Assassins - Nachtmystium

Advantages: Two or three unique Maiden classics
Disadvantages: Weaker tracks are atrocious!

...to pursue a solo career. His replacement was shaggy-mopped former White Spirit guitarist Janick Gers. The album was a catalogue of errors. After 'Seventh son....', Steve Harris felt that Maiden should change direction. The direction, in Harris' opinion, was to go back to the 'raw' feel of earlier (i.e. Di'Anno era) Maiden albums. This meant no synthesisers, little keyboards, and lashings of dark and heavy guitars. But the album itself sounds too commercial in places, especially with semi-comic parody 'Holy Smoke', and 'The Assassin'. This was not in the Maiden spirit, as they have always played to their fans, not the masses. The spirit of the album was summed up by the artwork by Derek Riggs. Very understated compared to the marvellous 'Seventh son....' graphics, it is simply a rather gruesome 'Eddie' smashing out of a tomb, and reaching... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Dark and raw sound.
Disadvantages: Not the classic iron Maiden sound, less epic.

...This is probably one of the most unpopular Maiden albums, although it does contain their only number one single, "Bring your Daughter to the Slaughter." I think that the introduction of Janick Gers after Adrian Smith left was an inspired move - he added a new, slightly more ‘classic rock’ sound to the band, and the songs which they produce here are some of their best. The inspiration of Black Sabbath really shines through here, with dark, slightly bluesy songs representing a change from their earlier, more upbeat material. Outstanding tracks are the anthem "Bring your Daughter to the Slaughter", "Run Silent Run Deep", "The Assassin" and "Holy Smoke" "Holy Smoke" is an attack on televangelism, and has some great guitar work, with Bruce screaming much more harshly than he ever used to. Overall, the song is an aggressive return... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Quite good for putting your coffee mug on
Disadvantages: No use as a frisbee - doesn't come back. Maybe a good thing...

...Wasn't Franz Ferdinand the guy who got assassinated in Sarajevo to start WWI? I suppose that's not a bad idea for a band name, as they probably shouldn't survive to make a follow-up. And they did sing "Take me out", which certainly isn't a particularly poor song, especially shining out of the murky depths of the rest of the album, but I doubt it's worth spending a tenner on. Perhaps my opinions of the Arch Duke's latter day alter-egos might start WW3, but I just don't see what the fuss was about. A Mercury Music award for this? Maybe I should take up some form of musical appreciation course, but if this is the future of Scottish "rock/punk/pop", bring back Fish, all is forgiven! AND the Bay City Rollers, even Danny Wilson....... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful