Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Freehold NJ

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

Iron Maiden

Raw Power Records, 1988

REVIEW BY: Riley McDonald

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/16/2004

"Seven deadly sins/Seven ways to win/Seven holy paths tohell..." so begins the ominous intro to another masterful epic ofMaiden's. Realizing that they overkilled the synths on Somewhere In Time, they toned them down a bit, and returnedmore to their classical structure. Unfortunately, such a move wouldmake this a weaker follow-up to their 1986 piece of perfection.

The first track, "Moonchild," continues the band's reputationfor unbelievably good introductions, as well as their fascinationwith Aleister Crowley (which began in "Revelations"). It's aspacey, ethereal tune with a very mystical feel.

"Infinite Dreams" is easily one of the most complex compositionsthe band has ever constructed. It starts off softly and slowly,seeming to be a ballad, but before long, it rises to a fever pitch,turning to a full-out metal tune. It's a twisting, weaving songthat has lyrics perfectly suited for it.

Track three is regarded by most fans as the song that shouldn'thave been. "Can I Play With Madness," has largely been regarded asthe Irons' worst song ever. While I can't exactly agree with themthere (have any of you heard "Tailgunner"?), it definitely isn't abright moment. However, the chorus is fairly catchy, and I don'tthink that it deserves such a bad rap.