Sometimes it’s fun to make a big deal out of something that doesn’t matter.
Let’s figure it out. What should the first song of 2024 be? I just woke up, I have not played any music yet in the new year. This is the kind of thing that music nerds make a big deal out of. The first song of the year! As if it sets the tone for the next 366 days (leap year!), let’s pretend that the first song played in 2024 is somehow really, really important.
How we do make such a decision? Let’s narrow it down step by step.
1. Let’s start easy. Should we play the song currently stuck in my head from yesterday? That would be “Past Life” by the Arkells with the Cold War Kids. Thematically it works. It’s all about moving forward instead of backwards, which works well with the whole “new year” thing. “I’ve been running from a past life, I wanna live this life instead!” Uplifting, and also I get that “scratch that itch” feeling of playing a song stuck in my head.
2. However, 2024 is the 40th frickin’ anniversary of a very significant year in my life. 1984: the year I committed to music as “my thing”, specifically heavy metal. The exact date was December 26 1984, Boxing Day. Perhaps I should play something from that year to commemorate this occasion. “I Wanna Be Somebody” by W.A.S.P., “Run to the Hills” by Iron Maiden, “Rock You” by Helix, or “Heaven’s On Fire” by Kiss would be appropriate.
3. Or, we look ahead. There are albums to come in 2024, and we have heard some of the new music already. Judas Priest have released two singles from the forthcoming Invincible Shield. That would be a great way to start the year right — by looking forward.
4. …Buuuut I’d be starting the year by playing a song to which I have no emotional attachment yet, if I played the new Priest. That doesn’t seem like the right note to kick off a new year. Also, do I really want to start the year with a song about a “Panic Attack”?
5. Kiss is my favourite band. I first got into Kiss during that mythical year of 1984. And, the debut album Kiss came out 50 years ago, in 1974.
6. I prefer to listen to albums over songs. 1974’s Kiss gives me an excuse to play a whole album. Playing that debut would be a way to honour both my roots in 1984, and the album’s 50th in 2024.
7. …However, I didn’t know that album in 1984. I was just getting into rock, and I only knew two Kiss songs at that point: “Heaven’s On Fire” (1984) and “Rock and Roll all Nite” (1975).
8. Just a side note: this is the longest I’ve sat at my desk writing with no music playing!
9. The way I see it now, we can go one of two ways. 1984’s “Heaven’s On Fire”, which commemorates its 40th anniversary, and my discovery of heavy metal music the same year. Or, 1974’s Kiss. 50 years of Kiss is a big deal, and they were one of the first five bands I ever liked back in ’84. I prefer playing full albums, and overall I have more nostalgia for it.
10. Flip a coin. Heads: “Heaven’s On Fire”. Tails: Kiss 1974.
BRUCE DICKINSON – “Afterglow of Ragnarok” (2023 BMG 7″ single)
In 2024 we will be graced by a new Bruce Dickinson platter, his first solo album since Tyranny of Souls in 2005. He’s back with Roy Z, and a forthcoming concept album called The Mandrake Project. This single is billed as a “prequel”. It comes with a beautiful, full colour comic book insert, installed in the middle of the gatefold. The story will be fully revealed next year, but this is a project that Bruce has been working on a long long time…
Witness: The B-side “If Eternity Should Fail”, a demo version of a song that Iron Maiden re-recorded on The Book of Souls. It’s not the first time Maiden have lifted a song from Bruce’s solo compositions! He remarks in the liner notes that the song is radically re-imagined on the final Mandrake Project album, but that the keyboards on this demo actually made it to the Maiden version! Bruce on keys, Roy Z on bass and guitar. It’s really not that different at all! The drums are most noticeable. Presumably this is a drum machine. Roy’s bass work is pretty cool too. It introduces the character of Necropolis, who will feature on the album.
The A-side, “Afterglow of Ragnarok”, is promising. Drums thunder, in cavernous hugeness. Downtuned guitars provide a metallic gutpunch, with a riff that is as solid as any in Bruce and Roy’s impressive history. The chorus is another demonstration of power and melody. A Bruce classic, this will be.
Looking forward to The Mandrake Project, we are. Bruce’s solo work has often rivalled Maiden in quality, not to set expectations too high. This single is a positive omen.
