SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON

By 1988 british heavy metal band Iron Maiden had firmly established themselves as one of the major bands, perhaps even THE major band, in the heavy metal scene. Their seventh studio release; "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is the last of what most would say are the classic Iron Maiden albums. It is a release loved by many and hated by some, and showed a band moving on from heavy metal to something else. A move that would be abruptly stopped after this release, sadly.

Musically Iron Maiden continues the transition they started with "Powerslave" and further explored on Somehwere in Time. The influences from progressive rock are if not stronger then at least easier recognizable on this release. The songs are more complex; with changes in style and tempo more radical than on past releases; the synth is more extensivly used on this release; and is a vital aspect of the soundscapes in many songs here. In addition, the guitars are toned down making the music as such less "heavy" than before, and the individual instruments are used to create nuances and subtle moods quite a lot on this album.

The overall sound of most songs on this release are still heavy metal though, Maiden's by now typical fast paced drums, fast paced bass, pacey riffing varied with drawn out riffs, and the melodic and harmonic soloing are still very much present; but they are now used with in a slightly changed musical context; where progressive rock now seems to be the main influence.

But as with their previous release "Somewhere in Time" this evolved sound can only do so much with songs that aren't top notch. Although lyrically fitting within the concept story on this album; there are quite a few songs on this release that really doesn't manage to inspire. And even on the better songs, there are parts that deducts rather than adds to the overall quality of the song.

Still, there are quite a few good tracks on this release; tracks that are on par with he best Maiden wrote a few years earlier. On a varied release, my personal highlight is the title track; which in itself is almost a good enough reason to buy this release.