Dance of Death (album)

2003 studio album by Iron Maiden

Dance of Death

Studio album by

Iron Maiden

Released| 2 September 2003 (2003-09-02)
Recorded| January–February 2003
Studio| Sarm West (London)
Genre| Heavy metal
Length| 67:57
Label| EMI
Producer| Kevin Shirley
Iron Maiden studio albums chronology
| Brave New World
(2000)  | Dance of Death
(2003)  | A Matter of Life and Death
(2006)

|
|

Singles from  Dance of Death

1. "Wildest Dreams"
Released: 1 September 2003
2. "Rainmaker"
Released: 24 November 2003

Dance of Death is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released first in Japan on 2 September and then 8 September 2003 in the rest of the world excluding North America (where it was released a day later). The album was an analogue recording.[1]

Their second studio release since the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the album features the band's first-ever fully acoustic track, "Journeyman", as well as "New Frontier", their only song co-written by drummer Nicko McBrain.[a] As with Brave New World, its predecessor in 2000, the record was produced by Kevin Shirley, who has worked with Iron Maiden on all subsequent releases.

## Background

[edit]

The band first confirmed that they would be working on a follow-up to 2000's Brave New World with producer Kevin Shirley on 27 November 2002; the album was announced alongside a small set of European tour dates for the following year.[2] On 6 January 2003, Shirley confirmed via his website that the band would begin recording that month,[3] followed by the announcement that the basic tracks had been completed on 5 February[4] and that the release was to be mixed in April.[5] On 31 May, the band announced that the album, recorded at Sarm West Studios, would be entitled Dance of Death,[6] after which the release date was issued on 17 June.[7]

The band undertook the Dance of Death World Tour in support of the album, which included many theatrical elements inspired by the record's songs. During "Dance of Death", Bruce Dickinson would wear theatrical masks and a cape while moving around the stage; at the end he would dress as the Grim Reaper for the final chorus.[8] During "Paschendale", Dickinson would wear a traditional British Infantryman trench coat and helmet (although he revealed in the Death on the Road documentary that it was actually Hungarian),[1] as worn during World War I, and the set would be decorated with barbed wire.[8] The tour led to a live album and DVD, entitled Death on the Road, released in 2005 and 2006.

The album was released as a DVD-Audio disc in 2004, including 5.1 mixes of each song.[9]

## Songs

[edit]

Drummer Nicko McBrain made his song writing debut on Dance of Death.

Dance of Death is the only Iron Maiden album to date in which drummer Nicko McBrain has a songwriting credit, having co-written "New Frontier". This also makes it the only Iron Maiden album to date in which every member of the band receives a songwriting credit.[10] The song expresses McBrain's views on human cloning. McBrain, a born-again Christian, explained that "I personally believe that God created man and it's only God's right to create a human being because only He can give you a soul. When man attempts to make man then it's a monster in a test tube."[10]

"Montségur" was based on the fall of the Cathar stronghold of the same name, which fell in the aftermath of the Albigensian Crusade in 1244.[11] Dickinson, who wrote the song's lyrics, states, "There is so much great stuff and so many great stories throughout history that you can make parallels with the modern day – particularly when history repeats itself as often as it does – that it makes for some very colourful subject matter."[11]

"Paschendale" is about the Battle of Passchendaele which took place during the First World War. It was written by Adrian Smith, who usually contributes to the band's shorter, more commercial-sounding songs, but decided to write what he describes as "a traditional Maiden epic".[12] It features strong progressive rock elements, including its length and detailed structure. Dickinson comments, "the beauty of 'Paschendale' isn't in the epic-ness of the song – although you have to admit it is a powerful and stirring body of music – but the detail."[12] In live performances, Dickinson introduces the song with a passage from Wilfred Owen's "Anthem for Doomed Youth".[8][13]

Iron Maiden performing "Dance of Death" in 2011

According to guitarist Janick Gers, the album's title track was inspired by the final scene of Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, at the end of which "these figures on the horizon start doing a little jig, which is the dance of death".[11] Gers wrote most of the music and explained the concept to Steve Harris, who wrote the lyrics and most of the melodies.[10]

"Face in the Sand" is based on the media coverage surrounding the Iraq War, taking place as the album was being recorded.[14] Dickinson explains, "I remember thinking about the desert sands as an image and how it moves and shifts with time. Specifically what I was thinking was that whatever empires you tend to build – whether they are British, American, Iraqi or whatever, they'll all crumble and fade away into something else. So, to my mind at least, the best thing you can hope for, if you were to leave anything behind, is just an imprint in the sand."[14] The song is notable for being the first and only Iron Maiden track in which McBrain uses a double bass pedal.[12]

The final track, "Journeyman", is Iron Maiden's first and to date only fully acoustic song. According to Dickinson on the Death on the Road live album, it is about "the whole process of writing and being a musician",[15] although Mick Wall describes it as "a wistful tale of carpe diem".[14] The song was originally recorded with electric instruments, however, as Dickinson states, "after all the battering that we've given the listener over the last hour of music it just seemed right to play out with something totally unexpected and left field."[14] The original version appears on the No More Lies EP.

