Review:
Iron Maiden: The Final Frontier

Iron Maiden don’t do things by halves. If they did, the band wouldn’t exist. Maiden have staunchly rejected anything other than what both they and their fans want from them and the result is the most devoted, hardcore fanbase in existence for any band. How fitting, then, that their fifteenth studio album is an epic poem of thanks for over thirty years of loyal support.

‘The Final Frontier’ is the epitome of Maiden refusing to do things by halves. For starters, the album is the longest of their career so far, weighing in at just over seventy-six minutes. Secondly, the shortest track is four and half minutes long and finally, aside from the album’s demo track ‘El Dorado’, the entire song list is full of lengthy, poetic epics with no catchy chorus lines.

‘The Final Frontier’ is, without a doubt, an album made just for Maiden’s legions of fans. It is also probably the band’s most difficult record to get into, and for this reason alone it effortlessly makes itself rewarding over multiple listens. The first few times it’s heard, the album seems to alienate the listener, lacking those familiar Maiden comforts – the bombastic chorus lines, the echoing guitar riffs that allow stadiums of fans to chant along with, the power melodies and repeated verses – but the result is a profoundly affecting one.

While it does take a few repeats to get into it, it’s well worth taking the time to do so, as underneath the vaguely fantastical sci-fi theme of the album, it’s got the raw, beating heart of a Maiden classic. The usual showy flair for switching the power of the guitar riffs has never been better demonstrated here, as tracks flirt wildly between unstoppable heaviness and serene subtlety before delving into the always-impressive solos that only Maiden can achieve.

It also seems to be paying homage to various albums of Maiden’s own back catalogue. Title track ‘Satellite 15… The Final Frontier’ would fit perfectly on the ‘Somewhere in Time’ album, while ‘The Alchemist’ has the feel of the classic ‘gallop’ tracks of yore, like ‘The Trooper’ and ‘Die With Your Boots On’. Epic soul-searching number ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ has the soft synthesised feel of the ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ album and the closing track ‘When The Wild Wind Blows’ has the introspective flavour of the closing tracks on ‘Dance of Death’. It’s a musical trip through memory lane, one that serves to deepen the listener’s appreciation for an epic and richly flavoured album.