The Contrarians Dark Horse Albums: Iron Maiden - The X Factor (1995)
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- The Contrarians is a show where one of us jumps in the hot seat picks a dark horse album from a band as that band's best album. The guest host will argue against them with facts, stats and all around truth, subjective and objective!
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Sign of the cross is a classic
YOU ARE GODDAMN RIGHT.
I love the album, always have. It's dark, it's epic, it's proggy (Sign Of The Cross, The Unbeliever(!)). The guitar sound is...strange, for sure, but also unique. I just love everything about it, I don't care what most fans say. It's miles ahead of albums like Dance Of Death and The Final Frontier (and if I'm really honest everything else that came later).
Love the X factor too. Dance of Death is better though.
The problem is not Blaze but the music is the problem
People spit " No Prayer for the Dying " but that album is only slight weaker of Seventh Son . Five , six great songs and maybe 2-3 skips .
75 % album is good . Last album i listen - i 'was sick of their Eddies , middle age shit stories , etc. They didn't know how to reform themselves after 1992 .
Absolutely love it, only regret that I got into it just recently after having ignored it for years, based on the relentless negative reviews and comments of other people. Love its overall dark and depressing feel, the kind of songs you can relate if you find yourself in a dark place or situation in your life. I find a lot of interesting arragements and ideas, some fairly doomy riffs and melodies, immaculate and at times remarkably daring lead work, and you find none of the nu metal or alternative tendencies other classic bands were incorporating into their sound at the time. The anguish on both lyrical and musical content feels very authentic. Climbed to #3 on my top Maiden album list.
Patreons get to vote on which topics get shows in the coming month, and I voted for this even though I never heard these records just because I wanted to hear people talk about the Bayley stuff.
I didn't listen to Maiden in the 80s...had heard Run to the Hills and Number of the Beast but never cared for the bass sound. Later, I gave them another chance, found the Di'anno era and loved that. Favorites aside from those are Somewhere in Time and Brave New World, and I don't really like anything on Piece of Mind or Seventh Son. So I'm not a typical Maiden fan. I like the idea of Maiden a lot, but they're often kind of too pop/prog in ways that don't work for me.
I decided to buy both of the Bayley records from this show. I wonder if some of the more recent favorable shift in attitude towards them comes from perspective. At this point Bruce is back with the band, and these two albums are less the end of Maiden as we know them, and more of a bit of a side trip. Easier to accept and appreciate for what they are?
It’s better than the follow-up and love Blood On The World’s Hands especially. [7/10]
People miss out on so much enjoyment when they discount a bands later material because it’s no longer the 80’s. If you play in a band or play an instrument you realize how impossible it is to stay the same throughout the decades. It’s better to adapt to your favorite bands than to just disregard the material.
Blaze was not the problem. The rest of the music was.
Blaze was the problem, and so was the music. And the production and ... ...
Not among their best, but still a solid release. The less said about the follow-up album (Virtual 11) the better.
I love "X Factor" although it sounds like a glorified demo or rough mix which I suspect it was.
The epitome of a 'Dark Horse Album' The X Factor remains a favourite but yet again can't sign off without saying what could of been of this lineup was on full display with Blaze's own Silicon Messiah.
Silicon almost equalled Maiden's own Brave New World it was that good but instead got unfairly lost in Maiden's shadow... 2c
Anyway good episode and rate X Factor an 8🤘
You guys touched on it. Maiden touring with Guns n Roses. I think this has a lot to do with Maidens downturn. I read that when they toured together GnR told their management they didn’t want their pictures taken on stage because they hated the giant cardboard Icebergs that was part of Maidens stage set.
I think with that and the downturn of their album sales in the U.S, I think Maiden felt they had to strip back their sound to stay in touch with the current state of rock.
But they took it too far the other way. Recording an album in a barn with antiquated recording equipment. I think it was the first time in their career they second guessed themselves.
Not watched the episode, yet. For me, this album defines "dark horse." 8 1/2 out of 10.
