Since forming in 1996, Nightwish have transformed from unpolished dreamers with big ideas into the most successful symphonic metal band in the world. Incredibly, they’ve done that with not one, not two, but three separate vocalists fronting them over their near-thirty year career, each one involved in at least one legitimate symphonic metal masterpiece. To help navigate your journey through their epic discography, we’ve ranked all ten Nightwish records from worst to best.
10. Angels Fall First (1997)
Nightwish’s rough and ready debut has not aged well. Composer, songwriter and mastermind. Tuomas Holopainen is many things, but a singer isn’t one of them – this album is the only time he would take on co-vocal duties – and let’s not get started on the awkward lust of Nymphomaniac Fantasia. Grand designs are evident even at this early stage and the operatic vocals of original singer Tarja Turunen are ever striking, but these simple tracks show little of the pomp and splendour further down the road.
Closing the door on the band’s early power metal chapter, third LP Wishmaster saw Nightwish growing in confidence even if it is their most forgettable collection of songs. Continuing the magical, Narnia-like atmospherics the band began building on their second album, Oceanborn, on the track, Dead Boy’s Poem, Wishmaster is notable as the moment Tuomas began to explore the Peter Pan-esque concept of lost childhood and innocence, themes he would return to again and again in Nightwish’s later work.
The fact Nightwish gave us Oceanborn a little more than a year after their undercooked debut is remarkable. Sure, it’s still the sound of a band finding their feet, but everything here is a huge step forward. Rooted in galloping power metal – the symphonic opulence of later years wouldn’t arrive for a few albums yet – tracks like Stargazers and Gethsemane start to deliver on Tuomas’ big ideas, while Sleeping Sun remained their best album closer until a certain 25-minute epic would come along 17 years later. More on that in a bit.
Adouble album, the second disc of which is almost completely instrumental, Human ://: Nature makes you work hard to uncover its charms. Current singer Floor Jansen is given more licence on her second outing with the band to let her formidable range run rampant, while the melodies and compositions of tracks like Shoemaker, Pan and Tribal are their proggiest and most complex yet.
Nightwish’s tenth and most recent album, Yesterwyndeis every bit as dense and perplexing as its predecessor, Human://:Nature, but is a far easier album to love. From the moment the fantastical An Ocean Of Strange Islands kicks off at full pelt, these songs are drenched in the magic and sparkle that Human://:Nature often surrendered to experimentation. During its 71-minute running length, there are choirs, colossal walls of sound and an intriguing foray into 80s-inspired, echoing drums and instrumentation on The Day Of…; it’s the most Nightwish the band have sounded in ages. While the absence of ex-bassist Marko Hietala, who left the band in 2021, is palpable in the album’s more thunderous moments – tracks like The Antikythera Mechanism and Spider Silk would have been perfect for his bombastic howl – this is the sound of a band rejuvenated and firing on all cylinders.
With Century Child, Nightwish really kicked into gear. Bridging their power metal and symphonic inclinations, it was the band’s first time recording with an orchestra, and introduced fork-bearded bassist Marco Hietala, to the mix. Its fantastic opening run of the gothtastic Bless The Child, melodramatic End Of All Hope and Dead To The World, the gorgeous Ever Dream and raging Slaying The Dreamer,is one of the best in their back catalogue.
Following their messy and very public split with Tarja, who was fired in 2005 via an open letter, the band’s next record was an unsurprisingly intense affair. Tuomas poured every drop of his anger, hurt and disappointment into the dark majesty of glorious epic, The Poet And The Pendulum and Bye Bye Beautiful, but this is also a record of devastating beauty. New singer Anette Olzon’s poppier style works perfectly on those prettier moments while some of Tuomas’ most stunning lyricism is on display here – “The good in her will be my sunflower field” (Eva). “It would be an exaggeration to say Dark Passion Play saved my life,” he would tell us later. “But it definitely saved my mental health.”
Nightwish’s first album with Floor Jansen is a high-concept exploration of evolutionary science, narrated by scientist Richard Dawkins and an absolute triumph. From the full-pelt throttle of Shudder Before The Beautiful and cinematic bombast of Weak Fantasy, to the Celtic flourishes of Elan to the life affirming anthemia of Alpenglow, it’s a constant stream of brilliance. Then there’s The Greatest Show On Earth, a 25-minute show-stopper most bands could only dream of writing. It’s no surprise this was the record that turned Nightwish into festival and arena headliners.
The album that introduced Nightwish to the masses. Once brandishes many of the band’s most famous songs and saw Tarja on the form of her life: the tempestuous DarkChest Of Wonders, stomper Wish I Had An Angel, wintery anthem Nemo and their career-defining moment, the extraordinary Ghost Love Score. With Once, the band perfected their symphonic drama and left their peers in the dust. For newbies, this is the best place to start.