In 2021, Blaze Bayley released one of his finest solo albums, War Within Me. It was his 10th studio album and somehow it was also his best, rivaling his work with the inimitable Iron Maiden. It is also his most Maiden-esque, though heavier. Blaze fails to fall into lyrical cliches and presents a series of cutting riffs, elevating this album to apex predator status.
Opening with a blitzkrieg of battering drums and lightning fast riffing, the title track “War Within Me” is exactly what it sounds like. It is a battle for the mind! “Never give up, I won’t back down!” howls Blaze, singing as strongly as he did 30 years ago. “War within me, every day I fight!” What an opening! A mission statement from Blaze, with ribbons of guitars ensnared with cannon-blasts of beats.
Blaze takes us from the battle of the mind to the Battle of Britain of World War II. The RAF No. 303 squadron is the subject of “303”. Of course, this is a subject Blaze is familiar with, since Iron Maiden targeted the Battle of Britain with their own “Aces High”, one of Blaze’s top ten Maiden songs that he didn’t sing on. Like the opening track, this one too blasts forth with the throttle locked on full. Importantly, Blaze maintains a firm lock on vocal melodies and guitar harmonies. It’s very Maiden-esque, but cranked.
Blaze wisely slows things down on the third track, “Warrior”, one of the man’s very best songs of his whole career, before he speeds up once again. The guitar breaks are very Maiden-esque, perhaps even more like Bruce Dickinson’s latter-day solo work with Roy Z. This is tasty metal, sprinkled with explosive guitar spark. “I can be a warrior, with courage to rise up again!” growls Blaze like he means it. Along similar inspirational lines is “Pull Yourself Up”, a grinder that takes the tempo back a notch or two. The chorus on this one will eventually work its way into your skull like a drill. One of the riffs is very much like present day Maiden. The lyrics are obviously very personal to Blaze, with lines like “They said I could not sing.” This is something you see from those who don’t know.
Stop doubting yourself, Questioning yourself, Stop hating yourself, To believe in yourself. Control my own thoughts, Control my own mind, They said I could not sing, Come and sing with me!
“Witches Night” is one that takes a few listens to sink in. Once it does, the chorus sticks. The acoustic guitar segments add texture to the album, and again there’s a late Maiden quality to it. Then, “18 Nights” also takes a listen or three to hit properly. This is a simple tale of a South American tour – flights and earthquakes, oh my! “Evacuate to higher ground!” warns Blaze. “Stop the show!” A blazing winner – pardon the pun.
War Within Me has a semi-conceptual segment that I call the “scientist trilogy”. There are three parts: “The Dream of Alan Turing” about AI, “The Power of Nikola Tesla” about free energy, and “The Unstoppable Stephen Hawking” regarding his survival against the odds. “They only gave him three years to live, but Hawking defied them!” This track is all about not listening to those who say there is no hope. “They don’t know everything!” bellows Blaze. All three songs are excellent, each one different, but all three possessing a mighty Maiden-esque strength, heavier than that band but with similar flavours. Brilliant choruses on all three.
Appropriately, the album concludes with a ballad called “Every Storm Ends”. It’s about overcoming, which Blaze has certainly done. With War Within Me, Blaze has topped everything he released before under his own name. Not bad after 35 years making music.
Three cheers for the Mad Metal Man! For over a year of co-hosting Grab A Stack of Rock, he has earned the right to pick his own show topic! His punch card is full, witness below and see for yourself! And what did he pick with his full punch card? He picked Blaze Bayley! And he doubled down. Foregoing the rules (again), Harrison didn’t pick a Nigel Tufnel Top Ten. No, Harrison technically picked 22 songs. All Blaze or Blaze Bayley-branded versions.
I chose songs from all three eras of Blaze: Wolfsbane, Iron Maiden, and solo.
Harrison and I only had one song in common. That means combined we have given you 32 songs to check out. Harrison and I also provided a lot of context and background to our picks (Harrison more so than I!) and we hope that this episode is in-depth enough for the Blaze diehards. And we know there are Blaze diehards out there.
We also took a look at some physical rarities: Two Iron Maiden X Factor Japanese CDs, an X Factor singles box set, two lenticular Virtual XI CDs, a “Holy Grail” live album, one CD that Mike needs, one CD that Harrison needs, and a Wolfsbane cassette.
