Continuing my way through the Maiden catalog with the sixth studio album from the band. After a long and very successful tour in 84/85 they took some time off and came back with a new commercial sound on several songs and for the first time included the use of synthesizers. The album seems to divide opinion with many calling this their favorite Iron Maiden album while fans of the older albums were left a little cold by the new style. I kind of fall in the middle where I think even the commercial songs are great songs and there is still several songs that wouldn’t have been out of place on the previous two albums. There’s also a little more filler than there has been previously. The album starts with “Caught Somewhere in Time” which is solid opener that is uptempo and still sounds like what you’d expect from Iron Maiden. The very commercial Adrian Smith song “Wasted Years” follows and was the first single and what a great song it is. I’m sure some fans were thrown off by the big chorus of “Flight of Icarus” two albums back but this takes the radio friendly sound even further and while this isn’t what some fans wanted at the time, the song brought in many new fans and for me has stood the test of time. “Sea of Madness” is another Smith penned song and is very melodic but much different and underrated for me. “Heaven Can Wait” is more melodic than what’s expected from Steve Harris songs but still has a good tempo and I liked the live version even more and is a great song for me. “Loneliness of the Long Distanced Runner” is the definition of filler for me. I’ve never liked the chorus or how the song just seems to go on and on and goes nowhere. Easily my least favorite song on the album. “Stranger in a Strange Land” is another Smith song and while it’s not quite as commercial and catchy as Wasted Years, it is another great song that worked for radio and MTV for that era.
“Deja Vu” is a Dave Murray song which is rare in the catalog and for me is a really good album track and is very underrated. Love the pace of the song and love the chorus. The album closes with the historical epic “Alexander the Great” which clocks in at eight minutes. Following in the footsteps of other recent Maiden epic songs like Rime of the Ancient Mariner and To Tame A Land, this one lives up to what you’d expect from a Maiden epic track but is still somewhat overlooked. Overall Somewhere in Time is still a really good album and is my sixth favorite of the studio albums but it’s not one I reach for that often but I’ll admit it still has a handful of songs that hold up.
Iron Maiden – Somewhere in Time (1986)
