Virual XI

Great Album. One of my favourites. Excellent service by Amazon.

This is the first out of the two Blaze albums I've heard and I must say I'm massively impressed, Blaze's vocals add somethin different to Maiden that works. Many Maiden fans knock this Era as Bruce isn't on Vocals (Foolish as are the Fans of Priest that knock Ripper & Sabbath fans that knock Tony Martin) what you have here is Classic Maiden riffs with a New touch in some parts Blaze sounds like Bruce and yes Bruce's Vocals can get higher than Blaze's but the Music that Blaze & Co. Created is awesome "Futureal" is an Instant Maiden classic short n Sweet. I agree with many people about "The Angel & The Gambler" GOD....its repetitive and will cause you to fall asleep.... Trust me. However the album picks up with "Lighting Strikes Twice" then another Maiden Classic emerges "The Clansman" Harris's Riffs and Blaze's Vocals do this song justice its one of my favs, "When Two Worlds Collide" is another brill track, "Educated Fool" haven't decided if I like or not, "Don't look at the eyes of a Stranger" is another great track and the album finishes with the Awesome "Como Estais Amigos" a soft song that shows Blaze's softer Ballad voice...Overall this is an Maiden album to buy as long as you don't compare as obviously its not going to sound like previous albums!

Blaze Bayley's second (and final) album with Iron Maiden, Virtual XI, is a curious one: it's only eight songs long, follows the same (then) unconventional Maiden format as The X Factor (long, dark songs with slower, quieter intros) and the liner notes read like one big advert for the Ed Hunter game (which also puts the album's title into question). Like The X Factor before it, it's not a definitive Maiden record, but it is much more enjoyable than its predecessor; perhaps because, at 53 minutes long, its shorter and easier to digest, but also because the songs are generally more interesting. Futureal is a cracking start to the album (and a surprisingly short one, compared to the lengthy Sign of the Cross from The X Factor), while Lightning Strikes Twice and The Clansman put some much-needed meat on the bone. It does get a bit weighed down at times, though: The Angel and the Gambler is far too long, whilst Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger just sounds a bit strange (excuse the pun). Of course, Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith returned to the band shortly after this album's release, effectively ending the Blaze-era Maiden: many fans were relieved, though after listening to Virtual XI you get the feeling that it could have gone somewhere really great.Check out:FuturealLightning Strikes TwiceThe ClansmanAvoid:Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger

I own every Iron Maiden studio album other than The X Factor and, until now, Virtual XI. I have deliberately avoided these two, as they were released during the time that the usual singer, Bruce Dickinson, left the band to pursue a solo career. They replaced him with Wolfsbane singer Blaze Bayley, who is regarded by most IM fans as a sub-par vocalist. I was one of those fans until recently. I decided to give this a chance, and actually Blaze is fantastic. The only problem is that everyone keeps comparing him to Bruce. He is not Bruce, and if you compare Blaze to anyone else you will see his vocal style really fits with Iron Maiden. Even if you still don't like his voice, it's still got the rest of the Iron Maiden lads (minus Adrian Smith), so you can still tell it's them. We have a lot to thank Blaze for anyway; Bruce left the band and made some great albums himself, and if Blaze hadn't been so unpopular, we might never have got Mr Dickinson back! Overall, a great album until you compare it to other Iron Maiden albums. But who cares? It's still IM, and therefore still one of the greatest albums of all time.

Maiden Virtual XI released in 1998 is the second album with singer Blaze Bailey its not the highlight of Maidens vast discography its a good album but nowhere near there best, great tracks are The Angel and the Gambler, The Clansman, The Educated Fool and Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger

Iron maiden never fail to release a stunning album, and this is no exception. Recorded with vocalist Blaze Bayley, it is truly a master piece. Stunning art work and stunning presentation with gate fold vinyl and amazing clear sound and a double LP.