As long as Harris stays right away from the mixing board, all will be good.

Ah hahahaha hahaha!

I will agree that BNW isn't my FAVE Maiden album, but it does have some really strong songs that feature more than a power chord or 3 and and open E gallop... go back and listen to "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and get back to us.
Maiden is and always has been an aquired taste...you either love 'em or you hate 'em- no in between. Just as it should be.
I'm looking foward to whatever they do and I second the opinion that Adrian needs to be more involved.

UP THE IRONS!

Its about time. I've long been waiting for Maiden to get back in the studio and make some new music.

Brave New World was a good comeback album, but granted, it could have been more solid. Hopefully when they come back, even better than before and have more songs written by Bruce and Adrian.

UP THE FUCKING IRONS FOREVER!!!

You at least with Maiden you pretty much know what your going to get. I don't know what is better for Maiden though, those heavy fast five minute songs or those long eight minute songs. I hope we get a combination of each this time. Brave New World had some long ass songs on it. Thought I was listening to Dream Theater for awhile there.

I thought Dickinson was going to make another solo album before the next Maiden album. Wtf? The Chemical Wedding was better than Brave New World.

In a vein attempt to appeal to the new metal fans (because their current audience is getting on a bit...), Iron Maiden are trying to hook up with Sum41 and get them on the bill. THIS people is very fucking funny.

ALSO, to add more controversy...Slayer's camp guitarist Kerry King appeared on a Sum41 record, doing an expected solo.
Are Slayer trying to involve themselves with this new wave of commercial metal? How else can you justify this?

Kerry King especially. This is the guy that talks shit about Metallica being commercial, yet he not only admits to liking, but actually appears on a Sum41....was it song or video?

Iron Maiden's a pretty commercial band anyway, and don't really talk shit about other bands who are. I think they're second only to Kiss in the merchandise department.

Kerry King recorded on the song and appeared in the video.

...the hell is a "pufter"?

haha, it's what the English use instead of the word "gay".
Because gay to some people makes them feel scared...so they naturally be-little homosexuality by thinking up ridiculous terms for the 'pink community' such as "pufter", "updy wupdy", "lezzie" etc lol

Some people even believe that if you say or think about 'the gays' then you'll turn into one!
...

We are fucking doomed.

The guy's a fucking goober either way.

so its you either love Maiden or hate em? cool, no in-between, i hate em.
now back to listening to Meshuggah's Chaosphere!

is right.
We ARE doomed. This page proves it.

*bows*

Honestly, "Brave New World" really didn't work for me. It was something of a disappointment, considering how much growth we saw in Bruce through his solo albums. Yes, there were definitely traces of the Iron Maiden vibe in "Balls to Picasso," "Accident at Birth," and "The Chemical Wedding," but there were also a lot of songs that you'd never hear from Iron Maiden. Hell, some of the stuff on "The Chemical Wedding" was so thick and sludgey, I thought I was listening to a Cannibal Corpse track until Bruce started singing! (And that was a GOOD thing.)

Iron Maiden, along with a lot of other bands, are really a one trick pony. Steve Harris writes the same song a dozen times, making only minor rift variations and choruses, and slaps them on a CD. And that's what he's done his entire career. Hell, you can't hear an Iron Maiden song and NOT instantly recognize it as being a Steve Harris creation, because every fucking song sounds the same. Steve Harris is to metal what John Williams is to movie soundtracks. The Star Wars theme sounds a lot like the Indiana Jones theme, which sounds an awful lot like the Jurassic Park music, which reminds you of... Same thing with Iron Maiden.

So, when I heard "Brave New World" it just felt like the old days of 80's metal and hair bands. I really thought Bruce's creativity, the progress and forward thinking he showed on his solo stuff, would have influenced Iron Maiden into a new era. But it didn't.

Say what you will about Blaze's lack of range, or outright trash him for being a lousy singer - which, I doubt believe he is - but at least his voice brought a much needed change to Iron Maiden's long stagnant sound. Okay, "Virtual XI" was really bad, combining less than stellar music (music that, again, sounded like all the old Maiden tunes) with Blaze's somewhat limited vocals - vocals that never fully fit with Iron Maiden's style anyway. But "X Factor" was actually a damn good album, given that it was the first CD to preview Iron Maiden without Bruce. For the first time in...what, 10 years?...Iron Maiden sounded new and fresh and interesting once again.

So, I'm less than enthusiastic about this new album. I'd much rather hear that Bruce was going back to his solo work. Though, I'll probably still give them the benefit of the doubt and check it out all the same.

i saw the name Cannibal Corpse up there---Cannibal Corpse rule!!!! AHHHHH!!!

Note to Mr. Harris, and Rod Smallwood.
GET RID OF THE SYNTHS AND GUITAR EFFECTS!! GET RID OF JANNICK GERS OR DEMOTE HIM TO COWBELL!!

