THE X FACTOR

This album grows on you like a fungus basically. The 1st time I heard it, it was so different I didn't know what to think. One thing you can't complain about is the production which is top notch. The album sounds beautiful. It is hard to get used to Blazes style and many of the songs take awhile to sink in and aren't immediately likable. There is a lot of very good material on here though and it makes you wonder what the hell happened with Virtual 11.

Overall, it is a very respectable effort by Maiden in a uncertain period. I saw this tour in a small club in the USA and songs like Blood on the Worlds Hands and Edge of Darkness were unbelievable live. Plus it was great to see Maiden in a small setting like that which will never happen again. Now I have to see then in arenas and amphitheaters again which is cool, but not as cool as being able to reach out and shake Steve Harris hand.

I think if this album had been recorded with Bruce it would have been rated much higher and possibly regarded as one of Iron Maidens better albums.

I've never been a fan of the album cover though. It just doesn't look like a Maiden cover, but it's not as bad as that Virtual 11 artwork. That pretty lame!