Kerrang: Maiden Heaven Review

Release Date: Jul 16, 2008
Genres: Metal
Number Of Tracks: 15
As a tribute to Iron Maiden Kerrang! has persuaded some of our favourite bands to record unique covers of their greatest anthems, for an exciting free CD entitled Maiden Heaven.

Sound:	8.3
Lyrics:	8.8
Impression:	8.7
Overall rating:	8.6
Users rating:	6.7
Comments:	43

overall: 9.7

Featured review by: James_Het_Rules, on july 18, 2008

Sound: Kerrang has just released it's tribute to Iron Maiden, "Maiden Heaven" This fifteen track masterpiece, has covers from some of today's most well-known metal bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica, Trivium, Machine Head and Dream Theater.

01. Prowler - The song starts of with some great harmonies, and great rhythm, however, as soon as the vocals come in, I was skeptical. While the guitars maintain great tone, and the instruments are very well mixed, the only thing about this song I really liked was the guitar solo. The vocals kill the song.
02. Remember Tomorrow - though I am a Metallica fan, I am by no means being bias when rating this. The song was a great cover, with the Metallica twist that they've been known to incorporate with all of their covers. James' voice is great on the song, and Lars' drums are back up to tune as we all like them. Even better, there's some awesome soloing that has been missing from some of Metallica's recent songs, and the production is superb, and for anyone looking forward to the new album, take a listen to the song, because I think it's gonna be great.
03. Flash Of The Blade - I'm not their biggest fan, but the song was awesome. The intro was spot on perfect, and Shadows' voice sounded great. It was by no means Bruce Dickinson, but gave the song a completely new sound a feel from the original which makes this cover great. The mixing and production was awesome as well. With a few differences in drumming and guitar work, and that unique synyster guitar tone, the song took me by surprise, and was a great listen.
04. 2 Minutes To Midnight - first off I have no idea who gotk is at all. The intro vocals were okay, not great, the vocalist sounds like a mix between Matt Heafy and the dude from BFMV. The music is perfect, with some great harmonies, and there's definately some highlights of the song during the chorus, not a major letdown, and for a band I've never heard of they've done a pretty good job with the song.
05. The Trooper - totally different from the original, with an awesome ambient intro. The guitar tone is a bit muddy, but by no means bad. The lead melodies are spot on with the original song. The verses were WAY different from the original, the signature high pitched voice of Claudio, and the harmony bits on the vocals I hate to say sounded a little like chipmunks at times. The guitar solo was alright, I expected better from the guys that made "Welcome Home"'s solo, but it isn't too big of a letdown.
06. Wasted Years - awesome intro, faster than the original, and great tone. The vocals are a lot heavier, a lot deeper than the original, but still great nonetheless. The chorus didn't do it for me, I was hoping that they'd retain some clean vox on the chorus, it just didn't sound right. The guitar solo, again was the best part of this song.
07. Run To The Hills - they put a whole new twist on the song, with a clean intro, and great vox on top of it. The main distorted riff was totally different but still sounded cool, it is not the same song you're used to hearing, and a lot mellower I guess, but amazing still. I guess it's a Sign that these guys know what they're doing.
08. To Tame A Land - awesome introduction with Petrucci's lead work and Myung's bass. The production and mixing is incredible. When the main riffage comes in, Portnoy's drumming is great, and Labrie's voice is close to being like Dickinsons, but still noticably his. Throughout the song you'll hear some scitar in parts, which is cool, There's even scitar leads parts. Awesome soloing from Petrucci, fits the song perfectly. Again, Labrie's voice is amazing, I recommend this one.
09. Caught Somewhere In Time - I've never heard of these guys either, but they definately have their own sound on this one. There's piano in the intro, and the song has pretty much been re-written. However, even though this isn't like the original one AT ALL, I liked it, so to these unknowns I say great job.
10. Wrathchild - I haven't heard these guys before, they put a punk twist on the song, like really punk, but REAL punk. Not the stuff from nowadays. I thought it was pretty good, by no means a masterpiece, but still good.
11. Fear Of The Dark - amazing tone, great mixing, and great vox make this one a highlight of the CD. Not only is it a cover of one of Maidens' most well-known songs, but it sounds awesome.
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name - this is a great cover of a classic song. Machine Head has once again made a masterpiece. If you liked the original you might even, dare is say, like this one more?
13. Iron Maiden - Heafy's voice sounds great, they've brought back some of the Ascendancy style vocals, and mixed them with the Crusade's. The guitar work of Corey and Matt is great, and Travis's drumming takes the song to a whole new level, that isn't in the original, another great cover from these guys, but they still made it original.
14. Running Free - when this started I thought it was a Green Day song. Honestly. The original was better. It's no wonder I've never heard of YLD, because if this is their idea of a good cover, they were wrong. The vocals are stiff, un-melodic, and by no means versatile. I give props to Green Day for being better than this. I give 1 point for effort.
15. Brave New World - cool intro, and not what I remember from the original. I liked this one, had more of a laid back, techno feel in the beginning, and was easy on the ears after the last song. The guitar solo was beautiful.