I sincerely hope you take the time to watch this passionate, insightful episode about a singer that deserves more of your attention, Blaze Bayley.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 42: Top 11 of the Silicon Messiah, Blaze Bayley!
This time Harrison’s not here by contractual obligation only. The Mad Metal Man is in the driver’s seat for one of his favourite artists of all time: Blaze Bayley!
From his time in Wolfsbane, to his two underrated Iron Maiden platters, and his exceptional solo career, tonight we’ll be talking all things Blaze! There will be a Nigel Tufnel Top Ten tunes, and as an added bonus, Harrison will break down all the Easter eggs in his amazing Blaze Bayley show art. How many can you spot? Leave them in the comments, and check out the show tonight to see if you were right.
Blaze Bayley has two studio albums with Iron Maiden, plus a double greatest hits compilation. As a solo artist he has released ten studio albums and seven live albums. Wolfsbane did five studio albums and a number of singles and EPs. He has toured with Paul Di’Anno, Geoff Tate and Ripper Owens. There is a lot of music to choose from.
WARNING: There will be shenanigans.
Blaze Bayley – “Born as a Stranger”, yet sharp as “Steel”! Long may he reign. Appreciate the man and the music with us tonight on Grab A Stack of Rock.
LIVE Friday Nov 24 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
“The show must go on.” That’s the saying, right? That’s what the most supportive wife in the world said to me tonight when I was debating whether to cancel Grab A Stack of Rock this week. Another seizure, another fall, thank God no broken jaw. We’ll have to fill you in on the details later.
An exhausted Mike (physically, emotionally, and mentally) relied on his co-host and guest, Harrison and Mr. Books, for carrying the weight. Jex Russell also stopped by with some rarities.
We looked at:
Rare bootleg CDs
Rare DVD
All my Maiden vinyl with stories to go with
Maiden beer, Maiden menu
Books
And some tangents.
A great show all things considered, and now I need to go take care of Jen. See you next week if all goes well.
Next week, the summer tour of 2023 rolls on with Nurse Kat and the Arkells!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 24: Grab A Stack of Iron Maiden
Harrison thought it was time to look at Iron Maiden again. After all, Iron Maiden was the subject of two of our most successful shows in the past. Enough time has passed that people will want to see our Maiden collections again. I’ve dug up all my vinyl, and I have plenty of action figures from Super Seven to show off, as well as other assorted Eddies!
Joining Harrison and I tonight will be Mr. Books from the KMA. It has been ages since he’s been on the show, so please give a warm welcome back to Mr. Books!
As always, we will start the show with “Ask Harrison” and some unboxings. Hope you can join us!
SPECIAL TIME!
Friday June 16 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. Enjoy on YouTube or onFacebook!
Next week, the summer tour of 2023 rolls on with Nurse Kat and the Arkells!
THE ADVENTURES OF TEE BONE MAN CHAPTER TEN: THE CASE OF THE LOST IRON MAIDEN SOCKS
Tee Bone Man and Superdekes pulled into the garage of Deke’s Palace having just seen Iron Maiden in Toronto.
“Wicked concert eh pal?” said Deke to his best friend.
“Best concert yet man!” answered Tee Bone Man.
“When Dickinson shot those flamethrowers from his hands in ‘Flight of Icarus’, I did not see that coming,” responded Superdekes.
“And how about those Maiden socks that I bought at the concession stand?” asked Tee Bone. “Best part of the trip in my opinion!”
Deke laughed. “Yeah man! Glad you got them. Remember that bald guy we met at the concession stands, Aaron?”
“Yeah! The tall guy from Owen Sound with the deep voice,” recalled Tee Bone.
“He said something about not buying merch from that one vendor, but I don’t know why. He had the best prices at the concert,” said Deke. “Must be a Southern Ontario thing.”
Tee Bone nodded in agreement.
The pair began unpacking their bags. Tee Bone found his precious Iron Maiden socks, and held them up to get a good look. Eddie’s eyes gleamed in red thread. Tee Bone smiled a wide smile. “Best socks ever!” he said to Dekes. Deke shrugged. Whatever made him happy! Tee Bone sat down, removed his shoes and socks, and put on his new Maiden pair. “Ahhhh!” he moaned in comfort as he stretched his feet out in front of him. “So comfortable!”
