April 11, 1988 - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
Happy New Year! A long six months since the last release in my library and a year and half after "Somewhere In Time", Iron Maiden released their seventh album "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" on April 11, 1988. This would be their second album to debut at #1 in the U.K. (the first being "The Number Of The Beast") and it's their first album with keyboards as guitarist Adrian Smith plays the synthesizer as well. It's also their first concept album and bassist/lyricist Steve Harris was inspired by the book "Seventh Son" by Orson Scott Card to write the band's first concept album. Let's check out the final effort of this decade by Iron Maiden!
Side two opens with the title track "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" and it's just under ten minutes long; easily the longest song on this album. We hear what sounds like a choir "ohhing" in the background as McBrain plays some slow epic drums and we hear some slow guitar as well. They ramp up to twice the speed as when they started and the riff sounds better in double time I think. It settles into a simple but solid guitar riff and Dickinson sings an epic verse to match the mood. It must be Murray playing the guitar because Smith comes in with some synths to add to the epicness and Dickinson holds a couple nice long "ohhhh"s. The chorus is self-evident as usual as Bruce just sings the name of the song over and over in a pretty uninventive and unexciting chorus compared to how good everything was leading up to it. Dickinson then begins a short "oh oh ohhhhh" part (which are fun to sing along to at concerts but are also really quite uninventive) before they finally return for another verse. They repeat the same formula of verse, chorus and sing-along but they nicely segue from the end of the "oh oh" part into a new light guitar riff. Maiden show off their progressive capabilities with a couple nice segues as they go from this light riff to something even quieter! One guitarist plays some slow and trippy stuff while the other and Harris lead the way with a quiet but epic new riff. Dickinson proceeds to tell an epic tale (as he did in "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner) and he has a great storytelling voice as he talks about the fabled seventh son. The choir returns and makes this part even more epic and they've done a great job with this part as things sound very cool but also like we're slowly building towards something. That something comes a little after the 7 minute mark in the form of an excellent guitar solo. Either Murray or Smith begins with a really great shredding solo and the other follows it up with another nice solo, but not like that first one. The second one leads right into a wicked new riff with the guitars and bass all syncing up and playing a great new riff, but this is just a short interlude before solo #3! This third solo is more like the first one: filled with lots of great parts and tons of fast notes and it goes into the wicked interlude again and then we're treated to a fourth and final solo! This last one is also pretty awesome so that makes 3 great solos just in the past couple minutes! They finally end this amazing instrumental part as the choir returns but the great guitar work continues as Murray and Smith sync up and deliver some classic harmonized cool stuff to finish out this pretty epic song. Track 6 is called "The Prophecy" and it has a light and slow opening with Smith playing synths in the background as Murray plays a nice soft guitar riff. Smith then adds another guitar riff overtop that is still quiet but sounds pretty epic and after 40 seconds or so of this light opening they shift nicely into the more typical Maiden main riff. Dickinson sings a solid verse overtop a catchy main guitar riff and there is no real chorus but they nicely jam out this cool verse for a bit until the vocals stop and Smith and Murray begin a new harmonized guitar part. This part sounds very classic Maiden and it serves as a nice backing riff as well as one of the guitarists breaks away from the harmony and starts a solo. It's a pretty good solo as we've come to expect with lots of cool parts to it and it leads seamlessly back into the main riff as well. They play another long but solid verse and then everything fades away and Smith and Murray both play acoustic guitar in a pretty cool ending. It's unusual for one, nevermind both guitarists to go acoustic, but they play off each other nicely as always and deliver a cool finish to this song. Up next is "The Clairvoyant" and Harris begins by himself, playing a fast and pretty sweet bass riff as he kicks off this song with some great stuff! McBrain and one guitarist then join in to complete a great rhythm section and then the other guitarist plays a great lead part overtop that sounds pretty awesome. They formed this riff really nicely and it's actually quite catchy while still sounding very metal. Dickinson finally comes in to sing the first verse and he sounds like his usual epic self, nicely leading the way. Inbetween verses the guitars slow down briefly, but Harris's wonderful bass is ever present as he keeps things rolling along. After another verse and slow-down part they speed back up and finally reach the chorus. McBelrain plays a nice drum beat in the chorus and Dickinson sings "there's a time to live, and a time to die, then isn't it strange that as soon as you're born you're dying" as part of a solid chorus. This leads right into a guitar solo and while it's a shorter one it still sounds pretty good. It's quickly back to the main riff though as we go though another verse, slow-down and then another chorus before Murray and Smith end the song with a cool guitar bit. The final song on the album is "Only The Good Die Young" and they kick right into a fast-paced riff with more harmonized guitars and more great bass by Harris. Once Dickinson starts the verse one guitarist continues some nice fast-paced stuff while the other plays some slow and trippy stuff to add some extra epicness to the verse. When Dickinson sings the name of the song you know we've reached the chorus and he says it lots of times in case you forget. Smith plays some synths that I don't really think add anything in this average chorus but they follow it up immediately with a much better guitar solo. After another cool solo Harris takes off for a bass solo and holy shit can he ever shred a bass guitar! The bass solo is short but man is it awesome! It also perfectly leads back into the opening harmonized riff as we get ready for another go through. They play another solid verse followed by another average chorus and then it's solo time once again! This solo starts off strong but quickly becomes a metal flourish ending as everyone is going to town on their instruments in a pretty fantastic finish! The song would seem to be over, but they end the album the same way it began; with Dickinson singing a short verse filled with sevens to complete the concept album.
