Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding

"A work of genius."

While Iron Maiden was facing with mixed results with their non-Bruce albums, Bruce Dickinson was enjoying a lucrative solo career that proved proved he was not only a tremendous heavy metal vocalist, but a solid songwriter as well. That said, Chemical Wedding is undoubtedly the peak of his solo career. Furthermore, it is arguably better than anything he did with Maiden as well. I love Maiden, so I don't say this lightly. Bruce's vocals have matured considerably over the years, and have reached a more dynamic quality while not sacrificing his youthful intensity. Lyrically, the album is an evocative, thought-provoking concept album that proves to be incredibly rewarding once its theme is revealed. [Chimp Note: This is actually not officially a concept album, but I find it hard to interpret it to be anything else.]

By comparison, this album is heavier sonically than any of Bruce's other work or any of Iron Maiden's discs. This was clearly a conscious decision as they customized their guitars to make this album heavy as hell. You won't hear a guitar tone like this elsewhere, and that gives the album a dirty, gritty quality that has no comparison. Roy Z and Adrian Smith are one hell of a duo, and if Bruce's vocals weren't so dazzling, they'd steal the show. Clean solos slice through the mix, and poignant riffs are ceaselessly launched at the listener in wave after wave of heavy melody. Guitar interplay weaves and merges in an engaging manner, made all the more enjoyable by the clean, heavy production.

But while the guitars are excellent, they never take focus away from Bruce. Never before has his adopted a broader sense of dynamics as with this album. Listen to the sinister verses in "Book of Thel", or the soaring octaves in the chorus of "Trumpets of Jericho", or the constantly shifting dynamics of "The Alchemist." As always, the vocals are etched with Bruce's trademark intensity and vigor. Over the years, Bruce's voice has been refined to an ideal timber, and in my opinion he sounds better than ever. He is more than the heavy metal "air raid siren" -- he is a well-rounded vocalist.

As for my interpretation of the whole "concept that is not a concept": The album is a (non-story) concept album that deals with man's relationship with God (at least that's my interpretation of it). Ultimately, the meaning of the lyrics are one of the album's best points, but less lyric-oriented listeners will enjoy the lyrics from a superficial level as well (stuff about the devil, mythology, religious stories, etc. -- all the stuff that makes for good metal lyrics). Still, understanding the lyrics is an important, rewarding part of this disc, so I encourage all listeners to think about it for a while. (To understand what Bruce was trying to say, only the relationship between tracks 1, 2, 3, 9, and 10 must be understood.) The only problem with this album is that the chorus of "Killing Floor" is kinda of annoying sometimes. But it's a minor complaint, as I enjoy the rest of the song.

I regard this as one of the best metal albums of the 90s. Even this year's hailed and laudable Maiden album "Brave New World" (which I enjoy) has nothing on the power, originality, and brilliance of The Chemical Wedding. I encourage any heavy metal fan to pick this one up.