Exactly one episode ago on this podcast, episode number 133 compared to this number 134, I discussed Iron Maiden’s eighth studio album “No Prayer for the Dying”, and the change and turmoil that occurred in the lead up to that album’s release – the changing of a long time band member, a change in musical direction, and the difficulty that must have come with all of that swirling around the band and in putting together an album that was worthy of being under the banner of the name Iron Maiden. That particular album was the subject of mixed responses at the time of its release and which stretches through to the modern day. So if you get a little bit of deja-vu when you listen to this album review, I hope you will excuse the similarity that exists, because the story does tend to travel down a familiar path.
There had been a turbulent path in Maiden prior to the writing and recording of their 1992 album “Fear of the Dark”, in particular between Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson. Once the tour to support the album started, the growing tension them rose to unmanageable levels. Dickinson had grown weary of the constant touring and collaborative parts of being in a band, and following the initial success of his first solo album a few years before, “Tattooed Millionaire”, he had decided that that was the direction he wanted to head. He had already begun writing for a new solo album while still being in the band. Now, under normal circumstances, his resignation would have been announced by the band’s management, they would have gone their separate ways, and that would have been that. However, Maiden already had further dates booked throughout Europe to play, and Bruce agreed to stay on tour long enough to complete those shows so as not to cause any disruption. The problem now being was that Bruce’s resignation from the band had been announced, so everyone who went to those shows knew they were to be his last with the band. What would under normal circumstances have been a happy time... was not. The bad blood between Dickinson and Harris seeped out of this arrangement, with Harry later suggesting that Bruce only tried to sing well when there were corporate people watching who could help further his career, something that Bruce denied furiously. This finally came to its end on August 28, 1993, when they played their final gig on the tour supporting the album “Fear of the Dark”. Following this final gig, they parted ways, and went off in their own directions to discover what their next step would be.
Replacing the lead singer of Iron Maiden, one whose voice and contribution was so significant and so iconic, was never going to be an easy task. One would say almost impossible. Interviews and books and articles over the years have suggested that hundreds of auditions were held to find the right person to replace Dickinson. And no doubt a lot of that had to include personality and fitting in with the band alongside the other important aspects such as vocal ability and songwriting ability. At the time, recently departed Helloween lead vocalist Michael Kiske was spoken of as by fans and critics as the perfect replacement. In Steve Harris’s mind however, there appeared only one person that he was interested in to fill the vacancy, and that man was Blaze Bayley. Bayley was the lead singer of fellow British band Wolfsbane, who had supported Iron Maiden on their tour to support the “No Prayer for the Dying” album a few years earlier, and he had impressed Harris with his stage presence and affability with the fans. His vocal style was certainly different from Dickinson’s, which perhaps was something that Harris was looking for, a voice that was a point of difference rather than an imitation. Bayley was eventually convinced to audition, and was soon offered the gig.
There were still problematic incidents occurring around the band. Martin Birch, the band’s long time producer, had retired following the release of “Fear of the Dark”, meaning the band had to work with a new man behind the desk for the first time in over a decade. Bayley had been in a motorcycle accident that delayed the recording of the album, while Harris himself was in the process of going through a divorce. All of this contributed to a darker period for the band. Having recently been through the period of wondering what Iron Maiden would sound like after the departure of Adrian Smith, the fans were now left wondering just what could the band produce now that Bruce Dickinson had departed as well. The answer to that came at the end of the longest period between albums that the band had had since their inception, almost 3.5 years, with the release of the band’s tenth studio album, “The X Factor”.
From the outset, many of the things that tended to turn off many long time Iron Maiden fans from this album and new line-up are remarkably obvious. The decline in tempo on almost every song on the album from what would have been considered the norm up until this point in time. The relegation of Steve Harris’s galloping bass lines to almost non-existence, the obvious progression from the pulling back of the tempo of the album. And the change in the music world that had come leading up to 1995, from grunge to the onset of groove and alternative directions of the heavy metal genre. Each of these occurrences can in some way pinpoint how Iron Maiden came to writing “The X Factor”.