## Artwork

[edit]

The original unused cover art

The computer-generated cover art was provided by David Patchett,[16] who asked for his name to be removed from the album's credits after the band decided to use an unfinished version.[17] The album cover was received negatively by both fans and critics, being cited on several "worst of" lists.[18][19][20][21] Dickinson later called the cover "embarrassing".[22]

The original cover art supposedly featured only Eddie and a few monks behind him but the band manager Rod Smallwood felt it looked empty, so he hired someone from IronMaiden.com to design characters surrounding Eddie using the program Poser. They then gave the roughs back to Patchett and asked him to work on the skin and mask textures. Patchett did so but was unimpressed with the result.[23]

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [24]
BW&BK| 7.5/10[25]
Kerrang!| [26]
Sputnikmusic| [18]

Reviews for the album were generally positive with Kerrang! describing it as "stupendous stuff and concrete proof that Maiden are as electrifying and important as they have been in a long time".[26] Sputnikmusic were also positive about the album, giving special mention to "Paschendale", described as "quite easily the ultimate Maiden masterpiece".[18] Although deeming the first three songs "refreshing yet unremarkable", AllMusic describes Dance of Death as "a triumphant return to form for these heavy metal legends."[24]

Although criticising the album for its length and for not "matching the quality" of its predecessor, Brave New World, PopMatters praised the band for being able to "still easily outclass most of the younger nu-metal bands today".[27]

## Track listing

[edit]

Dance of Death track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Wildest Dreams"|

* Adrian Smith
* Steve Harris

| 3:52
2.| "Rainmaker"|

* Dave Murray
* Harris
* Bruce Dickinson

| 3:48
3.| "No More Lies"| Harris| 7:21
4.| "Montségur"|

* Janick Gers
* Harris
* Dickinson

| 5:50
5.| "Dance of Death"|

* Gers
* Harris

| 8:36
6.| "Gates of Tomorrow"|

* Gers
* Harris
* Dickinson

| 5:12
7.| "New Frontier"|

* Nicko McBrain
* Smith
* Dickinson

| 5:04
8.| "Paschendale"|

* Smith
* Harris

| 8:27
9.| "Face in the Sand"|

* Smith
* Harris
* Dickinson

| 6:31
10.| "Age of Innocence"|

* Murray
* Harris

| 6:10
11.| "Journeyman"|

* Smith
* Harris
* Dickinson

| 7:06
Total length:| 67:57

## Personnel

[edit]

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[28]

### Iron Maiden

[edit]

* Bruce Dickinson – vocals
* Dave Murray – guitars
* Janick Gers – guitars
* Adrian Smith – guitars
* Steve Harris – bass, keyboards, co-producer
* Nicko McBrain – drums

### Production

[edit]

* Kevin Shirley – producer, engineer, mixing
* Drew Griffiths – engineer
* Brad Spence – assistant engineer
* Tim Young – mastering
* Dave Patchett – sleeve illustration (uncredited)[16]
* Simon Fowler – photography
* Rod Smallwood – management
* Andy Taylor – management
* Merck Mercuriadis – management

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ While 1984's Powerslave does not have a songwriting contribution from McBrain, he is credited on one of its B-sides singles, which later featured on bonus tracks, although this is a recording of an argument between McBrain and Dickinson, rather than an actual song.

