Iron Maiden – Virtual XI

I have an copy of this 2LP left for sale

Plays really well... Dynamics, basically all 2017 reissues from 2000 era plays really good

Flat, smooth and plays real quiet. Not the best from IM and as previous post, The Angel and the Gambler brings down the whole album. Otherwise the songs are not that bad that many seems to think.

Who know if is the same source that Europe Reissue??

2017 Edition has next text: "The remasters are the 2015 digital remasters".

Then, this editon is the same??

Best, regards

I purchased this album brand new when it came out. The vinyl is beautiful and sounds way better than the cd release. The artwork and package are typical Maiden. Awesome. You can purchase this from me when I am in the grave. LOL.

IMO Blaze gets a bum rap. If you listen to Bruce during the live concerts on the NOTB tour...and watch his stage work...Blaze is exactly the same...and the voice is very similar. So ..why did this album get such bad backlash? I will tell you...THE HORRIBLE KEYBOARDS.. which seem to permeate the mix. IMO they need to go back and remix this album without any keyboards. If you can get yourself to ignore that..its a pretty good heavy metal album.

So crisp and clean sounding. I’ll vouch for this perfect pressing. The Sanctuary Maiden pressings are my favorite of their catalogue.

Virtual XI is their most underrated album which has always puzzled me. The album really takes off with Lightning Strikes Twice. Just listen to the fantastic melodies on it and songs like When Two Worlds Collide and The Educated Fool. Along with Brave New World LP this is Maiden at their most melodic period.

Mine contains two small stickers of The Angel & The Gambler front cover.

Die Band wollte wohl mit dem Songtitel "Futureal" nicht mehr nur in die Vergangenheit blicken, sondern auch in die Zukunft. Diese sah dann aber doch eher schlecht aus für den Aushilfssänger Blaze Bayley, da dies seine letzte Iron Maiden-Platte sein sollte. Diese Entscheidung war auch im Nachhinein richtig, da mit "The angel and the gambler" der nervigste Song der Bandgeschichte auf eine Platte gebannt wurde. Nervig daher, da die Textzeilen "Don't you think I'm a savior / Don't you think I could save you / Don't you think I could save your life" minutenlang wiederholt werden. Und überhaupt: Ist das hier noch Heavy Metal, wie wir ihn von Iron Maiden gewohnt sind, oder eher Altherren-Hardrock, der nur so dahinplätschert? Wenn man die Songs "The educated fool" und "Don't look to the eyes of a stranger" anhört, meint man eher letzteres zu vernehmen. Einzig der Song "Lightning strikes twice" - der über die Angst vor Gewittern handelt - gefällt, da hier die harte Stimme des Sängers am Schluss bei der Textzeile "Maybe lightning strikes twice" überzeugt. Bei dem von dem Film "Braveheart" inspirierten Titel "The clansman" merkt man deutlich, wie schwach der Ersatz am Mikro wirkt, wenn man die spätere Live-Version von Bruce Dickinson hört, die tausendmal besser ankommt.
Fazit: Zwei Alben waren eins zu viel für Blaze Bayley.