The dark tones of the album cover are reflected in the atmosphere of the songs on the album. It has been well documented in the years since that Steve Harris was in a dark mindset during the writing and recording of this album, as he was going through a divorce at the time which seemed to have him in a difficult place when it came to his own writing contributions. And with the departure of Dickinson as writing contributor, it meant a whole new dynamic again from the previous two albums, which had noticeably changed from the albums previous to that with the departure of Adrian Smith. Harris has his writing fingers in every track on the album apart from “Man on the Edge” which is credited solely to Jannick and Blaze, and which of course was the first single on the album. The writing partnerships had changed over each of the previous two albums and did again here, once again creating a different style of album further away from what Maiden had created their legend upon. For some, that was a hard sell.
The opening track is an immediate start to this evolving change. The first 2.45 of the album is of a Gregorian chant style, a quiet subtle interlude leading up to the opening burst with Blaze quietly offering the opening lines before the band enters the fray. For a band that had made its name with blazing opening tracks that are supercharged with energy from the outset to fire up the listener, “Sign of the Cross” is a different beast. It draws you in subtly, it sets it solid rhythm base early on, infused with the keyboards as a part of that, and puts in its time to create what it is looking for. It is not until the guitar solos kick in at the eight minute mark that the songs truly begins to show its promise, that what has come before this is setting up this high energy break that truly brings the song to life. This is a statement song. Opening the album with that long, quiet interlude of almost three minutes before breaking the barrier, and in the end stretching to over 11 minutes in length, is a bold move, especially in the mid-slow tempo that the band has offered here. Fans expected fast and energetic, and they don’t get that here. What they didn’t know on first listen was that it sets the template for what is to come over the remainder of the album, and is something that is still debated today.
The mid-tempo remains with the second track on the album, “Lord of the Flies”, which also acted as the second single released from the album. Written about the book by William Golding, it settles into its repeatable rhythm as its basis and draws the picture of the story over the top. “Man on the Edge” follows and is the fastest song on the album, an interesting point because it was the only song not crediting Steve Harris as a writer or co-writer. Composed by Jannick and Blaze, it is based around the Michael Douglas film “Falling Down” that focuses on the breakdown of a man within the socio-economic climate he works in. The song, unlike the film, is upbeat and fast, great guitar solos from Jannick and Dave, fun to sing along to and gives Blaze his first opportunity to really showcase his vocals in that environment. This was also the first single released from the album, perhaps not surprising given its upbeat tempo is the most reminiscent of previous Iron Maiden albums. These three songs as the front end of the album act as the purveyor of a change in style but still with enough old Maiden to be familiar with the fans. But just around the corner, the real changes begin as we walk down a dark and winding alleyway.
“Fortunes of War” pulls back to a morbidly slow tempo, plodding along like an old man on a walking frame. Here is where we begin to have the acoustic or clear guitar strummed entries into Iron Maiden songs, the pieces that sometimes seem to lengthen the songs for no discernible reason apart from creating an atmosphere around the track itself. On “Fortunes of War” though it does creep through the whole length of the song until we reach the guitar solo break again, where the gallop returns for a short stretch and the song shows some real energy. It is also the first of four war-themed songs on the album, touching on the theme of the ravages that soldiers face when they return home from war, and have to deal with the mental anguish they carry from that. “Look for the Truth” opens again with the quiet introspective clear guitar intro along with Blaze almost inaudibly expressing the opening verse of the song, as both rise into the heart of the song as Nicko counts in the band and leads them on their way. This song has Blaze once again showcasing the best of his vocal abilities, the passion running through his voice especially as he cries “I pray my sleep will break, maybe this time I won't wake, weakness I hide so well, this dagger in my mind will tell, it's my final stand, I make a fist out of each hand, to shadows of the past, take a breath and I scream, "Attack"”. Musically, it sticks to the theme that has come before it, nothing that stands out from what precedes it, and the rhythm steadily stuck in its groove. “The Aftermath” covers similar ground lyrically in the war theme, the soldier who is questioning the futility that these actions are causing. The molasses-slow tempo, along with the stop-start guitar and drum pattern creates the effect that the song is looking for, which isn’t for everyone.
