Number of the Breast

http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk

Can't truly vouch for the online service myself, but if it's anything like the stores, then it should be some top quality stuff.

Iron Maiden plan to release their new studio album entitled A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, in early September.

The band started writing songs at the end of 2005 after a short break from their hugely successful festival appearances in Europe and the USA. After Christmas the songs were completed and rehearsed when the band then got together with producer Kevin 'Caveman' Shirley at Sarm West Studios in London to start work on recording the backing tracks.

Kevin Shirley has now co-produced three of the bands studio albums alongside Steve Harris, as well as two of their recent Live DVD's and albums. From this the working relationship between Kevin and the band seems to get stronger and stronger. Says Kevin, 'The Beast is back! I feel from the outset we all clicked on this one. We spent two months in the studio, from Go to Whoa - from Nicko's 'tubs up' to final mixes and sequenced master! That's a tiny gestation period for an album. Producing Iron Maiden is like sitting in the head and driving one of those mammoth automatons from Star Wars or Saturday morning cartoons! And there's nothing that can stop it!'

'I feel incredibly privileged to have been around to see this album born and breathe life. There have been only a couple of occasions in my career when the ENTIRE process of recording felt so complete - and it is on display here.'

As on previous projects all of the tracks were performed live and together in one room. No click tracks or computer tightening or manipulation has happened at any stage of the recording.

Says Steve Harris,' I think in many ways this has been the easiest album in terms of recording that we've ever done. The whole process of writing through to recording was very natural. I think in terms of the material we've also pushed our boundaries yet again and I think it will please our fans but also really surprise a lot of people as well. The sound we've managed to get is very powerful for a Maiden record and all of us have pushed ourselves in our own ways to create something that we're all immensely proud of and I think working as quickly as we did with Kevin really was part of that process. We simply can't wait to take this out on the road. We've played some great shows and had a lot fun recently introducing some of our older songs to a new generation of fans. However for us personally we're incredibly excited about getting out and performing these new tracks.'

Says Bruce Dickinson,'This album has to be our best since working with Kevin. There is such a wide scope of musicianship on this album and in parts this album is truly epic. I thought with the likes of Paschendale from the last studio album that we could only hope to surpass that but having now heard the album back as well as sitting with a few select people and hearing their reactions as well I truly believe we have managed it. Every one of us has put everything into this record and it's really paid off. However we've had such fun making it that it's almost difficult to believe what we've managed to achieve in the time it took.'

The full track listing is as below.

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

1. Different Worlds (Smith/Harris) 4.17

2. These Colours Don't Run (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 6.52

3. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 8.44

4. The Pilgrim (Gers/Harris) 5.07

5. The Longest Day (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7.48

6. Out Of the Shadows (Dickinson/Harris) 5.36

7. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (Murray/Harris) 7.21

8. For The Greater Good of God (Harris) 9.24

9. Lord Of Light (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) 7.23

10. The Legacy (Gers/Harris) 9.20

The band have just announced tour dates in Japan and the majority of the European dates at the end of 2006 are already sold out.

However please check the details of all of these on www.ironmaiden.com for latest information on ticket availability and for details of tickets just released from Production holds.

Awesome, been hoping to hear the release date for this. Didn't think "Out of Exile" was quite as good as the self-titled album, but it would've been hard to be as good as that. Beside, "OoE" was pretty awesome too. Now, we just need to hear the release date of the new Maiden album, and we're good to go...

EDIT: I would say that then check up and find everything BUT an official release date.

Man, that was some contest. Congratulations to you Keith, I know you'll do well in the grand finale, but good luck anyway - do it for the West Wing man! Norro, you know I'll be back next time.

*enjoys hug*

I'm shaking...

3 pages before the judgements are even up. Now THAT is revolutionary (Y)

Sounds promising, consulting AJ and Joe would be much better than THQ consulting the WWE writers at least, and good to see they're taking advantage of the motion capture system.

Lowerdeck, you lucky boy.

Switzlerland? How very meh. Well, at least they've got a good chance of making it to the knockouts.

Damn straight we do. This is what Revolution should have been about the whole time.

Thanks NBT (Y)

The Armageddon Dildos

Brainless Wankers

Anal Cunt

Kansanturvamusiikkikomissio

I'm in. Brazil or Holland for the win, I'll get Togo, just like I got the Coach in the Royal Rumble one

Well, sorry it took so long, I've been busy recently and I wanted to give this my all, so here we go.

Source pictures:

http://www.hellochicago.com/Images/Photos/...Sears_Tower.jpg

http://adweek.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/bigmac_1.jpg

http://www.mcdonalds.pl/shared/logo.gif

And here I was thinking no-one would waste (and risk) an obscene amount of money on a well past his prime Axl and four nobodies. Guess I was wrong.

It shows talent, yes, but only in the technical sense of the term IMO. If you can combine that technical ability with an ability to write good melodies and songs (see - Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, etc) then you're on to a winner.

The problem with a lot of the "widdly-ness" (best. description. ever) guitarists is that they just pile it on for no apparent reason. I think the best description I heard of it was from my dad (who was a session man in the 70s and was to tour with Led Zep until he decided to get married and settle down instead... idiot) who said as follows...

"Paige, Clapton, Hendrix, and the like could combine technical skill with brilliant songwriting and they could write a damn good hook too. Plus, they kept it reined in most of the time. Bands like Guns'N'Roses, Slayer, and guys like Stevie Vai kinda opted into this attitude of 'if a guitar solo is good, a really big guitar solo must be better' and spent so much time writing funky solos that they forgot to write the songs to go with them."

I'd call that sort of guitar playing unrestrained musical masturbation. Any idiot can bust out 30 solos if they've had a decent enough amount of training, but it does take a lot more talent to actually make it work in the context of a song.

Funnily enough, a lot of the people who don't like Nirvana are the sorts who like guitar solos and general widdly-ness (Evil Chase K and Aaron Maiden in this here topic I know of at least), which was effectively what music like Nirvana's killed off for the best part of the 90's. Personally, I hate that style of music to a degree, as too many bands throw out technical guitar work/solos just for the sake of it, seemingly. As Skumfrog said in another topic, I'd take a Johnny Marr over most of those kinda guitarists based purely substance over style.

everything about nirvana is overrated

Guy's clearly the best character. When he was playing puppets with a patient I damn near pissed myself I was laughing so hard. Also, his song about Mac and the ginger child was class.

Wow, was NOT expecting that. Harsh luck to my opponent and good luck in the future. Thanks to the judges, I honestly thought Jules would beat me there, based on the fact that I really had no idea what I wanted to do, so I really phoned it in. Don't worry Norro, I of course will be putting 110% into the final.

Very meh. Good timewaster, but not really great on gameplay terms. Still, Roger kicking ass > *.

Something Wicked This Way Comes > * (bar Maiden and the odd few albums). Seriously, one of my favourite albums ever. Watching Over Me is in my top 5 songs of all time.

The original image was something I'd worked on a while ago that I thought would fit perfectly into this theme, I'm almost certain it was originally a painting that I did quite a lot of editing to.

Not sure if I really like this, or even if it fits in with the rules, but here's my best shot at this one.

Alice in Chains just outedge Soundgarden for me, twas tight but AiC are my favourites out of them

As for the other poll, I voted Creed, because I like them more than any of the others, simple. Athough Alter Bridge >>>>> Creed. Also, Velvet Revolver > STP.