That is the end of "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" and I thought it was another pretty good Iron Maiden album. The progressive title track was probably my favourite but once again Iron Maiden have come up with a whole bunch of good songs. Ever since Bruce Dickinson became lead vocalist, the whole band has played some really great stuff and I think this album is also better than their first two albums with Paul Di'Anno. I also enjoyed it more than their last album "Somewhere In Time" but I don't think it was good enough to crack the top three, which are all on a slightly higher level. I'm sure the hits will keep on rolling as long as these guys are together though!
The album kicks off with "Moonchild" and Bruce Dickinson sings a short verse with every line beginning with "seven" before Smith takes over with a decent synth riff that sounds alright, but it definitely sounds weird having synths in an Iron Maiden song. Dave Murray plays a simple guitar in the background and after a fairly long synth intro they fall away when the first verse starts as Nicko McBrain and Harris form a solid fast-paced rhythm section and things are sounding like much more typical Maiden now. Dickinson sings a nice verse overtop this speedy main riff and it leads right into the short chorus. Dickinson shouts the name of the song a couple times while we hear a cool little guitar lick in the chorus, then it's right back to the main riff. After another verse and a couple choruses they move into a new bridge riff as Dickinson sings another verse centered around the number seven. This sets the stage for the guitar solo and I'm not sure which part is Murray and which part is Smith but whoever goes first takes off with a pretty good solo. This first solo fits the modd well and sounds pretty good, but when the other guitarist takes over for his turn, boy do things ramp up! The second solo is much faster and sounds way better as he nicely shreds the guitar in a great solo. They segue right back into the main riff with no break and play a final verse and chorus before ending the song with the same synth riff at the beginning. Up next is "Infinite Dreams" and Smith and Murray sync up for some harmonized guitars and Harris plays some nice bass in this quiet opening. McBrain and Dickinson join and they begin a light verse with some quiet but still cool guitar and some nice soft singing from Dickinson. The guitar gets heavier partway through the verse and Dickinson changes to his usual high voice and Harris plays some great bass as well. There's no real chorus as they continue to jam this heavier main riff until Dickinson holds a nice long "heeeeeeeeell" to end his verse. They nicely segue to a new riff led by some slow but epic guitars and they eventually speed up to a nice catchy riff. It feels like a solo is around the corner at every turn, but they just keep jamming for a good while until Dickinson returns. He sings a brief new verse and then finally we're treated to another cool double solo. Each guitarist gets a turn and Smith and Murray both deliver a short and sweet solo. This is followed by some very classic Maiden-like guitar as Murray and Smith sync up for a cool post-solo riff. This leads perfectly back into the main riff for a final verse as they nicely fade out the end of the song. Track 3 was a very successful single titled "Can I Play With Madness" that opens with Dickinson singing those words. Then they kick right into the catchy main riff which has one guitarist playing some faster stuff while the other and Harris provide some heavy slower stuff to back him. Dickinson begins a solid verse overtop this catchy main riff and they do a nice job of sounding more commercial but still very Maiden. You know when we reach the chorus as Dickinson sings it several times and Smith plays a synthesizer riff that I'm not a big fan of. Most people love synths and I can see why this was a successful single, but this riff sounds too light and commercial for me. They connect nicely back to the main riff and after another verse and chorus they shift into a new riff with some pretty good bass by Harris and this sets the stage for the guitar solo. It is a pretty epic solo by whichever guitarist played it, but it's pretty short and they follow it right up with another synth-led chorus to finish it out. Side one ends with another single, "The Evil That Men Do", and they open it with an epic soft guitar part before McBrain counts in the main riff. It's a solid fast-paced riff with decent guitar as always but even though it's in the background Harris is playing some great bass that is even faster than the lead guitar! After they establish this riff Dickinson begins a nice first verse and it leads right into a very similar chorus riff. Bruce yells "the evil that men do lives on and oooooon" ending each line with a long-held final note, and after hearing it four times it's on to the next verse. After another verse and chorus one guitarist starts up a cool new bridge riff and sets the stage beautifully for the other guitarist's solo. It's a decent solo but by Iron Maiden standards I think it's a little simple and didn't have enough punch to it. The end of the solo goes right into the chorus and they jam out a couple choruses before finally ending this good but not great song.
