(bocor/leaked) - The Book Of Souls - Iron Maiden (except Empire Of The Clouds I have not heard while typing this blog while listening to the leakage)

Its a matter of time, sooner or later... the demand from fans worldwide seems to force the leak LOL!!
ITS GOING TO HAPPEN..AND AS EXPECTED IT HAPPENS (Except typing this blog while listening, minus Empire Of The Clouds. That piano 18 minute epicness.)
like what happened to GHOST - MELIORA album last few weeks.

But, I guess the people who are excited about The Book Of Souls and listen to the leaks will at least buy one version of the album, so I guess Maiden will not really suffer.

I mean if you dont like Iron Maiden, you will not even want to listen to them, even if its leaked or given free to you.

I had pre-ordered the deluxe double Cd, the triple black vinyls and the Itunes versions LOL!!! (yes yes I am a pathetic addicted fool who slogs day and night to help contribute to makes Iron Maiden rich for their next Seven Generations LOL!!!) 
but I just cannot resist the LEAK.

So my first review from listening to the inferior LEAKED version, and listening to it with sound coming out from my laptop speakers which is not really good for music.

and also...

No lyrics. WIth Lyrics it will be so much better.
Definitely not as good quality as the original releases on cds/vinyls or Itunes.
I am not using my headphones!! Just sound from my laptop. I am actually not suppose to use my laptop now, but I cannot resist hearing the leaked Book Of Souls.

Anyway, besides me getting the best music when I am wearing headphones, another fun with headphones is its clearer to know and identify the guitars of the three amigos on the songs especially the solos.


OK some brief notes as I am typing...

My additional notes and also below is what I think of each song on first listen as described above.

THIS ALBUM IS GOING TO BE A GROWER TO ME. JUST LIKE A.M.O.L.A.D. IS A GROWER TO ME, I ONLY REALLY THINK AMOLAD IS AN AMAZING ALBUM AFTER HEARING LIVE SOUNDBOARD BOOTLEGS FROM THE 2006 TOUR WHEN THEY PLAY THE ALBUM IN FULL. I REVISITED THAT STUDIO ALBUM AND I THINK I GOT THE MAGIC OF THAT WHOLE ALBUM AND WHY MAIDEN DECIDES TO PLAY THE WHOLE ALBUM LIVE.




Minimum Turgid Slow Intros songs compared to past few albums. I think too many songs had slow intros on the past few albums. This could make the intros of some songs too draggy if you listen to them often LOL!!

As an album, not as individual songs, but as an album, I think The Book Of Soul is definitely the BEST out of all post 2000 reunion 6-men lineup albums. I think The Book Of Soul is going to be the best Maiden album since SSOASS from 1988.

THIS TIME THE CHORUS ARE REALLY WORDS NOT REPETITIONS.

So we have proper choruses not
"If Eternity Should Fail".. Oooo Eternity Should Fail""
or
"Speed Of Light... The Speed Of Light Woo Hoo.. Speed Of Light"

If you get what I mean. So this is something very happy.


SONG BY SONG REVIEW ON MY FIRST LISTEN OF THE LEAKED BOOK OF SOULS (WITHOUT EMPIRE OF THE CLOUDS 18 MINUTE EPICNESS) WITH INFERIOR SOUND QUALITY OF A LAPTOP SPEAKER AND ENVIRONMENT.

1) If Eternity Should Fail (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 9.2/10)
A SPAGHETTI WESTERN INTRO? OR DJANGO UNCHAINED? LOL!!!!!
I type this after I listen to this 10th song, this is really a Bruce Dickinson album for me.
I give it 9.2 because the song accelerates for the solos...
This song really makes me smile. IRON MAIDEN IS BACK!!!!
The ending is so Bruce Dickinson solo album with his spoken words.....
I want to listen to Jerusalem after this. I love that song, Been a long time I listened to that one.