Doogie White would have fit better, but mostly the songs weren't well thought out. Far from their worst though. I'm certainly pleased that Man on the Edge with Blaze singing happened!
This album grew on me... it happens
Compared to the next one "Virtual XI", this "X Factor" is brilliant. I do like it, it's different, doomy, proggy...
Saw them on that tour in a pretty small venue and Blaze was great. Just amazing that a few years later with Bruce back in the band, they sold out arenas once again.
I give this a solid 7; that said, I do think that Bailey was a wrong choice, good singer, just not for a band that previously had a Dickinson on the mic. Curiously enough, I feel that if this wasn't Maiden but the debut album of a new band, I would put it easily an 8, 8.5. Thanks! 🍺🤘
I love the album and the covert art, I like the datk, moody vibe of it.
The X Factor is one of the lesser Maiden albums. 5.5/10. That being said, it's well worth a listen if you're a fan.
Great discussion. I really enjoyed hearing about one of the less loved in the catalogue.
Great episode! This is my go to album when I want to listen to maiden without listening to maiden. Would have been way better if it had a better production and someone to pull the brakes on Steve
Thanks a lot for this, particularly Butch's analysis on what the album is like and why the album has endured over the years, I think its always hard when you put a number rank to an album and someone else's 6 is another person's 4.
That being said, I wish you would've delved more into the actual songs and the music of this album a little more, the performances - though I appreciate thats harder to do if the people on the panel mostly do not like the songs on this album. I think X Factor is a much better album than people give it credit for and its a better album than this panel would even suggest....that being said I am a dyed in the wool Maiden fan and have literally been listening to Maiden since I was a child up through my adult life and so to me, this album is much more deserving than people tend to say. The themes and the atmosphere and the socio-political lyrics, the humanitarian point of view and Steve Harris' struggle with the world and the way people treat each other, how he feels about it and how its expressed, through Maiden is very potent and very much at the forefront of this album, as it was on No Prayer and Fear Of The Dark too.
I very much enjoyed the back and forth and the perspectives of the panel at the time and how they feel now and what it means to you all or not regarding this album. Thanks a lot for doing this.
A hidden gem. Dark and pessimistic with great lyrics
Brilliantly underrated.
I would give it a 7.5. I really like the record. Virtual XI just wasn’t good but X-Factor was great
The album grew on me, I like it now. A bit too long though, a lot of intro's could have been skipped. The original European cover art is top notch! Better then anything post Derek Riggs. Blaze Bailey was treated unfairly. Not the man to sing The Trooper for example, sounds terrible. On this album though, he is the right men on the right spot. These are my two cents, since you asked us to comment. Cheers.
I love The X Factor as much now as I did when I bought it on it's release day. My favourite of the 90's Iron Maiden Albums song writing wise. 7.5 rating.
Liked the album when it came out,went to see them when they came around and it was a great show, still like the album now. 8.5 out of 10. My friends were all Maiden freaks and they liked it too and still do.
Dan is spot on with his assesment on all the later trash Maiden albums
awesome video! keep em coming
Sign of the Cross is great, but personally I think Virtual XI is a better album. Shorten "The Angel…" down to three minutes, and you have a great album.
I always saw The X Factor as foreshadowing for the future direction of Iron Maiden in general. Longer, proggier, slower, and gloomier. I fucking love The X Factor for how dramatic it can sound, even with the production issues. The Edge of Darkness is one of my favorite Maiden songs lol
Without aiming to burst anyone´s bubble, I find the X Factor album to be absolutely appalling. I bought it immediately upon release, and lost interest in Maiden until Brand New World arrived in 2000. No Prayer and Fear of the Dark are towering masterpieces of molten metal genius compared to the Blaze era, which can easily be filed under the Crimes Against Music category.
I have a bit of a theory around Blazes appointment. Bruce has; not necessarily a criticism, a big ego and; by his own admission, was pretty bullish when he joined the band. Blaze hasn’t got a big ego much ego at all. I think this may have helped him get over the line. I think maybe Steve didn’t want to deal with another giant ego.