The CD altogether was pretty awesome, with only a few letdowns on the album, I think even the hardcore Maiden fans will be pleased with some of the efforts put together on this Tribute, so if you can get your hands on it, I recommend that you do. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: They're Iron Maiden's lyrics, based around fantasy, and amazing as they always have been. The difference is that many of the vocalists on this album have added their own twist to some great classic Maiden songs, Maiden would be proud. // 10

Impression: For only $5 this CD is great, and if it weren't for the fact that this will probably only be around for a limited time, I would definately order another copy. If it were stolen I would try to buy it again if it was around, and compared to the Master of Puppets tribute CD I think that this one is just as good. // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: deathsquirrel, on july 18, 2008

Sound: The latest free CD from Kerrang! features 15 artists performing cover versions of songs by Iron Maiden. Black Tide, Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Glamour of the Kill, Coheed & Cambria, Devildriver, Sign, Dream Theater, Madina Lake, Gallows, Fightstar, Machine Head, Trivium, Year Long Disaster and Ghostlines each provide a song of their own choosing, in their own style, for this tribute CD. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics to each song are the same as the originals. However, some bands have tweaked the order slightly or removed some completely, in the case of Sign. The vocals comply with each band's individual style, and tend to vary, from clean vocals from Ghostlines, to the screams of Trivium and Devildriver, to the high-pitched wails from Coheed. Each vocal style compliments the song well, with the possible exception of Sevenfold's "Flash Of The Blade", but M Shadows' vocals don't do anything for me anyway. // 10

Impression: 01. Prowler - Black Tide's version is performed well, and sounds fantastic. Excellent opening track to the album.
02. Remember Tomorrow - Metallica take this excellent song and make it their own. Everything about it sounds brilliant, and it has possibly the best outro of all the songs on the album. We can only hope that "Death Magnetic" sounds this good.
03. Flash Of The Blade - possibly the low point of the album. The instrumental side of this is almost undecipherable from the Maiden version, and the vocals are terrible. A more personalised cover to A7X would have been better to do rather than a carbon copy of the original.
04. 2 Minutes To Midnight - I was so hoping that Glamour Of The Kill don't mess this up, it being my favourite Maiden song ever. Fortunately, they manage an almost perfect version which is easily one of the best songs on the album. Well done GotK.
05. The Trooper - Coheed And Cambria now, with a very good rendition of one of Maiden's most famous songs. Solos sounded excellent, and the vocals fit perfectly. Shame about the lead singer's hair though.
06. Wasted Years - Devildriver take this song, rip the synths out of it, and give us a growling triumph of a cover.
07. Run To The Hills - taking a song apart and re-arranging it to sound unlike the original yet still be the same song is difficult at best. For Sign to do this with Run To The Hills is incredibly ambitious. A lack of the drum intro we're all familiar with, lyric omissions during the verses and a new instrumental section would put off most Maiden fans, but Sign do a decent job of it. Not fantastic, but not terrible.
08. To Tame A Land - oh boy. This is what I was looking forward to above anything else. Dream Theater doing a less well-known Maiden song. This was always going to be epic, and DT do not disappoint. Use of the Sitar is inspired, and this is possibly the only song on the album that surpasses the original (Never thought I'd say that). Perfect.
09. Caught Somewhere In Time - again, a song from Somewhere in Time loses it's synths. I had my doubts, but this interpretation from Madina Lake surprised me. While sounding completely different from the original, it is still recognisable almost instantly, which is what I like in a cover.
10. Wrathchild - again, I had my doubts. Gallows' vocals don't really do it for me, but with the rest of the song it sounds good. Not brilliant, just good.
11. Fear Of The Dark - say what you like about Fightstar, they can do cover versions well. This song reeks of awesome. Bit off in the vocals at one point, but otherwise very, very good.
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name - this song gets covered a lot. Cradle of Filth, Iced Earth and Dream Theater have all covered this song in their recorded history, meaning Machine Head have a lot to live up to. The band pull off a good version, Rob's vocals are good in it, but it was a difficult song for them to pick.
13. Iron Maiden - almost unrecognisable as Trivium as far as vocals are concerned, since Heafy has reverted to the screaming of "Ascendancy" after an album of clean vocals, but otherwise, an excellent cover from a great band.
14. Running Free - Year Long Disaster give a good rendition of this classic song. No major mess-ups to report.
15. Brave New World - a brave choice from Ghostlines, and performed excellently. Draws the album to a satisfying close.

