Up the Irons! Er, violins...
Chad | Cleveland, OH | 03/13/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I was a little nervous about purchasing this CD after reading the previous review, but after passing it up a few times, I decided to take the plunge. I have to say that I am an avid Iron Maiden fan, and have been for 20 years. With that disclaimer, I will say that this cd may not appeal to someone who has a passing interest in Maiden, or the album Piece of Mind. After firing up the CD for the first time, I listened with apprehension to the opening of the first song "Where Eagles Dare". The intro begins with horns and drums, and I thought, "eh, this is okay, at best". And, then, the violins kicked in. Wow! They managed to soar, and to so closely mimic Bruce's voice, that I was happy to buy the cd, if only for that song alone. I do agree with the previous reviewer regarding some of the flaws of the album, but I felt that, overall, the performances of several tracks really shone, including Still Life, The Trooper, Quest for Fire."
A Big Let Down
Spencer Taylor | Portland, OR USA | 02/03/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not sure what the requirements are for an orchestra, but the word makes me think of a stage full of performers playing many instruments. Apparently the Hand of Doom orchestra is only 6 people. And some of the instruments aren't musical, but rather synthesizers or other sound generators.
I started up The Trooper and the first thing that stood out was the fake horns. Don't get me wrong, I like synthesizers and many kinds of electronic music, but who wants to hear a generic electronic horn in the middle of a symphony performance of great battle music? As far as I know, the only place a keyboard has succeeded in metal was Rainbow in the Dark, and it has never succeeded in an orchestra or any classical music.
Still Life and Quest for Fire are much better because the non-mechanical instruments are much less frequent. Unfortunately they did show up here and there, bringing a sudden chill through the otherwise graceful performances.
Overall I am disappointed. In many ways this album was close to achieving a grander, more immersive environment. The lack of more performers isn't such a big detriment, they play well and blend together nicely. But substituting instruments they don't have with electronics was a very bad choice. I can't help but be reminded of background music from Lords of the Realm and other mid-90's video game soundtracks.
I bought this along with Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind, but I would recommend putting your money towards another album instead."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
