMO it's not Iron Maiden style.

Since it's release, I must've heard it 20 times all over and I must say that Speed of Light is the weakest track (I don't know why they release this song as the first single, maybe because is shorter than other songs ). Generally speaking some songs are needlessly very long and the beginning of Shadows of the Valley is very similar to Wasted years. Songs like The Red and the Black, The Book of Souls and Tears of a Clown are great.

Eddie as a painted Mayan?hmmmmm, i think i love it it brings dark and magician feeling to album.

Seeing that Bruce had health issues during the making of Book of Souls and that the Final Frontier maybe lowered my expectations of what they're capable of at this point, I will say that BoS is a big suprise and excellent album. Iron Maiden's new album ?Book of Souls" is an album to be remembered?

Pretty much what was to be expected from this album: It's just too long and doesn't have enough quality material. The first song is alright, then songs start to sound uninspired. "Empire Of The Clouds" has some cool parts, but has some filler parts & riffs, and the vocals start to sound broken when nearing the end. Not a bad song by any means, but when compared to other lengthy IM songs like "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" or even "When The Wild Wind Blows", I think those two songs are superior and better composed.

And also: the album isn't a disappointment, at least not for me. I mean, anyone should've seen this coming. There has been a pattern for IM albums that has been going on after "Brave New World" - a pattern of mediocrity. It's what it's. There is no need to decorate it or to denigrate it, but to accept the album just as an average.

Written by Nicko's Nose on 18.09.2015 at 19:04

I wish someone would do something about the 1 ratings, they're obviously not genuine.

how so? why is it unthinkable that someone would find this album to be "the worst ever?" the lowest score exists for a reason, and some albums deserve the lowest score (though imo this isn't quite *that* bad). might as well remove all the 10 ratings then, just because i have a (really) hard time thinking anyone at all finds this album to be "perfect."

i gave it a 3, because to me this is indeed "very bad." the instrumentation is bland, boring, uninspired and all other kinds of descriptors for below mediocre. the vocals are downright gross at parts, and makes my sphincter clench. this album doesn't belong on a pedestal, it belongs on /r/Cringe.

^ Yeah, indeed. 1s by themselves are not "obviously" anything. What is obviously vote abuse is if a guy has all his album votes page filled with just 10s and 1s. Of all the album that aren't the worst ever, everything else is perfect. (??)

But hey, all of this was already discussed before here and there and among other places on this site.

Written by Eye-Licker on 26.09.2015 at 19:53

how so? why is it unthinkable that someone would find this album to be "the worst ever?" the lowest score exists for a reason, and some albums deserve the lowest score (though imo this isn't quite *that* bad). might as well remove all the 10 ratings then, just because i have a (really) hard time thinking anyone at all finds this album to be "perfect."

i gave it a 3, because to me this is indeed "very bad." the instrumentation is bland, boring, uninspired and all other kinds of descriptors for below mediocre. the vocals are downright gross at parts, and makes my sphincter clench. this album doesn't belong on a pedestal, it belongs on /r/Cringe.

One of the users who rated it 1/10 only rated 3 albums: this one that he gave 1/10 and 2 other albums from 2015 that he gave 10/10. Yeah totally genuine guys!

Edit: Another rated 15 albums: 14 he gave 10/10 and this one 1/10. Yeah totally genuine guys!

Edit 2: How about another? Why not? One rated 17 albums: 15 he gave 10/10 (including the new Amorphis, the new Paradise Lost, the new Moonspell and the new Slayer) and this one and the new Stratovarius 1/10. Yeah totally genuine guys!

Yeah those guys totally did NOT give this album 1/10 to get their favorite albums of the year higher in the top 20! Their votes are definitely not "obviously" not genuine!

Written by Nicko's Nose on 18.09.2015 at 19:04

I wish someone would do something about the 1 ratings, they're obviously not genuine.

You're inadvertently pushing people to go for higher votes.

The thing is those 1's or 10's couldn't be genuine voting and they might have not listened to album on the first place. But, then again your shout was completely off-mark and suppressing other people to vote higher.

You said something like this before -

Now, you claiming that people who gave 10 has listened to new Maiden record and then ones who punched for 1s are totally vote abuse.