On the whole, an excellent work by all bands involved, and yet another triumph of a free CD from Kerrang. Best songs: Remember Tomorrow, 2 Minutes To Midnight, To Tame A Land, Fear Of The Dark, Brave New World. // 9

overall: 6

Reviewed by: LoadThe6pounder, on may 20, 2009

Sound: Another year, another tribute to the almighty Maiden. But is this one worth it? Possibly. Kerrang!, trendy as they are, have included several flavor-of-the-month bands to sell their latest tribute, and some classic metal artists. I feel the only way to properly review this album is to go into a song-by-song analysis:

01.Prowler - Black Tide: a very raw, classic metal version of the Paul Di'Annio classic. I have read several reviews that seem to take issues with the vocals on this song. Personally, I can't see the problem. The vocals are raw, powerful, and have a very charismatic "true metal" feel to them. The excellent harmonies and leads provided by the guitar players is also a high point on this cover. 8/10
02.Remember Tomorrow - Metallica: in all fairness, folks, it really is good! Metallica showcase their "back-to-roots" sound here, to good results. James' singing is higher and cleaner than ever before, and Kirk makes up for the musical abortion of St. Anger by soloing as if his life depends on it. 8.5/10
03.Flash Of The Blade - Avenged Sevenfold: alright, now here's the one that scared me a little. Avenged Sevenfold have made quite a name for themselves with their poppy metalcore garbage as of yet, so you can see where a Maiden cover might get my gander up. Surprisingly, it's not terrible. The cover is somewhat bland and band members offer very little personality to an all-around rehashed and boring-sounding rendition. That being said, it doesn't really suck either. 6/10
04.2 Minutes To Midnight - Glamour Of The Kill: "2! MINUTES! TO! MIDNIGHT!" Must admit, the poppy gang shout opening this cover scared me at first, giving me a kind of "oh god, what have I gotten myself into..." reaction. Quite frankly, it seems what i've gotten myself into is a light, wimpy mess of a metal classic. Further points off for butchering a timeless riff, boys. 2.5/10
05.The Trooper - Coheed & Cambria: here we are at the reason for my purchasing this album! Being such a Coheed fan myself, I believe I can say confidently (without any bias whatsoever) that this is a phenomenal cover, and one to make the Irons proud. The extended intro is pretty epic-feeling, the guitar sound is strong, the vocals are angelic, everything's great on this one. 10/10
06.Wasted Years - Devildriver: oh lordy... yet another death metal outfit covering Iron Maiden. I'd seen this go wrong far too many times to possibly have a good outlook... Well, it certainly doesn't suck musically. The production is also powerful. The wretched vocals, however, make the song unbearable. And people wonder why I hate growls... 4/10
07.Run To The Hills - The Sign: my first thoughts upon hearing this cover were something along the lines of "Um... what?" The Sign have taken this classic Maiden track and completely changed the arrangement, transforming it into an inspiring AOR anthem. It works wonderfully, too! Big points for artistic license, appealing to my soft side, and a strong vocalist. 7.5/10
08.To Tame A Land - Dream Theater: as expected, stunning. A slight Eastern flair also helps improve an already expertly performed songs. Highlights include... just about everything, as is the usual case with Dream Theater. 9/10
09.Caught Somewhere In Time - Madina Lake: again, big points for artistic license. Of course, this is also hampered by the overly bass-y production, muffled vocals, and my own opinion. This kind of metalcore/alternative hybrid just isn't my thing at all, so I can't get into this cover, and probably never will. 6.5/10
10.Wrathchild - Gallows: production sucks, vocalist blows. 3rd-rate punk if I were feeling generous. Forget St. Anger, THIS is a musical abortion. Don't even waste your time. *Hits NEXT TRACK button* 0/10
11.Fear Of The Dark - Fightstar: I suppose after the aural trauma that is Gallows, anything would sound good. But damn, this is a SWEET follow-up to anything! Production is thick, the drum sound in particular kicks some ass. The vocalist sounds great in the quiet bits, a little strained during the chorus, but for the most part he knows his voice's limits and uses it fairly well. Few extra points for altering some guitar and drum parts, and overall well-done. 8/10
12.Hallowed Be Thy Name - Machine Head: since Gallows, it seems that the covers definitely got better, and Hallowed Be Thy Name is no exception. Musically, it's great and very thrasy, as you'd expect from Machine Head. A nice surprise, however, is Rob Flynn's 'Bruce Dickinson-on-steroids' style of singing throughout the cover. All in all, a ballsy, thrashed up salute to my favorite Maiden song. 10/10
13.Iron Maiden - Trivium: ah, lord, this one had me worried again... This time for very good reason. Despite throwing some decent aggression into the song, the quick double bass patterns just seem out of place, the guitar is contrived and uninspiring, and the vocalist just plain sucks. The score just gets lower every time he goes into his "I-wish-I-were-Randy-Blythe" barks. 2/10
14.Running Free - Year Long Disaster: ever wonder what it would sound like if your local bar band learned Running Free? Well, it would probably sound something like this. Though the production isn't as crisp as I'd normally like, the raw, live sound gives this particular song a definite charm that I quite like. I can't really say any more than my initial description. If you like traditional small-town hard rock, you'll have a hard time hating this. 8/10
15.Brave New World - Ghostlines: If there were ever a way to end a CD with a bang... this is NOT it. However, the mellow, alternative take on this newer Maiden song is actually quite nice, especially the soulful vocals from the singer. I may seek out other music by these guys in the future. 8.5/10 // 6