After the darkness of Dark Passion Play, with Imaginaerum, Nightwish stepped back into the light. Described by Tuomas as a “celebration of life”, their seventh album was a sprawling, wide-eyed wonder that explored the depths of every human emotion and experience, threw everything at the wall and watched it all stick. Every member of the band puts in the performance of their lives; in particular, Anette Olzon sounds completely at home fronting the band by this point, while stylistically this is Tuomas’ most ambitious experimental moment to date. For every Nightwish-on-steroids dazzler like Storytime, Ghost River and I Want My Tears Back, there’s a volte-face like the jazz lounge of Slow, Love, Slow or haunted circus-top horror of Scaretale, while Last Ride Of The Day gave the band their most colourful anthem. Just one year after its release, and seven years after Tarja’s acrimonious departure, Anette would leave in a similarly dramatic hail of fire, but she left behind her the band’s crowning opus.
Danniii Leivers writes for Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, The Guardian, NME, Alternative Press, Rock Sound, The Line Of Best Fit and more. She loves the 90s, and is happy where the sea is bluest.
Pallas have told fans that there will be at least one more album from the group, but they’ve reached the end of the road as far as live shows are concerned.
“The Messenger is a year old. It was officially released on the 15th of December, 2023. We felt that this was an opportunity to mark the continued future of the band.
“There will be (at least) another album. There isn’t a title yet, or a tracklisting. There isn’t even a release date at this stage. Though there was more than enough for another album from The Messenger sessions, the band has gone back to the drawing board and is creating afresh. Expect the material to be rockier than The Messenger, though it will again be a ‘progression’. There will be more info in due course.
“But, we also formally announce the end of Pallas as a live act. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, least of all those close to the band who’ve stuck with us through thick and thin.
“We did look at the likelihood of returning – even just to say goodbye – but the sums just didn’t add up. Touring is an expensive business. Add to that the cost of re-equipping and paying for a drummer. Not to mention the cost of flying Niall back from Cambodia for the requisite amount of time. We wanted to do this as we’ve always done it – at the top of our game. We’re sad that it was’t to be.
“We’d have made a major loss on any dates, and it wasn’t sensible to continue. Thank you to all of the promoters out there who got in touch (you know who you are) to suggest one last gig or other. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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“Pallas: Alan, Graeme, Niall and Ronnie.”
In his own blog post singer Reed clarified the band’s statement, saying, “We did look at replacing various members – at least in a live setting. But two out of five isn’t the Pallas that I’d go to see, so reluctantly we came to the conclusion that the live part of the band is over.
“It’s sad, but it’s better to quit while we’re ahead rather than try to recapture past glories.
“Besides, I already have a band and will continue that element of my career. Who knows who may join me onstage at some point!
“To be honest, I’d gotten sick of answering all the questions about whether we’d tour again. I was also approached by a number of promoters who wanted to know if the band would like to play at this or that gig. I’d even gone as far as investigating whether there’d be mileage in a farewell package, that would include Euan and his band, as well as my own. But it wasn’t to be. There wasn’t any point in putting stuff together without the full commitment of the band as a whole.”
Jarvis Cocker’s not-Britpop bunch Pulp have inked their first record deal in more than two decades.
The Sheffield band – responsible for such 90s anthems as Common People, Disco 2000 and Do You Remember The First Time? – are now on the Rough Trade Records roster. They haven’t released a studio album since 2001’s We Love Life, but have recently debuted new songs live.
Pulp wrote on social media on Friday, December 12: “Pulp are pleased to announce that they have signed a record deal with Rough Trade Records.”
They added, “Rough Trade have managed Pulp for over 30 years so it feels great to be finally on the label. We did it!”
Formed in 1978 by frontman Jarvis Cocker, Pulp became figureheads of the Britpop movement after enjoying breakout success with Common People and headlining Glastonbury Festival in 1995. However, as the singer explained in a 2020 NME interview, he didn’t identify with the ‘Cool Britannia’ archetype associated with peers such as Oasis.
“I’m really glad that at the time I didn’t get hoodwinked and go along with that, because I do hate that jingoism,” he said. “I think we’ve seen the ugly, horrible side of that in Brexit and it’s a real shame.”
The band split shortly after the release of We Love Life but reformed for live tours from 2011 to 2013 and again in 2022. Since their second reunion, they’ve debuted five songs live, sparking rumours of their first album in two-plus decades.
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Furthering the hype were reports over the summer alleging that Pulp were recording again. A photo of Cocker in Walthamstow, London, was shared on social media by Walthamstow Labour and Coop MP Stella Creasy, who wrote, “He said that they were back in the studio!”
Pulp’s next album, their eighth overall, will be their first since 1987 without longtime bassist Steve Mackey. Mackey – who also performed in Cocker’s solo band and produced Florence And The Machine, Arcade Fire and others – died on March 2, 2023, aged 56. He had been hospitalised for three months with an undisclosed illness.
