The Book of Souls
by Iron Maiden
  • Record Label: BMG
  • Release Date: Sep 4, 2015
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. Kerrang!
    Sep 2, 2015
    100
    The Book Of Souls is an album of extraordinary vision. [5 Sep 2015, p.50]
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  2. Classic Rock Magazine
    Aug 31, 2015
    90
    The Book Of Souls will doubtless be celebrated most for its epics, and if you thought Maiden had pulled out all the stops in the past, you may need to strap yourself in and say a quick prayer to Eddie this time round.
  3. PopMatters
    Aug 31, 2015
    90
    They could have coasted gracefully the rest of the way and nobody would have complained. But they did push themselves like they’ve never done before, and they’ve rewarded their millions of worldwide fans with a late-career zenith.
  5. Spin
    Oct 2, 2015
    80
    Forty years down the line, Maiden has proven that they’re still the best metal band in the world; we never had any doubt, but The Book of Souls is one hell of a reminder.
  6. musicOMH.com
    Sep 11, 2015
    80
    There is, thankfully, life in the old beast yet.
  7. The Quietus
    Sep 8, 2015
    80
    After giving The Book Of Souls another few spins, the record revealed its many qualities in measured doses over time.
  8. Sputnikmusic
    Sep 8, 2015
    80
    In short, The Book of Souls is what every heavy metal fan might want a new Iron Maiden record to be and more.
  9. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 8, 2015
    80
    Souls is a sinewy beast, abundant with creativity, and while it ostensibly sounds like most other Maiden albums, there are subtle--or not so subtle--differences.
  10. Boston Globe
    Sep 4, 2015
    80
    The Book of Souls is a triumph, packed with instantly memorable songs and riffs, vocal heroics, triple-guitar fireworks, and vital, committed performances.
  11. AllMusic
    Sep 4, 2015
    80
    With repeated listening it earns shelf space with their finest records.
  12. The Guardian
    Sep 3, 2015
    80
    For the most part, The Book of Souls is marked by a impressive rawness that scratches against the album’s more grandiloquent moments.
  13. Paste Magazine
    Sep 8, 2015
    79
    As it stands, The Book of Souls is the best Maiden record from Dickinson’s second act, and an impressive achievement from one of metal’s greatest bands.
  14. Clash Music
    Sep 8, 2015
    70
    In fairness, we have heard the duelling solos, galloping Guitar riffs and Dickinson’s operatic Rock vocals all before, in that sense there’s nothing particularly new in form of style (but that’s no bad omen). Upon The Book of Souls the band do, however, sound tighter than ever, offering a raw atmosphere that makes the album sound as though it was almost written in order to be played live.
  15. Rolling Stone
    Sep 4, 2015
    70
    While those topics might sound like old hat, the veteran Brits indulge their whims without ever getting tiresome.
  16. Billboard.com
    Aug 31, 2015
    70
    On Souls, Maiden mostly hits its target.
  17. Uncut
    Aug 31, 2015
    70
    An epic, if somewhat ruminative tone dominates. [Oct 2015, p.77]
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  18. Consequence
    Sep 11, 2015
    67
    The sheer breadth of the album defies expectation, and though there is some pandering, the songs rarely compromise.

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Most Discussed Album of 2015
62
#62 Most Shared Album of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 177 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 160 out of 177
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 177
  3. Negative: 8 out of 177
  1. Shioned
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    A great album with epic songs like 'The Red and The Black', 'Empire of the Clouds' and 'The Book of Souls'.

    Bruce's voice sounds great    A great album with epic songs like 'The Red and The Black', 'Empire of the Clouds' and 'The Book of Souls'.

    Bruce's voice sounds great again, specially in "The Book of Souls".    … Full Review »
  2. Hellclaw
    Sep 4, 2015
    8
    By the time they announced the tracks and their respectively lengths we could know that this album would be something like Maiden's last two,By the time they announced the tracks and their respectively lengths we could know that this album would be something like Maiden's last two, with a little more "power short songs" than those previous mentioned.
    The Book of Souls sounds like A Matter of Life and Death, with some flavor of the 80s. Their most powerful songs, like the opener "If Eternity Should Fail", "Speed of Light", "The Great Unknown", "When The River Runs Deep" and "Shadow of The Valley" may take a couple of listening to get the right mood of them. But as their last two albums, their greatest works are at the most progressive songs. "The Red and The Black", "The Book of Souls" and the 18-minute epic "Empire of the Clouds" are the highlights of this double album. For the ones that loved A Matter of Life and Death, or those that prefer "new Maiden" style, this album is gold. For those that are not too much into it, like me, you will have the feeling that it lacks more powerful songs, with major and catchy riffs and lyrics. We can't argue about the quality of the sound though. This is why Maiden is still among the greatest, if not the great metal band still around.    … Full Review »
  3. hungbeachboy
    Sep 9, 2015
    5
    I am a big Maiden fan and love almost all their work. I really wanted to love this record especially after reading all the glowing revuesI am a big Maiden fan and love almost all their work. I really wanted to love this record especially after reading all the glowing revues before hearing it, but truth be told I think it's an very weak album. Most of the riffs are just slight reworkings of old familiar favorites. The overall feel is that they are trying too hard to do something epic, something like their own version of Trans Siberian Orchestra, but they just fall short and the songs all song the same and lack the power and focus I am accustomed to from these true masters of the genre. Empire of the Clouds is just a long mess or over repetitive nothingness that never has a focus or build up or payoff. Rime of the Ancient Mariner it is not, and not even close. Red and Black is perhaps the best but even it has the familiar undertones of the main riff of Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

    Sure Bruce sounds great as always and the musicianship is excellent, but the mixing, and overall live feel just comes off sounding less crisp, heavy and hard as I usually expect from Maiden. There's not really a single memorable song of the bunch and I don't foresee any of these songs ending up on my favorites playlist. I laud them trying to be different, but different isn't enough, it also has to be good, and I just don't feel it from this effort. Sure it's better than most of the crap that comes out from everyone else out there today, but as a Maiden album it is arguably one of my least favorite.    … Full Review »
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