“Judgement of Heaven” again opens with the first minute of Blaze and his quieter vocals accompanied only by the guitar, but the breaking into the song proper does allow the song to build nicely through to the first chorus. Another of Harry’s solo pieces, the verses tell the story of a man questioning his religious beliefs, before breaking into the chorus as Blaze sings beautifully “All of my life, I have believed, judgement of heaven is waiting for me”. One wonders, with Steve and his own headspace at this time, how much of that was channelled into this track, though perhaps not questioning religious belief but his own belief in something else. Blaze offers a beautifully emotional performance on vocals here, bringing more substance to the track as a result. Then we have the opening minute of “Blood on the World’s Hands” with the slow quiet opening focusing on Harry’s clear bass guitar and then the now traditional open into the song proper, and Blaze’s vocals out front and powerful from the beginning, expressing Steve Harris’s contempt on the Bosnian War that was occurring at the time, proclaiming “Sometimes it makes me wonder, sometimes it makes me question, sometimes it makes me saddened, always it makes me angry, but when you can see it happening, madness it's all around you, nobody seems to worry, world seems so powerless to act”. Harris dives deep into the well for the lyrics to this song, truly hard hitting on a level that he had rarely gone down before this album. It’s a dark and depressing song lyrically, but also one that is so important in the Iron Maiden legacy BECAUSE it was written about current world events. If you are wondering about where he was in his head at this time, this song explains it pretty well.
I know this will surprise you, but “The Edge of Darkness” opens once again with over two minutes of the quiet clear and acoustic guitar, with Blaze again almost inaudibly crooning the opening verses of the song into his microphone. This song references the events of the movie “Apocalypse Now” and indeed takes lines straight from the movie and inserts them in the song. Once the song breaks into the main body, it hits hard musically and lyrically. Blaze gives another sterling performance here on vocals, accentuating all of his best qualities and is front and centre of the track from that point on. It is his most powerful performance on the album and makes this song one of the best as a result. “2 A.M.” starts... yes... again... with the quiet introspective first minute. It is the recurring feature of the album, one that is as obvious as the darker themes that also come with it. Harry’s mindset again is laid out for us all to see lyrically on this song, pessimistically discussing living alone with nothing in life worth living for. It lays bare his headspace during the album. We then reach the conclusion of the album, drawn out by each song’s individual length, which overall does tend to hinder the listening experience. Only one song is under five minutes in length, and at the tempo the majority of the tracks are played out, 70 minutes in total can certainly feel like a lot longer when taking in the entire album in one hit. That closing track is “The Unbeliever”, another where the lyrics question a man’s moral and religious beliefs and the will to carry on. It carries the major themes of the album to its conclusion, and as a result rounds out “The X Factor” having served its purpose.
Unlike a majority of my long term music friend group, I was still looking forward to the release of a new Iron Maiden album with a new lead singer. By the time it was released, I had come to terms with the “Fear of the Dark” album, which although I had fanboyed about a bit when it was first released I had eventually come to view as a disappointment, and had also heard Bruce’s second solo album “Balls to Picasso”, which had overall also left me a little nonplussed with its output. And I had begun to wonder if maybe a change in lead singer was what Iron Maiden had needed, a change of focus, a fresh start. So when “The X Factor” finally reached the shelves, and I had popped up to Carlingford Court to get my copy, I was suitably excited. And I still remember putting it on my stereo back where I was living at the time... and waiting for that burst of energy into the opening track that all Iron Maiden albums have. And waiting... and waiting... I actually got up and checked if the volume was up, and then even fast forwarded the track to determine what the hell was happening. And finally... it kicked in! So I started the track again, and waited patiently this time for the opening track to commence in time. Little was I to know that this style of starting a song was to crop up again as I moved through the album – and, as it turned out, the rest of Iron Maiden’s career from this point on.