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
Iron Maiden – Somewhere In Time
(Image credit: PLG UK)
Caught Somewhere in Time Wasted Years Sea of Madness Heaven Can Wait The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Stranger in a Strange Land Deja-Vu Alexander the Great
The most underrated of Iron Maiden’s ‘80s albums, Somewhere In Time came between two major milestones – 1984’s Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, released four years later – and, as a result, seldom gets the props it deserves. In fact, it still sounds fresh and vital 30 years later.
Caught Somewhere In Time is one of Maiden’s greatest album openers – and, arguably the band’s best-ever live set opener – while Wasted Years was one of their finest singles and closing epic Alexander The Great was a strong contender for the song most Maiden diehards would cheerfully stab a relative to see performed live, at least until they actually started playing it live, decades later.
“We went for a new kind of sound on Somewhere In Time, using guitar synths, and two of my songs for that album came out really well, Stranger In A Strange Land and Wasted Years,” said guitarist Adrian Smith. “When we were mixing in New York, I was in my hotel room listening to the tracks with [producer] Martin Birch, and there was a knock at the door. I opened it and Tom Jones was standing there. He said: ‘I heard the music, lads. Do you mind if I come in?’
“He listened to the album, and as we talked I realized that what we do is pretty much the same: making records, doing shows. Except that with Maiden, it’s a bit louder.”
Every week, Album of the Week Club listens to and discusses the album in question, votes on how good it is, and publishes our findings, with the aim of giving people reliable reviews and the wider rock community the chance to contribute.
Blood & Chocolate – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Express – Love and Rockets
This Side of Paradise – Ric Ocasek
Blind Before I Stop – Meat Loaf
Third Stage – Boston
Constrictor – Alice Cooper
Dancing Undercover – Ratt
Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? – Megadeth
Vigilante – Magnum
Blah-Blah-Blah – Iggy Pop
Chicago 18 – Chicago
Inside the Electric Circus – W.A.S.P.
The Age of Quarrel – Cro-Mags
Menace to Society – Lizzy Borden
Music That You Can Dance To – Sparks
What they said…
“The weakest album from Iron Maiden’s classic ‘80s period, Somewhere In Time is really the first true disappointment in their catalogue, too often collapsing under the weight of their now-trademark ambition. Though it sold well on the heels of the hugely successful Powerslave tour, and is often regarded as underrated by Maiden devotees, it clearly finds the band struggling to refresh what was rapidly hardening into formula.” (AllMusic)
“Without any songwriting contributions from Bruce Dickinson, who had all his semi-acoustic songs ditched, a heavier burden rests on Adrian Smith’s shoulders to come up with both music and lyrics. In addition to Wasted Years, which is surely one of Maiden’s most commercially inclined tracks, he also delivers the metallic Sea Of Madness, featuring one of the greatest Maiden guitar solos ever, and the brooding and groovy second single Stranger In A Strange Land.” (Maiden Revelations)
“Many of the tracks on the album such as Caught Somewhere In Time, The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner and Alexander The Great had a real epic feel to them. The guitar synthesizers seemed to enhance the various melody lines that Iron Maiden came up with. Nothing was more prevalent in that regard than the first single Wasted Years which continues to be a crowd favourite and perhaps one of the easiest Maiden songs to sing along to.” (Sleaze Roxx)
What you said…
Nigel Mawdsley: I should like Iron Maiden’s music more than I actually do! Iron Maiden have some superb classic songs in their back catalogue, but I find that a lot of their album tracks just merge into one.
Somewhere In Time shows brilliant musicianship all round, but then, for me, as with most of the band’s albums, there’s nothing really outstanding song-wise melodically. I always thought that Judas Priest were more varied and better songwriters. 6/10 from me.
Andrew Cumming: This was the current album when I first became interested in Maiden and so holds a special level of affection. At the time I thought it was great – the title track, Stranger and Wasted – two great singles – Heaven Can Wait, Sea Of Madness. All fantastic. It sagged a bit with Alexander The Great and Loneliness. But nevertheless a really good album.
With the passing of time I felt it didn’t hold up as consistently as, say, Number of the Beast, Powerslave or Seventh Son. But then last year they decided to tour the album which gave me a reason to re-evaluate. And I think it holds up really really well. Whereas those three – whilst great – are very very familiar now. Somewhere in Time doesn’t have quite the level of familiarity which makes it more enjoyable to come back to. And hearing Alexander The Great live brought it to life really well. So I think it’s a great album. A notch below the absolute classics. But those slight flaws make it worth coming back to.
Chris Downie: For those of us who endured the 90’s mid-career slump of Iron Maiden and many of their traditional metal contemporaries, there was a feeling of bemusement when a key accusation levelled at Steve Harris and co. was their insistence at sticking to their guns and stubborn refusal to ‘move with the times’. After all, the first seven albums (surely a candidate for the greatest consecutive album run in metal history) were all markedly different, characterised by a steady evolution and ever more adventurous composition. The most divisive in that virtually flawless first decade is 1986’s Somewhere In Time.
