The X Factor

The X Factor Artist: Iron Maiden
Label: Sony
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 696998622326
EAN: 0696998622326
ASIN: B000063DGJ


Release Date: 2002-03-26

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Listmania:

  1. Bands who were once awesome but sucked when a new Lead Singer came in.
  2. Best Maiden Albums from Least to Greatest!
  3. My CD collection - The works of Bruce Dickinson
  4. Bad Albums from Good Bands
  5. Most Underrated Hard rock/Metal CD's In Last 20 Years
  6. best iron maiden albums (only studio albums)
  7. Most underrated Maiden albums
  8. Some of my favorite True Metal albums
  9. Iron Maiden-the story will be told
  10. Iron Maiden - Studio Album Discography

Tracks:

  1. Sign of the Cross
  2. Lord of the Flies
  3. Man on the Edge
  4. Fortunes of War
  5. Look for the Truth
  6. Aftermath
  7. Judgement of Heaven
  8. Blood on the World's Hands
  9. Edge of Darkness
  10. 2 A.M.
  11. Unbeliever

Similar Items:

  1. Virtual XI
  2. No Prayer for the Dying
  3. Fear of the Dark
  4. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
  5. Brave New World

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Most Underrated Album Iron Maiden Ever Put Out.......2007-02-04

Most people don't understand this album. People give it crap even though they have never even heard the song Sign of the Cross. This album is perfect for what Iron Maiden was going through at the time. No offense to Bruce fans, but Bruce is not Iron Maiden. He didn't write most of the songs and even though his voice is quite good, it is the guitar, drum, and bass work that build up to him. Just listening to the drumming in this album is amazing. It actually has variety in it and not something from the 1980's boom chuck stuff that is usually in Maiden Songs. There is also amazing layering in this album and it almost verges on the point of being progressive. If you just give it a listen you'll understand that this album is amazing in its own right. Maybe if they hadn't released this album under the name Iron Maiden, people would actually give this album the respect it deserves.

5 out of 5 stars great work maiden........2007-01-05

i love bruce dickingson, but i have to handed to iron maiden for making a great album. i love this album.

1 out of 5 stars Skip it.......2006-11-26

As a Maiden fan for 20+ years, I've spent many an hour singing along and banging my head to one of the best bands that metal has ever offered up. I don't even consider this a Maiden album, but it is so I have to compare it to the rest of the catalog. Blaze's voice is so flat and boring that it's amazing nobody questioned it during the recording/mixing; just listen to him saying "Falling down" on Man On The Edge. Paul Dianno didn't have half the range as Bruce, but he pulled it off just fine. The other thing I've noticed is that the compositions aren't up to the normal Maiden level. It seems like Steve just really wasn't into it or maybe he just lost inspiration. I'm not going to rip this album apart because it's just a small blip on the the legacy of a band that I couldn't hold any higher regard for.

1 out of 5 stars Blaze Bayley Sucks, and drags the whole album to the gutter.......2006-10-24

I have just started to get back into Iron Maiden (No Prayer for the Dying was my last Maiden album) and I have enjoyed some of the albums that Maiden has put out after the early 90's time period, BUT then I stumbled across this. Good think I downloaded the thing before I bought it. Music is fine, but Blase Bayley kills this album. I can think of a hundred different people I would have sung lead before this clown. Even though he might try to imitate Bruce Dickenson, he cant even come close to his range, and his voice would be suited better for Death Metal considering that if he screams it would be an improvement over his singing. Its a shame, cause there is some good music here, but Bayley is so un-listenable, I cant even enjoy it. Maiden has so many other albums to choose from, dont even bother with this crapola. (Maybe one day the could re-record it with Dickinson)

4 out of 5 stars A dark and powerful album.......2006-10-18

Many dislike The X Factor and it is generally considered one of Maiden's worst albums (if not the worst). I'd have to disagree with this statement as I believe that this is actually a very strong album featuring some of Maiden's best work.

The Sign of the Cross opens the album at over 11 minutes in length, something that will turn away most people who have trouble appreciating complex music. No matter what anyone says, Blaze's delivery is powerful and the instrumental sections are some of the best this band has ever had.

Lord of the Flies and Man on the Edge are more of your stereotypical Maiden songs, 4-5 minute tracks with simple chord progression, heavy bass sound, strong guitar work, and quality vocals. Blaze's voice really shines on Man on the Edge.

Here the album slows down and this is probably where most people lose a lot of interest in the record. Fortunes of War doesn't rock much until a good amount of build up has occurred. Look For the Truth is similarly constructed, both songs are good but I can see where people could get tired of them. The Aftermath is thought provoking but drags musically, though I think that this works for the lyrical content of the song.

Judgement of Heaven is a solid track with quality guitar work as well as Steve's ever present and impossible to copy bass tone. Blaze's vocals work really well in the chorus of this track.

The bass solo opening Blood on the Worlds Hands is honestly unnecessary but I'm glad it's on the album. The song itself is intense, with the instruments and Blaze's voice fitting the lyrics very well. The Edge of Darkness is similar to Look for the Truth and Fortunes of War and some people will tire of its slower pace before the 6:39 second song is over.

2 A.M. and The Unbeliever close out the album, both of which are solid tracks. 2 A.M. relies on melody and a catchy chorus because it is not a heavy track. The Unbeliever is, in my opinion, a well written song and fitting album closer but I've talked to many Maiden fans who are not accepting of the odd timed riffs that the song uses. Oh well, to each his own I suppose.

I think that this album is more than worth the purchase and like it more than the rating that I gave it. I don't believe that it is worth more than 4 stars BUT it is more interesting than that because this is an album that is not quite like anything else Harris and his colleagues have ever done. A worthwhile purchase for anyone with an open-mind, those who just want to hear The Number of the Beast over and over again will be dissapointed, though. I think that's a positive thing.

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