SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON

I'm not surprised seeing high notes of this release on prog site. This was such conceptual Maiden's attempt with intro and outro built on the same tunes. Some lyrics on this album treat about apocalypse and all that mystical biblical themes, visionaries etc. There are also sythesizers added for the first time on Maiden album (on Somewhere synth guitars were added but there were not regular synthesizers). Moonchild begins with cascade of synth sounds but fast becomes typical fast Maiden's track. Dickinson tries to sound demonic like Peter Hammill of Van Der Graaf Generator. So it's a bit different note in his voice this time. Infinite Dreams is amazing and progressive. I have lots of good memories with that song. I can't really describe it. 'Can you feel it?' yelled Dickinson while performing Revelations on Life After Death. Yes I can feel it Bruce. And not only for that song. I feel how Infinite Dreams softly steals my senses. Can I Play With Madness and Evil That Men Do are most popular tracks of this album and were released as singles. The first one is simply rock and roll tune and the second is truly dramatic yet another fast tune. Why is it dramatic? Because it's performed like that. I don't know. Maybe it's a matter of melody either. Only The Good Die Young is similar in its feeling but this time lyrics are about religion. Yeah it's filled with bitter criticism. Title song is something like Rime Of The Ancient Mariner of Powerslave. I mean it differs in music but doesn't differ in form. So if you expect good proggy song here you have. Prophecy and Clairvoyant talk about the same thing. But in different way. First one is about prophet who wasn't treated seriously by people but when disaster he predicted struck people put the blame on him. They feel he brought on a curse. Musically it's very interesting song cos it's not constructed as typical heavy metal tune. It has its own outro even. Clairvoyant was released as a single (same as Infinite Dreams and two other mentioned before) and can understand that decision. It's very melodic tune with amazing synths filling a lot of space. It's about seer scaning thoughts. But put in more romantic way than in Prophecy. I think Seventh Son is excellent heavy metal, hard rock and also progressive rock release. This is a must have even if you're not Maiden fan.