“It is hard to find good socks in Thunder Bay. Hey, I got an idea,” said Superdekes trying to change the subject. “How about some Scotch on the rocks?”
“That sounds like an excellent idea!” Tee Bone exclaimed in response. And so their night had just begun, for no-one could tie one on like Tee Bone and Superdekes. As usual the evening began with a clink of glasses and ended with two blacked out adult men, passed out in the basement of Deke’s Palace.
Morning.
With a gaping wide yawn, Tee Bone Man awoke from his alcohol induced slumber. He opened his eyes and looked around him. There was his best friend Deke on the airchair, sleeping with his glasses still on his face. Next to him on the end table was an empty bottle of Scotch (the good stuff) and several empty glasses. Tee Bone blinked and rubbed his eyes trying to get them to focus. Man, he got hammered last night.
Tee Bone checked to make sure all his limbs were still intact. Fingers and toes were functional. As he slowly gained awareness, he realized his feet were cold. He looked at his bare feet and…bare feet? Where did his precious Maiden socks go?
He ran over to the armchair. “Deke! Deke!” he shook his friend awake. Deke slowly opened his eyes and focused on his friend. “What? What? Jeez man what is it?”
“My socks are gone!” answered Tee Bone in panicked haste. “They were on my feet and now they’re not!”
“Easy man, easy. Just put on the other pair you were wearing yesterday, I’m sure they’re still OK, you didn’t party in that pair.”
“No no!” yelled Tee Bone. “We have to find my preciouses!” he proclaimed. “They’re around here somewhere!”
“They’ll turn up!” reasoned Deke. “We didn’t go anywhere last night. Now chill. Let’s make some eggs.”
“No eggs!” yelled Tee Bone, “Not until we find my precious socks! No other socks will go on my feet until they are found!”
“You OK buddy?” asked Deke. “I haven’t seen you this, errr, agitated since before you took your vacation at camp.”
“What vacation? I didn’t take a vacation I went squirrel hunting,” said Tee Bone to a very confused Deke. “No time to waste. Now we’re hunting socks. Let’s go Deke. Up up up.”
“Fine!” said Deke as his got out of the armchair with a groan, “We’ll find your damn socks.”
“My precious socks!” corrected Tee Bone.
The pair began an organized search, room by room, starting with the main lounge. Then the washrooms, kitchen, and garage.
Tee Bone made his way to Deke’s flying motorcycle. He began inspecting the side compartments.
“Woah buddy, careful there!” cautioned Deke. “You know I keep some pretty powerful gadgets on my bike. Careful how you dig.”
Tee Bone ignored him and kept digging.
“Buddy, why are you digging through my bike’s storage compartments anyway? Your socks are not in there.”
“How do I know you didn’t take them? How do I know you didn’t hide them here?” mumbled an increasingly unhinged Tee Bone Man as he continued his thorough search of Deke’s bike.
Deke breathed calmly before he spoke. “Buddy…pal…you know I didn’t take your socks. If I needed Iron Maiden socks that badly, I’m sure I can buy some on eBay. Now let’s go check the record shelves. You know how you sometimes like to throw your socks off when you’re dancing at a party. Maybe you did that.”
“NO!” shouted Tee Bone. Deke was surprised to see his friend’s eyes were lit up like the eyes of Eddie himself. Something was clearly infecting the mind of Tee Bone. Deke maintained his calm and just analyzed the situation. He had already been alarmed when Tee Bone kept calling the socks his “precious”. That was frighteningly too similar to a movie they once saw several years back. Could the socks be possessing the mind of his friend like that movie he couldn’t remember the name of? It had some little guys and some regular sized guys and a wizard with a big grey hat.
Deke came up with a strategy. “OK pal. No problem. Let me help you search the garage.”
“Fine” harrumphed Tee Bone Man, now hunched over the bike like a grotesque malformed goblin, picking the bones of a dead animal.
Deke cautiously walked over to his weapons shelf. He carefully picked up a gun-shaped device and aimed at his friend.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he pulled the trigger.
Evening.
Tee Bone Man awoke once more, but with a raging headache that rivalled every Scotch he ever consumed. He blinked his eyes open, but his vision was totally blurred. He could vaguely make out two figures standing over him.
