What Music Are You Listening To?

[I Love Semirhage]

I think the Maiden albums come in pairs, there are usually two next to each other that sound quite alike.

 

Iron Maiden and Killers are similar songwriting wise and are the only two with Paul Di'Anno singing, but the mixing on the latter is by far superior.

 

The Number Of The Beast and Piece Of Mind sound quite alike in terms of mixing, the classic sound of early 80s Heavy Metal, many of the album tracks could be swapped around without anyone noticing, but Piece Of Mind has more clean bits (Still Life, Revelations, To Tame A Land), and also more fast bits (The Trooper & Sun And Steel). There are also similarities between Piece Of Mind and Powerslave.

 

Although Somewhere In Time sounds unlike any other Maiden album, there are definite links between Powerslave, Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. Though the mixing is different on all 3, with Powerslave sounding like a higher-budget version of Piece Of Mind, Somewhere In Time sounding like Heavy Metal in a galaxy far far away (the exact sound they were aiming for), and Seventh Son refining the synth work from Somewhere and adding keyboards, many of the songs from the albums could be interchanged, if the mixing were a little different.

 

There is no doubt that No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark go together, not only in sound but the night time imagery as well. However, whereas most of the albums simply pair up, with these two it is more like No Prayer is the album of B-sides, and Fear the album of singles. The mixing sound is very similar, the only real difference being the snare drum, and many of the tracks on No Prayer have their Fear equivalent (Run Silent, Run Deep and Fear Is The Key, No Prayer For The Dying and Wasting Love, Holy Smoke and From Here To Eternity, Hooks In You and Chains Of Misery). Of course, Fear Of The Dark also has the title track and Afraid To Shoot Strangers, making it the much much stronger album.

 

Like Somewhere In Time, The X Factor sounds unique, sound-wise it is most comparable to the very latest Maiden offering, A Matter Of Life And Death. The levels are very different, the mixing much darker, the imagery very oppressive, the songs much longer, and of course a new singer with a completely different voice.

 

Virtual XI sounds exactly as it should - somewhere halfway between The X Factor and Brave New World, the album to follow it. It is like the band are recovering from their dark period, but haven't quite got there yet.

 

Brave New World and Dance Of Death sound very much akin, with Bruce singing, 3 guitarists, Kevin Shirley mixing them both, and more progressive songs.

 

And then there's A Matter Of Life And Death, halfway between the Brave New World-era sound and the sound of The X Factor, yet nothing like Virtual XI.

 

So no, I don't think they all sound the same. In fact, they're one of two bands I've never thought that about.

 

ILS

[Zaren]

Good ole Christmas music from launch.com. It is scary what comes on there sometimes.

[Guest Majsju]

I can understand why people who are not into maiden thinks why all their songs sound very much the same. There is a very distinct Maiden sound, so distinct that it was still there during the lost years without Bruce. They could put together an album only playing covers, and it would still sound like Maiden-originals.

 

As for metallica, they were ok as long as Mustaine was a member, as he actually knew how to handle his instrument. The other guys...Sheesh!

[Kilted Writer]

As for metallica, they were ok as long as Mustaine was a member, as he actually knew how to handle his instrument. The other guys...Sheesh!

 

:lol:

[Draven]

Good one, Maj. :D

[I Love Semirhage]

Dunno about that, I'd say Hetfield is about the best rhythm guitarist around, just look at the opening of Master Of Puppets, the whole thing is downpicked. I've been playing guitar for 5 years, doing a degree in it, and I still have difficulty playing the rhythm bits of that song the whole way through at full speed.

 

I love his voice too, it was a bit iffy during the early years, and appalling in the live gigs on Cliff 'Em All, but by S&M I think he sounds amazing. Come on, listen to Outlaw Torn and tell me he doesn't!

 

ILS

[the dude]

referencing load songs? a cardinal sin in some books.

 

but not mine. it's good to get an ally around here for once with all these infidels hanging around. 8)

[Guest Majsju]

ILS, ever considered that you might have problems playing because the rhytm section in metallica can't hold a beat if their lives so depended on it?

 

As for the singing, if all you do is scream and growl, you should at least be able to sound angry. Hetfield just sounds like his pants shrunk in the laundry.

[Alys Kinch]

sorry, i have to laugh at that descriptive. :lol:

[Draven]

Yeah, one of the things that really started to suck with Metallica starting with Load is Hetfield's voice...Since then, it pretty much sounded like a cross between hard rock and country music gone horribly wrong. "Hey, hey, hey-AAAH!" - don't forget the "aaah!" on the end of many lines! :lol:

[Alys Kinch]

theory of a dead man-no surprise

[drake7748]

Asleep At the Wheel: Comin'Right at Ya and Texas

What can I say, it's raining.

[Graendals favourite]

Pink Floyd, Take It Back.

 

(Btw, Alys, are you listening to a theory on Asmodean?) 8)

[Alys Kinch]

ha...ha... funny joke, graendal.

[shanara74]

I am currently listening to Phish. I was, before that, listening to that new album Love by the Beatles. It's not as good as their original stuff but hey. It's pretty d*** close!! :)

[shanara74]

Oh, and just in care you care, now (about an hour later) my cd changer is on green day. Yeah. I listen to everything, so sue me. :)

[Kilted Writer]

Dimmu Borgir ~Spellbound \m/

[Dantalion]

Disturbed - Meaning of Life

[the dude]

soundgarden - nothing to say

[Guest Majsju]

Moneybrother - What's The Use In Trying?

[the dude]

nirvana - radio friendly unit shifter

[Guest Majsju]

The Ark - Deliver Us From Free Will

[I Love Semirhage]

Iron Maiden: Como Estais Amigos (The greatest quiet/slow song ever written!)

 

I know what you mean about the Metallica rhythm bits, Maj, but I maintain Master Of Puppets is one hell of a song and have got to hand it to them for pulling it off.

 

The Dude, I was in fact referring to the S&M version, if that makes it any better. Sadly, some of their best songs are on Load and Reload: Devil's Dance, Bleeding Me, and of course Until It Sleeps. I can't believe there's anyone who would deny Until is Sleeps is a Metallica classic. Of course, there's also The Memory Remains and Fuel. I cannot stand the album version of Memory Remains, but consider the S&M version to be a great improvement. As for Fuel, well, Avril Lavigne covered it, that sort of ruined for it, and Hetfield does look like a bit of an idiot singing it. Good drum beat for the chorus though.

 

When all else fails, we will still have For Whom The Bell Tolls, Master Of Puppets, One and Sad But True.

 

ILS

[Alys Kinch]

icky, yucky christmasy stuff.

[Downfall]

Children of Bodom - Downfall

Neo Classical Metal ftw.

Been getting quite into Killswitch Engage too actually. Hmm.