SSOASS by Maiden

Is "Seventh son of a seventh son" a real prog album for you?

No.

Were they trying to make a prog metal album? I don't think so.
It has some of prog rock's features of course but a prog album? IMO No.

Guldbamsen wrote: Hmm I'd call it an experimental heavy metal album with loads of progressive touches, but prog? No not really, but this is all down to how each of us defines prog, and as time has shown on this board, there are just as many opinions on that as there are users

Metalmarsh89 wrote: I don't think it was meant to be a 'prog album' persay, but Iron Maiden was influenced by many of the 70's prog bands from the very beginning, so there were bound to be similarities. They had always written some longer tracks on their albums up to this point, and they'd always written about historical and fantasy-related stories as well which are trends that continued on 'Seventh Son'. They were going for a concept album though, which is why I think many people make the connection with it being a prog album.

This LP (and the 2 before) created a new genre of music on its own, that is today recognised as prog. The folk that answer "No" to this question are perhaps regarding exclusively the composition structure. If "prog" is taken also as the successful prompting of rock music forward then the answer might be different. The employment of guitar synthesisers and mellotron, the "concept album", the near absence of the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus framework, were all against the trends of the time.

The only problem was that this formula proved successful; too successful for the prog powers that be to acknowledge it. By 1988 Iron Maiden was reaching a more mature audience that compounded with the usual teenage following. If in 1985 dressing an Eddie t-shirt was an act of rebellion, by 1988 even high school teachers would have their Eddie outfits. Some can't possibly conceive such success as prog.

Maybe the title song only. Maiden will always be a superb Metal band - all their albums do have Progressively structured songs here and there. Choice band, for sure.

Luís de Sousa wrote: This LP (and the 2 before) created a new genre of music on its own, that is today recognised as prog. The folk that answer "No" to this question are perhaps regarding exclusively the composition structure. If "prog" is taken also as the successful prompting of rock music forward then the answer might be different. The employment of guitar synthesisers and mellotron, the "concept album", the near absence of the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus framework, were all against the trends of the time.

That would be more of a return to the style of the 70's as opposed to strictly bucking the current trends. But yes, by your statement it would be true that Seventh Son would be a progressive album. Iron Maiden took heavy metal to a new place. I would think that Seventh Son is just as 'prog' as Operation: Mindcrime.

'Seventh Son...' is proggy. So rather yes, it's more of a prog than straightforward metal.

^ Yay !!