Lyrics and Singing: Well, as this is a tribute CD, I'm not sure if lyrics are quite an issue here, so I might as well concentrate on the singing. If you read the Sound section, you will probably have a good idea of who I believe performed well. But, nonetheless, I'll list some favorites now. A few singers who really grabbed my attention were: James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Rob Flynn (Machine Head), Ghostlines' singer, singer for Black Tide. // 6

Impression: In conclusion, Maiden Heaven contains some absolutely stunning covers, but quite a bit of filler garbage to put up with as well. A generally mixed bag, as tribute albums often are. I will admit, however, I am very pleased that this Iron Maiden tribute album was not flooded with 2nd rate Grindcore acts butchering classic songs. *cough*Dwell*cough* If this album were stolen, I'd probably buy it again, or just download. // 6

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: kfong03, on july 24, 2008

Sound: This compilation album features 15 great Maiden anthems covered by our favourite bands, given away for free by an awesome music magazine, what more can we ask for? The sound is phenominal, the original songs by Maiden are already well done but on this disc the bands (including metal giants such as Metallica, Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head and Dream Theater) all pushed themselves to outdo Maiden, and the results are amazing. Some bands chose to cover songs in a more "classic Maiden" style whilst other bands have decided to put their wn twist to the songs, both formulas work great and it's a treat to hear all these great riffs and solos played/interpreted differently by these different bands. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Whilst some of the songs have been interpreted differently the lyrics have stayed the same and so the lyrical themes do not change and they are the classic Maiden fair that in my opinion isn't good nor bad, the vocals by the various bands are done well although for some tracks (Run In The Fields) the singer sounds just like a girl and the vocals were kind of whiny, other wise the lyrics/vocals department is fine. // 8

Impression: With such a great selection of bands and songs, you'd be missing out if you didn't buy the magazine for this album, the track listing is well thought out, featuring many classic songs and one or two lesser well-known tunes, it clearly displays the genius of Maiden and the bands who are covering the songs and the awesome track listing can rival any "greatest hits" packages that Maiden have released. Whether you love Maiden or you're simply a fan of some of the bands on this album, I would seriously advise you to get a hold of this album while it's still for sale with the magazine or somehow download it, it's over an hour of metal genius that anyone would enjoy. // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: Donkey Fly, on july 21, 2008

Sound: The production to be fair is very hit and miss. It is a free CD however so who's complaining. In terms of the sound of the bands, only a few pull of a good cover and the rest are kind of below par. However, the CD is nonetheless a nice listen for maiden fans and will also give people who don't know maiden that well a chance to really get into their music. // 7

Lyrics and Singing: Iron Maiden lyrics have always been over the top in my opinion but they've also always been very good. A lot better than the standard of lyrics we get now. Very imaginative and they've always kept a certain theme going on each album. // 10