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly Charts

[edit]

| Chart (2003)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[29] | 12
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[30] | 3
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[31] | 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[32] | 9
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[33] | 5
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[34] | 10
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[35] | 10
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[36] | 1
French Albums (SNEP)[37] | 3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[38] | 2
Greek Albums (IFPI)[39] | 2
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[40] | 3
Irish Albums (IRMA)[41] | 6
Italian Albums (FIMI)[42] | 1
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[43] | 11
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[44] | 21
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[45] | 3
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[46] | 3
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[47] | 4
Russian Albums (NFPF)[48] | 9
Scottish Albums (OCC)[49] | 2
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[50] | 3
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[51] | 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] | 2
UK Albums (OCC)[53] | 2
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[54] | 2
US Billboard 200[55] | 18

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (2003)  | Position

|

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[56] | 81
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[57] | 33
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[58] | 72

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Argentina (CAPIF)[59] | Gold  | 20,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[60] | Gold  | 50,000*
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[61] | Gold  | 24,528[61]
Germany (BVMI)[62] | Gold  | 100,000^
Greece (IFPI Greece)[63] | Gold  | 10,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[64] | Gold  | 20,000*
Sweden (GLF)[65] | Gold  | 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[66] | Gold  | 100,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Documentary". Death on the Road (DVD). EMI. 6 February 2006.
2. ^ "Iron Maiden announce 2003 European dates". Blabbermouth.net. 28 November 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
3. ^ "Iron Maiden To Begin Recording This Month". Blabbermouth.net. 6 January 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
4. ^ "Iron Maiden Complete Basic Tracks for New CD". Blabbermouth.net. 5 February 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
5. ^ "Iron Maiden to Begin Mixing in April". Blabbermouth.net. 21 February 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
6. ^ "Iron Maiden: New Album Details Unveiled". Blabbermouth.net. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
7. ^ "Iron Maiden Announce European Tour and Release Date". Blabbermouth.net. 29 June 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
8. ^ a b c Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 380\. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
9. ^ "Iron Maiden release special souvenir EP". 28 January 2007. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
10. ^ a b c Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 374\. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
11. ^ a b c Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 373\. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
12. ^ a b c Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 375\. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
13. ^ Campbell, Iain (March 2009). Bayer, Gerd (ed.). "From Achilles to Alexander: The Classical World and the World of Metal". Heavy Metal Music in Britain. London: Ashgate Publishing: 118.
14. ^ a b c d Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 376\. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
15. ^ "Journeyman". Death on the Road (DVD). EMI. 6 February 2006.
16. ^ a b Iron Maiden (6 June 2011). "Album List: Dance of Death". From Fear to Eternity Booklet. EMI.
17. ^ Porter, Tom (22 July 2010). "Iron Maiden: a gruesome history of graphic artwork". MusicRadar. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
18. ^ a b c Stagno, Mike (13 September 2006). "Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
19. ^ Wilson, Brian (17 March 2016). "10 Hilariously Terrible Album Covers And Why They Exist". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
20. ^ Rosenberg, Axl (10 June 2010). "Let's Argue About Iron Maiden Album Art". MetalSucks. Metal Sucks. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
21. ^ Lawrenson, James (4 November 2010). "When Artwork Goes Wrong: The 10 Worst Album Covers of the 00's". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
22. ^ Dickinson, Bruce (19 October 2017). What does this button do? : Bruce Dickinson : an autobiography. London. p. 301\. ISBN 9780008172435. OCLC 1006818916.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
23. ^ "Dance of Death". The Iron Maiden Commentary. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
24. ^ a b Monger, James. Iron Maiden – Dance of Death at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
25. ^ Henderson, Tim. "Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". BW&BK. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
26. ^ a b Lawson, Dom (12 September 2003). "Kerrang Dance of Death Review". Kerrang!. IronMaiden.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
27. ^ Begrand, Adrien (1 October 2003). "Iron Maiden: Dance of Death". PopMatters. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
28. ^ Dance of Death (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 8 September 2003.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
29. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
30. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
31. ^ "Ultratop.be – Iron Maiden – A Matter of Life And Death" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
32. ^ "Ultratop.be – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
33. ^ "Iron Maiden Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
34. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
35. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
36. ^ "Iron Maiden: Dance of Death" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
37. ^ "Lescharts.com – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
39. ^ "Greekcharts.com – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
40. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2003. 37. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
41. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Iron Maiden". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
42. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
43. ^ "死の舞踏". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
44. ^ "Charts.nz – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
45. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
46. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
47. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
48. ^ "Лучшая 10-ка НФПФ. Октябрь 2003г" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers. Archived from the original on 16 January 2005. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
49. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
50. ^ "Hits of the World – Spain". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 27 September 2003. p. 62.
51. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
52. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Iron Maiden – A Matter of Life And Death". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
53. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
54. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
55. ^ "Iron Maiden Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
56. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
57. ^ "Årslista Album – År 2003" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
58. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
59. ^ "Representando a la Industria Argentina de la Música" (in Spanish). CAPIF. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
60. ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
61. ^ a b "Iron Maiden" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
62. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Iron Maiden; 'Dance of Death')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
63. ^ "Ελληνικό Chart – Top 50 Ξένων Aλμπουμ" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
64. ^ "EMI Norwegian Dance of Death Award for 20'000 sold". Facebook. 20 December 2020.
65. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2003" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
66. ^ "British album certifications – Iron Maiden – Dance of Death". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

