Reasons Why The X Factor is a Masterpiece

[MAJINDIEGO]

i have never seen such underestimated album...specially because it is, indeed, a masterpiece...a once in a life-time album.
Blaze was very lucky, and yet, very unlucky....i dont know...whichever album they would do with him, wouldn´t receive the proper credits..glad at least they released X factor before Virtual XI (that one crap!)

Could you capture the war atmosphere in this album? Excepting Somewhere in Time, IM didn´t make an album focused on such a great subject, with a darker enviroment...it gives me the chill!

If you think harder, you will see that every single song is related somehow to War...

1- Sign of the Cross, with the conflicted man and his religion, felling guilty of war acts (Why then is god still protecting me even when i don´t deserve it);
2- The Lord of the Flies, with the soldier gettint the spirit and enjoying the war (i´ve found that i like this living in danger....killing so we survive, wherever we may roam, wherever we may hide, we´ve got to get away);
3- Man on the edge, with the returning soldier not being able to handle the daily routine of a big urban city (each step gets closer to losing his head...once he built missiles a nation´s defence now he can´t even give birthday presents);
4- Fortunes of War, with the results after the wat, and a wrecked psycological estate the soldier is on (it´s not my flesh that´s wounded, so how can i face the torment alone);
5- Look for the truth, with the soldier confronting his demons (it´s my final stand, i make a fist out of each hand. To shadows of the past, take a breath and i scream attack)
6- The Aftermatch, with the soldier questioning the reasons of war (why did they make a war...questions that come again, why are we fighting at all);
7- Judgment of Heaven, with the confused soldier, unable to solve himself, thinks of suicide, but he believes that is not the way (i´ve felt like suicide a dozen times or more, but that´s the easy way, that´s the selfish way, the hardest part is to get on with your life);
8- Blood on the World´s hands (What an intro!), with the feeling the real war is closer than you can imagine (they say things are getting better, no need to be complacent, there´s chaos across the border, and one day it could be happening to us...);
8- The Edge of Darkness (the greatest song), with the coldness of war, facts and its essence: senseless and raw (now i stand alone in darkness with his blood upon my hands, where sat the warrior the poet now lies the fragments of a man);
9- 2.A.M. with the emptyness left of a simple life (life is so pathetic i wish i could leave it all behind)
10- The Unbeliever, with the message of carrying on and facing what you really are(forgive yourself a few immortal sins...are you strong enough to release the guilty...are you scared to take a look inside your mind).

Maybe this has been said before, you guys have argued about it countless times, but yet, i would like to offer justice to the five guys that did such explendid work, and didn´t receive the rightfull recognition. You´re free not to like the album thou...just don´t be so limitated to condemn an album just because it´s not Bruce Dickinson singing on it. Try to hear the album as not an Iron Maiden one, but an unknown band...if you are able to see it that way, through this perspective, and still dont like, i totally respect it.

[Lucid Faia]

Virtual XI is the true underrated album. X Factor does have some good songs, though.

[Electric Eye]

I think, the main reason is that it sounds different than other IM albums, I like it very much. Gloomy and dark athmosphere is heard but still it sounds like IM, characteristic melodies, harmonies, solos, Blaze's voice fits to this conception. It was hard time for Steve, and artist in despair and hard periods create really great masterpieces.
BTW, for musicans, songs from this album are nice to play.

[cliff]

i have never seen such underestimated album...specially because it is, indeed, a masterpiece...a once in a life-time album.
Blaze was very lucky, and yet, very unlucky....i dont know...whichever album they would do with him, wouldn´t receive the proper credits..glad at least they released X factor before Virtual XI (that one crap!)

I totally agree with You.
Factor X is a really good album with REALLY good songs, but a crap production. It has a "dark" and "depressing" aspect, with many references to wars and religions that you can hardly find in any other records.
Perhaps some songs are a bit TOO long and repetitive, but they also have many different and interesting parts. "Sign Of A Cross", "Man On The Edge" or "8AM", for example, are true masterpiece.

"Virtual XI" is a really "special" album. Actually, If I was Maiden or their manager, I would get all the copies from the stores and DESTROY them. With all due respect I have for Blaze Bayley and for the other members in Maiden, that album is totally un-listenable !

And I think X-Factor is much better than any albums that Maiden recorded since. "Brave New World" is a good album, but nothing compared to X-Factor.

I won't tell more about each track of this album, since you did it à la perfection MAJ

[Twilightsymphony]

On the other hand there are some tracks on Virtual XI i really like, Lightning Strikes Twice, Como Estais and When two worlds collide for example, the rest isnt that great though.

X Factor isnt very impressive when listening it the first time, i think, but still there are many quality songs on it, and the atmosphere is pretty good..

both records suffer from songs which are way to long and way to repetive... BNW was great

[cliff]

On the other hand there are some tracks on Virtual XI i really like, Lightning Strikes Twice, Como Estais and When two worlds collide for example, the rest isnt that great though.