It’s no secret this album marked a key turning point in the relationship between frontman Bruce Dickinson and band leader Steve Harris. While the former wanted to progress their sound in a Zeppelin-style diversification and usher in acoustic tracks and power ballads, the latter harboured a desire to introduce synthesisers for the first time, in a nod to the trends of the day.
Needless to say, Harris won out and Dickinson’s name is notably absent from all songwriting credit on this album. Also notable is the fact this was released the same year as Judas Priest’s much-maligned Turbo and Ozzy’s equally controversial The Ultimate Sin. Looking back, however, this is not the great departure some lamented at the time. While the guitar synths date the album somewhat from a production standpoint, from a compositional point of view, they embellish, rather than dominate, the music throughout.
With Dickinson taking a step back from songwriting, this was the album where Adrian Smith really stepped up, delivering the tremendous Wasted Years and Stranger In A Strange Land, as well as the underrated Sea Of Madness, all of which underpin the fact it was his departure in 1990 and not Dickinson’s two albums later, that precipitated their almost decade-long decline. That said, to call this Smith’s album would do a disservice to the rest of the band.
Despite his lack of songwriting, Dickinson delivers another world-class vocal performance, while Harris penned one of their heaviest-ever compositions – and one of their best opening tracks to this day – in Caught Somewhere In Time, as well as live favourite Heaven Can Wait and epic closer Alexander The Great.
The twin lead guitar interplay between Smith and Dave Murray is as exhilarating as ever, but perhaps equally worthy of mention here is the inspirational drum performance of recently retired Nicko McBrain. The opener is one of the finest examples of single bass drum playing in metal, whilst his dynamics and tasteful fills in Wasted Years elevate an already great song and the powerful but elegant driving forward of The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner and odd time signatures in Alexander are true career highlights of an already stellar career of an iconic drummer.
Looking back at this album today, it’s baffling to see why it met with a minor backlash for the introduction of synthesisers and slightly more accessible style, for the material here is very strong and, were it not sandwiched between two of their – and Heavy Metal’s – most definitive albums in Powerslave and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, it would surely be recognised as an all-time classic. That it was finally given its fair due by way of no fewer than five of its eight tracks being celebrated on their latest tour, is poetic justice and a fine touring swansong for McBrain, showcasing one of his finest performances on record. 9/10.
Gary Claydon: One of the (many) pleasures of the most recent Maiden tour was hearing some of their lesser-played tracks, especially the excellent Stranger In A Strange Land, not aired live for 20-odd years and the never-before aired Alexander The Great. Somewhere In Time isn’t my favourite Maiden album but it’s still mighty fine. The good bits are very good and the less good bits are, nonetheless, very decent. 8/10.
Brian Carr: Listening to Somewhere In Time this evening, it struck me that the album might be a perfect example of the inability to fulfil expectations when one has set the bar incredibly high. Despite heavy MTV play of Wasted Years and Stranger in a Strange Land (as I recall), the consensus among Maiden fans seemed to be that Somewhere In Time was a letdown after the killer string of albums that came before. Obviously, keyboards in Iron Maiden songs proved to be a hard sell, but it could have been worse (cough, cough – Turbo – hack, hack).
To me, taken on its own merits, Somewhere In Time is a quite strong record. Bruce is in great voice, the guitar work of Smith and Murray is spectacular as usual and the songs are excellent. Adrian Smith’s songwriting contributions (three of eight songs) steer the album in a more mainstream direction, but that doesn’t turn me away. The aforementioned Wasted Years might have the biggest hook in Maiden’s output and that suits me just fine. Nice choice this week in tribute to the beloved Nicko McBrain.
Iron Maiden – Wasted Years (Official Video) – YouTube
Mike Canoe: What I like about Iron Maiden’s Somewhere In Time, I like a lot. At the same time, it still feels like a lesser version of Powerslave, which I always considered their magnum opus.
I’m not bothered by the use of synths (surprisingly). Judas Priest had already used them on their Turbo album and my friends and I loved that one at the time. While it’s easy to blame the synths, I don’t think they were directly responsible for softening Maiden’s (or Priest’s) sound. It’s likely both bands were pressured to keep building their crossover audience.
Maiden sounded like they were trying to better Powerslave but didn’t know how to do it. Steve Harris’s use of movie titles to spark song ideas felt increasingly desperate and Alexander The Great was a clunker that aimed to top Mariner‘s” glories but only accentuated the big gap between the two as Bruce Dickinson was forced to awkwardly sing out a history lesson. Even Derek Riggs, the artist who breathed life into the greatest metal mascot of all time, seemed to be overcompensating with a cover so detailed that only the most ardent fan could decipher everything since the internet wasn’t around for the common people yet.
Despite all that, there’s some great stuff here. Adrian Smith steps up as MVP with two excellent singles, Wasted Years and Stranger in a Strange Land, as well my favourite Maiden deep cut of all time, Sea Of Madness. Aside from Alexander the Great, Steve Harris contributes some great songs too. Opener Caught Somewhere in Time lays out the album’s M.O. and Heaven Can Wait, with its gang chants is much better than the Warren Beatty movie it shares its name with. No idea about the movie Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner,” but the song is pretty great. Of course, the band still plays like the stadium-conquering heroes they are and Dickinson, while he didn’t contribute any songs, still demonstrates why he is one of the greatest metal singers ever.
