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Iron Maiden: No prayer for the dying
11/02/11 || Habakuk
This is Iron Maiden’s first bad album. Common consensus reached, everybody leave.
Bullshit. This is a cool album no matter what the Internet is trying to tell you. Sure, it came in a bad position, just after “Seventh Son”, or rather, just after a streak of one two three four SEVEN absolutely indisputable, unfuckwithable classic albums. This one is the first to really debate on, but you know what? It’s the first Maiden album I remember listening to apart from some “Best of the Beast” compilation, and I’ve always loved it. In fact, I was almost putting it into the Class666 section, but then again, I don’t want to suggest that this is on the same level with the 80s stuff. With that out of the way…
Adrian Smith had left the band to be replaced by Janick Gers before this. A definite change in direction towards a simpler, more rockish sound can be observed, but without years of knowing Maiden as they were before on my back, I have always appreciated both styles, pre- and post-1989, for what they are.
Many people obviously don’t, so the main problem this album has is a direct comparison to the earlier stuff – “Where eagles dare”, “Aces high” … “Tail gunner”. I admit, this is an underwhelming beginning, but hey, a decent song, and during its course it already becomes apparent that Bruce Dickinson also changed from his epic style towards a more snarly tone on this album, which I quite like and which fits the biting tone of the lyrics like a glove. It’s probably no coincidence that “Holy Smoke”, the first and only Maiden song that features a swear word, twice even, is on this record. Also, Bruce apparently discovered his love for puns on “No prayer” with lines like “Nail that Fokker”, “Public enema number one” or basically all of “Hooks in you”.
Lyrics aside, it’s not just “Tail Gunner” that hasn’t left a deep mark in Maiden’s song catalogue in the shadow of the earlier stuff. Most of these songs aren’t exactly mentioned very often, to my chagrin: there is actually some pretty strong material to be found, unless – I give you that – you’re looking for more galloping horse material. Instead, we get upbeat, straight-out rockers like “Bring your daughter…”, Hooks in you” and “Holy smoke”, and while they would sound out of place on “Seventh son” (as CAN I PLAY WITH MADNEEYEESS proved perfectly), there’s definitely nothing wrong with them here. “No prayer for the dying” on the other hand, completely opposite in direction – why isn’t this song talked about more often? A dark, introspective song forming one absolutely awesome build-up foreshadowing the likes of “Afraid to shoot strangers” or “Fear of the Dark”. Sinister songs like “Run silent…”, anthemic tunes like “Fates warning” or “Public enema” – never again heard of, which is a shame. Okay, “Mother Russia” goes nowhere in a way, unfortunately, but as with all of the album, there at least is some decent guitar lead work, and the solos throughout the album are as great as they always have been.
The production is full-bodied and leaves nothing to be desired, Steve Harris does his thing backing the songs, as always holding up surprisingly well against the dual guitar work, and well, Nicko McBrain plays along. Not his most creative performance, but then again, the clearly structured songs don’t exactly ask for that.
So, while some valid points can be made against this, it is nowhere near as shitty as many disappointed 80s souls will try to tell you. In the somewhat fortunate position of having started my Maiden Voyage (ha!) with “No prayer for the dying”, there is one thing I can tell you for sure: Ignorance truly is bliss.
- Information
- Released: 1990
- Label: EMI
- Website: www.ironmaiden.com
- Band
- Bruce Dickinson: vocals
- Dave Murray: guitars
- Janick Gers: guitars
- Steve Harris: bass
- Nicko McBrain: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Tail gunner
- 02. Holy smoke
- 03. No prayer for the dying
- 04. Public enema number one
- 05. Fates warning
- 06. The assassin
- 07. Run silent run deep
- 08. Hooks in you
- 09. Bring your daughter… to the slaughter
- 10. Mother Russia
