The Re-Birth of Metal. This is my first review for MetalIndia and there are two reasons why I’m doing it, firstly I love the sound of blaring guitars and a moody rhythmic voice , secondly nobody does it better than these guys. The opening riffs of ‘The Wicker Man’ is Maiden’s way of brashly saying ‘welcome to the 21st century where metal still rules’.. Its an out and out rocker, it reminds u a bit of ‘Exciter’ by Judas Priest initially but then Dickinson and Co. take the song to a totally different level. It’s the first release off the album and everybody is glad to see Eddie appear in the video. Then comes the Beautifully written ‘Ghost of the navigator’ which starts off a little slowly and then increases the tempo in a way which only Maiden can do it.. Bruce’s vocals for the song sound awesome. . as it progresses one will be reminded of the old glory days of ‘Hallowed be thy name’. Next in line we are introduced to the title track which opens with the line ‘Dying swans, twisted wings , beauty not needed here’ instantly you know that this is going the be one of those Maiden classics which incorporates myth and reality, blowing off your mind. ‘Blood Brothers’ the next track has got Steve Harris written all over it,once again he talks about war and peace in a brutal fashion and the middle of the song takes you to a totally different level where one can hear soft keyboards and a strong bass line ,which makes one’s hands sway instantly (do it with a lighter in your hand for added effect)..It reminds one of the Blaze Bailey days but Dickinson lends his magic to the song, which makes it sound totally kick ass!!! . Then follows the brutal ‘The Mercenary’ with a killer chorus and a blistering 3 guitar attack , the song is destined to be a classic. .it’s a straight off balls to the walls song which tracks back to the ‘Powerslave’ days. Then comes the nine-minute long Dickinson/Smith penned ‘Dream Of Mirrors’ and these guys are in fine form here. Another killer chorus here and the songwriting is simply superb.. it incorporates the perfect balance between slow and fast..just when u wish it would go faster.. the song does and then it never lets off. ‘The Fallen Angel’ is the next release on radio and very worthy of being so, it again showcases the talent of Messer’s Smith, Murray and Gers all three are in fine form here. Then comes the incredible ‘The Nomad’ I don’t know how they pulled this one off but they did , the song has an Arabic taste to it .. just close your eyes and you’ll find yourself in the desert, Nicko has made the drums sing out an eastern as well as a western rhythm at the same time.. it is one of Maiden’s finest achievements. ‘Out of the silent planet’ is another scorcher which talks about this world and dreams of desolation and the last one ‘The thin line between love and hate’, the song is as interesting as the long title…the perfect closure to a very fine album which speaks with its music and hails the return of the mighty kings of metal…It was long awaited and they are back with a fury silencing all their critics.. All hail the dawn of a new era…. The Time has finally come.