Truth be told, Somewhere In Time was the last Maiden studio album that I truly enjoyed. Seventh Son was a little too soggy and proggy for me and the band and I went our separate ways as far as new stuff goes. Fans talk about bands having hot streaks of three or four albums but, along with the phenomenal Live After Death, Maiden had a great showing of seven stellar albums in a row.
Greg Schwepe: In today’s marketing world of “branding” and having a “consistent product,” Iron Maiden certainly follows the guidelines to a “T,” or should I say dots the “I?” With every Iron Maiden song and album, you fully know what you’re gonna get! The banshee wail of Bruce Dickinson, the galloping, ringing bass of Steve Harris, the guitars of Murray and Smith (and Gers too, depending on the album you’re listening to), and the thumping drums of the newly retired Nicko McBrain. Like their classic rock compadres AC/DC and ZZ Top, they don’t stray too far (or at all) from their tried and true musical formula. Whether you put the needle down, hit the “Play” button on your cassette deck, CD player, or streaming service app, you’ll get the same consistent Iron Maiden blast every time.
As someone who was a compilation CD consumer of Iron Maiden’s music before the streaming services gave you access to a band’s output from the dawn of time, Somewhere In Time sounds like all the other Iron Maiden albums I’ve heard. And that’s no slight, that’s exactly what I want. That distinctive Maiden sound, track after track. The title track, Wasted Years, and a whole slew of other great tracks provide me exactly the Maiden fix I’m looking for.
For the ultimate Maiden fan, there are distinct differences between various albums that they can point out, but for me, this “sameness” leads to that sound and enjoying every song all the way through. 8 out of 10 for me on this one. Eddie approves.
Adam Ranger: I stopped buying Iron Maiden albums after Poweslave. Not because I was tired of them, but my musical tastes were broadening as a 19-year-old. Back then, no streaming service, so you had to choose what to buy or have a friend who had bought it already. And to me Poweslave was such a great album, that it felt right to leave Maiden there for a while. So this is my first proper full listen to Somewhere In Time.
It sounds like Maiden, has all the hallmarks of the previous albums. But it lacks something for me. It seems very well produced, and that synth guitar tone a little tamer than Powerslave or Piece Of Mind. Great playing, and a great vocal performance, but I got a little bored halfway through.
My favourite tracks: Alexander The Great (Maiden always good at telling a tale) and Sea Of Madness, because it sounds different from the rest of the album.
Not a bad album, veering towards prog metal rather than good old-fashioned British heavy metal. Solid, but not a Maiden album I will revisit in a hurry.
Iron Maiden – Stranger In A Strange Land (Official Video) – YouTube
Brett Deighton: I got this on vinyl for my 14th birthday and nearly wore the needle off my dad’s record player. Sadly I don’t have most of the old records, but this is one I would consider collecting on vinyl again.
Nigel Taylor: For me this is the finest Bruce Dickinson-era Iron Maiden album and the last true classic Iron Maiden album. The production is amazing, the use of guitar synths is just perfection and the songs, especially those written by Adrian Smith are amazing. And yep, Nicko nails it, with Stranger In A Strange Land being my favourite of his performances on it.
Adam McCann: Four words describe this album best: Adrian Smith’s Finest Hour.
Philip Qvist: Underrated for sure and it is packed with great songs, but I would say that it is my least favourite Maiden album from the 80s. For sure it’s miles better than what they produced in the 90s, and it beats a lot of their albums that they produced this century – but it’s no Number Of The Beast or Powerslave.
The album definitely could have done with a lot less synthesiser, while many of the songs were too overproduced for their own good. Of course, it didn’t help that Bruce Dickinson was too exhausted to write any songs of real value either, although Adrian Smith really did come to the party with three great songs. And then there is Alexander The Great – which is one of their weakest closing album songs in my opinion.
Okay, so enough of the negatives – are there any positives? Oh yes, you bet there is – and there are plenty of them. There aren’t many albums that start off with songs of the quality of Caught Somewhere In Time, followed by Wasted Years. Then you also have Stranger In A Strange Land and the Steve Harris composition The Loneliness Of The Long Distant Runner, while Heaven Can Wait is also a great song.
The musicianship is of high quality and more proof that Dave Murray and Adrian Smith formed one of the greatest guitar duos in the rock industry. Even Bruce more than made up for his lack of songwriting credits with a great vocal performance.
And then there is the memorable cover, with hidden gems all over the place – including Steve’s rather fanciful West Ham 7 – Arsenal 3 scoreline (I’m not a Gunners fan, but most of my family is). That album cover alone is worth a bonus point on its own.
My verdict? I’m going to give Somewhere In Time an 8. It is a very good album – but those three studio albums before it, not to mention Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, are all worth a 9 or 10; heights that Somewhere doesn’t quite hit.
