Ελληνικά
It was April 11, 1988, when Iron Maiden released their (for many fans) best work in until along their musical way, but it seems and in their subsequent discography.
With a rich progressive style, and eight compositions that keep you «stuck» in the music, whether it is the first time you listen it or the hundredth, the «Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son» is something different than the band from Britain had done until then. The keys make their first appearance and «give» an intensely epic atmosphere, in combination with the ritualistic Murray’s and Smith’s guitars’ compositions, the «sick» Harris’ baselines and the unique to Nicko McBrain drums, the result was more than magical.
It was recorded in February and March ’88 in «Musicland Studios» in Munich, Germany and was produced by (whom else) Martin Birch, while the connection between the tracks of the album is masterful, from the first to the last one.
But let’s go now to the subject, to the lyrical part of the album. Why «Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son»? Steve Harris is responsible for that, who read the novel «Seventh Son» by the American author Orson Scott Card. Coupled with the fact that this would be the seventh Iron Maiden’s album and he had only a few ideas until then, discussed with Bruce Dickinson who also was excited. So the first step was taken.
But what is Seventh Son of a Seventh Son? It’s a boy with special abilities, which God and Devil claim each to their advantage, but the second one finally decides to assassinate him and manages to do it through his daughter, which the boy falls in love with, but she betrays him.
The cover is made of course by Derek Riggs, who had declared that he was asked to make something that verges on surrealism, and, as Dickinson told, the English artist was inspired when he showed him a painting of «Dante’s Inferno» by Gustave Dore.
The «Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son» album «climbed» on the top of the British charts and was second in Holland and Switzerland. In the Greek charts reached the 45th position, while the reviews all over the world were dithyrambic. It is no coincidence, that in Kerrang! was rated with 5 out of 5, in AllMusic with 4.5 to 5 and in RockHard with 9 to 10. In Britain, Germany, USA and Switzerland in fact, the album became gold and in Canada platinum.
At the same time and for the promotion of the album, took place the famous tour titled «Seventh Tour Of The Seventh Tour», which started in Cologne, Germany with two performances on 28 and 29 April and completed in five… parts in London (6, 7, 10, 11, 12 December), in a total number of 98 concerts in 20 different countries.
And like this, were passed 27 years from the day that Iron Maiden changed the course of history. The «Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son» was, is and will be for me the best album that have ever been released by the British band. For you?