“Sorry I had to stun ya pal,” said the voice of Deke before him. “It had to be done. You’re all good now. It doesn’t feel so good, but you’re gonna be OK. We found your socks.”
“We?” asked Tee Bone Man.
“Hey bro!” said a new voice from a blurred form coming into view.
“Darr?? Is that you?” asked Tee Bone of his brother.
“Yeah, it’s me man!” answered the handsome young Darr. “You guys invited me over for some Scotch last night remember? Boy did you get ripped, man. You and Deke both! Especially Deke! I had to get back home, but I took the initiative to clean up a bit for you before I left.”
Deke continued the story. “Those Iron Maiden socks you bought? Cursed, man. That’s why they were on sale at the one concession stand that had no lineup. All their items are possessed. That’s the catch. That Aaron guy tried to warn us, but we didn’t listen. Whoops.”
Tee Bone shook his head. “That’s right, my socks. I…don’t feel the need for them anymore. But this morning…all I could think about were my Maiden socks. They were definitely missing. I remember that much. That’s what I don’t understand. Where did they go?”
Darr picked up the story. “Laundry, man! Deke was already completely blacked out. Don’t you remember? It was you and me with Deke in the armchair, and you were all like, ‘Hey everybody watch me do this Open Door Piss!’ And you dribbled all over the floor and your socks. So I took them up to the laundry.”
Tee Bone had no memory of any of this! “But where are the socks right now, and why am I not crazy for them at the moment?”
Deke smiled. “Darr came over this morning to check up on us, and he told me where they were. As soon as I found them in the dryer, I burned them in the fires of Mount Deke.”
Mount Deke was the name of their firepit out back of course, so named because of the unusually large chimney.
“Wow…thanks guys. What would have happened to me if you didn’t destroy the socks??”
“Well, we’re not sure exactly,” answered Darr. “Deke had a theory that you might have transformed into a little grey creature, always obsessing over the power the socks had over you. Forever.” Deke nodded in somber agreement.
“The lesson here is never buy discount socks!” summed up Deke.
The three laughed together in relieved comradery. Darr had saved the day and his brother, and maybe Tee Bone would have to write a song, an ode to Darr, for him one day….
RECORD STORE TALES #1002: The Best of the Best of the Best
It has been unknown numbers of years since the last time I had a four-day summer vacation. Long overdue! Full of great music, great visuals, and so hard to come back from. My heart aches, but I have been diligent and made a video of the memories, as I always do. The theme of this week’s video: wildlife! Lots and lots of animals. 18 minutes of video paradise: the best of the best weekend I ever had.
As usual, we departed the hot city on Thursday night, to the sounds of great rock and roll. Heavy metal, in this case. This time I chose Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son for the trip. The entire album plus the B-sides bonus disc. Musically genius, lyrically dicey. I used to think the words were so deep. “Seven deadly sins, seven ways to win, seven holy paths to hell and your trip begins…” I used to imagine Bruce’s lyrics were so deep. Now I think he was just making up cool sounding phrases. We all know what the seven deadly sins are, but there are no “seven ways to win”, nor “seven holy paths to hell.” I used to give him credit for knowing the exact meaning of everything he sang. What are the seven ways to win? Don’t ask Bruce, I don’t think he knows! But it all sounded cool, and I must have spent childhood memorizing this whole album, because I sang the whole way to the lake. I conclude the concept is fun, but without depth. If there is any depth to the album, it comes on the last song, Steve’s “Only the Good Die Young”.
So I think I’ll leave you, With your bishops and your guilt, So until the next time, Have a good sin.
That resonates, but the overall album is just a tale. Just a comic book. On the other hand, I could be like Liam Gallagher with Oasis lyrics. “Just because I don’t know what they mean, doesn’t mean there’s no fookin’ meaning in them fookin’ words!”
80s Maiden continued on the porch all Thursday night. All 80s, all Bruce. Nothing but. Then we watched Thursday Night Record Club with Brent Jensen and Alex Huard, talking about Judas Priest’s British Steel. Switched over to Priest on the front deck the following morning. And then to Journey, for an upcoming episode of Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, on the excellent new Journey album Freedom. I used my show notes to complete my upcoming review. It will be ready shortly after the show debuts. And you’re going to love the show we taped. Trust me!