Well, I don't think so. May be they have gone through a record and didn't like it and voted 1. Whereas, may be the 10s voters didn't listen to record yet and try to push their favorite band's record top of the chart(again, blind vote abuse).

Anyhow, this record is doing absolutely good(considering average has crossed 8+). So, why the hell you so worrying about?!

Written by Eye-Licker on 26.09.2015 at 19:53

Written by Nicko's Nose on 18.09.2015 at 19:04

I wish someone would do something about the 1 ratings, they're obviously not genuine.

how so? why is it unthinkable that someone would find this album to be "the worst ever?" the lowest score exists for a reason, and some albums deserve the lowest score

I don't think any album that gets a commercial release really deserves a 1. Anything that did would surly not be released, as the label/distributers wouldn't waste their money on something so awful it would not sell.

Written by Guest on 27.09.2015 at 10:38

90 minutes?!?!

In that time I could watch Monty Python And The Holy Grail for the 7 millionth time and have a much better experience.

Written by Karlabos on 26.09.2015 at 20:58

But hey, all of this was already discussed before here and there and among other places on this site.

I tried that too once, didn't work out, same as here.

Also, to everyone complaining about the 1s not being genuine: go look through the 10s, most of those aren't genuine either.

Written by M C Vice on 27.09.2015 at 08:56

I don't think any album that gets a commercial release really deserves a 1. Anything that did would surly not be released, as the label/distributers wouldn't waste their money on something so awful it would not sell.

Oh !?

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 27.09.2015 at 08:39

Now, you claiming that people who punched for 1s are totally vote abuse.

Well, I don't think so. May be they have gone through a record and didn't like it and voted 1.

Written by Nicko's Nose on 27.09.2015 at 01:37

One of the users who rated it 1/10 only rated 3 albums: this one that he gave 1/10 and 2 other albums from 2015 that he gave 10/10. Yeah totally genuine guys!

Edit: Another rated 15 albums: 14 he gave 10/10 and this one 1/10. Yeah totally genuine guys!

Edit 2: How about another? Why not? One rated 17 albums: 15 he gave 10/10 (including the new Amorphis, the new Paradise Lost, the new Moonspell and the new Slayer) and this one and the new Stratovarius 1/10. Yeah totally genuine guys!

Yeah those guys totally did NOT give this album 1/10 to get their favorite albums of the year higher in the top 20! Their votes are definitely not "obviously" not genuine!

Written by M C Vice on 27.09.2015 at 08:56

I don't think any album that gets a commercial release really deserves a 1. Anything that did would surly not be released, as the label/distributers wouldn't waste their money on something so awful it would not sell.

come on, now. these votes are the opinions of individuals, which can understandably be contrary to those of the label or the general public. to someone, somewhere, this album is the worst album they've ever heard, and they'd be perfectly justified in giving it a 1. it would be an honest and valid rating, no more or less valid than those who thinks it's perfect and gives it a 10.

to be fair, most people who give it a 1 or a 10 are probably voting at the extremes to swing the average. personally i don't give an album a 10 unless i think it's flawless, and would put it on my top ten, and anyone who can't find flaws in this album needs to get their ears checked. some of the best albums i've ever heard, i still give a 9 at most if it falls short of perfection.

AMAZING album!!!

Written by Eye-Licker on 30.09.2015 at 05:29

come on, now. these votes are the opinions of individuals, which can understandably be contrary to those of the label or the general public. to someone, somewhere, this album is the worst album they've ever heard, and they'd be perfectly justified in giving it a 1. it would be an honest and valid rating, no more or less valid than those who thinks it's perfect and gives it a 10.

to be fair, most people who give it a 1 or a 10 are probably voting at the extremes to swing the average. personally i don't give an album a 10 unless i think it's flawless, and would put it on my top ten, and anyone who can't find flaws in this album needs to get their ears checked. some of the best albums i've ever heard, i still give a 9 at most if it falls short of perfection.

Come on now. Of course there is there is vote abuse. Why it happens I don't know. If people are doing it to get certain albums to the top of some list, well that's just sad. Does it matter if an album you like gets to the top of some random list. What does the person get out of it.
The only way around it would be to scrap the total average votes and therefore the lists. Would it be such a bad thing. I mean do they even matter.