There is no doubt that this album took a lot of getting used to early on. It is so different from what they had produced before that it had to. Those things that I have already spoken about – Harry's divorce and mindset, new lead vocalist and writing partnerships, the changing landscape of heavy metal music in the 1990’s - were heavy influences on the way the album came together. And listening to Iron Maiden shift focus from a progressive power metal vibe in the late 1980’s to a darker progressive sound in 1995 was a challenging process. It took me quite a while to find the key to getting into the album. The lack of the explosive opener, substituted with the epic building track most often found towards the end of an album was a part of that. The two obvious singles also didn’t have quite the same high paced energy you would expect. Eventually, I grew to take on “Sign of the Cross” for what it was designed for, but the middle section of “Judgement of Heaven”, and the quoted lines from “Apocalypse Now” that make up “The Edge of Darkness” were what truly dragged me in to the album. And those songs then morphed into the songs that led into them and into the following track, and from here I was able to build my understanding of the album, and my love of the album. It was a slow burn, it didn’t happen overnight. But I persisted with it because I knew there was something here that I enjoyed, and I found it.
The album channelled my mood of 1995. Shit year, awful mentally, similar vibes as to what Steve Harris had been going through, and so in many ways it is what drew me closer to this album than most. There was (not that I knew it at the time) a similarity to what both Steve and I were feeling and going through at the time, and without knowing it this probably helped me to appreciate the album more than I normally would have. It's a morbid mindset to why I was attracted to an album, but 1995 was that one year for me, and soon enough we’ll be past it, and we will never have to speak of it again.
Blaze Bayley often gets short shrift when it comes to the two albums he performed on, being the major kicking post as to why those fans believe those two albums are the worst in the Iron Maiden discography. And if you don’t like his vocals compared to the band’s other two lead vocalists, that’s fine, an opinion that can be discussed in a fair setting. But blaming Blaze for the songs themselves, that’s drawing a very short bow. Because the General is still in charge of writing the songs for the album, and his trusty lieutenant from the previous album is also still there. If the songs are different – in mood, in tempo, in greatness from the past – then that sits with Steve Harris in the main, not Blaze Bayley. He has five co-writing credits on the album, but the drive comes from Harris and to a slightly lesser extent Jannick. The same is true of this album’s follow up, “Virtual XI”. If you have a problem with Blaze’s vocals then that can be discussed, but blaming him solely for the style and direction of this album is nonsense. Like every other Iron Maiden album, that is directed by the conductor himself. I for one truly enjoy Blaze Bayley’s performance on this album. When he sits in his own range without trying to imitate his predecessor, the emotion he gets to emphasise the track is amazing. “Blood on the World’s Hands”, “Judgement of Heaven” and “The Edge of Darkness” are perfect examples of this.
This album is extremely different from the music that I concentrated on listening to in the back half of the 1990’s decade. I went on more of a power metal trip from Europe, music that was fast and upbeat and that double kick tempo. And while I enjoyed this album at the time, when its time had passed on my listening cycle it stayed off until 2000 when the reformed Maiden brought out their new album and Blaze released his own. And it was during that time that I came back to this album to judge both of those albums on this one. And despite its somewhat plodding nature, I still enjoyed the album. And over the years I think that enjoyment has only grown with each listening cycle it gets.
And so, to this episode, and the album comes out again and I begin to listen to it again. On this particular listening cycle however, I am listening with a purpose, because this is such a disputed album in the band’s fandom. It is generally looked down upon, ignored or abused for all of those qualities I have mentioned today. And I wanted to listen to it in a non-judgemental way. And that has brought about everything I have spoken about here today. There is good and there is bad, though I tend not to think of the lesser things being ‘bad’, I prefer to suggest that those things might be ‘boring’ rather than ‘bad’. Not everything on this album works for me. Those constant quiet openings to songs do get monotonous. The ponderous pace of some tracks does hold things back. And the lengths of the tracks are sometimes overlong and outstays their welcome. Those are the things that, if I judge each song and make a list, are things that crop up. But taking the album as a whole, as it is written as a whole and just putting it on and playing it from start to finish – I still love this album. Is it a top shelf Iron Maiden album? No, but even the opinions of the masses disagree on what actually is. As I mentioned earlier, I have an affinity with this album because its mood and my mood in 1995 were compatible. But when I listen to it today, it doesn’t make me maudlin over that time. It just makes me feel great about listening to an enjoyable Iron Maiden album.
With all of that said, Iron Maiden’s troubles did not evaporate with the release of this album. The following few years were problematic for the band, and a solution to that was not immediately forthcoming. It would take an album even more reviled than “The X Factor” is in many places to perhaps suggest that further changes in the band’s makeup were required. But that is a story for another day.
