Label: EMI Music

Making their recording debut over thirty years ago with their eponymous debut album, Britain’s Iron Maiden have remained a staple of the global rock circuit ever since they helped kick start the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late 1970’s.  While the departure of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in the early 1990’s almost spelled the end for the group, their return to Iron Maiden for the 2000 effort Brave New World saw the band experience a creative and commercial renaissance.  The Final Frontier continues Iron Maiden’s resurgence, whose impressive blend of classic metal riffage, compositional complexity and borderline retarded lyrics should keep old and new fans furiously air guitaring till their hearts are content.

Opening in a tidal wave of industrial drumming, the first four minutes of “Satellite 15...The Final Frontier” is likely to have many long time Iron Maiden listeners scratching their heads.  However, this brief introduction does manage to establish the sense of claustrophobia and hopelessness which runs throughout the remainder of the album quite nicely before it segues into the title track.  While it may be the shortest song on offer, it is short and punchy with a nice guitar solo towards the end.  Next up is the first single from The Final Frontier, “El Dorado”.  Clocking in at nearly seven minutes, casual listeners might find it a bit lengthy, but it makes up for this with its surprisingly catchy chorus and impressive instrumentation.

The remaining eight compositions which make up The Final Frontier are of equal calibre; some are shorter riff driven rockers, while many of the later tracks are more extended progressive pieces.  Of particular note are both “The Alchemist” and album closer “When The Wild Wind Blows”, the former of which recalls Iron Maiden’s early days and the latter of which is a sprawling eleven minute epic.  Representing the full spectrum of the band’s sound since Brave New World, The Final Frontier is another fine addition to Iron Maiden’s discography.

As always, it is Bruce Dickinson’s impressive vocals which standout on The Final Frontier; while most contemporary heavy metal frontmen are quite content to incomprehensibly growl their way through equally incomprehensible lyrics, Dickinson’s almost opera like tenor soars strongly over the backing provided by the rest of the band.  When combined with the group’s powerful three guitar attack, it should be obvious why Iron Maiden continue to stand out from the pack when it comes to classic heavy metal.

While The Final Frontier is sure to please existing Iron Maiden fans, it is also likely to befuddle or bore many first time listeners; it’s not that the songs are bad, it’s just that the album’s seventy six minute run time really is a pretty big ask for the uninitiated. Therefore, some might find it more enjoyable to listen to the album over a number of sittings in order to best digest everything that is going on.  For those with an interest in heavy metal, The Final Frontier should be considered essential listening from one of the genre’s most essential bands.  For the amateur it may be a somewhat bizarre journey, but love it or hate it, it is one that surely won’t be forgotten quickly.