Heavy Maytal - Iron Maiden's "Virtual XI"

 

1998 was an odd transition period for metal, so it was easy to imagine how another Blae Bayley album might slip between the cracks. The mix is better than the previous Blaze album, with more of a classic Maiden sound coming from the guitar. Harris falls low in the mix, but the drum sound is better. "The Angel and the Gambler" makes me think of the Who.  There is more of a rock feel to it. It is a little too upbeat and happy in the execution for me. Keyboards are also taking a much larger role in this one. There is a cool melody breakdown on this one, but it might be part of the formula for this album, like the acoustic intros were for the previous one. It almost feels like they are jsut jamming, which I can appreciate. 

"Lightning Strikes Twice" has an odd chorus refrain, but the guitar solo section is classic Maiden, though the bulk of the song is kind of clunky. I've heard Bruce sing The Clansman" before live andd then went to check out the original, so the only song from this album I am familiar with. It captures more of the classic Maiden sound as it slowly builds. It takes two minutes for the drums to come in, but it's pretty anthemic and a tough song for them to beat on this album. The middle section finds them returning to a more jammed feel. "When Two Worlds Collide" follows the formula of a more subdued atmospheric intro that they build. Here it's into a gallop that should work, but Bayley's vocals feel a little awkward to me. 

They get proggier on "the Educated Fool". It still works on the formula they seem to be using during the period. His vocals seem too dry; it feels like they should put some effects on them. It might have helped the overall vocal sound, as he is a decent singer, but he is not given much love in the studio. The guitar harmonies on this song work better than most on this album. "Don't Look in the Eyes of a Stranger' feels like it was a B-side from "Fear of the Dark." The creeping tempo helps with the shadowy tension. The breakdown into the ambient middle section is a little odd until they begin to build it up. They are back to the Blaze formula on the last song. It builds up well enough, and Blaze sounds fine; it's just not that memorable despite when they lock into their classic harmony parts. I will give this album a 9 as well, even though it's an improvement over the previous album, it feels like they were just punching the time clock in some respects. 

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