'A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH’ – IRON MAIDEN

Some people say that Iron Maiden just make the same album over and over again. But then again some people are stupid and a bit short-sighted. Yes Maiden have a very distinctive sound, but if you listen to a selection of their albums in sequence there is a clear natural progression, as both the music and the sound evolves and develops. Certainly the three most recent releases (‘Brave New World’, ‘Dance of Death’ and this one) are very different from the early days of ‘Iron Maiden’, ‘Killers’ or ‘Number of the Beast’
‘A Matter of Life and Death’ is a big album. No, not big: HUGE! It is wild, adventurous and tremendously exciting. From the opening crash OF ‘Different World’ there is no let up. This is the kind of heavy that doesn’t rely on an incomprehensible din of screaming, screeching and seismic thunder, but on the ability of the music to penetrate every cell and synapse, to make you shudder in awe and horror. Heavy doesn’t have to pick you up and throw you against the wall, sometimes it just crawls right underneath the skin and freezes your blood. And this is precisely what this album does. Every last song instils terror and revulsion – so much so that you’re almost glad when it finally ends….but not quite.

Indeed this may even be Maiden’s finest album. Certainly it is their strongest release since Bruce Dickenson returned on vocals. The musical content is cleaner and more focused than ‘Dance of Death’, and it does not fade to monotony mid-album like ‘Brave New World.’ It is also far more intense – ‘Brighter Than A Thousand Suns’ and ‘The Longest Day’ are both spine-tingling and perhaps two of the most alarming tracks Maiden have ever wrttren. Meanwhile ‘These Colours Don’t Run’ is clearly a song destined to remain in their live set-list for eternity.

So yes, this is another Iron Maiden album, and yes it does sound like Iron Maiden. If this surprises or horrifies you, follow my simple advice: don’t fucking listen to it!

7/7

‘KILL’ – CANNIBAL CORPSE

You’ve got to love Cannibal Corpse. Anyone with even the vaguest sense of humour can’t possibly fail to find their gore-thirsty and astonishingly violent lyrics at least a little bit humorous. There’s no subtlety here. None of the normal tongue-in-cheek suggestion, this is simple, blatant, psychotic carnage. And it’s great! Few bands, even death metal bands, have the balls to approach murder and mutilation in this way. It is really quite refreshing. With song titles such as ‘Five Nails Through the Neck’, ‘Barbaric Bludgeoning’, ‘Brain Removal Device’ and ‘Submerged in Boiling Flesh’, it is difficult to miss the theme of the album. More refreshingly perhaps, is that the music completely lives up to the preconception formed by such vicious names. There is simply no let up. Each song delivers its lethal blast of frenetic jackhammer/ripsaw malice with such dazzling precision and vehemence that by the time you realize it’s over, the next song has already started. But the effect, rather than being a confusing and painful din, is in fact enthralling. If you like heavy music at all, you will love this! You just can't fault it.

7/7

CRADLE OF FILTH + Sabbat + Deathstars.
CARLING ACADEMY, BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY 18th DECEMBER 2006

Sweden’s Deathstars have done well for themselves over here in the last year. Having already completed a UK tour with Lacuna Coil back in March they are proving an impressive live band, giving a solid and invigorating performance. Sounding like some twisted circus hybrid between Rammstein and Marilyn Manson, they rock the Academy and could easily be headliners rather than ‘local’ support band they are billed as.
Sabbat are one of those bands that seem to have been around forever, without having done anything or gone where. For some reason they are also often referred to as ‘the mighty…..’, but on what basis is not clear, because tonight they are little more than boring. The guitars undeniably shred a few faces here and there, but the drummer desperately needs to learn a new beat and aside from the awesome set closer ‘For Those Who Died’, it is difficult to describe them as anything other than a mildly camp dad’s band Slayer rip-off.

After their slightly disappointing Thornography album, there is a lot of anticipation about tonight’s show. Cradle of Filth are legendary as much for their theatrical sets as they are for their savage and dramatic music – will they set Birmingham on fire, or will they crash and burn? Well it was a bit of a stupid question really, wasn’t it! Any doubts should have been left at the door. They fucking rule! Concentrating less on extravagant set design (and ludicrous trapeze artists too, thankfully) and more on the quality and quantity of the music, pays dividends and adds immensely to the atmosphere and ferocity of the show. It has to be said that the new material is also far better when played live than on CD. Extra speed, no doubt at least partly attributable to new drummer Martin Skaroupa – who by the way is simply phenomenal – injects a huge amount of energy into the music. Besides this, a full compliment of guitars and keys once again enables them to unleash their full aural arsenal, giving the audience the full abysmally multi-layered Filth experience. Unfortunately this also works against them at times, making one or two tracks unidentifiable until halfway through. But this deters neither them nor the crowd, and that adds much to tonight’s show. A gig is about the atmosphere, as well as the music. And Cradle of Filth always know how to make people have a good time. This evening was no exception.

6/7