2) Speed Of Light (9.2/10)
Amazing Chorus. Exciting Exciting Guitars and also rhythm. Reminds me of the Hear N Aid information with all names guitarists doing solos and right at the bottom the words - All Rhythm Guitars by Dave Murray & Adrian Smith.
A live song.
And as most Iron Maiden songs, the live versions will be simply superior and kick ass compared to studio version songs.

3) The Great Unknown ((first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 6.1/10)
"Winter softly falling to the ground"...
I want the lyric sheets to this album so bad....

I am not so into this song. Maybe I will like it later. I will force myself to like it.
666 listens will do it LOL!!!


4) The Red & Black (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 9.35/10) 
- Starts remind me of Blood On The Worlds Hand.
Up tempo Steve Harris Epicness. Keyword UPTEMPO..
Great great guitar melodies, and lots of wonderful sudden time changes, another song that needs repeated listening to get to the Bruce verses, and another of the WOO HOOO  WOOO!!! , WOO HOOO WOOO WOOO!!! song. 

5) When The River Runs Deep (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment  8.21/10)
- Rock N Roll!! Awesome solos.

6) The Book Of Souls (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 8.6/10) 
- An Apocalypto-movie inspired song.

Start with immediate mid tempo to a fast mid section. I find too many songs on the past few albums has slow intros so this is simply refreshing. Bruce Dickinson voice in this album is tremendous. It will be amazing to see him sing live and running and prancing about this coming tour.

7) Death Or Glory (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 8.5/10) -
Another fast song. Once I got the lyrics, I am going to memorise the chorus, and this will makes a nice song to sing along to. A superb time change to enter the guitar solos. My shoulders is moving to the left and right and front and back. LOL!!!.

8) Shadows Of The Valley (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 8.5/10)
- Now I know why those magazine reviewers who had listened to this album mentioned WASTED YEARS when reviewing this song. LOL!!!!!!
Two solo breaks on this song. The second solo breaks has some very nice duels.
THE ENDING HAS THE WOO HOO WOO HOO HOOO...
and another solo break...
This is going to make a superb live song. I am very dissapointed Montseguer and House Of Doctor D was never played live, so I hope either this song or Death Or Glory will be played live.

9) Tears Of A Clown (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 9.666/10)
- ""The Robin William Song"".
Na Noo Na Nooo. Mork And Mindy Man. The Night At The Museum General who likes Pochahontas, Mrs Doubtfire, Bicentennial Man and everything else.
This will makes a nice live song and change the show completely I think.

I dont know why, the song is up tempo but it really sounds sad. I feel kind of sad really.

I want to take a breather......  Tears Of A Clown I think is going to be a special song, I think all of us will find something in our life that will easily relates to this song.

Everyone of us can relate to this Tears Of A Clown song I think.

The most clowns among us are the most tragic ones...



10) The Man Of Sorrows (first listen with inferior sound quality and environment 8.9/10)
Is that Dave Murray at the start? Woo hooo..
A ballad? LOL!!! What an intro. No its not a ballad. It speed up a little LOL!!
Nice guitars again. I think I am going to love the guitars on this album.
Just like Isle Of Avalon in it being a bit Un-Maiden song.

11) EMPIRE OF THE CLOUDS. I HAVE NOT HEARED THIS ONE YET.
Surely Surely this 18 minute Piano by Bruce song is the most mother of all Maiden Epicness.
I think I can wait till the release day for this.

The R101 Disaster

And I wont listen again to the leaks. I will wait for the official release and lets see how it sounds then.


I think if you are a fan of Chemical Wedding and Accident Of Birth you will like this album. I think this is a most Bruce Dickinson album, and nothing bad about that. In fact its refreshing.

I say again..

album wise - This is going to be the best Iron Maiden album since SSOASS. And I am so happy.

I was just wondering, the 3 amigos are awesome, I really like what I hear so far.
BRUCE IS DEFINITELY MAN OF THE MATCH FOR THIS ALBUM,
Nicko is there as usual great.
but where is Steve Harris ? He is there everywhere but not the limelight?

I will wait for the official release.


Good bye.