Band:	Iron Maiden
Album:	Dance Of Death
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	September 2003

01. Wildest Dreams
02. Rainmaker
03. No More Lies
04. Montségur
05. Dance Of Death
06. Gates Of Tomorrow
07. New Frontier
08. Paschendale
09. Face In The Sand
10. Age Of Innocence
11. Journeyman

Singer Bruce Dickinson's return to Iron Maiden in 1999 was unsurprisingly met with a great deal of anticipation. Could his return bring the Irons out of the arguable rut into which they had fallen during the Blaze Bailey years? The energy and conviction of 2000's 'Brave New World' suggested that Iron Maiden were very much headed for the top once again. Unfortunately, this momentum was not to be sustained by the 2003 follow-up 'Dance Of Death'.

A shouted "1-2-3-4" intro to the opening track 'Wildest Dreams' gives an impression of the album's artistically relaxed nature, which is furthered by the predictably catchy sing-along chorus, familiar guitar solos and Nicko McBrain's eminently recognisable drumming. Although there is nothing wrong with the opener as such, there is a strong and depressingly ominous sense that it's all been done before. Songs such as 'Rainmaker', 'Montsegur' and 'New Frontier' continue comfortably with this rocking feel; however it is the slower, longer songs that are the key to Dance Of Death.

The first such song is 'No More Lies'. The clean guitar and bass arpeggios of the intro are joined by a typical Dickinson vocal line. Before long, the band kicks it up a notch and launches into a heavy middle section, eventually returning to the opening arpeggio section. The title track (with a clean intro embarrassingly similar to that of 'No More Lies') follows an identical pattern, establishing the clean-heavy-clean song structure as a hugely dominant feature of the album. This more 'mellow' side of Iron Maiden is centred in the unremarkable tail end of the album, the highlight of which is the all-acoustic 'Journeyman'. The desire to explore musical dynamics is admirable, though Harris' tendency to stick to such conventional patterns and chord progressions renders the attempt ultimately useless.

Lyrically, it's the usual Maiden fare - haunting dreams and experiences, the futility of war, self-exploration, etc. Nothing particular groundbreaking, though the lyrics certainly fit the story-telling nature of the album.

Unsurprisingly, performances all-round are competent though forgettable. Gers', Murray's and Smith's guitar solos are generally fast and clean, though lack the sparkle of their earlier work. Steve Harris' bass playing is solid, but profoundly boring and lacking the furious energy present in his earlier playing ('Run To The Hills', anyone?). Although Dickinson's voice has noticeably aged, it suits the extremely warm album production, handled by Kevin Shirley and Steve Harris.

If released at any other stage of Iron Maiden's career, this album would provide a worthy addition to their discography. Unfortunately, the fact that the band has spent over twenty years together and seems to have added little more to their sound than clean arpeggiated guitar intros means that 'Dance Of Death' can only be considered a symptom of a tired band, whose classic material remains utterly unchallenged.