From April 1999 until its release in mid-2000, this was the most awaited album in the world. Well... it certainly was in my world, anyway! The reuniting of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith with the four remaining members brought headlines and whetted appetites.
When it was finally released, it stayed on my CD player for months. Maiden tours sold out all over the world (though of course they refused to tour Australia...), with the setlist containing half of the album. Iron Maiden were back!
Flash forward six years. How does it hold up?
I'm not sure how I rated it when it was released, but to listen to it now is to hear, to my eyes, all the holes that exist. The album opens well with the first single The Wicker Man, and flows nicely into Ghost Of The Navigator. Brave New World and Blood Brothers are the two best live tracks on the album, containing good choruses to allow audiences (of 1 or 500,000) their chance for participation. Dream Of Mirrors and The Fallen Angel are also good numbers, while Out Of The Silent Planet is probably the most underrated song on the album, and my favourite.
But the rest? Well, it is average at best. The Mercenary does little exciting and still made the live set. The Nomad is close to being in the Top 5 Most Ordinary Iron Maiden Songs Of All Time. Even the closer, The Thin Line Between Love And Hate probably rambles on far too long for its and the album's own good.
I guess it is easy to find fault with Iron Maiden albums in recent years. They do have a lot to live up to. I'm not trying to imply that this is not a good album – just that in comparison to some of their efforts in the past, it has a few question marks about it.
Memories : The morning I bought this album I was invited over to Garry's house for afternoon 'drinks'. This then stretched from 1.00pm to a 3.00am finish at Kearo's house, with numerous listenings to Brave New World throughout the long day.
Rating : This is NOT a poor album, in fact overall it is a good album! But I can't shake the feeling that they should have done more with it, especially with the three guitarists. 4/5.
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