I took one listen and refused to listen to it again. There are albums I still play monthly and some albums collecting dust (mostly the 1992-1998 era).
As I am a person who likes to dive into darker territories, I adore the almost constantly bleak atmosphere on this release.
Staying true to what they’ve always been about, Iron Maiden has succeeded once again in standing out amongst a stiff set of competitors and has created a magnum opus that carries many of the elements of their glory days.
The title is considered to be named after the 1946 British World War II film "A Matter of Life and Death" (also known as "Stairway to Heaven").
Sporting a better production than its predecessor, AMoLaD is more organic and live sounding. Well, after hearing Iron Maiden's new album, I can finally exhale.
Because this is one of the best albums of the year, even if it doesn’t sound like the Iron Maiden many of use grew up listening to.2006 has proven to be a truly amazing year for metal, seeing the consistently solid releases of many metal acts in its various sub-genres. This one has had me pumped for awhile now. I've been awaiting the release of "A Matter Of Life And Death" since it was announced, and after many listens, it's safe to say this is defiantly one of Maiden's best releases. The divine dichotomy denotes that the meaning of life is a matter of death. ... A Matter of Life and Death Iron Maiden. This epitomizes quality over quantity with a massive 72 minute ride down the warpath spread over only ten songs. Encyclopaedia Metallum . It's definetly a grower as well - one doesn't grasp the beauty and the atmosphere of this masterpiece in just one listen. I have been playing this album now every few months since it came out about two years ago and I must conclude this is the worst Maiden album since the reunion with Smith and Dickinson. AsPredatorToPrey, July 5th, 2007 A Matter of Life and Death can be considered Iron Maiden's most ambitious album to date.
It was an exercise in futility - after all, this is Maiden, the most consistent and highly regarded band in all of metal. And then the goddamn album was released. It didn't matter that the newest albums like Upon initially listening to A Matter of Life and Death, I thought I had recognized something no one else had noticed: namely, that this was perhaps one of the finest Christian metal albums I had ever heard.
And Blaze Bayley is nowhere to be found.Well, reading over these reviews.
So many questions arise: Will it be good? The same pattern has already been established at the time of the last two albums' releases, and it's as predictable as clockwork. I don't know for the Benjamin Breeg's enigmatic identity but I do clearly hear The Reincarnation of Iron Maiden, over the planetary zenith, once again breaking their own status quo into the most serious, atmospheric LP to date since the record just wipes out most 90's material, making them instantly prepared and reinitiated for the 21st century, Iron Maiden.
But there is some eventual payoff here, and it's probably one of the better songs overall on the album, like a Maiden prog-rock opus once more over 9 minutes. Unfortunately it seems in recent history, plenty of examples have popped up when control I have not been exactly consistent in my views regarding Iron Maiden, though my reviews for both Hot on the heels of 'Dance of Death' came 'A Matter of Life and Death', a much more well rounded and succinct prog effort from the Maiden lads. A Matter of Life and Death can be considered Iron Maiden's most ambitious album to date. It's that bad.Iron Maiden. By their own admission, the songs were influenced more by the music of prog bands such as Yes, Genesis and Wishbone Ash than by the energy or pace of the metal which we all know and love from them. I'm not some death metal fan with no love for the classics of the genre. This is apparent not only in the mammoth length of most of the songs, but in the musical tone of the album.
A Matter of Life and Death can be summed up as a great album both in terms of quality and quantity. How much can a person say about Iron Maiden that every other respectable metal head doesn’t already know? This record could almost qualify for the prog metal genre.
Presently, Mankind may dwell in a different world; but, from our noble birth - out of the shadows - unto our death, when we embrace the lord of light - faith endures and the eternal spirit within us all thrives, so that the pilgrim may flower and flourish.Iron Maiden’s newest release, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, continues in the vein of progressive material that began with Seventh Son, evolved in Brave New World and Dance of Death, and finally culminates in their newest album. Empires rise and fall, men age with their gods and kings, stars ignite and contract, asteroid belts continue to hover across the firmament, and through it all, Iron Maiden continues to slog forth relentlessly, bringing their aged and fermented heavy metal to new generations of bright eyed youngsters and those crazy bastards that loved them all along.
Gone are almost all concessions to brevity such as The Wickerman, The Fallen Angel, or Wildest Dreams.
I’ve been a fan since I first heard Wasted Years somewhere in ’86 and keeping track of the band ever since. The music elaborates on what 'Dance of Death' last accomplished, but improves on all prog elements to stunning effect, all whilst maintaining the classic refined Maiden trademark sound. Not to worry, because those of us who appreciate Iron Maiden's recent maturation into a prog-tinged, midpaced style will appreciate this album just as much as the last two. But still, it was Maiden! Although this is far from the first Iron Maiden record to drop loads of progressive musicianship, this is the first one that basically makes that the priority.