“Dance of Death” came out in 2003 and was Iron Maiden’s thirteenth album. After the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith on “Brave New World” in 2000, the band continued on this more complex path: long tracks, slow starts, middle instrumental sections and tempo changes that aren’t easily predicted.
The reviews were good, with Sputnikmusic giving it 4 out of 5. The record has some of the strongest tracks of their modern era, but also a few weak points. “Paschendale” is considered by fans and critics the best track on the record and one of the best the band ever wrote: heavy riffs, theatrical atmosphere and moving lyrics about the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I.
Also standing out are the title track “Dance of Death”, “Face in the Sand” and “Journeyman”, the first fully acoustic song in Iron Maiden’s history, with an epic character and great lyrics. “Montsegur” and “Rainmaker” recall the energetic sound of the 80s, while “No Frontier” is particularly interesting because it’s the first song written by drummer Nicko McBrain.
But the weak points aren’t missing either: “Gates of Tomorrow” was considered boring and poorly written by critics, and the album’s cover received a lot of negative comments for its quality. Even so, “Dance of Death” went down in history as a record that continued the band’s evolution, taking the more complex sound of “Brave New World” and adding big theatrical moments.
See also: Iron Maiden – Powerslave and Blind Guardian – Beyond the Red Mirror
