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From their debut all the way up to Powerslave(1984), Iron Maiden successfully showcased that they were on top of the NWOBHM scene, rocking hard and riding free, with few bands able to rival them. Come 1986, Maiden decided to experiment with guitar synthesizers and bass synths and managed to create the moody masterpiece progressive album, Somewhere In Time (IMHO, one of my two favorite Maiden albums). Now we arrive in 1988 when Maiden decided to take the progressiveness even further to an epic level. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son takes its style from Hemispheres and AFTTK era Rush (back in 77-78) and fuses it with Iron Maiden's early sound creating a masterful concept album. It follows the story of a cursed child who is born with special powers and it tempted by the side of both good and evil. Whether you understand the concept story or not, all fans must agree that SSOASS has excellent musicianship by the band, and the chemistry of the "perfect 5" Maiden lineup is completely intact. Unfortunately, this is the last time that they play this well for a good twelve years, as the classic lineup is shattered. But for the rest of the 80s, Iron Maiden managed to stay on top of the game and gave the fans an album to remember them by. Let's take a look at this album:

1) Moonchild- Starts off with an accoustic passage giving this album's theme and then it builds into a fast rocker. Great usage of keyboards in the background. Bruce's vocals are very aggressive here. 10/10

2) Infinite Dreams- This one may take time for fans to get used to as it alternates between a softer and harder section. Great song though. 9/10

3) Can I Play With Madness- A short commercial rocker similar to the previous album's Wasted Years. I understand that this track was played to death back in the day (though I'm much more inclined to believe that # Of The Beast and 2 Minutes To Midnight got overplayed if anything), but it's still an excellent song nonetheless. I like it. 9/10

4) The Evil That Men Do- Another phenomenal rocker. I didn't like it at first because the chorus got rather tedious to listen to, but it does grow on you. A noteworthy gem. 10/10

5) Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son- IRON MAIDEN TACKLES THE 10-MINUTE PROGRESSIVE EPIC CHALLENGE, and succeeds! They've done it before with Rhime Of The Ancient Mariner and Alexander The Great, but this is the first time in which they create the story themselves. Wonderful musicianship throughout. 10/10

6) The Prophecy- Some say that this track is the worst on the album, but I have to disagree. While it's certainly not one of the best Maiden songs, it does stand out quite a bit, as the band has never done anything that sounds quite like it up to this album, and for that the song deserves credit. Bruce's vocal ability shines here. 8/10

7) The Clairvoyant- A MASTERPIECE! Of the more commercial progressive styled rockers on the album, this track shines far above the rest. My favorite track on here. 10/10

8) Only The Good Die Young- This song would tie with The Prophecy as far as good songs on the album go, but unfortunately unlike The Prophecy, this one fails to really stand out at all. Still decent though. It ends with the same accoustic passage as the intro of Moonchild. 7/10

So how will fans judge SSOASS? It really depends on how much you enjoy progressive rock music. If you've got a short attention span and you're a fan who can't sit through any song longer than four minutes, then you may not like SSOASS much. Give it time and it should grow on you. I on the other hand have come to appreciate more complicated works in the past year, and I enjoy hearing the different guitar parts, time-change signatures, and concept story SSOASS has to offer. Therefore I give it five stars. Also, hardcore fans shouldn't be stringent on their usage of keyboards. They are used as a nice background texture, which has very little presence. Cripes people, if you think that the keyboards are dominating here then you need to actually LISTEN to the music. There are certainly no shortages of guitar parts here. Dave and Adrian are playing dual guitar solos as great as ever, but unfortunately Adrian departs after this album, which started a chain of progressively worse Maiden albums until the dawn of the new millenium arrived. Don't hesitate to pick this up if you are already a fan. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Evil That Men Do lives on and on, and so does Iron Maiden! They still have it in them as proven by their new album, Dance Of Death(2003). For that and their devotion to true heavy metal, I salute them. Keep on rocking forever guys.


Hear those mandrakes scream   January 22, 2004
 15 out of 17 found this review helpful

It has been interesting to read the disparity of opinions held about this album. I bought this CD when it was released and have always enjoyed listening to it, but for some reason I have not yet familiarized myself with this band's other work. Thus, I can't put this particular album in any context when it comes to the history and evolution of Iron Maiden. All I can do is to comment on my own appreciation of each of the eight songs collected here in and of themselves. By my count, there are five really good songs and three absolutely great songs on this album; you won't have to go reaching across the dash to find the Next Track button when you have this CD rocking you down the road. My favorite has always been Can I Play With Madness. The band jumps right out at you from the very start with an a cappella delivery of the question at hand before proceeding with the heavy rock instrumentation. The lyrics are quite catchy, and the idea of playing with madness is not a novel concept to my somewhat abnormal mind. Infinite Dreams may really be the most impressive track here, however. The words of this song really carry a deep if not philosophical meaning, as the subject at hand deals with life's ultimate meaning. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the third true standout track on the album; it is a lengthy musical tour de force that conveys the image of the ultimate archetypal battle between good and evil, helped immeasurably by a segment in which the lead singer speaks as if he is reading from some ancient tome of sinister origins.