As the days meandered on, we encountered all sorts of wildlife. There was a cheeky chipmunk that was climbing all over us each day, looking for treats. There was a raccoon hanging around the back door, smelling the blueberry pancakes I just made. Birds, birds, and more birds. And Schnauzers! We saw the return of our UFO! We kept our eyes on the skies, and there may have even been a flying squid! (What?)
Indoors and outdoors, there was plenty to do. No wonder four days flew past. We did retro gaming, watched Ant Man, had a belated birthday party, and cooled off in Lake Huron. We observed the sun set, and then the moon a few hours later. We have photos and video of it all.
By the time Monday rolled around, nobody wanted to go home. I spent my final four hours on the front deck editing away. It took that long to edit down 95 minutes of footage into the awesome 18 seen below.
Please enjoy the lengthy but entertaining video, and the awesome memories that go with it. I wish we could stay forever. At least with the videos, the memories remain and will not fade. The accompanying music comes from Tee Bone Erickson, Dr. Kathryn Ladano, Max the Axe and the Seagram Synth Ensemble. And it’s all good. I worked damn hard on this, because making videos like this does a lot of good for me when my seasonal affective disorder eventually kicks in. I worked hard on it for me, but also for you, because beauty is universal.
The best sun (and moon) sets in the world. Magical music. Awesome animals. The best, of the best, of the best weekend ever!
IRON MAIDEN – The X Factor (1995 EMI Japan 2 CD limited edition)
For this revisit, we will take a deep dive on the Japanese version of Iron Maiden’s controversial 1995 album The X Factor. As the first new studio album in three years, anticipation ran high. There was also a minor problem that needed sorting out. Longtime vocalist Bruce Dickinson quit to go solo after more than a decade in Iron Maiden, leaving the remaining band with an air raid siren-sized hole to fill. The band had already been rocked by the 1990 departure of guitarist Adrian Smith, whose songwriting and melodic solo construction was missed. That’s not a knock on the guy who replaced him, Janick Gers. Gers was a different kind of player, and the elements that Smith used to bring to the band were gone. Fans had to endure an even more serious change when Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley was chosen to replace Bruce.
Virtually unknown in North America, Blaze Bayley was a powerhouse baritone who wasn’t known for hitting the highs of Bruce Dickinson. However, Maiden seemed to like change and the 1990s were a darker time. In that context, Bayley was a better fit. Bruce’s style of singing was on its way out, while Bayley could have fronted a grunge band had he chosen to go that way. At the same time, Steve Harris was dealing with losses in his life, and Bayley’s voice suited the more pensive tone of the new music. In another major change, producer Martin Birch stepped down leaving Steve Harris and co-producer Nigel Green to their own devices, for better or for worse. You’ll notice the mix is quite bass-heavy….
The X Factor was released in October of 1995 to a lot of indifference. Even the new cover art by Hugh Syme turned off some fans. It was the longest Maiden album so far by a long shot at over 70 minutes. In Japan, the CD came with a bonus disc of three original B-sides, boosting the length to over 82 minutes. Maiden rarely recorded original material for B-sides (“Total Eclipse” notwithstanding), but this time they had 14 tracks to choose from in total. A bumper crop of creativity.
“Sign of the Cross” has to be one of Maiden’s most impactful openers, though it takes a minute to get going. If you thought you bought a CD of Gregorian chants (very big in 1995; even Van Halen used ’em), then that’s forgivable. Maiden jumped on the chant bandwagon for the 11 minute epic opener, a very unique track in the catalogue. A bass intro begins the song proper, and if there’s one flaw on The X Factor, it’s too many bass intros (see above comment about “left to their own devices”). The clean guitars backing the bass are a nice touch, and there is no question that The X Factor is a brilliant sounding album. The vocals finally kick in almost three minutes into the song, kicking the song into a slow determined march. The evocative imagery recalls dark corners of Catholic history while the music goes through multiple thrilling sections, from speedy manic solos (Janick proving his worth to a song like that) to more complex rhythms. The song eventually resolves as it began, in quiet contemplation accompanied by bass. “Sign of the Cross” was considered good enough to keep in the set even after Dickinson returned to Iron Maiden at the end of the 90s.