I think 'Future Real" is also a good track. "Virus" seems far overestimated.
"When Two Worlds Collide" is simply great. You should listen the version that Blaze played with his band in their live album. MUCH better

[Reaper]

Virtual XI isn't crap... it's actually a really good album. Tracks like When Two Worlds Collide and Futureal are pretty good. Better than the X Factor i'd say...

[Lucid Faia]

Virtual XI has Futureal, Lightning Strikes Twice, The Clasman, The Educated Fool, and Como Estais Amigos. The Angel And The Gambler is too long, but the music video version of it kicks ass. And Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger sucks for the first 5 minutes, but then has a VERY nice instrumental part.

I say we round up and destroy the people who say that's a bad album.

[MAJINDIEGO]

And Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger sucks for the first 5 minutes, but then has a VERY nice instrumental part.

I say we round up and destroy the people who say that's a bad album.

Hey, not me included!
And yep, that song changes so dramatically that it turns to be a hell of a song!

[k-a-]

At first, I thought that Blaze was only good in solo albums until I picked up the Factor X.

I truly think that the Maiden albums with Blaze are all underrated and should be listened to all the way through a few tiems.

[Nicko]

sorry Majin but I disagree with your theories

1) SOTC is based on a book, or a film (cant remember) about the inquisition (i think)

2)Lord of the flies is based on the novel by William Golding about some kids who get marroned on an island and have to survive (dont know the whole story i havent read the book)

3)MOTE is based on the film falling down with denzel washington

7) judgement of heaven is about Steve and the feelings he felt while going through his divorce.

blood on the worlds hands is about the world going to shit in general, not just war

9) the edge of darkness is based on the book by joseph conrad called the heart of darkness (i think) which is what the film apocolypse now is basedon, so yes it is about war but I dunno if it counts or not seen as its a given.


I think you're reading too far in

[Llageran]

3)MOTE is based on the film falling down with denzel washington

It wasn't Denzel Washington that starred int Falling Down......it was Michael Douglas

[Nicko]

yes good point! it wasn't him at all!! Was he in another film with a similar title? I'm sure 'Falling' and Denzel have been together once before!

[Lucid Faia]

Denzel Washington? WTF? He was in "Fallen."

You need to rent and watch "Falling Down," my friend.

Now, Man On The Edge is a great song and the music video for it is probably the best thing Blaze Bayley has ever done. Let no one say he didn't contribute to Iron Maiden.

[Nicko]

Denzel Washington? WTF? He was in "Fallen."

You need to rent and watch "Falling Down," my friend.

Now, Man On The Edge is a great song and the music video for it is probably the best thing Blaze Bayley has ever done. Let no one say he didn't contribute to Iron Maiden.

yeah thats the one, I knew he was in something like that. I would rent falling down but i hate Michael Douglas!

I think that last comments laughable though

[Sknight2112]

X factor is one of my all time favourite albums. Granted some songs are a bit long its just a great album through and through. Harris really shows his playing abilities off in there rather than just his writting genious I feel. As far as Virtual XI I like it enough. some of the songs arent great and Angle and the Gambler is WAY too long, but Como and The Clansman are both great songs. I only have one of Blazes solo albums, i like hsi work with maiden a lot more.

[gon]

I am a really Blaze fan. I saw him with Maiden 4 times, and with his own band during the Tenth Dimension tour, 2002. The first time I saw Blaze was during the X Factor Tour first leg, and he was amazing! he gave everything he had, and sang quite well. His attitude was impressive. About the album, well, I when I bought it, it was a shock, I knew Blaze from Wolfsbane ( in fact I have 3 albums of Wolfsbane, 2 of them in vinyl!), as it was the last thing I expected from Maiden. But, after a few playings, I discovered a really good album despite the horrible production... at that time I visited the Eddie´s Bar for the first time, and, well, the atmosphere was dark, but familiar, hard to describe, but I felt really comfortable.
The other times I saw him on stage was in 1997, again on TXF second leg, still amazing, and other two gigs in 1998 during the Virtual XI tour. There´s the moment when I realized something wasn´t working properly in Maiden... the album was not bad, again the production is shit, but the songs are good. But on stage something was wrong. The venues were sold out all of them ( between 5000 and 10000 people) but, you know, the atmosphere were absolutely different. And the last time with Maiden, Blaze was horrible! his throat was in bad conditions, he hardly could sing, and as it was quite near from the Eddie´s Bar ( the venue, I mean) I asked Manu Da Silva about Blaze,and he repplied to me " things are no good in Maiden, chap! you can expect something important will happen in the next months!" that was in october 98. In early january 99 Bruce was back. But I like the albums, both of them, and I recommend you the Blaze albums , excelents works, full of energy, technic and feeling, and he is singing as never did before! A friend of mine, very critic with Blaze, said once " at last, he is learning to sing!" He is a great frontman and a good singer and composer.

AFTER ALL THIS STATEMENT, I HAVE TO GO TO THE BANK TO GET MY MONEY FROM THE BLAZE MANAGER, JAJAJAJ!

SEriously, try the solo albums of him. You will be surprised... specially if you expect something close to Maiden...