Montsegur--RealAudio

Maiden's second studio album after reuniting with vocalist Bruce Dickinson, and this album picks up in many ways where 'Brave New World' left off. It has a lot of the same "feel" as that disc, as Maiden's classic metal roots and sound continue to be re-established. There is strong guitar work, excellent solos, and numerous vocal-driven parts, thanks to Dickinson's pipes. In reference to the guitar work, a good number of the songs have excellent, extended solo/rhythm trade-off sections, and Maiden's three axemen really shine on this disc, if you listen closely.
Many people will ask if this is "better" than BNW, and that's a bit hard to qualify, on the surface. 'Brave New World' had several strong and memorable moments, including tracks such as "Fallen Angel" and "Dream of Mirrors". However, that album also had a few tracks which felt a bit rushed and hurried-- which in part complimented the overall feel of the disc. Many of the songs on BNW, while good tracks and definitely heavier than the Blaze era, were short, succint, and to the point. Not that there's anything wrong with that... but Maiden had built a legacy on in depth tracks that wove into your subconsciousness.
With 'Dance of Death', there is no rushed feeling. It appears as if the band took their time off -- and the accompanying songwriting process -- seriously. This appears to be a more consistent and complete release, and better written from start to end. Six of the tracks clock in at over six minutes long, with several in the eight minute range, and but a small amount of the songs could you even remotely consider as candidates for the "filler" file.
The light-hearted flow of the opening single "Wildest Dreams" starts off the endeavor, but most fans will find the brighter spots afterwards. "Rainmaker's" tooling guitar mainframe lends to a fast yet smooth pace, and the versework in "No More Lies" allows it to stand out, despite a repetitive and somewhat plain chorus.
"Montsegur" brings to mind rhythm-movers such as "Losfer Words," and is a heavy treat. The World War I battle-epic "Paschendale" is another thick piece that will bring smiles. The title track has a "Fear of the Dark" aura as it starts out light before mixing in distortion, and blends some patented Maiden guitarwork with some light background orchestration. "New Frontier," while in the same light vein as "Wildest Dreams," features a nice chorus, and "Face in the Sand" is another good cut.
In what is basically the fourth "era" or stage of Maiden, kudos should be given to the band for growing and evolving since 'Brave New World,' as the songwriting and emotion definitely point to that direction. Maybe not a be-all, end-all top release, but a fine album in the classic and traditional genre of metal.

TRACK LIST: Wildest Dreams/Rainmaker/No More Lies/Montsegur/Dance of Death/Gates of Tomorrow/New Frontier/Paschendale/Face in the Sand/Age of Innocence/Journeyman