I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but not only is The Final Frontier my favorite 21st century Maiden album, it's my favorite of any of their non-80's albums. I think they were on fire in the song-writing department, and that album really transports me on a journey whenever I listen to it, which is what I listen to Iron Maiden for in the first place.

Also, how is Phil Anselmo racist or a neo-nazi? Wasn't Kevin Bond from Superjoint Ritual at least half-black?

You can't possibly be serious, get the fuck out of here. If you actually wanted to know you could find out in 2 seconds by searching "Phil Anselmo racist".

Unless you're dumb enough to believe in his totally non-racist reasons to show "white power" on stage.

I like Brave New World, but it's honestly my least favorite of the 21st century Iron Maiden albums. I find that it doesn't flow as well as what they would put out later. I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but not only is The Final Frontier my favorite 21st century Maiden album, it's my favorite of any of their non-80's albums. I think they were on fire in the song-writing department, and that album really transports me on a journey whenever I listen to it, which is what I listen to Iron Maiden for in the first place.

Also, how is Phil Anselmo racist or a neo-nazi? Wasn't Kevin Bond from Superjoint Ritual at least half-black?

And if you're referring to him shouting "white power" into an audience, he explained that he was joking around and even apologized to anyone who was offended by it. Admittedly, it's not a very funny joke, and he was being stupid, but being stupid and unfunny doesn't mean you're racist.

I don't care what Google says. If I did, I would have looked it up there already. All I did was pose the question in case anyone had any personal arguments why they think so. No need to get hostile, dude.

And if you're referring to him shouting "white power" into an audience, he explained that he was joking around and even apologized to anyone who was offended by it. Admittedly, it's not a very funny joke, and he was being stupid, but being stupid and unfunny doesn't mean you're racist.

That's true, for example you may not be racist even though you are clearly stupid.

If you believe any of the contradictory horseshit explanations he gave then you may be beyond help.

Dance of Death is interesting, since that one has the most songs that don't feel like normal Maiden in any recent year. It doesn't really have a lot of truly great tunes, but it's fun.

Dude, what is your problem? Is it so upsetting to you that I'm questioning or even disagreeing with the idea that he's racist?

Yeah - The Final Frontier is easily their best album after the 80s. That one is a genuine trip with this real sense of immersion and adventure.

Dance of Death is interesting, since that one has the most songs that don't feel like normal Maiden in any recent year. It doesn't really have a lot of truly great tunes, but it's fun.

I agree, and I think people need to revisit this album. I think the intro threw people off and they never seemed to get past it. Its by far the most varied song writing wise of the modern Maiden era, has throwbacks to old Maiden (The Alchemist), genuine epics (The Talisman), actual progressive songs that arent just endless riffs replayed (Isle of Avalon) catchy verse chorus verse chorus structured songs (El Dorado), and the boring chorus repetition of the BNW and DOD are gone. People originally complained about the final 3 tracks being boring Harris epics but The Talisman is easily one of Maidens best post reunion songs and absolutely justifies its length, The Man Who Would Be King is basically just a verse chorus verse chorus song, they just have the quiet intro and outro (another one of my favourites) and Where The Wild Wind Blows is to me, the best of the FOTD style structured songs they've done, but I can see why people feel this song falls into meandering Harris epic territory. However I love all the moments of WTWWB and think its flows perfectly.

But you literally refuse to ''google'' it yourself for some reason, because google is evil and will only show false stuff?

However, you somehow know that that he apologized for it, and just believe it? k den.

You ever see that video from the 90s of Phil stopping a Pantera concert dead to rant at the audience about how "white culture" needs to be saved from rap?

Also having a (half) black friend/bandmate doesn't necessarily make one not racist. Are you familiar with the phrase "one of the good ones"?

Indeed. It's a stellar release with the only weak moments being the intro. The title track is solid, but isn't terribly exciting, either.
But, from that point on, it's fantastic. "The Alchemist", "The Talisman", and "Where the Wild Wind Blows" are among their best songs, IMO. All three deliver a sense of 'urgency' and 'authenticity' (not sure what other words would better describe it). Definitely among the best of the reunion era.