And finally, I want to wish Nicko a very happy (semi) retirement – he certainly deserves it. He easily fits on my list of Top 10 All-Time Rock Drummers – and let’s not forget his larger-than-life personality. So thanks for all the memories Nicko – and enjoy your retirement.
Andrew Bramah: This is what happens when you use guitar synths to their best effect. Compare this to Turbo by Judas Priest.
Douglas Mackenzie: I like it, but it’s a drop in quality from Piece Of Mind and Powerslave, and its successor, Seventh Son…, is also way better.
John Davidson: It took me a long time to accept Iron Maiden were better without Paul DiAnno. He brought a punky charm that I always felt Bruce “Bruce” Dickinson lacked. It wasn’t until a friend gave me a tape of Live After Death that I realised what I’d been missing.
As a consequence, Somewhere In Time was the first Iron Maiden studio album i’d bought since Killers and I played it to death, even though I’d moved in with a girl by then and she was decidedly not a fan.
Side one is flawless. The opening one-two punch of Caught… and Wasted Years gets it off to a flying start and Sea Of Madness and HeavenCan Wait close the deal.
Side two is more of a mixed bag. Loneliness… goes on a bit, Stranger In A Strange Land is fantastic, Deja Vu is better than I remembered, even if it sounds like Judas Priest half the time, and even Alexander The Great manages to rise above its rather cheesy lyrical history lesson (the bit about paving the way for Christianity is pure bunkum).
The album was too long for one side of a c90 so I’m pretty sure I missed Alexander The Great off the end when I taped it for my Saisho walkman knock-off.
Off the bat I’d have given this an 8, but listening to it again for the first time in many years I’m leaning towards a 9.
Elad Winberg: It’s my favourite Iron Maiden album along with Powerslave, and I think that it was way ahead of its time with its progressive sound and with the use of guitar synths. I always say that this album and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son were highly influential for both power and progressive metal, and many of my favourite bands in these genres sound like they were inspired by the bombastic and epic sound of these two legendary albums.
Bill Griffin: They did the synth thing much better on the next one but this is still a fine album and the tour marked the first of my many visits to their live show.
Tony Bickerdike: One of the very of best of Iron Maiden’s albums and in my personal top three. No fillers on this album, all the songs are superb, even The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, the name of which actively discouraged me from initially listening to it. Alexander the Great is my favourite track, given it’s an epic as well as educational.
I love it and hope Nicko enjoys his retirement from the Irons at his home in Florida
Jacob Tannehill: I’m a little younger than most Iron Maiden fans. But I stumbled upon this album as my first introduction to them. It’s my favourite album by them as a whole. I knew all the hits before this, but I never actually listened to a whole Iron Maiden album until this one. Not a stinker in the bunch. Some people that I grew up with think that they went a little too commercial on this one – maybe digital, I should say – but I think it’s a great album and they’ve worked very hard to defend this album.
Final score: 8.11 (98 votes cast, total score 795)
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Loudwire has shared a new Gear Factor compilation video. Check it out below.
Loudwire: “Pretend you’re watching this video in 17/8 time as prog-metal legends like Dream Theater, Mastodon and more play some of the songs that have inspired them most.”
Wrapping up the successful European leg of their 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025 last week, Grammy-winning, progressive music titans, Dream Theater, are releasing the next piece of music from their sixteenth studio album, Parasomnia.
The track, “A Broken Man”, is the latest track from the iconic reunited lineup of vocalist James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Portnoy. The song opens with a driving musical barrage that subsides as LaBrie tells the story of a war veteran who is experiencing sleep disturbances such as nightmares and insomnia, due to combat experience. The song contains audio from actual vets speaking about their personal horrors and replaying the traumatic events of wartime deployments.
A visualiser for the song – created by longtime collaborator Wayne Joyner – that captures the essence of “A Broken Man” is now available below:
An album announcement that is fifteen years in the making, Dream Theater return with their sixteenth studio album, Parasomnia, scheduled for release on February 7 via their longtime label home, Inside Out Music/Sony Music.
From the opening track “In The Arms Of Morpheus” to the closer of “The Shadow Man Incident,” Dream Theater returns with a collection of songs that showcase what has earned the band a loyal following for four decades. Clocking in at 71 minutes, Parasomnia takes the listener on a musical journey that has become synonymous with the band since the beginning of their career. Parasomnia is a term for disruptive, sleep-related disturbances including sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, and night terrors. Songs like “A Broken Man,” “Dead Asleep,” “Midnight Messiah” and “Bend The Clock” all build upon the themes brought on by the album title.
The first single, “Night Terror,” is a musical thrill ride captured in the just shy of ten minutes listening experience. A music video for the song – directed by Mike Leonard – is now available and can be seen below.
The album was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James ‘Jimmy T’ Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returns once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.
