The Final Frontier (2010)
For me, it is the worst album of their career, no doubt. Yes, it's even worse than Virtual XI.
In this one I only found a track that I really like, Coming Home. I think I will live the rest of my life without listening to any other songs on this album.
Top songs: Coming Home
Skip songs: mmm...
Senjutsu (2021)
It would not be bad if the band would not stretch almost every song to the limit with infinite intros, solos, etc. Sometimes, less is more and this is definitely the case.
Top tracks: Stratego, Days of Future Past
Skip tracks: no one in particular, just skip the intros and use the fast-forward button here and there.
Virtual XI (1998)
This is the end, the Doors used to sing. This record was the end for Blaze Bayley. With a clear mind, the record is not that bad (apart from The Angel and the Gambler), but Maiden are something else and Bayley (and the production) gives us some good laughs. The booklet has photos of the band playing football (is it a pro?),
Top songs: Futureal, The Clansman.
Skip song: The Angel and the Gambler (how to repeat the chorus forever).
No Prayer For The Dying (1990)
The end of the golden era. Adrian Smith leaves and Janick Gers takes over. Dickinson sounds tired, the band as well, even though they abandoned the keyboards. The album could end after the first 3 songs to + Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter, otherwise this is well below the average maiden. Eddie is also pissed off and takes it out on his neighbour who came by to ask him for some sugar (in the original cover).
Top songs: Tailgunner, Holy Smoke, Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter.
Skip songs: almost all the others.
A Matter Of Life And Death (2006)
After noticing that some long and complex songs of Dance of Death work the band decided to record an entire album like this. The result is a brick but with many valid songs. Bruce's voice is badly produced and Eddie goes to war to try and get rid of Kevin Shirley's productions. He will not succeed, unfortunately.
Top songs: These colors don't run, For the greater good of god.
The Book of Souls (2015)
It's quite high in this chart because I listened to this album a lot, even if many songs have the same issue of being long without a reason etc (you know it by now if you got to this point). The tour of this album was one of my favourite concerts I have seen by the band, maybe this helped too.
Top songs: The Book of Souls, Tears of a Clown, Death or Glory.
Skip songs: The Man of Sorrows
Fear Of The Dark (1992)
Strange record, full of great songs (the title track is probably their most famous song) but also full of... It would have been great in a short version without the skip songs. Eddie, in the cover, has become a tree because he is bored.
Top songs: Be Quick or Be Dead, Afraid to Shoot Strangers, Fear of the Dark.
Skip songs: The fugitive, the apparition, chains of misery.
The X Factor (1995)
Dickinson got enough of the band and was replaced by former Wolfsbane, Blaze Bayley.
The result is a very particular record, with different vocal lines with many moments of inspiration and others of self-plagiarism but overall a solid album, despite its length.
Top songs: The Sign of the Cross, Lord of the Flies, Man on the Edge.
Killers (1981)
I'll make a lot of enemies for this (!), But I don't consider Killers a great record (for their super high-level standard, at least). Apart from the title track, Wrathchild and a couple of other songs, I consider this record a discard of the debut, with not a great sound as well. If Phil Anselmo reads this (Killers is his favorite record), he will punch me so hard that I will become uglier than Eddie.
Top songs: Killers, Wrathchild, Genghis Khan.
Brave New World (2000)
Dickinson and Adrian Smith are finally back after releasing better albums than Maiden (The Chemical Wedding and Accident of Birth), there are 3 guitars and the bass loses a little bit of the old feeling.
I find this one very inspired with some great songs, and they work even better in the famous Rock In Rio.
Top songs: The Wicker Man, Ghost of the Navigator, Blood Brothers.
Skip song: The Fallen Angel.
Dance Of Death (2003)
The best after the reunion, in my opinion, with lots of songs that I love (the title track!). Even Nicko writes a song, but it will be one of the worst on the album. He tried, we give him that. The cover is one of the ugliest ever and definitely the worst of their entire discography: Eddie is fine, but he's surrounded by images created by someone who didn't know how to use graphics software.
Top songs: No More Lies, Dance of Death, Paschendale.
Skip song: Age of Innocence.
Somewhere in Time (1986)
After the triumphant and grueling World Slavery tour the maidens do a little restyling and insert keyboards and synthesizers, many fans take it personally and don't listen to them anymore, but the result of this album is good and Dickinson sings divinely. The cover is a masterpiece of detail from their previous songs.
Top songs: Caught Somewhere in Time, Wasted Years, Alexander the Great.
Skip song: Sea of Madness.
Iron Maiden (1980)
The debut with a bald thing on the cover. Luckily Eddie will improve over time, for now, can only scare himself, by looking at the mirror. The production is meh, but lots of songs are little gems. Phantom of the Opera alone is worth the whole album. Parapaparaparapapapapapapapa (the beginning of Phantom of the Opera).
Top songs: Iron Maiden, Phantom of the Opera, Running Free
Seventh Son Of a Seventh Son (1988)
Maidens grow fond of keyboards after Somewhere in Time. The result is one of the best records of their career, despite the softening of the sound. After 4 terrific records, Dickinson begins to sound a little tired and Eddie is reborn from the water (or something similar), but with a crooked face.
Top songs: Moonchild, The Evil That Men Do, the title track (too long to write).
Skip song: The Prophecy,
Piece Of Mind (1983)
Clive Burr leaves the band and... Welcome Nicko McBrain!
The sound will change forever and the "titipá tititipá" on the ride in every single song from there to 40 years, will become a trademark. Eddie is in the asylum and the band is in brilliant form. Flight as hiiiigh as theeeee suuuuuuuunnnnnnnnn... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH.
Top tracks: Revelations. The Trooper, Flight of Icarus.
Skip song: Quest for Fire.
The Number Of The Beast (1982)
The first album with Bruce Dickinson! I don't want to say anything bad about Paul Di Anno, but with Bruce, the band is something else. The number of the beast is the consecration of the band. Dickinson argues with the producer about how to record the title track, but it will ultimately turn out to be one of heavy metal's most important records. Aside from Gangland (even Invaders, honestly), they're all masterpieces. Eddie thinks he's more important than the devil, maybe he's right.
Top songs: The Number of the Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Run to the Hills
Skip song: Gangland.
Powerslave (1984)
My favorite! Eddie is an Egyptian sphinx and Aces High, Powerslave and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner can rival any song in the world. I learned that in the new reissues, they have cut the very short introduction of the title track, someone should go to jail for that. Ohhhhhhhhhhh ihihihihihihihi (the intro of Powerslave), not to forget. Masterpiece.
Top songs: Guess which ones?
Skip song: The Duellist
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