Band:
Bartek Weber - Guitars
Gaba Kulka - Vocals, keyboards
Piotr Zabrodzki - Bass, keyboards
Tomasz Duda - Saxofon, clarinet, flute
Maciej Moru? - Drums
Discography:
Debut
Info:
Guests:
Released: 21/3-2011
Reviewed: 21/6-2011
It is stylistically as I have already hinted towards, not even close to what Iron Maiden did when they released these songs. It is electro pop and Jazz when we look at the prominent style of this album, all with female vocals from known polish gold selling singer Gaba Kulka (whose name apparently is pronounced Baaba in polish). There is an air of experimentalism over this album, and what we see is ten songs from the early eighties and not many of the really big hits from that era either. It is also not particularly heavy, rather the opposite.
This was supposed to have been a one off show by these five guys in the band but it ended up being a lot more and now they even have an album to show for it. What we can say about the album is that the album cover is rubbish, and that is being nice to the band. But is it anything to listen to? Well, I think in my analysis that it depends on who you ask, I think some metal fans do not think this has a place and hate it. On my part though, the answer is definitely yes. I think it is a good album in general, a bit up and down but the overall impression is a positive one.
The album opens with the most known song of the ten on this album, Number of the Beast and I think that is a bad opener and I don’t like the song at all as I find it being rather terrible. Even more terrible is the following song Wratchild which we firstly heard on the Killers album a long time ago. After Wratchild much better things happen, Aces High come and show that the band has something to show for, it is a really nice track. To Tame a Land is the fourth track and it is really one of the best but not the best as that one is Prodigal Son which is really great in this version and really it is much better than the original version no matter what pair of sunglasses I wear. Then I think that Flight of Icarus and The Clairvoyant are really good as well, finishing song Still life is decent. The tracks I have not mentioned are rather bad to be honest.
I think this band really show for how good Iron Maiden songs can be, they bring in a life into some of these songs that we have never heard before and it is great. What is also great is that the band do not make even the slightest attempt to keep anything Iron Maiden in their songs, that is besides the song itself as it is still the same melody, structure and lyrics but then ends the similarities. I have always found it interesting when different bands cover songs by known band like when Sonata Arctica speed up I Want Out which is already a fast song or when Graveworm sings Message in a Bottle on their latest album, I think these kinds of things are great and this is a show as to how different styles can make songs better or worse, I think it is great when it is done well which it is in many parts on this album.
This is an album that is a little bit up and down and there are a few songs that I do not like at all and then there are some really fantastic ones, To Tame a Land is a fantastic song on this album and a song I never considered even remotely good on Piece of Mind. Then we have Prodigal Son that is also so much better than it was when Iron Maiden recorded it, these poles really show what potential there is in some of the Maiden songs.
If you are a metal purist maybe you should stay clear of this but if you like me is someone open minded you will find some real gems on this album, I did.
HHHHHHH