Parasomnia is available for pre-order here in the following configurations:
– Ltd Deluxe Box-set – includes Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (Incl. CD1: full album, CD2: instrumentals, Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos & 5.1 Surround Sound – mixed by Mark Gittins, High-Resolution Stereo Mixes, animated visualizers for each song created by Wayne Joyner, + 68-page booklet), Ltd Gatefold 180g Dark Green 2LP (feat. alternative cover artwork), Majesty-logo dream catcher keyring, Sleeping mask, Dream journal, 60x60cm poster & hand-numbered, foil-stamped certificate of authenticity. Limited to 3500 copies worldwide.
– Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook – (Incl. CD1: full album, CD2: instrumentals, Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos & 5.1 Surround Sound – mixed by Mark Gittins, High-Resolution Stereo Mixes, animated visualizers for each song created by Wayne Joyner, + 68-page booklet)
– Gatefold 180g 2LP + 12-page LP-booklet
– Special Edition CD Digipak
– Digital Album – (incl. Dolby Atmos – mixed by Mark Gittins)
Parasomnia tracklisting:
“In The Arms Of Morpheus” (5:22) “Night Terror” (9:55) “A Broken Man” (8:30) “Dead Asleep” (11:06) “Midnight Messiah” (7:58) “Are We Dreaming?” (1:28) “Bend The Clock” (7:24) “The Shadow Man Incident” (19:32)
“Night Terror” video:
An Evening with Dream Theater 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025:
December 15 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Vibra (Limited Tickets Remain) 16 – Curitiba, Brazil – Live Curitiba 17 – Porto Alegre, Brazil – Araújo Vianna 19 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Movistar Arena 21 – Santiago, Chile – Movistar Arena (Sold Out) 22 – Santiago, Chile – Movistar Arena
February 7 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met 8 – Raleigh, NC – Martin Marietta Center 10 – Nashville, TN – Opry House 11 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy 12 – Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Café 14 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall 15 – Dallas, TX – Texas Trust CU 16 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Center 19 – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theater 21 – Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea 22 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater 24 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic 25 – Sacramento, CA – Safe Credit Union Performing 27 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater 28 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
March 2 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra 4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center 6 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom 8 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre 9 – Cleveland, OH – MGM Northfield Park 11 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum 12 – Montreal, QC – Place des Arts 14 – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theater 15 – Boston. MA – Boch Center 17 – Rochester, NY – Kodak 18 – Wheeling, WV – Capitol Theater 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Brady Music Center 21 – Washington, DC – The Anthem 22 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
More information on all tickets and VIP packages can be found here.
Live music industry publication Pollstar has published its annual breakdown of touring income, and a number of rock acts feature in the Top 10 grossing performers worldwide.
In a list predictably headed by cultural phenomenon Taylor Swift – whose 2024 Eras tour dates pulled in more than a billion dollars in ticket sales – while Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Metallica also prompted fans to collectively part with hundreds of millions of dollars.
Coldplay were second in the global list, grossing $421,713.321. The band’s Music of the Spheres World Tour is now the most successful of all time in terms of seats filled, with more than 10.3 million tickets sold since the first date in 2022. The band will finish the tour with 10 shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in August 2025.
Fifth on the global list were Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, who played 44 shows over the year, selling 1,667,607 tickets across 44 dates for a gross total of more than $250 million, while the Rolling Stones weren’t too far behind, raking in $235 million from just 18 shows. At number nine on the list were Metallica, who played 24 shows, collecting $179 million at the box office.
In the US alone, the Rolling Stones were at the top of the list, with their entire schedule taking place in the USA. Taylor Swift played just nine US shows in 2024 .
In other Pollsatar news, the biggest-grossing venue in the world has been confirmed as Sphere in Las Vegas, which only opened in 2023 and has played host to just four acts. In 2024 the venue grossed $367.2 million by selling 1,136,179 tickets to 70 residency shows by U2, Phish, Dead & Company and Eagles.
Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and Matt Cameron have reunited onstage in Seattle to play a short set of Soundgarden songs.
Billed as Nudedragons – a name Soundgarden reunited under in 2010 (and an anagram of Soundgarden) – the show at the 1100-capacity Showbox in Seattle, WA, was the trio’s first together since joining Brandi Carlisle onstage for versions of Black Hole Sun and Searching With My Good Eye Closed in Gorge, WA, in 2021.
The three men were joined by Shaina Shepherd, a Seattle-based singer, songwriter, music educator and community organizer, who dedicated the set to the man whose shoes she was filling, the late Chris Cornell.
The set comprised of six songs: Hunted Down, Outshined, Flower, Beyond The Wheel and Kickstand – during which Shepherd was joined on vocals by Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan – before a closing cover of the MC5’s classic Kick Out The Jams.
The band’s set came at the end of a fundraiser for SMooCH, which was created to help raise funds for uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s and is backed by non-commercial Seattle radio station KEXP and Sub Pop Records. The organisation was founded by musicians Pete and Brandy Nordstrom in 2012 after their infant son received life-saving treatment from Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Other artists playing on the night included Sebadoh and Built Spill’s Doug Martsch, while previous events have included performances by Modest Mouse, Iron And Wine, Jason Isbell, J. Mascis, the Afghan Whigs and Redd Kross.
