Independent review

A huge number of not only critics but also fans of the heavy scene, and indeed fans specifically of the Maidens, just trash this album, even more strongly than its 1995 predecessor. And why is that? It seems to me it's because listeners are boxed in by certain frameworks. This is not exactly the same IM you are used to. Primarily because the second and last appearance at the microphone stand is not Bruce Dickinson and not even Paul Di'Anno, but Blaze Bayley — at the time the vocalist for the band Wolfsbane, balancing on the edge of metal and punk. Blaze possesses individuality both in delivery and in intonations, and he did not choose to give up that individuality even for Maiden. And I think that is wonderful. The result was an interesting and unique product, significantly (for such a conservative style) different from the rest of IM's work. Bayley himself participated in writing three compositions (Futureal, When Two Worlds Collide, and Como Estais Amigos), otherwise, the main author of the album was, as is fitting, Steve Harris, however, the change of vocalist influenced him too (by the way, in 2000 the band returned to its original style with the return of Dickinson, but they never sounded like before). For the first time here the band turns to progressive, not yet as confidently as in the late 00s – early 10s, but quite curiously. One of the touches becomes the looping of the composition and text, which sounds unusual and in no way boring. All 8 tracks can be called masterpieces in all respects; there are no weak spots on the album in principle. I do not claim to be the ultimate truth, but I believe that if you are demeaning this product, you are simply not yet ready to perceive it, having renounced template principles.

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