Wisely picking up the pace for the next track, the single “Lord of the Flies” kicks it into higher gear. The speedy riff rocker barrels along steadily, with a slamming chorus. Co-written by Gers, you can hear his influence. Blaze sinks his teeth into the meaty verses and the chorus delivers the kind of hooks that we’re used to from Iron Maiden. Once again, Bruce sang this song when he returned. In this case, Dickinson was able to elevate the tune by using his air raid siren to boost the chorus. That’s not a knock on Blaze, who owns the tune with grit and bite.
“Man on the Edge” is an interesting song not because it was the poorly chosen first single. It’s interesting because just six years earlier, the song could never have been written. As a co-write between Gers and Bayley, it’s entirely composed by the newest members. Based on the excellent film Falling Down, the song depicts the character of “D-Fens” gradually losing it over the course of a day. It’s just not up to the quality of the prior two songs, but Bruce still performed it on the 1999 tour. Be forewarned: excluding the bonus disc, this is pretty much the last time Iron Maiden pick up the pace on The X Factor.
That’s not to say the rest of the songs are junk. “Fortunes of War” (another bass intro) begins soft and ballady, although it does get moving towards the end. In the 1990s, Steve Harris really leaned into repeating sections of his songs, and “Fortunes of War” is certainly one of those. It’s also one of many tunes on the album based on, or including, war imagery. There’s a neat guitar part stuffed between bass sections, but too many bass sections! It’s not that interesting an instrument, Steve. Janick Gers and Dave Murray lay down a pair of nice solos, and drummer Nicko McBrain plays it fairly straight. Not a lot of elaborate drum rolls on this album. Nicko lays back with the songs.
The last song on side one was “Look For the Truth”, a dark contemplative song about personal struggles. The bass intro this time is at least accompanied by guitar. “Look For the Truth” begins slowly but then slams into heavy. Blaze really has this one firmly in his grasp, as he spits out the words. “It’s my final stand, I make a fist out of each hand. To the shadows of the past, take a breath and I scream attack.” This is the first of four co-writes between Harris, Gers and Bayley. (Gers has seven credits on the first disc, Bayley has five, and Harris ten.) The main hook here is a simple “Woah oh oh,” which works fine and dandy, and did so in concert.
“The Aftermath” is another slow war song…but with no bass intro! It’s a little unorthodox as it goes almost three minutes before we hit the first chorus. It really takes a while to get to the point where they speed it up, but it finally does with a cry of “I’m just a soldier!” and another wicked Janick Gers solo. Then it resumes its plodding pace to the close. Not an album highlight, but a song that was performed live on The X Fac-tour.
A little peppier is “Judgement of Heaven”, another soul-searching number with lines like “I’ve been depressed so long, it’s hard to remember being happy,” and “I felt like suicide, a dozen times or more.” That’s countered with the line, “But that’s the easy way, that’s the selfish way, the hardest part is to get on with your life.” Then the music cranks into gear and you feel empowered by the music and Blaze’s gravelly delivery. You got this — you can do whatever you need to. You can survive. That’s the message and it sounds great coming from Iron Maiden. The uplifting chorus “All of my life, I have believed judgement of Heaven is waiting for me,” is a little Christian sounding for this band, but it does the job. And Davey Murray then flies in with a wicked signature solo, and then Gers joins in for some harmonies. Blaze even tries for a high note at the end!
The album dips a bit in quality at this point. “Blood on the World’s Hands” is not of the finest moments on The X Factor. It boasts the worst bass intro yet, and it goes on for-bloody-ever. At some points it sounds as bad I do, just randomly hitting notes in random order. Mercifully the song really begins at 1:15 but the damage has been done. It’s a decent song from that point on…but see above about Steve being left to his own devices as co-producer with Nigel Green. A different producer would have axed that intro. Cool Murray/Gers solo though, and Nicko gets to play around with unorthodox drums patterns.