* v
* t
* e

Iron Maiden

* Steve Harris
* Dave Murray
* Adrian Smith
* Bruce Dickinson
* Nicko McBrain
* Janick Gers

* Paul Mario Day
* Thunderstick
* Tony Moore
* Doug Sampson
* Paul Di'Anno
* Dennis Stratton
* Clive Burr
* Blaze Bayley

Studio albums|

* Iron Maiden
* Killers
* The Number of the Beast
* Piece of Mind
* Powerslave
* Somewhere in Time
* Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
* No Prayer for the Dying
* Fear of the Dark
* The X Factor
* Virtual XI
* Brave New World
* Dance of Death
* A Matter of Life and Death
* The Final Frontier
* The Book of Souls
* Senjutsu

Live albums|

* Live After Death
* A Real Live One
* A Real Dead One
* Live at Donington
* Maiden England
* A Real Live Dead One
* Rock in Rio
* BBC Archives
* Beast over Hammersmith
* Death on the Road
* Flight 666
* En Vivo!
* The Book of Souls: Live Chapter
* Nights of the Dead: Live in Mexico City

Compilations|

* Best of the Beast
* A Real Live Dead One
* Ed Hunter
* Best of the 'B' Sides
* Edward the Great
* The Essential Iron Maiden
* Somewhere Back in Time
* From Fear to Eternity

Box sets|

* The First Ten Years
* Eddie's Head
* Eddie's Archive

Extended plays|

* The Soundhouse Tapes
* Live!! +one
* Maiden Japan
* No More Lies

Singles|

* "Running Free"
* "Sanctuary"
* "Women in Uniform"
* "Twilight Zone"
* "Purgatory"
* "Run to the Hills"
* "The Number of the Beast"
* "Flight of Icarus"
* "The Trooper"
* "2 Minutes to Midnight"
* "Aces High"
* "Wasted Years"
* "Stranger in a Strange Land"
* "Can I Play with Madness"
* "The Evil That Men Do"
* "The Clairvoyant"
* "Infinite Dreams"
* "Holy Smoke"
* "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter"
* "Be Quick or Be Dead"
* "From Here to Eternity"
* "Wasting Love"
* "Fear of the Dark"
* "Hallowed Be Thy Name"
* "Man on the Edge"
* "Lord of the Flies"
* "Virus"
* "The Angel and the Gambler"
* "Futureal"
* "The Wicker Man"
* "Out of the Silent Planet"
* "Wildest Dreams"
* "Rainmaker"
* "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg"
* "Different World"
* "El Dorado"
* "Satellite 15... The Final Frontier"
* "Speed of Light"
* "Empire of the Clouds"
* "The Writing on the Wall"

Video albums|

* Live at the Rainbow
* Video Pieces
* Behind the Iron Curtain
* Live After Death
* 12 Wasted Years
* Maiden England
* The First Ten Years (From There to Eternity)
* Donington Live 1992
* Raising Hell
* Classic Albums: Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
* Rock in Rio
* Visions of the Beast
* The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days
* Death on the Road
* Flight 666
* En Vivo!
* The Book of Souls: Live Chapter

Tours|

* Metal for Muthas Tour
* Iron Maiden Tour
* Killer World Tour
* World Slavery Tour
* Somewhere on Tour
* Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour
* Fear of the Dark Tour
* Real Live Tour
* Virtual XI World Tour
* Brave New World Tour
* Dance of Death World Tour
* Eddie Rips Up the World Tour
* A Matter of Life and Death Tour
* Somewhere Back in Time World Tour
* The Final Frontier World Tour
* Maiden England World Tour
* The Book of Souls World Tour
* Legacy of the Beast World Tour
* The Future Past World Tour
* Run For Your Lives World Tour

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs
* Awards and nominations
* Band members
* Eddie
* Metal for Muthas
* Tribute albums
* Urchin
* Gogmagog
* Psycho Motel
* Samson
* The Entire Population of Hackney
* The Iron Maidens
* Maiden uniteD
* Derek Riggs
* Rod Smallwood
* Melvyn Grant

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template