For Week Ending:
24 June 2023

Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier (2010)

[Heavy Metal]

Considering the number of years they had behind them Iron Maiden continued to prove they had more to offer when in 2010 they released 'The Final Frontier'. The three previous albums ('Brave New World', 'Dance Of Death, and 'A Matter Of Life And Death') set the benchmark incredibly high, and the band managed to keep the quality and consistency - but still add a whole bunch of new techniques to their arsenal. The lengthy 'Satellite 15.' opener builds tension with a moody sci-fi soundscape before the arena-chorused 'The Final Frontier' bursts out in typical IM opener style. Obvious singles 'El Dorado' and 'Coming Home' drive the album, and open up some space to allow a bit more room to stretch out and experiment on tracks like 'Isle Of Avalon' and 'The Man Who Would Be King'. Little did we know at the time that these longer tracks, where the band really spread their wings, would actually become the norm on future albums.

Arist Information
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in East London in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, and drummer Nicko McBrain. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's debut album, 1981's 'Killers', and 1982's 'The Number Of The Beast'. In fact, 'The Number Of The Beast' is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide and the band's first album with Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer in 1981. The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career.

Volbeat - The Strength, The Sounds, The Songs (2005)

[Metal]

Back in the heyday of TheBigBlack crew searching for something new to listen to, we discovered Volbeat. At a time where metal wasn't offering anything new, these young guns from Denmark hit our ears and instantly struck a chord (or two) with us. Lead singer Poulson at the time was marked as the 'Elvis of Metal'. He does have a unique voice and very much contributes to the overall sound of the album. Apart from that the music itself is hard to capture - kinda a Rock/Metal rockabilly that has you banging your head with a little jump in your step. The chainsaw guitar is very cutting in each song. This lifted the band to global acknowledgement and from here they have gone on to be a big band on large festivals in Europe.