Can Progressive Rock and Heavy Metal coexist? It may be a question that vexes the purists of either genre, in modern day crossovers everything is nearly acceptable and certainly possible but in the late 1980s two bands from opposite sides of the Atlantic embarked on producing albums that embraced the concept and rich diversity that the amalgamation of two distinct entities could bring them. Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime would come out towards the end of April in 1988, the honour though of bringing out arguably the first Progressive Metal album would belong to Britain’s Iron Maiden with their most ambitious record at the time, the sensational Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
Iron Maiden had enjoyed a lot of success since their first self titled album was musically devoured by hungry Metal fans, the thrill of their music grew with each subsequent release and the band’s reputation, already seeming assured by the time the group set forth their fifth recording Powerslave onto the populace and their stunning World Slavery Tour that went alongside it, gathered frightening speed. The release of perhaps Iron Maiden’s best live album, Live After Death was recorded, released, devoured again and the same happened for the blockbuster Somewhere in Time. What could Iron Maiden do to top that?
The answer would of course appear in the shape of the concept album Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, the blistering range of vocals that Bruce Dickinson produced for the album was the best he had ever done and arguably would never top again in his work for Maiden or on his own solo albums. Adrian Smith was at the height of his game also and the powerhouse of Steve Harris’ bass stomped and grinded out authority alongside Nicko McBrain’s superb drums. Dave Murray also seemed to rise in stature, if that was at all possible, and by watching his performances on stage and hearing the music he laid down, it was possibly the time when he became a colossus on the world music stage.
The album doesn’t suffer fools, inside the packaging sits a musical viper ready to bite, a majestic lion ready tear apart the preconceptions that people may have in the way Metal should be presented. In one fell swoop gone were the ties that binded them to the early days of the Metal pioneers Black Sabbath and the strengthening of those ties with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Instead this was Metal with a different attitude, the power of being able to converse and retell a story without feeling ashamed, to dip not just a toe into the world of Prog but immerse itself fully and with no pretence. It is without doubt an astonishing feat of music capability.
The record itself deals with the idea of the superstition of folklore tales of the power in the seventh son of a seventh son, the course between good and evil and how destiny can change a person and not always for the better. From the outlay the narrative is clear, concise and brutal. In Moonchild the religious iconography is present, the Devil/Satan awaits the day when the child is born. Its imagery also reminds the listener of the death of innocents, the moment when according to the Bible; all boys under the age of two were slaughtered in the hope of finding just the one child. The lyrics suggest that the Devil is already counting the heads of those unborn and he calls them accursed in what can be seen as a moment where he concedes that they might not just be a curse to themselves but to his dominion on Earth as well.
The album carries on at great speed but with sincerity and enjoyment in what the band produced and then the first real jolt, the musical equivalent to a smack in the head as the ears are battered by the incredible voice of Bruce Dickinson belting out the words ‘Can I play with Madness?’ at full strength. It was the defining moment, that shocking realisation that just wasn’t a good album with interesting themes; it was an album of genuine quality that would stand any test put before it. The song was also notable for being one of the last things that much loved Monty Python Graham Chapman worked upon before his untimely death. His appearance in the video marked it out as the band being accepted for all their hard work by the anti establishment figures and comedians who had graced the 1960s and 70’s with their wit.
Throughout the whole of the album the music never strays from being one hand incredible, a perfect meeting of genres and opening the doors for other acts to acknowledge that both Prog and Metal were not dirty words to be mocked and derided. Bruce Dickinson’s near operatic range made the album unique, the lyric writing made it special.
The only problem with Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, is the way it took the band more and more into the consumer market. Buoyed by the fact that Can I Play With Madness reached the dizzy heights of number three in the U.K. charts, it seems the desire to have hit records became a diversion and the feel of the albums that followed until well into the start of the new century don’t have the same effect as the golden era of the band’s first phase between 1982 and 1988.
In the pantheon of Iron Maiden albums released, surely Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is very near the top of the pile. Lyrically and musically devastatingly brilliant, the imagery flows as complete as it ever would and if not for Queensryche bringing out Operation Mindcrime a few weeks later, would be heralded as the greatest example of early Progressive Metal, however being second best is surely no disappointment.
Ian D. Hall