| | Iron Maiden X Factor CD Iron Maiden Discography of CDs
 (10 Customer Reviews)
When longtime vocalist Bruce Dickinson left Iron Maiden in 1993, many fans feared that the band was finished. But the rest of the band decided to stick it out, finding a replacement in ex-Wolfsbane frontman "Blaze" Bayley. On Maiden's first recording with Bayley, 1995's THE X FACTOR, the band sticks to the same musical direction of its early-'90s work: straightforward, heavy tunes.
Bayley's voice couldn't have been more different than that of his predecessor. While Dickinson sang in a higher register (often in an operatic style), Bayley was more of a bassy, low-down belter--just listen to such tracks as "Man on the Edge" and "Lord of the Flies" for proof. Unfortunately, the new lineup didn't have the same staying power as the Dickinson-fronted era, lasting for only one more recording.
Suffering from a lack of powerful riffs and tightly written songs, The X Factor is a lackluster latter-day album from Iron Maiden. Although the band doesn't sound particularly bad on the record, they don't sound inspired and there's a noticeable lack of energy to the performances which makes the lack of imagination all the more apparent. There's a few cuts that almost deliver the goods, but it's not enough to raise The X Factor above the merely adequate. [On all of Iron Maiden's 1998 reissues on Raw Power a multimedia section is featured on the CD, which includes videos, band biographies, tour date history, and photo galleries.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
This Limited version features vinyl replica packaging.
LTD.Ed.Digipak Reissue.
Recorded at Barnyard Studios, Essex, England.
Iron Maiden: Blaze Bayley (vocals); Dave Murray, Janick Gers (guitar); Steve Harris (bass); Nicko McBrain (drums).
Personnel: Blaze Bayley (vocals); Dave Murray , Janick Gers (guitar).
Photographers: Ross Halfin; Tony Frederick.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Les Lambert; Michael McKenna.
Additional personnel: Xpresion Choir.Q (12/95, p.140) - 3 Stars - Good - "...X FACTOR is still what the band do best: highly portentous, often refreshingly catchy....no real deviations from a proven formula..."
NME (Magazine) (10/14/95, p.35) - 6 (out of 10) - "...Blaze [Bayley]'s lyrics eschew any nonsense about elves and psychopaths, favouring instead ruminations about the nature of war....probably...their best album..." Iron Maiden X Factor Songs X Factor Music Review Average Rating: (3.4 out of 5 stars)   List All Reviews A good album
This album is not at all as bad as some say! I for one like the way Blaze has a kinda sad and dark voice, it gives the album a dark brodding feal and thats what i think they were trying to create when recording this! Best tracks are Sign of the cross, Lord of the flies and Fortunes of war.
Submitted by turelx (Tangen)
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 Best post-80s era album by IM
This album is simply brilliant. No, it's nothing like Piece of Mind or any of their other classic albums of the 80s. These guys have evolved musically. What I like about this album is that it is so unique compared with any of their other albums. Virtual XI, Brave New World, and Dance of Death are quite similar to each other in my opinion. The simple minded will lump this one with Virtual XI simply because Blaze is doing the vocals (check out Blaze's solo work - it is good). However, the latest three studio albums all are similar in that their compositions are more akin to power metal compositions than anything else. Virtual XI is not like that and it is not trying to recapture their glory days like Fear of the Dark and No Prayer seemed to be trying to do (unsuccessfully in my opinion). If you like Iron Maiden, I suspect you will enjoy this. If what you like about Iron Maiden is Bruce Dickinson, then move along to the Bruce Dickinson page and consider buying Chemical Wedding (his best in my opinion).
Submitted by drudow (Lawrenceville, GA USA)
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 Say it isn't so...
This is my favorite band, still is, but this was there one album where everything fell apart, they began to rebuild come Virtual XI, and were fully re built by the new Bruce albums, but god does this stink.
Submitted by b3 (my house)
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 Not TOO Bad...
True, Blaze is NOT Bruce and Jannick isn't Adrian Smith either, but this CD isn't that bad. There are a few good tunes onhere. For example, "Man On The Edge", "Look For The Truth" and "Lord Of The Flies" stick to the proven formula that has made Maiden great for so many years. I agree with the above post about the sound quality and the playing being a little loose at times.This CD would have been ALOT better if Blaze sung like himself, and not trying to imitate Bruce's high vocal range. Listen to the last track "The Unbeliever" You'll hear what I mean. UP THE IRONS !!!!
Submitted by ANDY4DE3N8 (Saxonburg,PA)
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Blaze but no coconut
So...um, yeah. The X factor got s***loads of bad reviews in it's time, and they were almost all from diehard Bruce fanboys that couldn't bear to see him go and another replaced. Admittedly Blaze is no Bruce, and X factor is no Powerslave, but i like this album. It's a different direction for Maiden as well, and a big one at that.
You can hear that Nicko has changed kits from his trademark French one, and you can hear it in the songs. A small flaw though, and one of my only at that is the terrible solos. They are SLOW, they are TRAILING, they are almost EFFORTLESS and even SUM 41 could have pulled them off. The only decent solo is on 'Man on the Edge', my favourite track on the album.
I'll review my favourite 3 as I'm running out of things to say:
1. Man on the Edge: 9/10
Fast-paced, with memorable verses and the only good solo. Sadly the chorus is a small letdown, repeated 6 times with little emotion. This is actually a song tie-in with the Michael Douglas film 'Falling Down'
2. Judgment of Heaven: 8.5/10
I don't even know why i like this one, but it's so catchy, and i like the songwriting put into it. 'All of my life, i have believed, judgment of heaven is waiting for me'. And the first to second minutes of the song is brilliantly sung.
3. Lord of the Flies: 7.5/10
Tie-in with the book of the same name 'lord of the flies' is a fairly good song. I particularly like the chorus on this one 'saints and sinners, something willing us, to be lord of the flies. I really didn't like the solo on this one, if you could call it that.
OK that's my review. BYEEEE
Submitted by a reviewer (Arbroath)
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