Iron Maiden Virtual XI CD

Iron Maiden's eleventh record, aptly titled VIRTUAL XI, is a wonderful addition to the band's legacy. Refusing to sell out and go "alternative" or "electronic," the group sticks to what it knows; heavy metal epics focusing on world peace, paranoia and technology. This is the second release with vocalist Blaze Bayley who adds his own powerful element to the Maiden mix. His voice is deeper and more brooding than his predecessor Bruce Dickinson, but just as effective.

The technical virtuosity and the unfettered production (by bassist Steve Harris and Nigel Green) of classic Maiden are still solidly in place. Some keyboards are used for ambience, but this is mostly speed and power ala vintage Maiden. The songs are on the long side, with "The Angel And The Gambler" clocking in at over 9 minutes. All in all, fans of the band, or of heavy rock in general, will be satisfied, as all the traditional ingredients that make this a great band are evident in VIRTUAL XI.

CMC International did provide a needed service by allowing metal bands past their prime an opportunity to release records. Most of these bands sold records, but in considerably smaller numbers than they did at the height of their career. For fans and the bands alike, CMC International's very presence was welcome, since it was likely that these bands -- including Iron Maiden -- wouldn't have had a chance to record otherwise. Unfortunately, that didn't necessarily mean that the bands needed to be recorded at this time. Take, for instance, Iron Maiden. After touring for over 20 years, the band had perfected their style, but all the surprise had been stripped from their sound. Furthermore, charismatic lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson had been replaced by Blaze Bayley, a competent but faceless vocalist, which only emphasized the fact that a band that defined a genre had become generic themselves. Nowhere is that more apparent than on Virtual XI, their second album for CMC. On the surface, there's nothing terribly wrong with the record, as it delivers all the crunching riffs and demonic horror of their best records. The problem is that there's nothing memorable about the hooks, riffs, or songs, and there's little visceral energy to the music or production. As a result, it sounds lifeless to all but the most devoted fan. And even those fans, pleased as they may be to have a new Maiden album, will admit that the group sounds tired. [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.

Personnel: Blaze Bayley (vocals); Dave Murray , Janick Gers (guitar); Mike Kenney, Steve Harris (keyboards); Nicko McBrain (drums).

Audio Mixers: Nigel Green; Steve Harris .

Photographers: Ross Halfin; Simon Fowler.

Unknown Contributor Role: Les Lambert.

Iron Maiden: Blaze Bayley (vocals); Dave Murray, Janick Gers (guitar); Steve Harris (keyboards, bass); Nicko McBrain (drums).

Additional personnel: Michael Kenney (keyboards).