For all of their promise, the Beatles‘ journey as solo acts was dotted with potholes.
George Harrison came roaring into the ’70s, quickly releasing two chart-topping post-breakup albums and three Top singles – topped by the No. 1 smash “My Sweet Lord.” Ringo Starr struck platinum with 1973’s Ringo and reeled off four straight Top 10 songs, including a pair of No. 1 hits.
Meanwhile, former bandmate Paul McCartney was already experiencing the kind of ups (1971’s Ram) and downs (Wild Life, also from 1971) that would define his career away from the Beatles. Similarly, John Lennon followed up his biggest-selling solo LP (1971’s Imagine) with one of his most poorly received albums.
McCartney would ultimately outsell them all, while Starr suffered the most dramatic solo career setbacks. Lennon’s and then Harrison’s careers were cut short when they died too early.
At one point, Starr was actually without a label after being dropped by RCA following a string of duds in the late ’70s. But he ended up becoming the most productive of all of his former bandmates, regularly issuing albums and EPs after the turn of the century.
When they were together, the Beatles seemed to metronomically release one creative triumph after another. The same couldn’t always be said of their solo records, even the hits. As you’ll see in the following list of 25 Worst Beatles Solo Albums, each of them stumbled (sometimes badly) without the friction and spark that defined their former group’s successes.
25 Worst Beatles Solo Albums
Each of them stumbled (sometimes badly) without the friction and spark that defined their former group’s successes.
Former Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s art-rock group Envy of None has released a video for their latest track. “Under the Stars” offers good news for those who were worried about his recent reluctance to play solos.
This is the second advance single from Envy of None’s upcoming second album, though no release details have been released. Lifeson and bassist and lead songwriter Andy Curren are joined by guitarist-keyboardist, producer Alf Annibalini and vocalist Maiah Wynne, with drums supplied by guest artist Joe Vitale.
Besides guitar, Lifeson also adds mandola and oud to “Under the Stars,” which Curren said features a Rush-style solo partway through.
“Alf and I toiled over this one for months and really felt, even at its rough demo stage, that we had something special,” Curren reported in an official statement. “We left a ton of space for Maiah in the verses and there’s such a cool mood shift when the chorus hits. Joe Vitale’s drum track and percussion added an almost trance-like vibe – and the icing on the cake is an unmistakable Alex guitar solo.”
Why Alex Lifeson Cut Back on Playing Solos
Curren said he’s “a romantic at heart and the message here is universal. Soul mates – two against the world!”
Envy of None released their self-titled debut album in 2022. After the launch, Lifeson suggested that he might have played his last solo. Only one song on the LP, “Spy House,” featuring one of his trademark leads.
“That was the first song I wrote at the end of the Rush tour,” he said. “It has a solo because it was [still] a natural thing for me to go into. … I feel like I’ve fully explored the whole area of soloing.”
“Under the Stars” follows Envy of None’s previous single “Not Dead Yet,” which arrived in November.
Rush Albums Ranked
We examine Rush’s 19 studio albums, from 1974’s muscular self-titled release to a series of remarkable late-career triumphs.
Jon Anderson says he’s open to a reunion with his former Yes bandmates. In the meantime, he’s revisiting some of the best-known music they made together with a group of collaborators found on YouTube.
He’s been appearing with the Band of Geeks for a few years, most recently on a well-received tour dubbed “Yes: Epics, Classics and More.” They recorded and filmed an entire show in August at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois, and are now set to release Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks Live: Perpetual Change on March 14 through Frontiers.
The album will be available in 2CD/DVD or triple vinyl editions. Preorders are already underway. See a complete track listing below and preview their update of “And You And I” from 1972’s career-defining Close to the Edge.
In June, Anderson released “Shine On,” his first original single with the Band of Geeks. The track was produced by Anderson and Blue Oyster Cult‘s Richie Castellano, who also serves as bass player and musical director of the Band of Geeks. Their full-length debut, True, followed in August.
Anderson discovered Castellano in the summer of 2018 after he posted a cover of the title track from Close to the Edge. The song was called “Close to the Edge: A Band Geek Yes Cover with Chris Clark,” and that eventually inspired the new group’s name.
Anderson’s last album with Yes was 2001’s Magnification. The Band of Geeks also includes keyboardists Clark and Andy Ascolese, bassist Andy Graziano, guitarist Robert Kipp.
‘Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks Live: Perpetual Change’ Track Listing “Yours Is No Disgrace” “Perpetual Change” “Close to the Edge” “Heart Of The Sunrise” “Starship Trooper” “Awaken” “And You and I” “Your Move / I’ve Seen All Good People” “Gates of Delirium” “Roundabout”
Top 50 Progressive Rock Artists
From Kansas and Can to King Crimson and Curved Air.