Impression: 01. Prowler - this is a cover by Black Tide. I'd heard of this band but never heard there music. I thought this was one of the better covers. Some very nice playing and the vocals were great too. This track was also well mixed in my opinion. I can see why they put this as track 1.
02. Remember Tomorrow - this was Metallica's effort. I enjoyed this cover like I did Black Tides. Great vocals and a very tight performance. The production was also good on this track. My only hate here is Kirk and his Wah. Couldn't even hear the solo and like most of his solo attempts, the effect is overused and not tastefully used with that. Solid track.
03. Flash Of The Blade - this was by Avenged Sevenfold. I really don't like this band but the cover wasn't terrible. The vocals were a real let down, too quiet and his voice leaves a lot to be desired. The guitars were fine and the drums were good too.
04. Two Minuted To Midnight - this was by GotK, who I have never heard of. I thought this cover was fine. It was an Emo cover. The production on this track isn't good at all. It's very muddy throughout. The vocals sounded fine. The soloing was of a decent standard too. Just too muddy.
05. The Trooper - Coheed and Cambria. I really didn't like this cover at all. First off the guitars sound of of tune and the sound with that isn't great. The vocals were fine up until the chorus which was a bit patchy. I did like the verse harmony though. The solo's were horrible.
06. Wasted Years - Devildriver. I really don't know what Kerrang did here. This is arguably one of Maiden's most vocal melodic and upbeat tracks and they gave it to a band that screams. It may work with a band such as Children of Bodom or Inflames but not with a band as heavy as this. Other than the vocals, everything else was fine. The guitars were very impressive - very nice modifications of the original solo phrases I thought.
07. Run To The Hills - Sign. I was expecting to hate this but it wasn't all that bad until the verse. Nice approach to the song from the quieter intro but then I really don't know what they did after that, it was awful. The drumming was off throughout. I think in the end they just tried to change too much of it which isn't what this CD was about I don't think.
08. To Tame A Land - Dream Theatre. One of the best on the CD. Suits DT totally. Great sound throughout, great playing, good vocals. Top Cover.
09. Caught Somewhere In Time - Madina Lake. This is probably my favourite Maiden song and I'll be honest, this wasn't a terrible cover. They changed it a lot but it still sounded pretty good overall. Not a patch on the original but it wasn't too bad. You wouldn't expect a band of this kind to cover such an Epic song as come out of it alive but they did... just.
10. Wrathchild - Gallows. Really didn't like this cover. The best part about this song is that sweet bass line but in this cover it's almost unaudible. Didn't like their sound one bit. The drumming was fine. I suppose I'd like this if I was a new punk fan but as it is now no.
11. Fear Of The Dark - Fightstar. OK, Fightstar suck, but, this was a good cover. The vocals worked well, everything sound tight and well produced. This isn't an easy song to cover but they did a good job. The solos were better then I expected from this band too.
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name - Machine Head. I heard the live version of their cover it was terrible but the actual recording sounds much better. Perhaps Machine Head are just not that great live? I don't know. Nice vocals on this and well produced.
13. Iron Maiden - Trivium. I don't know if it was me but the intro sounded dodgy. Travis Smith is great drummer and he added a nice feel to this. The vocals were also good. I like Pre-Crusade Trivium. I didn't like the Metallica-esk rip off. They sound like they've gone back to the old days on this track and I like it.
14. Running Free - Year Long Disaster. I agree with the review before. Sounded like an exact replica of Green Day. The vocals were off throughout and the guitars were average.
15. Brave New World - Ghostlines. A nice ending to the CD. Very laid back and relaxing. Vocals sound very good and the piano was a very nice touch. Nice solo too. Didn't go too over the top with it - kept it very in tune with the track tempo and style which worked very well.

This wasn't a bad CD to say it was free. I think what we've learned is that it is possible to cover Maiden well but leave it to decent bands. The best tracks were Prowler, Remember Tomorrow, To Tame A Land and Fear Of The Dark. The worst was Run To The Hills, seriously, hat were they doing. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 18, 2008

Sound: The sound from all bands is pretty standard nowadays, production is completely professional and it can be hard to distinguish bands. In terms of sound related to maiden, few bands manage to pull it off, nd there are many interesting interpretations of classic songs that some die hard fans will struggle to like. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Bruce's lyrics, come on, great right? Not really much to say here, Bruce's lyrics, not theirs, Most sang well, however there was a few covers were they changed a few bits, see below for review. I liked all Bruce's lyrics, especially on such songs like Hallowed Be Thy Name, Fear Of The Dark and 2 Minutes To Midnight. Classic Maiden. // 9

