Iron Maiden--Virtual XI

Iron Maiden--Virtual XI (1998) Rating--6.7

The eleventh studio album from IM, and second featuring Blaze on vocals. More cool cover artwork and an album bearing eight tracks, with most passing the six minute mark. The album also is used in promoting Maiden's new PC game (Ed Hunter) and IM's love for soccer (or football, wherever you may hail from). Several generated pictures of Maiden with its soccer team and various pictures of the forthcoming game cover the insert booklet.
The production (Harris & Green) is a lot like that of 'The X Factor'---kinda muddy, and very vocal-heavy. There are a lot of keyboards and synths (ala 'Seventh Son') in pieces of each track.
Ok then, on to the music: "Futureal" is an excellent opener, and by far the uptempo song of the group. On the flip side... "The Angel And The Gambler" is one of the worst Maiden tracks ever. It just sounds like a cover tune, or at best B-side material. Thick keyboards and repetitive vocals over 10 minutes do not an instant IM classic make!
Things do get a little better, though, with the Braveheart-ish "The Clansman" destined to be a Maiden legend. It has a slow "Infinite Dreams" kind of start before bursting into a bass thumping romp. Most tracks have an 'X Factor' meets 'Fear Of The Dark' feel---usually slow and brooding before getting the old blood pumping.
Blaze holds his own on most of the tracks, but remember: his strong points lie with moods and emotion rather than great range. It took most fans awhile to get used to the 'X Factor' material, and this is no exception. It does, however, leave room for improvement. The must-hear tracks are "The Clansman," "When Two Worlds Collide," and "Lightning Strikes Twice". Just not too many of them, unfortunately...
TRACK LIST: Futureal/The Angel And The Gambler/Lightning Strikes Twice/ The Clansman/When Two Worlds Collide/The Educated Fool/ Don't Look Into The Eyes Of A Stranger/Como Estais Amigos

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