“The Edge of Darkness” feels as if we’re moving towards an ending. A dramatic re-telling of Apocalypse Now with yet another bass intro, this is a good song. How many war songs do you need? Don’t worry, this is the last one. Like most of the tunes (especially those with bass intros), it begins slowly before heavy-ing up partway. When it gets galloping, it’s solid gold. “I know Captain that you’ve done this work before, we’ve got a problem and you can help us I am sure.” You know where it goes from there. “Your mission, terminate with extreme prejudice.” All he wanted was a mission and for his sins they gave him one. Vocally, Blaze has his hands full here with rapid-fire lyrics and plenty of “Woah-oh” hooks. The guitar solos are like old-school Maiden again, and the gallop recalls earlier days. “And now I understand why the genius must die…”
The album goes dark with “2 A.M.”, the third of the contemplative songs of self-reflection. On first listen it doesn’t stand out but it grows over time. “Here I am again, on my own again…” We’ve all felt that way. This is a sparse, direct, morose tune but not without merit. On past albums it probably would not have made the final cut, though the guitar sections are great.
The final track on disc one is “The Unbeliever”, another unorthodox tune, centered on a bassline, but at least without a bass intro! A Gers/Harris composition of self-reflection, that has a very different rhythm and layering of instruments. “All my life, I’ve run astray, allowed my faith to drift away.” Interesting that there are so many songs on this album about losing faith: “Sign of the Cross”, “Judgement of Heaven”, and “The Unbeliever”. The three dominant themes on this album (often overlapping) are war, losing faith, and personal struggles. Quite different from the Iron Maiden that wrote songs about mythology, killers in alleyways, and dying with your boots on. If there was ever a time to turn inwards and reflect, it was the 1990s. Later albums would find a stronger balance of lyrical themes, but there is no question that the music of The X Factor suits the lyrics perfectly and vice-versa.
“The Unbeliever” ends with just an audio snip of studio chatter. “That’s the one!” somebody says after a good take.
Over to disc two, exclusive to Japan: all three tracks were available on B-sides to “Man on the Edge”, but one was exclusive to vinyl. All three are fast songs that would have dramatically altered the complexion of the album had they been included in the regular tracklist.
The only Dave Murray co-write (with Harris) is the speedy “Justice of the Peace”. This tune is about the decline of modern society. “It must be the cynic in me, but I don’t really like things now. The violence, the attitude, aggression that you see every day. Sick society looks the other way.” It has a similar vibe to “Man on the Edge” though not as manically paced. Murray lays down a classic Beast-era sounding solo to top it off. It’s over and out in just 3:34, the shortest song of them all.
“I Live My Way” is special because this is its only release on CD. The only other way to get it is on vinyl. Most Iron Maiden fans simply do not own a copy. As another speedy tune written by Harris/Gers/Bayley, it’s probably the least remarkable but certainly a special rarity. You can count this as another one about self-reflection, though more headstrong and confident.
“Judgement Day”, the second song written by Blaze and Janick without involvement from Steve, is a fast blazer continuing the critique on modern society. When the bonus tracks are considered, commentary on humanity could be considered the fourth dominant theme. “There are no marks upon a man, that can say he’s good or bad.” The lens is focused this time on the evil people living among us. Musically it is most similar to a previous Maiden single called “Be Quick or Be Dead”.
The X Factor is a long album to start with, but the bonus disc here adds incredible value not only for the collector, but also for the listening experience. The album needed more pep, less slow songs and fewer bass intros. You could make a pretty incredible vintage-sounding X Factor “greatest hits” CD by including some of these B-sides, and capping the run time off at 45 minutes.
Japanese releases often got bonuses but this one has more than just extra music. The old style “fat” CD case conceals additional booklets, some not included in the international releases; four in total. They include:
Japanese lyric sheet for the album.
Japanese lyric sheet for the bonus disc.
Regular CD booklet, same as the international release.
Bonus 22 page full colour booklet exclusive to this release.
This bonus booklet is a real treat, featuring tons of album and single art, with band photos. It includes a discography and list of Japanese tours, including the setlists. It’s great even if you can’t read the notes in Japanese; all the titles are in English.
The X Factor is a deeply personal album that Steve Harris is very proud of and considers one of his best. Fans have been split on this, with most considering it inferior to almost all the prior albums. That’s not fair. It’s very different, less aggressive, darker and slower. It was an experimental evolution made possible by lineup changes and the shifting sands of the musical tastes of the 1990s. There are deeper songs and the material fit the downbeat mood of the time. Many of the songs were more energetic live. Overall, not one of Maiden’s top five, and not a commercial success, but it can be a rewarding if overly long listen. The inclusion of the B-sides on the Japanese set dramatically improves the experience.
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