Iron Maiden: The Writing on the Wall (Review)

So I thought I’d weigh in on the new Maiden song today, though there’s bigger news by now. Still, it’s been technically released as a single so I can talk about it. Weird though not having anything physical. Anyway, on to the song itself.

The short intro is cool. Sets the scene nicely and then gets straight into the action. And some action is is. It sounds a little different to Maiden’s usual style but it still rocks. It’s the good kind of different, and by the time we get to the 1:10 mark and that unmistakable Maiden chug kicks in I know I’m in good hands. Maiden have never been known for Sabbath levels of riffle, but the riff in this song absolutely rules. I can imagine just stomping along to it in an arena (imagination being the limit of that fantasy for the immediate future.

Bruce sounds awesome. Sure, if you listen superficially you can noticeably hear his age, but when you get lost in the song it doesn’t register. The second line of the chorus does sound a little under-powered though, but it’s telling of the quality of the song that this specific nitpick is my only complaint. The soloing smokes, of course, and the whole song wraps up in a comfortable time that’s neither too long or too short.

I think it’s safe to say that I’m very optimistic about the upcoming Senjutsu based on this preview. Now, even though it is a single, I’m not going to rate it. It’s meant to be heard in the album context and that’s where I’ll give my final verdict. But, as always, up the irons!