Review Summary: Pure metal perfection.
Most Iron Maiden fans own, in some shape or form, a copy of the 1984 documentary film
Behind the Iron Curtain, a documentary video released near the beginning of the World Slavery Tour. Most have probably forgotten it, and shouldn't be blamed for doing so, as the band themselves later admitted to rushing it out the door to make a quick buck and further promote said tour. But one scene that most fans probably do remember is a hilariously ironic scene where Bruce Dickinson, fresh off an impromptu wedding performance in Poland, is asked by a fan in heavily broken English what he thinks about heavy metal music incorporating synthesizers into their sound, to which he infamously replies: "No. You don't play heavy metal with synthesizers." Cut to two years later, and the first sound effect of
Somewhere in Time that blares out of most metal fans' speaker is an E chord played on synthesizers. Even more ironic, the same year, Judas Priest would get the shit end of the stick for their album
Turbo, which heavily utilized synthesizers. Except there's a difference; whereas the Priest album was merely the sound of a band trying to cash in on a sound that was beginning to dwindle, Iron Maiden used their synths in a way that would not detract from the "Maiden sound" they've been known for- rather, being used for atmospherics.
I could leave my entire review at that as a perfect summation as to what to expect for this album, but that wouldn't be very professional, and if anything, wouldn't do enough justice to how much of a marvel this album is. Make no mistake,
Somewhere in Time may not be Iron Maiden's best album, but it certainly is their most satisfying running straight through. It is the sound of a band closing the door on an era they've been most renowned for and beginning a new chapter that would rely entirely on experimentation and progression. Tracks like "Aces High" and "Run to the a Hills" may be fun numbers, but here we more or less get less "Run to the Hills" and more "Hallowed Be Thy Name" type tracks that are longer, darker, and yet ultimately so much more sublime than anything achieved prior. It's clear from the intro to the opening track "Caught Somewhere in Time" that The band are about to embark on a thrilling journey- synthesizers, a sci-fi type twin guitar riff that suddenly floors the pedal and slams into a galloping, almost thrashy metal tune filled with soaring vocals and mysterious lyrics. What's interesting is that this is the first album of Bruce's first tenure with the band that he does not have any writing credits- but even ignoring that, this album also has some of the band's finest lyrics to date.
Despite my earlier claim that this is their most satisfying running straight through, there's so many of the usual "little things" in this album, maybe more than ever. At first listen, a song like "Stranger in a Strange Land" may seem like the typical disposable pop single for the album, but then you realize just how much in a second listen how many genius bits there are- the most obvious being that sexy, thumping bass line that opens the song, the dreamy synthesizers that provide an excellent contrast to the rather rocking feel of the song, and even the lyrics are sheer genius in how the first verse is told in first person and the second being in third- such a brilliant songwriting whiplash you don't notice it. Or "Sea of Madness"; a song that could easily tie with "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" as their heaviest song. The creepy main guitar riff combined with loud, bombastic drum fills and that truly sweeping and magnificent chorus is something to behold- but easily one of the most awesomely sublime moments come in the softer bridge. When the song slows down a bit near the end before kicking back to the main riff is a moment you get so rarely in heavy metal music. A similar moment can be found in "Deja Vu", which boasts a slow intro with an almost painful sounding guitar solo before slamming into a typical gallop-type song. Back to "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner"; the song is a true marvel that pounds out of your speakers with the power of horses trampling you at full speed. It's another gallop based song, and is hard and heavy, but features some of the most beautiful guitar work to date, and another awesomely sublime and beautiful moment kicks in the middle when Bruce sings "I've got to keep running...". And when we get to "Alexander the Great", we have been on such a journey that this feels like the ultimately satisfying finale to the adventure. An adventurous epic that boasts tempo changes a plenty and key changes, and even if the lyrics seem a bit too history bookish (there's actually a slight historical inaccuracy but all is forgiven when the rest is so good), it draws the album to a satisfying close. Another particularly amazing moment happens between the first chorus and second verse when we get an epic sounding almost eastern influenced dual riff that both serves as a great transition and an awesome standalone riff.
So in short, running straight through and as individual tracks,
Somewhere in Time is a complete masterpiece and truly deserves to be hailed as one of their classics. It works as both a transition period for the band into a more progressive sound, and a standalone album, but people more familiar with
Number of the Beast will be in for white a shock. I know I was when I first heard it on a snowy night in Toronto in February 2008, a looking out the window to a suitably futuristic metropolis- mind you, I had already beenf smiliar with the more progressive sound. The point is, this is an album that rarely ever so happens in metal, of a band both embracing what they've done for years but also transitioning into a newer style and stopping for moments to embrace those small moments of beauty. Simply put, this is a must listen for any music lover.