Note to Nicko:
USE YOUR HIGHER TOMS ONCE IN A WHILE!! THEY ARE NOT TO HARD TO REACH!!

Note to Bruce Bruce:
GROW YOUR HAIR LONG OR SHAVE YOUR HEAD!!


Dont get me wrong, I love Maiden, but they should consider those things.

I think the biggest factor in this new album will be how much Adrian Smith contributes, as stated by others on this list. I think when Smith left, the quality of the songwriting and guitar playing went down. Nothing against Jannick Gers, but it seems like he only knows one or two phrases on the guitar that he puts in every single solo.

Get Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson to write some great rocking songs together, maybe get Dave Murray into the mix more and then you will have a classic album.

Yeah, the three guitarist thing is a little wacko.

They definately need Dave. He's been in the band a long time. Maiden live wouldn't be the same without him. Adrian Smith is a great guitarist and did some pretty awesome stuff on Bruce's solo albums. Janick Gers though, I don't know. On Bruce's first solo album Gers sounded like a studio musician and nothing more. But he's been with the band so damn long I guess they don't have the heart to kill him off. Three guitarist could be a cool advantage for them, but they didn't take advantage of it on the last album.

I thought the last album showed more growed than any of their stuff from the 80s and early 90s. The Blaze albums I thought sucked and I don't blame that all on Blaze.

I would be more excited for another Bruce solo album than Maiden album though.

One thing I did like on the last album was that they all toured together before writting the album. I was glad to hear that. Instead of taking time off and then recording. Lord only knows what they would have released (look at Metallica, they took a year off and then spent a year writting Load and Reload).

Of course, Maiden haven't played any shows in awhile. Not that it matters, it'll sound like the last album more or less.

I love that there is some intelligent discussion going on pertaining to Maiden (esp. by DarklingLord- very well-written post, mate) even though I disagree with some of the opinions.
Firstly, yes, 'arry DOES have a signature writting style AND a distinctive bass style. Its why he is who he is- instantly recognisable. When I hear his Rotosound gallop, it feels like a warm glove- like I'm home. Its familiar and I like that.
However, that doesn't mean that he CAN'T or WON'T write or play a differnt song: "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate" being a prime example. That tune, surprisingly, was written by 'Arry AND Davey.
I think overall, BNW is a strong album (GREAT production) by a band that by all rights, should have died a long time ago. Many would argue that they SHOULD have, but their continued world-wide popularity proves that they are still vital and is a testament to their longevity.

UP THE IRONS.

Anyone seen these guys live? Any good?

the darkling lord said it perfectly. i thought bruce would have brought some of the solo band heaviness into maiden. if they listened to killers a few times before writing, it might help. more heavy double guitar!!!!!!

Lets hope they use less chorus's and bring back more instrumental passages,bring back the aggression and speed,let nicko play his drums. Get rid of the 70's progressive crap,and make the whole album heavier. And get rid of Janick. He looks like a damn court jester on stage

They are VERY good live..maybe not as good as the late 80's early 90's, but still a great live act.
And one quick question? KISS has about a million fucking pieces of merchandise, where Maiden have a few. Mostly Eddie figures which Maiden fans have always wanted, but could never have...so unless there's some Maiden lunchboxes, bobbleheads or talking dolls or some other Osbourne-esque bullshit, I wouldn't call Maiden
"commercial"
Heres to hoping for a great Maiden album and UP THE IRONS!

so, to round off the discussion, Maiden should consider the following points for the next album:

1. More speed and aggression (e.g. Killers, Number...)
2. less progressive rock crap
3. Heavier production
4. Janick should stop dancing on stage.
5. Nicko needs to learn how to keep a steady beat.

By the way, "Rock in Rio" only made it to number 184 in the Billboard top 200, which makes it the worst selling Maiden album ever in the USA. Even "The X-factor" (nr. 147) and "Virtual XI" (number 124) did better. The days of Long Beach Arena seem far away. Worldwide, Brave new world "only" sold 1.500.000 copies, i.e. "hardly" 500.000 copies more than the X-factor, which sold 1.000.000 copies. Maiden didn't become the biggest band in the world again and they didn't bring metal back.

Actually Maiden do have bobbleheads! At least they do in my neck of the woods. They also have the larger stuffed Eddie dolls. And the plastic McFarlarne (?) Toys thing that Kiss had.

Nobody is more commercial than the Osbournes. But I do think Iron Maiden are somewhat commercial. Have you ever see all the merchandise they have in the fan club? They've always had a great marketing tool using Eddie.

And we all know that Eddie is a far cooler toy than Ozzy Osbourne or Bruce Dickinson could ever be.

Does anyone really care if a band like Iron Maiden brings metal back? Haven't we all given up hope on MTV and mainstream radio anyway? If Maiden can sell 1.5 million on an album that was never heard or seen on radio or mtv, then good for them.