SOMEWHERE IN TIME

This is my least favourite record of Iron Maiden (although I must admit that I haven't listened to Virtual XI for more than a decade and this record is also a good candidate). Iron Maiden made use for the first time of guitar synthesizers which do dominate the record. The heaviness of metal is putted away and Maiden sounds far more like pop/wave music, which is often confused with prog. Great atmospheric passages should have been on this record, but -unlike "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" on Powerslave and the title track of the Seventh Son of the Seventh Son- they are absent on Somewhere in Time. Some passages are a sign for the greatness of the next record, like "Alexander the Great", but these does not save the record. The best track on the record is "The loneliness of the long distance Runner" which seems to have both the catchiest melodies as the most sophisticated ones.

I must admit that I'm a progressive metal sceptic and like to put most of those records in the power metal category which I often call "pussy metal". Metal is a great category because of its strength: take away the strength and the music fails to entertain me. The tech extreme is therefor in my favour. This record is one of the metal records which may have some progressive atmosphere, but never became as intelligent as progressive music should be. This record still contains the skills of the individual members and might please most fans, but I should not recommend this to anyone who isn't already a Maiden fan.