Blaze was the wrong choice. Not his fault, he got the job and did his best. Doogie White, who was the other candidate, would have been a better choice
I like the two Blaze albums, and the Brave New World album. After that it was a slope down hill.
I don’t recommend this album to new maiden listeners but I also don’t know if I would tell them to jump in at Number either.
I give this album a 7.
And I in no way blame Blaze for any of the issues on these albums.
This is my favorite Iron Maiden album. I saw them live and Blaze sounded great. If you go in with a jaundiced eye, you will get a jaundiced view.
Maiden without Bruce? 😳
Maiden without Paul?
Who’s Paul? 😳
@@scottnorris8071paul di'anno, the guy on the first 2 albums... come on, how do you not know about the debut album and Killers?
Dave Murray never writes as a writer for Maiden, even the ones he has "written" have questionable reasons as to why his name is there or isn't and he would say "oh well yknow im not sure why i dont remember". It is often very political as to why his name is included on writing credits. This is not to diminish Dave Murray's involvement or contribution in Maiden he is absolutely essential to Maiden's sound and playing on this album and all other Maiden albums but to question why Dave Murray's name doesn't appear as a writer on this album as something that seems odd or unusual, no it's not. I just wanted to make that point.
Blaze solo music is excellent🤘🏻
I like songs on this sign of the cross.
Man on the edge.
Lord of the flies.
Blood on the worlds hands.
There are 3 of the others that are not bad.
Im more of a virtual xI fan 🤷🏼.
If you are introducing someone to Iron Maiden, then they are most likely a teen getting into hard rock and metal. In this case, you can't just suggest the first five as their current exposure to music may make them feel those albums sound "old" until they acclimatise to the production values. You would have to throw in one of the recent albums.
If it's someone into hard rock or metal, then how have they never heard Iron Maiden before?
I just can’t get into the two Blaze albums. I try, but they do nothing for me…
Blaze was a wrong choice for Maiden. There's a couple of OK song on this album, but it is NOT the Maiden I got into a decade earlier.....
I think Sign of the Cross is a great tune that stands up with the classics. But the rest of the album is meh in my opinion.
I think each Maiden singer is the best at singing their own material. I like Blaze as a singer/frontman, but to cover Bruce’s material is a damn hard task. I guess they weren’t going for a Bruce clone, so it is what it is. Can’t expect him to sing outside his vocal range and I think in hindsight they should’ve changed keys for him.
I agree with John, 7th son was the last solid Maiden album. Everything since has been patchy at best. I literally fall asleep every time I hear their latest, it is a total snooze-fest.
If they stopped 1992 . they be mentioned like one of greats ever .
They are one of the greats ever
Personally, I think the 3 demos (these are on the 2nd cd on my version, all short & punchy. Justice of the Peace, I Live My Way, & Judgement Day) that didn't make the album should have.
And the other songs needed to be edited down.
Great panel ,
I like Blaze, not really a right fit for Maiden though.
I have some serious issues with how poorly The X Factor was produced. It just sounds so drab and listless, production-wise. The rhythm guitars sound mushy and toothless. Blaze is buried in the mix. Anytime he's singing low and quiet, he is barely audible. Maiden really should have found a new producer after Martin Birch retired.
This is also where the bad habits of modern Maiden also began, with the boring, drawn out openings and pointlessly meandering arrangements. They just became "old folks metal" on this album. Blaze Bayley is a good singer, but he was the wrong choice for Iron Maiden. It's one thing to want a different sounding voice, but they should have found someone with the right range. That said, I think Blaze sounds fine on the album, when you can hear him.
Despite my problems with this album, I still like a lot of the songs on The X Factor. "Sign of the Cross" has some cool "No Quarter" Led Zeppelin vibes. "Man on the Edge" and "Blood on the World's Hands" are both awesome. "Fortunes of War" could have been a great song with better production. I like "Lord of the Flies," and "Look for the Truth" is great once it finally gets going, with a great chorus. I also like "Edge of Darkness.
