No prayer for the Dying - Iron Maiden (7,5/10 Heavy metal)

1. Tailgunner	4:14	Harris / Dickinsson	7/10
2. Holysmoke	3:47	Harris / Dickinsson	8/10
3. No Prayer for the Dying	4:22	Harris	9/10
4. Public Enema Number One	4:12	Murray / Dickinsson	9/10
5. Fates Warning	4:09	Murray / Harris	8/10
6. The Asassin	4:17	Harris	6/10
7. Run Silent run Deep	4:33	Harris / Dickinsson	8/10
8. Hooks in You	4:06	Dickinsson / Smith	6/10
9. Bring your Daughter to the Slaughter	4:42	Dickinsson	7/10
10. Mother Russia	5:31	Harris	7/10

I've underestimated this record a long time actually. I've always considered it a pretty bleak album, being very critical about it. Now when I finally have listened it through and judged it once again I see it in a more positive light. It does have a lot of it's predecessors splendour - many of the songs has got a certain "seventh son" felling about them. Especially the more serious ones as "No prayer for the dying", "Public Enema number One", "Fates Warning" and "Run Silent Run deep".
Anyway, it's Maiden! In their same old fashion - the galloping bass, the minor-scales music and a preaching Bruce Dickinsson! And as usually, they don't mess things up either, they simply make their music without very many flaws.
Well, over to the songs!
The album starts of with "Tailgunner", an ok song, but not much more actually. Well, of course, it is good, but it lacks that special thing! By the way, isn't the lyrics a bit taken from "aces high"??
Anyway, Next out is "Holy smoke", this one a cachy and fun song. One of my early favourites of this album, and definitely a easy one to like! I'v also wondered many times of what Bruce is singing about.. Is it about burning priest, or is it something else?
Then there's the title track, No Prayer for dying is, perhaps a song with more depth and quality than the previous one. It keeps a low and serious profile - As serious as Iron Maiden ever gets! And I really like this song, the beautiful acoustic parts and the melancholic solo licks. Very good! That's the Iron Maiden I like.
"Public Enema Number one" is another good song of this album. A really great chorus with a great feeling of "Seventh son" about it. This song, and the previous one, makes up for the maybe considered weak start of "tailgunner". I wonder who's howling in the beginning of the song, maybe Nicko?
Anyway, Over to Fates Warning, Maybe not as good as the other previous two, but still good. And next comes...
The Assissin. hahahahah....!
Do you understand now what I meant with "as serious as maiden ever gets"?? jesus christ, this is really silly! A really laughable song about some f****** assassin! Well, enough about that.. The song is still ok and pretty cachy, but I must say Iron Maidens lyrics really doesn't reach any great height here.
"Running Silent Running Deep" is a pretty excellent song, and a good bit more serious sounding than the previous one. Definitely one of the better songs of this album, with it's mighty and cachy chorus.
Next is "Hooks in you". Not very good by my opinion, too much blues-rock! I don't think Iron Maiden is very good when they try to put it that way. That song has got a slight hillbilly sound! By the way, Adrian Smith, who left the band after "Seventh son of a seventh" son did some writing on this song.
Wow... Now that's a blood-dripping title - Bring your daughter to the slaughter! My oh my, I think good old Bruce has a pretty morbid fantasies. Well, now I don't really object against the title, it's pretty fun actually! Anyway, the song itself is pretty good, but not very special.
Mother Russia on the opposite, is quite special. It really feels kinda Russian! A lot of cool riffs and a number of nice solo licks. A acceptable ending of a moderate record.
Now, to make I summary I say this is a Maiden record worth hearing - as most Maiden records. Though I admit it isn't one of their best. The greatest fault with it as I mentioned earlier is that it's slightly weak, not very cachy - and the songs seem to blend into each other. The songs lack uniqueness.