Iron Maiden - The X Factor review
| Band: | Iron Maiden |
| Album: | The X Factor |
| Style: | Heavy metal |
| Release date: | October 02, 1995 |
| Guest review by: | Papa_Ray |
Disc I
01. Sign Of The Cross
02. Lord Of The Flies
03. Man On The Edge
04. Fortunes Of War
05. Look For The Truth
06. The Aftermath
07. Judgement Of Heaven
08. Blood On The World's Hands
09. The Edge Of Darkness
10. 2 A.M.
11. The Unbeliever
Disc II [Japanese Release]
01. Justice Of The Peace
02. I Live My Way
03. Judgement Day
Well, this is the one. The X Factor, Iron Maiden's tenth studio album, is probably the most controversial record they have ever put to tape. Yes, this was the first album not to feature the thunderous vocals of Bruce Dickinson since Killers way back in 1981. Outrage swirled about when the announcement was made, and before long the band drafted in former Wolfsbane singer Blaze Bayley to fill Dickinson's epic shoes. Bayley sported a lower voice that resembled almost nothing to the sound Dickinson had supplied the band for seven studio releases. It is well known that this is the first of two records Iron Maiden created with Blaze Bayley singing. What a lot of people don't seem to realize, however, is that The X Factor breathed new life into a legendary band that had previously released two underwhelming subpar albums with its larger than life lead singer.
This is a truly immense, atmospheric, and haunting album. Opener "Sign of the Cross" is unquestionably one of the greatest songs Steve Harris has ever penned. Every song on this album is enjoyable. "Lord of the Flies" and "Man on the Edge" are the two somewhat standard shorter tracks, and they both get the job done and are quite pleasing to my ears. "Fortunes of War" contains a very heartfelt intro and I still get chills every time I hear it. Other songs such as "The Aftermath" and "The Unbeliever" take longer to get into, but there is an undeniable power held within if one seeks to find it. "2 A.M." is simply beautiful, and is one of the more curious songs in the group's catalogue. Blaze Bayley does a solid job throughout the record, and he does not sound out of place in the slightest. Truly, The X Factor is, to my ears, a great record from a legendary metal band.
Why is it then that so many people hate this album? I think it is because of two things. The first is the production, which I admit is not one of the best the group has received during this course of fifteen studio releases. The second, of course, is that Blaze Bayley is here and Dickinson is nowhere to be found. This is a dark album, as I have already said, and Dickinson's voice is not suited to sing on it like Bayley's is. I love Bruce with all of my heart, but this is one moment in time when he would have sounded out of place on an Iron Maiden album. The "Blaze Experiment" only worked once as I feel the next album is a huge step down in quality than this one. This is an album for open-minded people who can handle legends trying something different and can appreciate bleak music. Listen to it in the dark, perhaps with candlelight. Criminally, criminally underrated.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 7 |
Written by Papa_Ray | 23.08.2010
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
5.5
5.5
|
Rating: 5.5 |
Every fan of Iron Maiden knows the story about the "The X Factor" album - out with Dickinson, one of the best metal singers of all time, and in with Blaze Bayley, an unknown stranger with a voice very far from Dickinsons. And what the hell would that result in? Well, when I heard this album for the first time I had very low expectations, I had the expectation that this was Iron Maiden's worst album. But I was really surprised by the epic and experimenting opener, and the next two tracks were also really good apart from the vocals which wasn't bad but not near Dickinson. I began to believe I really liked 'The X Factor', but when the I came to the end of the last track, my mind had made an 180-degrees-turn. Read more ›› |
Comments
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Comments: 42
Visited by: 218 users
| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857  |
I agree. This album is great. One of my favorite Maiden albums. The album holds such great atmosphere. It gets a lot of shit, and it kinda irritates me, but whatever. It's WAY better than Maiden's last two efforts to date; that's for sure.
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| iMorphball Posts: 288  |
The vocals just don't do it for me. His voice is just too sloppy I find. The music throughout the album is fantastic though.
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493  |
*bursts into tears* I don't really see why we should consider the lower quality albums as some sort of classics.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by vezzy on 23.08.2010 at 23:19 You can consider whatever you want to be good or not, dude. :/
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Fat & Sassy! on 23.08.2010 at 23:21 Well, sure, but it simply doesn't rank up, I think this can be agreed with, though personally I detest this album.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by vezzy on 23.08.2010 at 23:26 I think it's different, and ends the transitional movement (being No Prayer and FotD) from classic Maiden to a new sound. They've kinda kept this sound since then, and well... *I* like it. I'll always dig the classic stuff more, but I think this part of Maiden's history is worth remembering.