Side two opens with the title track "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" and it's just under ten minutes long; easily the longest song on this album. We hear what sounds like a choir "ohhing" in the background as McBrain plays some slow epic drums and we hear some slow guitar as well. They ramp up to twice the speed as when they started and the riff sounds better in double time I think. It settles into a simple but solid guitar riff and Dickinson sings an epic verse to match the mood. It must be Murray playing the guitar because Smith comes in with some synths to add to the epicness and Dickinson holds a couple nice long "ohhhh"s. The chorus is self-evident as usual as Bruce just sings the name of the song over and over in a pretty uninventive and unexciting chorus compared to how good everything was leading up to it. Dickinson then begins a short "oh oh ohhhhh" part (which are fun to sing along to at concerts but are also really quite uninventive) before they finally return for another verse. They repeat the same formula of verse, chorus and sing-along but they nicely segue from the end of the "oh oh" part into a new light guitar riff. Maiden show off their progressive capabilities with a couple nice segues as they go from this light riff to something even quieter! One guitarist plays some slow and trippy stuff while the other and Harris lead the way with a quiet but epic new riff. Dickinson proceeds to tell an epic tale (as he did in "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner) and he has a great storytelling voice as he talks about the fabled seventh son. The choir returns and makes this part even more epic and they've done a great job with this part as things sound very cool but also like we're slowly building towards something. That something comes a little after the 7 minute mark in the form of an excellent guitar solo. Either Murray or Smith begins with a really great shredding solo and the other follows it up with another nice solo, but not like that first one. The second one leads right into a wicked new riff with the guitars and bass all syncing up and playing a great new riff, but this is just a short interlude before solo #3! This third solo is more like the first one: filled with lots of great parts and tons of fast notes and it goes into the wicked interlude again and then we're treated to a fourth and final solo! This last one is also pretty awesome so that makes 3 great solos just in the past couple minutes! They finally end this amazing instrumental part as the choir returns but the great guitar work continues as Murray and Smith sync up and deliver some classic harmonized cool stuff to finish out this pretty epic song. Track 6 is called "The Prophecy" and it has a light and slow opening with Smith playing synths in the background as Murray plays a nice soft guitar riff. Smith then adds another guitar riff overtop that is still quiet but sounds pretty epic and after 40 seconds or so of this light opening they shift nicely into the more typical Maiden main riff. Dickinson sings a solid verse overtop a catchy main guitar riff and there is no real chorus but they nicely jam out this cool verse for a bit until the vocals stop and Smith and Murray begin a new harmonized guitar part. This part sounds very classic Maiden and it serves as a nice backing riff as well as one of the guitarists breaks away from the harmony and starts a solo. It's a pretty good solo as we've come to expect with lots of cool parts to it and it leads seamlessly back into the main riff as well. They play another long but solid verse and then everything fades away and Smith and Murray both play acoustic guitar in a pretty cool ending. It's unusual for one, nevermind both guitarists to go acoustic, but they play off each other nicely as always and deliver a cool finish to this song. Up next is "The Clairvoyant" and Harris begins by himself, playing a fast and pretty sweet bass riff as he kicks off this song with some great stuff! McBrain and one guitarist then join in to complete a great rhythm section and then the other guitarist plays a great lead part overtop that sounds pretty awesome. They formed this riff really nicely and it's actually quite catchy while still sounding very metal. Dickinson finally comes in to sing the first verse and he sounds like his usual epic self, nicely leading the way. Inbetween verses the guitars slow down briefly, but Harris's wonderful bass is ever present as he keeps things rolling along. After another verse and slow-down part they speed back up and finally reach the chorus. McBelrain plays a nice drum beat in the chorus and Dickinson sings "there's a time to live, and a time to die, then isn't it strange that as soon as you're born you're dying" as part of a solid chorus. This leads right into a guitar solo and while it's a shorter one it still sounds pretty good. It's quickly back to the main riff though as we go though another verse, slow-down and then another chorus before Murray and Smith end the song with a cool guitar bit. The final song on the album is "Only The Good Die Young" and they kick right into a fast-paced riff with more harmonized guitars and more great bass by Harris. Once Dickinson starts the verse one guitarist continues some nice fast-paced stuff while the other plays some slow and trippy stuff to add some extra epicness to the verse. When Dickinson sings the name of the song you know we've reached the chorus and he says it lots of times in case you forget. Smith plays some synths that I don't really think add anything in this average chorus but they follow it up immediately with a much better guitar solo. After another cool solo Harris takes off for a bass solo and holy shit can he ever shred a bass guitar! The bass solo is short but man is it awesome! It also perfectly leads back into the opening harmonized riff as we get ready for another go through. They play another solid verse followed by another average chorus and then it's solo time once again! This solo starts off strong but quickly becomes a metal flourish ending as everyone is going to town on their instruments in a pretty fantastic finish! The song would seem to be over, but they end the album the same way it began; with Dickinson singing a short verse filled with sevens to complete the concept album.
That is the end of "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" and I thought it was another pretty good Iron Maiden album. The progressive title track was probably my favourite but once again Iron Maiden have come up with a whole bunch of good songs. Ever since Bruce Dickinson became lead vocalist, the whole band has played some really great stuff and I think this album is also better than their first two albums with Paul Di'Anno. I also enjoyed it more than their last album "Somewhere In Time" but I don't think it was good enough to crack the top three, which are all on a slightly higher level. I'm sure the hits will keep on rolling as long as these guys are together though!
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