This is the first time after two years in Solid Rock that I am in such a difficult position. Of course the reason is the new Iron Maiden album, the band that got me into Heavy Metal and of course changed my life. I don’t know if I have even the right to judge the dispassionately best band in the world, so my first suggestion is that you listen to the album without taking due note of the following review. 

4 years have already passed by since the excellent “A Matter Of Life And Death”, Maiden’s name has grown even bigger and “The Final Frontier” is ready to drive them to their last decade. Their dignified new CD is a sign that also in this new decade no one is going to assert Iron Maiden’s throne as the distance between them and the other bands remains huge. “The Final Frontier” is divided in two parts. The first five songs are the more passable part with the sound being a mix of “Dance Of Death” and Bruce Dickinson’s “The Chemical Wedding”. The awesome “Mother Of Mercy” and “Coming Home” are the best tracks with the already familiar “Final Frontier” and “El Dorado”, that although didn’t impress us at first they have turned to two very good and recognizable parts in the new album’s puzzle. At the second part we see the new face of Iron Maiden of 2010, both songwriting-wise and lyric-wise. Walking even further the steps of “A Matter Of Life And Death, we face the more progressive/epic side of the band with 5 songs that last about 50 minutes! Many elements that made Iron Maiden who and what they are, are here, even if there are some moments of reduced inspiration: Bruce’s excellent voice, the guitar melodies, and of course Steve Harris’s complicated compositions. “The Talisman” and “When The Wild Wind Blows” are going to be classics, while “Starblind” follows them closely reminding me the amazing “Face In The Sand” from “Dance Of Death”.

Despite all of the above, there are some negative points that I must mention like the very few double solos (which is of course the No.1 Iron Maiden trademark), the rather long duration of the tracks “Isle Of Avalon” and “The Man Who Would Be King” that together combine an entire twenty minute part, which tends to eliminate the brilliant “The Talisman” for being in between those two. Also, I cannot help but mentioning how much I have missed a huge Steve Harris’s composition in the vein of “Sign Of the Cross” or “The Nomad” (I won’t even dare talk for older songs). So, all the above left me this sense of non full satisfaction, even after a week of exclusive listening of “The Final Frontier”.

Although, in contrary with the ‘metalfathers’ that have as walk of life the ill-affected critic to legendary groups, and at the same time promote System Of A Down as a metal group and Serj Tankian as the best voice of the decade (!!!!), Iron Maiden are here, stronger than ever, with a completely un-commercial album that, if you give it the chance of some good listening, it will not disappoint you. Fortunately, despite the rumors, this will not be the band’s last album. And as my demand from the best band in the world is to not release just good records, the next one, if it is to be the last, MUST be the record of the decade. Same as “Brave New World” for the 00’s was...