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| pazuzuovbabel Pazuzu Posts: 303  |
For the Record ,, i think Blaze vocals are really goood  a really good album, one of the most underrated albums
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| Papa_Ray Posts: 46 |
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Papa_Ray on 23.08.2010 at 23:41 Hm, well, 8.8 is quite a high rating by my standards.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6101  |
One brilliant song, "Sign of the Cross". Two very good songs, "Edge of Darkness" and "Lord of the Flies". By far, not enough to call this album good. Going against the flow and trying to prove that it's good won't help it either. I don't think that production and singing are the biggest flaws. they aren't. The biggest flaw is that most of the songs plainly fucking suck and bore the listener to death. 10 fucking million of bass guitar intros also don't help me appreciate this turd of a Maiden album. Chill out, they recorded 2 even worse albums, "Fear of the Dark" and "Virtual XI"...
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| I_Die_Often Posts: 697  |
Written by Fat & Sassy! on 23.08.2010 at 23:07 I agree, I don't like Dance of Death or A Matter of Life Or Death at all!!! And the new one sounds like crap as well. Blaze doesn't deserve the bad press, the current Maiden does!
---- Old enough to be your Daddy... speaking of which... you look familiar... do I know your mother???
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669  |
I always said - the only Blaze's mistake is, that he simply isn't Bruce...but the music still sounds as Iron Maiden and still is great...i dont have problems with this album
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675  |
I really like this album a lot. Although Blaze really did struggle with the Bruce era material live, for this album, his voice fitted very well. A couple of boring fillers aside ("Fortunes Of War" is especially sleep inducing!), this is a very good album. xD
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| Papa_Ray Posts: 46 |
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| Vikcen Metálico Posts: 971  |
I agree. One of the best records for me. I love grave voices like Blaze Bayley or Víctor García (from Avalanch and WarCry), and Blaze in this particular album is a 10. By the way, i recommend the last Blaze's record, "Promise And Terror", very good, wich i bought recentily (it has to come home yet =) ).
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 |
Written by Papa_Ray on 24.08.2010 at 02:49 For me, Id only give albums I classed as great, a 9.0. With 10's reserved only for albums Id label as classic. Anything below 9.0 has enough flaws to stop it from be a truly great album, even though it may be still be a strong album.
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| Papa_Ray Posts: 46 |
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Okay then... it's dark. You know, you could've used more words to describe the general tone and riffing in the music, not just the atmosphere it sets. I'd say it's underrated for a reason. It's simply boring.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by vezzy on 24.08.2010 at 10:49 I always find it funny that people call any of Maiden's albums dark. I don't find the atmosphere to any of the Maiden albums dark at all. And if they have so-called darkness there, I would dare say that Iron Maiden and Killers are their darkest albums.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.08.2010 at 11:18 I've always found Iron Maiden... cheery, actually. (by the way, I didn't say I found it dark, I worded it from the perspective of the reviewer)
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by vezzy on 24.08.2010 at 12:33 I know you didn't. I was referring to the reviewer as well, and also to loads of other people.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
And YES Iron Maiden are alway cheery.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.08.2010 at 12:37 The closest they've gone to "dark"... well, I haven't really listened to Maiden in some time besides The Final Frontier, but pretty sure it was "Sanctuary". And that's just an up-tempo hard rock/metal song.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| zagibu Posts: 8 |
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| Papa_Ray Posts: 46 |
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 |
Written by Papa_Ray on 24.08.2010 at 22:50 That is very true. As for those two songs, I dont like "Fortunes Of War" at all, but I love "The Aftermath"! xD Quote: Hmm... I dont think No Prayer... is a happy album at all. Aside from "Hooks In You" and "Tailgunner". None of the other songs are happy IMO, either in their lyrical or musical content.
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
I meant how it's upbeat and cheery. "Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter" for example. There is nothing actually dark about it. Not at all. Sure, the lyrics may be (never noticed they were), but that doesn't affect the instrumental.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by Angelic Storm on 24.08.2010 at 22:59 I think "uplifting" and "inspiring" may be better words. You know... Getting you in that rockin' mood or whatever. Maiden is known to be like this, even on quite a few tracks on No Prayer. The same thing can be found in The X Factor. Actually probably more-so on that one. :O
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