Impression: 01. Prowler - this is one of the better covers on the album, and is one of my favourite maiden songs all the way from 1980, they do it justice.
2. Remember Tomomorrow - sounds a lot like Metallica, its production is flawless, as you would expect, and it is an interesting take on the song, vocally, Hetfield performs very well.
03. Flash Of The Blade - one of the under rated songs from Powerslave, msucially A7X perform well, but for some reason the vocals irritate me, anyone is going to have a tough job singing one of bruces songs though.
04. 2 Minutes To Midnight - I was very surprised, I don't think much of this band, but their interpretation of this song is actually very good, I love how they changed it and made it their own, it won me over, I loved it!
05. The Trooper - I was expecting better than what they did, musically it is all very professional, but there seems to be something missing, I don't know what it is.
06. Wasted Years - didn't think the screaming suited the song, however again musically it was very good, interesting choice of song, probably not one of the better songs on the album.
07. Run To The Hills - well basically you could see this from either way, they slaughtered it, or, it is an excellent interpretation, personally I hated it, but for such a classic song to be changed so drastically, I think they are treading on very thin ice.
08. To Tame A Land - typical DT, progressive, technical, impressive and most of all, brilliant. Need I say more?
09. Caught Somewhere In Time - now, I've seen this band live and they surpised me, they were amazing, live they are somewhat heavier, there is more energy and their performance is awesome. However I didn't think the idea of them covering a Maiden song would work. I suppose they had to chose a song from Somewhere In Time, or, Seventh Son, bcos of the synth. I liked this cover. Didn't slaughter it, and also did the song justice. ALso had an "epic-feel" to it.
10. Wrathchild - right, Galows you either love or hate, I hate, but I do like the fact by todays standards they're fairly unique in their sound and style. This version would be good if it was their own, or jumping around to it live, it does grow on you, very punk, but I think I'll stick to the original, in my opinion, you have to be something special to be able to play wrathchild as well as Maiden. Di'anno's voice makes the song.
11. Fear Of The Dark - one of my favourite Maiden songs, e it is incredible, the Rock in Rio Version fully captures the intensity and spirit of the song live. One thing I love about Fightstar is charlie's voice, it is very gritty and unique. He does Bruce's job excellently, I'm glad to say I love this cover. It's got attitude, and is modern sounding, yet still has that classic feel. Loved the "crowd singing over the solo" nice.
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name - this is the song I was waiting for, Machine Head won me over with the release of the Blackening, and I couldnt wait to hear them cover one of my favourite Maiden songs. One word - epic, loved Flynns Vocals, excellent.
13. Iron Maiden - I used to like Trivium back when I was 14 and 15. You can't deny theyare great musicians. Strange as it seems, I liked this with the random scream bits in. Very tough attitude to it. Heafys voice is sounding great, little more like himself now as opposed to Hetfield.
14. Running Free - Maiden's first single, somewhat of a classic, I've never heard of this band, but first impressions were, wow, this sounds like bloody Maiden! He sounds like Paul! I thought this was probably the best cover on the album!
15. Brave New World - good to see a modern Maiden song get covered. Cool intro. Musically and vocally this band is amazing, but for a Maiden cover I would've hoped for something more, rock. Great solo at the end though lol. Good for chillout time. // 9

Comments

[Shabalaba]

hmm, think i will give some of these a listen

[theotherguy7145]

I've got the CD, and although none of the tracks are as good as Maiden do them (obv), then it is good to hear new bands play songs that were written all those years ago!
I especially like what Sign has done to Run To The Hills, they've slowed it down and play it they're way, instead of mimicing Maiden. They're all good tho.

[archangelseren]

this was good but run to the hills didnt even have that amazing bass riff in it.... they damn emofied it! what im saying is the band reworked (less than covered) the song into something barely recognizable to the original which was disappointing for me. ah well most of the tracks are good tho being a sevenfold fan i enjoyed their song and hallowed be thy name was pretty good but seemed to slow

[PastaOfMuppets]

SikTh did a better cover of Wrathchild than the Gallows one.

[jammyninja]

Devildriver slaughtered Wasted Years... Fear of the Dark, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Caught Somewhere In Time and To Tame A Land were the best to me. Prowler was pretty good as well.

[DimebagRob]

they're all good apart from Sign's version of Run to the Hills, they change it so much its just stupid.

[Set-Abominae]

I still say Iced Earth's Hallowed should have been on here...

[Geothermal]

Sign's cover... I like it, but not for being a Run To The Hills cover. Change the lyrics and they've got a decent song, no-one would ever know it was originally a cover :p
Sounds too different
Hated Gallows cover
The rest I liked surprisingly, some more than others, To Tame A Land is to die for.
Also to note for the second half of The Trooper it's Travis singing in his stupidly high falsetta, not Claudio.

[MAKETHEMSUFFER!]

dear god sign's run to the hills fails so bad.