Master of Puppets was one of the worst disappointments of my metal-hearing life. After an amazing Kill em All and a slower but so powerful and heavy Ride the Lighting, the very thin sound on the 1LP release, plus the lack of inspiration in the riffs, was just such a let off.

Last weekend, Taylor Swift came to Argentina for the first time, and all the kids and girls were overwhelmingly excited to see her in a way I never saw other artists generate this kind of passion and devotion for her music. I thought if metal generated that in us, that kind of artists that stop whatever the country is doing, and all the eyes go to them. I know this is music for young people, but that kind of good vibe in the kids made me think.

Since I read the forum the only band that everybody respects at that level is Iron Maiden, I had the luck of seeing them three times here in Buenos Aires. They had something because the most important thing that they did was 40 years ago, but we still valued them as the kings of the genre and most importantly as the metal shows kings, I don't know why, but very few metal bands put a good live show these days, is like everybody is fine with playing their instruments and not these larger-than-life characters that at some time metal had. Ghost may be one of the bands that still are trying to put on a good show for their audience, but not at the level of Maiden.

Putting on a show on the scale of Maiden costs a shitload of money, most metal bands just can't afford it

I don't think you need a gimmick or props to put on a great show. Taylor Swift is like the Beatles now, a phenomenon so I wouldn't expect a metal band to have that kind of cultural draw.

I've seen Maiden many times and they are very good live but I wouldn't call them the best live band I've seen.

Master of Puppets was one of the worst disappointments of my metal-hearing life. After an amazing Kill em All and a slower but so powerful and heavy Ride the Lighting, the very thin sound on the 1LP release, plus the lack of inspiration in the riffs, was just such a let off.

I'm really reading some things here that makes me think that some of you only use your brains to keep breathing and not shit your pants, what the fuck.

Master of Puppets was one of the worst disappointments of my metal-hearing life. After an amazing Kill em All and a slower but so powerful and heavy Ride the Lighting, the very thin sound on the 1LP release, plus the lack of inspiration in the riffs, was just such a let off.

Master of Puppets is brilliant and a milestone... the melody and atmosphere make it stand out and I never get why it's got to be compared to the brutality of some other bands. I suppose back in the 80s it was easier to have that sort of tunnel vision in assuming the only goal was just speed. But it's just another pillar of what the sound can be, the opposite of the mastery of Reign in Blood for example.

202 pages and the shit opinions keep on coming.

202 pages and the shit opinions keep on coming.

I didn't realize that till I saw the people's reaction to her show. She is a cultural phenomenon, like the Beatles as you said. I think we were also that at some point, especially with Iron Maiden and Metallica, it would be pretty cool to have a metal artist that generates that in the people.

I can't say Maiden is the best band that I've seen live, but they definitively are the ones who put on the most expensive and big show. I saw them in the Somewhere Back in Time tour and the Maiden England tour and they were fantastic, every song had a different scenario, with different giant Eddies and the big fire and all the cool stuff.

Master of Puppets is brilliant and a milestone... the melody and atmosphere make it stand out and I never get why it's got to be compared to the brutality of some other bands. I suppose back in the 80s it was easier to have that sort of tunnel vision in assuming the only goal was just speed. But it's just another pillar of what the sound can be, the opposite of the mastery of Reign in Blood for example.

This forum is a goldmine for weird-as-hell opinions, like that guy saying that Reek of Putrefaction is the ONLY good Carcass album. Not just his favorite, it's the only one he likes. My God.

Master of Puppets is brilliant and a milestone... the melody and atmosphere make it stand out and I never get why it's got to be compared to the brutality of some other bands. I suppose back in the 80s it was easier to have that sort of tunnel vision in assuming the only goal was just speed. But it's just another pillar of what the sound can be, the opposite of the mastery of Reign in Blood for example.

Master of Puppets is brilliant and a milestone... the melody and atmosphere make it stand out and I never get why it's got to be compared to the brutality of some other bands. I suppose back in the 80s it was easier to have that sort of tunnel vision in assuming the only goal was just speed. But it's just another pillar of what the sound can be, the opposite of the mastery of Reign in Blood for example.