Overall, I would give The X Factor a 6 out of 10. The Blaze Bayley albums are easily on the bottom of my Iron Maiden rankings. But that's also because I actually enjoy the 21st century albums with Bruce quite a bit. Also, I really love Fear of the Dark.
I really like The X-Factor, the production is terrible and some songs are too long but most of them are still good regardless of these problems.
Anybody saying No Prayer and Fear having Maiden's worst songs has never paid much attention to virtual XI that album is terrible. Angel and Gambler is their worst song of all time followed by Quest For Fire.
I love Quest for Fire - wonky lyrics aside. Least favorite Maiden song easily “Weekend Warrior” - appallingly bad
Need to skip lord of the flies, judgement and the last song. Then its a 9/10 album. Just can’t stand riffs that’s been played way too much in metal. Normally if i skip 3 songs per album i’d never return to it (the latest priest album has 4), but this still has a decent 53 mins left and it’s maiden, so yeah, i can be more partial than usual.
This is my favourite Maiden album, production wasn’t great though.
I dont even consider it maiden . Nothing against Blaze .....
In my opinion, X- Factor is the last great and really creative album by Maiden. None of those who came after overcome X Factor, including BNW. 9/10
There's lots of great songs here but, i didn't like the vocals. So it wasn't a listen for me.
Is it true that James Labrie turned down the gig?
Looks like he auditioned based on what fan sites say. Him, Andre Matos from Angra, Doogie White, Steve Grimmett.
is it true that Steve Grimmett auditioned too??
I wouldn't doubt it. He is even rumored to have been hired to front Sabbath before Ozzy came back. That would have been wild!
Production is ok, but very stripped down. Blaze doesn't have the right voice for Maiden even though I do like him. Album cover looks like it should be a death metal album. Blaze almost sounds flat on chorus of Sign of the Cross. Flat and nasally. Long intros. Tons of slower plodding tracks. I think they were kind of going for the Metallica Black album strategy of playing to their strengths by slowing things down to go slow and heavy, but obviously the band's style just doesn't translate the same was as Metallica's did. I did see 2 shows on the tour and they were tiny sht holes & awesome shows. Blaze was great. I can also confirm, the next tour, Virtual XI, it was actually massively embarrassing. Blaze was not doing well on that tour. Plus they had Dio opening on those ones where I was at so imagine you have to follow Dio's set and you're Blaze. lol!
There are great songs here though. Sign of the Cross. Blood on the World's Hands. Lord of the Flies. Also, a track that didn't make it on the album but should've been there instead of 2am, is called Judgement Day. It's a much more Be Quick or Be Dead kind of vibe there. Faster. More fun.
Never loved this album, nothing is memorable on this album,
To be fair, it's a bit rubbish, terrible album cover as well.
Too many people think of their pets as a convenience. They are convenient today because they do this or that. But when convenience ends they can throw think away like some toaster. People like this lack commitment and loyalty because society today makes it okay. We see it in marriage when the courts make divorce just a formality. Relationships lack a solid foundation and we act selfishly based upon me, myself, and I, instead of we, they, and us. When these people get older they will get kicked to curb too. And even though it may be justified, it is a shame. We should be there for each other, even an elderly dog.
Compared to albums like The Final Frontier and Dance of Death and well…especially The Final Frontier it’s not that bad. MUCH better than that album. The Final Frontier is the worst album they ever did imo. This has Sign of the cross,Man on the edge and Lord of the Flies. The Final Frontier had NOTHING and Matter of life and death and Dance of Death all sucked but unlike Final Frontier had 1 or 2 good songs. X Factor has 3 really awesome songs. 2am is decent and that other song with the bass solo at the beginning was cool. Might’ve been track 7 or 8. Better than Virtual XI anyway lol