The remaining five songs, as I said, are all keepers as well. Moonchild gets the album off to a terrific start, giving us none other than Lucifer himself making threats of Biblical proportions while conjuring up the musical accompaniment of screaming mandrakes. The Evil That Men Do has the listener balancing on that razor's edge and taunted by the inevitable truth that the evil that men do lives on and on. The Prophecy warms the cockles of evil's black heart, while The Clairvoyant's metaphysically potent chorus takes the listener to a plateau inhabited only by the most psychically formidable (or disturbed) of minds. Only the Good Die Young is probably the weakest song on the album, but its seemingly endless refrain that only the good die young while the evil seem to live forever stays with you as you go out to interact with the denizens of an increasingly bewildering world. I don't know where the music on this album stands in terms of Iron Maiden's formidable musical discography, but I do know that these eight tracks are certainly most agreeable to my dark soul.


Very Good, But Not Their Best   December 22, 2004
 8 out of 13 found this review helpful

Steve Harris based the "7th Son of a 7th Son" album around the Alvin Maker series of books by Orson Scott Card, the first of which is called "Seventh Son." Very good books, if you get the chance to read them. I don't know if Steve had the same problems he did with Frank Herbert and "Dune," but judging from the title of the album, he probably got the green light from Card.

I went to this concert back in 1988, I think it was called The 7th Tour of a 7th Tour. Frehley's Comet was the opening band for the show. So as a Kiss and Iron Maiden fan, I was in heavy metal nirvana in the 4th row that night. I found the Coliseum to only be 1/2 full, which kind of surprised me in that the Somewhere on Tour tour had me sitting in the rafters. The glow seemed to be off the rose for the band and airplay had diminished to almost nothing. That being the case, I was still surprised to be sitting in a half empty 20,000 seat arena with two great bands on stage. In spite of the half empty arena, both bands put on a spectacular show. Iron Maiden's show was particularly good; I remember them opening with my favorite track from the "7th Son" album, "Moonchild." Everything translated very well from album to stage, and the guitar team of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray hit every note perfectly. Unfortunately, this would be Adrian's last Iron Maiden album before leaving for his solo project, ASAP.

But now that I listen to "7th Son" again, it's not my favorite Iron Maiden album. While it's definitely good, it seemed a little less cohesive than any of the previous albums. For instance, "Infinite Dreams" and "Can I play With Madness" have some strange time changes that make the tempo shifts within the songs seem somewhat awkward and out of place. The highlights for me are "Moonchild," and "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son."

While many regard this as the band's best, I would have to respectfully disagree. That honor would go to "The Number of the Beast" or "Piece of Mind." But if you're a fan and do not have this album yet, I would make it a part of your collection.


The Last in a String of Great Maiden Albums   August 14, 2002
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I remember when this album first came out. I had just become a huge Maiden fan after the previous record Somewhere In Time. By this time, I had bought their back catalogue of studio albums and was swept up by the hype surrounding the release of Seventh Son. I remember Bruce Dickinson being interviewed on MTV's Headbanger's Ball and stating this album would be "quite popular to people who have never seen this band before" because it was the best album they had made to date and it was going to take Maiden in new, exciting directions. Then I saw the video for "Can I Play With Madness," and that whetted my appetite even more (O.K., many fans at the time thought the song was too commercial, but it is still awesome and one of their best singles ever!). I recall bugging the record store clerks many times with "Have you got the new Iron Maiden album in yet?" I don't think I have ever been so excited about an album release before or since! When I finally bought it (I wanted it on cassette, but the store was out so I opted for vinyl because I couldn't wait), I think I was slightly disappointed at first. My expectations were a bit too high. But the more I played it, the more I liked it. When I listen to it now, after all this time, I can really appreciate the genius of it. A true conceptual album about a child born with clairvoyant powers (the seventh son of a seventh son), who did not ask to be born this way and has problems dealing with the strange circumstances he finds himself in as well as the forces of good and evil battling for his soul. The music is brilliant, with accoustical guitar, keyboards and other additions to transform Maiden's sound. In retrospect, Seventh Son was the last great Maiden album. Instead of being a stepping stone to more Maiden innovations, it proved to be Maiden's peak. Things seemed to go down hill after this record, with Adrian Smith and Dickinson eventually leaving to work on their own projects.


Maiden starts losing it here   September 30, 2003
 6 out of 15 found this review helpful

Some still say to this day that 7soa7s is Iron Maiden's crowning achievement. I never understood why. I remember in high school there was a kid I knew who wore this tape out on his walkman because he was so obsessed with it, he couldn't stop listening to it. The day the tape finally wore thin and broke, we went out that day to buy a new one. Folks will claim that this is Maiden as a sophisticated, articulate, and composing geniuses. Well........ I disagree.

This album, from the first day I heard it, sounded like a commercial cop-out. `The Evil that Men do' is the same lyrics going over and over and over. `Can I Play with Madness' is definitely not Maiden at their best, musically or literally. Both these songs were played on MTV so much I found myself sick of Iron Maiden for awhile (egad, just kill me now for such blasphemy). Alas it was true. How I longed for the videos `Number of the Beast' or `Aces High'. Instead Headbanger's ball assaulted me with Adrian Smith's bleach blond mullet, glacier stage sets, and weak, commercial, SYNTHESISER pop metal.

Over the years I've tried to get into this album as I put it on every now and then, but it just doesn't work for me. It's too bizarre, too popish, and is missing all the things I love about Maiden. Mainly Steve Harris's galloping basslines.

Said to be Iron Maiden's `concept' album. I never cared to know the story behind this thing. So a 7th son of a 7th son has special powers, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know KISS tried the same thing with their album `The Elder'. You see where that went.