[steve_a7x]

I really like this cd, not dissapointed with it at all. all and all a good album,

the best ones of the album for me was:

Black Tide - Prowler
Metallica - Remember Tomorrow
Avenged Sevenfold - Flash Of The Blade
Dreamtheater - To Tame A Land
Fightstar - Fear Of The Dark
Machine Head - Hallowed Be Thy Name
Trivium - Iron Maiden

i was very dissapointed with devildrivers, i thought theres would of been alot better.
Gallows version of wrathchild was terrible

but overall a very good cd!

[steve_a7x]

plus why was there no arch enemy with there cover of aces high, sikth should of been on there doing wrathchild instead of gallows doing such a shit cover of it.

[a6l6e6x1]

quite a good album, obviously nowhere near the standards of the original recording!
there are some terrible covers on this though especially run to the hills which s the worst cover ive every heard in my life!
EVER!!!!!

[Neverhead666]

hmm, so much complaining about other peoples covers not being on here. there were getting songs that these bands havent covered before for this cd, not pulling a bunch o random covers and placing it on here. the bands never did these songs before they agreed to do this cd

[polaroidvision]

Aimed at review number 2, aren't most of the lyrics by Steve?

Still haven't listened to this yet, but will do soon.

If you liked the original you might even, dare is say, like this one more?

BLASPHEMY!

[Raizer Sabre]

i liked devildriver's waster years musically, but vocally, they destroyed it. wasn't too keen on gallows either, but i loved run to the hills. one thing about covers is making it your own, and they did a great job with that, quite an achievement to change all the music and vocal melodies in a song like that and make it work

[Seb1uk]

Brave New World was really nice to listen to from Ghostlines. Devildriver started the vocals nicely on Wasted Years, but when they kept going to that high pitch scream on every phrase/sentence, it died. The guitar work though, was awesome.

And I do think Fighstar did a pretty wicked job on Fear of the Dark

[olithebass]

though Ive not heard the full thing, I have to say its not brilliant. they needed to spent alot more on the producing and recording costs!
I cant tell whether its the bands or the recording process thats really bad.

... it could've been alot better

[Lucifer1805]

I've heard fear of the dark covered by fightstar and its not too bad tbh. Its pretty good..for a cover

[BlackSymphony6]

hmmm i enjoyed this, one of the better cds that kerrang has given away.

cover is awsome, though it makes me think of judas priest rather than maiden.

obviously none of these are as good as the originals. And no number of the beast? wtf

[666James666]

olithebass wrote:

though Ive not heard the full thing, I have to say its not brilliant. they needed to spent alot more on the producing and recording costs!
I cant tell whether its the bands or the recording process thats really bad.

... it could've been alot better

Well it is a free album dont forget, you can't expect a masterpiece. I still agree with you on some levels however, it is NOT brilliant the only songs that sounded promising were murdered by horrible samey vocals. I'm looking at you devildriver.

[euan_soad]

Sign absolutely raped RTTH. Disgrace. Who signed them?

Madina Lake also sucked.

Dream Theater's was flawless as I expected, Metallica did really well and Trivium really nailed the guitar tone of Iron Maiden!

[stueey]

i love the wrathchild cover. It sounds so RAW and in your face compared the original. Hardcore!

[Donkey Fly]

Not a bad CD.

Was enjoying Remember Tomorrow till Kirk came in and ruined it with his Wah...

AGAIN.

[Gregray88]

Donkey Fly wrote:

Not a bad CD.

Was enjoying Remember Tomorrow till Kirk came in and ruined it with his Wah...

AGAIN.

Oh boo hoo, grow up, he is a much better musicians than you obviously. I love Metallica and Trivium's covers.

[Leising]

Gregray88 wrote:

Donkey Fly wrote:

Not a bad CD.

Was enjoying Remember Tomorrow till Kirk came in and ruined it with his Wah...

AGAIN.

Oh boo hoo, grow up, he is a much better musicians than you obviously. I love Metallica and Trivium's covers.

Well but he's kinda right. He had a very bad sound with his wah... and even good musicians can still ruin songs with crappy sound.

[HoldYourColour]

i really really wanna get this album, sounds so sick

maiden is great

[mohawkkidJohn]

and kirk does way overuse the wah

[Kel_the_Gr81]

I've only listened to a few so far, and the only one that has anything of the original Maiden-like aura is Running Free.

Checked.

Neverhead666 wrote:

hmm, so much complaining about other peoples covers not being on here. there were getting songs that these bands havent covered before for this cd, not pulling a bunch o random covers and placing it on here. the bands never did these songs before they agreed to do this cd

Actually, some of them had already done some of the covers in live situations (Coheed & Cambria have been doing The Trooper for a while) but I think this is the first time they recorded/released them.

[benjibreeg]

brave new world was just amazing...

the trooper rocked too

[Donkey Fly]

Gregray88 wrote:

Donkey Fly wrote:

Not a bad CD.

Was enjoying Remember Tomorrow till Kirk came in and ruined it with his Wah...

AGAIN.

Oh boo hoo, grow up, he is a much better musicians than you obviously. I love Metallica and Trivium's covers.

Typical Response from a Metallica Fan Boy.

I like Metallica. They have alot of good tracks but I just think sometimes he should hold of the wah effect.

[Res.urrect.ion]

ok, i just got this CD...and to be honest...most of it is poor...
i think the Black Tide cover of Prowler, is ****in amazing.
And the Metallica cover of Remember Tomorrow, same..

But i mean come on!!! Madina Lake...covering 'Caught Somehwre in Time'!!!!! That is just the highest degreeo f herasy! And they are so ****in shit, they couldn't even stick with the origional song! and i know i know, they "made it their own"...but there are thusands of ways of doing that without changing a Maiden classic!!

And as for the Gallows cover of Wrathchild...wtf..

[motorbreath_445]

i think they should have gotten bullet for my valentine to cover a song. i havent heard all of them yet, but what i have heard i liked. and tbh, i liked signs version of run to the hills. i was never a huge fan of that song, so to hear it done that way was a nice touch.

[rancidryan]

as nice as possible, the cd is shit. and should be banned, listen to run to the hills for crying out loud ruined!!!

UP THE IRONS!!

[Sound Mind]

Res.urrect.ion wrote:

ok, i just got this CD...and to be honest...most of it is poor...
i think the Black Tide cover of Prowler, is ****in amazing.
And the Metallica cover of Remember Tomorrow, same..

But i mean come on!!! Madina Lake...covering 'Caught Somehwre in Time'!!!!! That is just the highest degreeo f herasy! And they are so ****in shit, they couldn't even stick with the origional song! and i know i know, they "made it their own"...but there are thusands of ways of doing that without changing a Maiden classic!!

And as for the Gallows cover of Wrathchild...wtf..

so you want them to cover a song without changing the original? in other words, you want them to play the exact same thing?

[BobChicken]

i like sign's cover. but i can definately see it splitting maiden fans' opions

[Symmetry4321]

Utterly great for the most part:

Black Tide: Very nice, suprise band
Metallica: Amazing, thier best ever cover
A7X: Not bad, not a HUGE fan of Flash of the Blade
GFTK: Vocals a bit soft but awesome guitar tone
Coheed: Too slow but excellent keyboards
Devildriver: Hate vocals, well played
Sign: Intro weird but not bad, rest of it awful
Dream Theater: EPIC EPIC EPIC!!
Madina Lake: VERY different but amazing!! Great song
Gallows: A bit too punk but nice work on riff
Fightstar: Brilliant vocals with accurate guitars here
Machine Head: Awesome guitars, mostly good vocals also
Trivium: Very fast, very heavy, totally brilliant
Year Long Disaster: Played perfectly, bad vocals
Ghostliners: I really didn't like it, too soft for me

[Dyln]

Seriously, A7X SLAUGHTERED flash of the blades, the vocals on the chorus irritated me to the core, other than that the song is kinda decent.
Also (aimed at the guy from the first review) I don't get the reason why you said the vocals from the Prowler covers killed the song, IMHO this is one of the better songs, along with Dream Theater, Machine Head, Fightstar and Trivium´s cover.

I personally didn't like the album much, cause my favorite Maiden songs featured in the album were IMO poorly performed, and didn't fit in what I'd call a good cover:
I.e: AX7's Flash of the blades, and Devildriver's Wasted Years(again, pretty good interpretation, except for the chorus, where i was expecting some clean high pitch vocals, aside from that a pretty decent cover.

[BlackSymphony6]

good lord ... what have they done to run to the hills? There used to be a cool riff in that song but now .... gone.

rest isnt to bad though

[kfong03]

run to the hills sucks

[renegadepancake]

I think it was BALLSY of Sign to do what they did, and I can respect them for having the creative freedom to do that.

[templar08]

Symmetry4321 wrote:
Machine Head: Awesome guitars, mostly good vocals also

I just know you're referring to the 'Mark my words' section, which I thought worked brilliantly. If they'd kept the original riff, it would have been miles out of place, but they Machine Headed it up and it sounded awesome.
I also personally like the Gallows and Devildriver ones. If they'd tried to be Maiden, we'd be lynching them right now, but they put their own twist on the songs and for that I applaud them.
And Sign...it's like they wrote their own (bad) song and then nicked the lyrics from RTTH. *Shakes head*

[Metalhead81592]

Any One Know Where I Can Get This CD?