The X Factor (album)

The X Factor
Studio album by
Publication (s)	October 2, 1995
admission	Late 1994 - September 1995
Label (s)	EMI Electrola
Format (s)	CD, LP, MC
Genre (s)	Heavy metal
Title (number)	11
running time	70:54
occupation	Singing : Blaze Bayley Guitar : Janick Gers Guitar: Dave Murray Drums : Nicko McBrain Electric bass : Steve Harris
production	Steve Harris
Studio (s)	Barnyard Studios, Essex (England)
chronology Live at Donington (1993) The X Factor Best of the Beast (1996)

The X Factor ( English for: " That certain something ") is the tenth studio album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden . It was released in August 1995 and was produced by Steve Harris . It was the first album with the new singer Blaze Bayley .

Emergence

Originally the name The X Factor was just a project name. The Roman X (10) stands for the tenth Iron Maiden studio album.

After the longtime Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson left the band in 1993, Iron Maiden was about to start over. The new frontman Blaze Bayley was presented at the end of 1993, but could not meet most of the demands of fans and the press.

Band boss and bassist Steve Harris was at a personal low after Bruce Dickinson's exit and a recent divorce. The X Factor is a rather dark and Iron Maiden untypical album. Harris explained this with his mood at the time.

As on the predecessor Fear of the Dark , the cover artwork was not created by Derek Riggs . Hugh Syme made the cover, which this time was not created in a comic style, but shows a realistic representation of band mascot Eddie. The lobotomy performed on him is a recourse to the piece-of-mind cover.

tour

Almost all continents were toured on the X-Factour between 1995 and 1996. For the first time Iron Maiden played in smaller halls or in clubs, in Germany among others in the E-Werk Cologne and in the PC-69 in Bielefeld. Many fans were disappointed with the new album and the departure of Bruce Dickinson, which had a dramatic effect on the attendance figures. The tour consisted mostly of songs from the current album and some classics. Blaze Bayley had massive problems with these songs, which were not written for his voice. The tour was due to pollen - allergy kept short of Bayley.

Track list

1. Sign of the Cross (Steve Harris) - 11:18 am
2. Lord of the Flies (Steve Harris, Janick Gers) - 5:03
3. Man on the Edge (Blaze Bayley, Janick Gers) - 4:13
4. Fortunes of War (Steve Harris) - 7:24
5. Look for the Truth (Blaze Bayley, Janick Gers, Steve Harris) - 5:10
6. The Aftermath (Steve Harris, Blaze Bayley, Janick Gers) - 6:20
7. Judgment of Heaven (Steve Harris) - 5:12
8. Blood on the World's Hands (Steve Harris) - 5:57
9. The Edge of Darkness (Steve Harris, Blaze Bayley, Janick Gers) - 6:39
10. 2 AM (Blaze Bayley, Janick Gers, Steve Harris) - 5:37
11. The Unbeliever (Steve Harris, Janick Gers) - 8:10

Song information

• Sign of the Cross is the longest track on the album at 11 minutes. The song opens with a Gregorian chant . The play is believed to be about the Inquisition and contains a reference to Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose . There has been much speculation about the further significance of the piece.

• Lord of the Flies is based on the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding .

• Man on the Edge is based on the movie Falling Down .

• Fortunes of War addresses the horrors of war from the perspective of returning soldiers. Also, The Aftermath deals with the subject of war. By the mention of "mustard gas" (Eng .: mustard gas ) it is clear that the song of the First World War is. Here, too, the psychological effects of the war play a role.

• Blood on the World's Hands is another text that deals with the topic of war. The text deals with the Bosnian war . Western culture is criticized here and it is reminded that the conflict that was fought took place right on the doorstep ( across the border ) and that this could also happen here.

• The Edge of Darkness is based on the novel " Heart of Darkness " by Joseph Conrad and the film adaptation Apocalypse Now .

Another topic on the album deals with the meaning of life . The song Look for the Truth is about fears that paralyze the protagonist's life. Judgment of Heaven and 2 AM deal specifically with the topic. The Unbeliever is about depression and the feeling of worthlessness.

Single releases

Man on the edge

Man on the Edge was released as a double single on September 25, 1995. Part 1 was sold as a box set with space for two more singles and the album and five postcards. Part 1 received an additional album track as a bonus, an outtake that didn't make it onto the album and another song. Part 2 contains the same album track as Part 1 and an outtake. There is a short interview with Blaze Bailey on both parts of the single. There is also a picture disc with three songs. Man on the Edge was the only single on the album to reach the UK charts (# 10).

Part 1

1. Man on the Edge (album version)
2. The Edge of Darkness (album version)
3. Judgment Day
4. Blaze Bailey Interview Part 1 - I Live My Way

Part 2

1. Man on the Edge (album version)
2. The Edge of Darkness (album version)
3. Justice of the Peace
4. Blaze Bailey Interview, Part 2

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies should also appear as a double single, but the second part was not released. Two cover versions were released as the B-side .

Lord of the Flies

1. Lord of the Flies (album version)
2. My Generation (cover version of The Who )
3. Doctor Doctor (cover version of UFO )

success

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

The X Factor   DE 16 10/16/1995 (11 weeks)   AT 19th 10/22/1995 (6 weeks)   CH 27 10/22/1995 (3 weeks)   UK 8th 10/14/1995 (4 weeks)   US 147 10/28/1995 (3 weeks)

The album reached number 8 on the UK charts. In Germany it reached number 16 and stayed in the charts for 11 weeks.

reception

The X Factor was rated cautiously in the press. They wanted to give Blaze Bayley a chance with his singing style, which was new to Iron Maiden. The album was sometimes rated as unpressurized, too progressive and too gloomy, but the darker voice of Blaze Bayley still fits into the gloomy concept. It was only after the "X Factour", when Blaze Bayley sang old Bruce Dickinson classics, that the reluctance of fans and the press turned into criticism of Bayley's voice.

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} The X Factor - 2nd October 1995 (The Iron Maiden Commentary) ( Memento from March 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ Man On The Edge - Part I - 25th September 1995 (The Iron Maiden Commentary) ( Memento from February 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ ^{a b} Iron Maiden in the UK charts
4. ↑ The X Factour: September 1995 - September 1996 (The Iron Maiden Commentary) ( Memento of 15 April 2008 at the Internet Archive )
5. ↑ Charts DE Charts AT Charts CH Charts UK Charts US
6. ↑ Iron Maiden in the German charts ( details )
7. ^ Iron Maiden - The X-Factor (2/10) - Great Britain - 1995 , The Metal Observer, May 22, 2003
8. ↑ Iron Maiden - The X Factor Review , Matt Hensch, Thrash Pit
9. ↑ Review: Iron Maiden - The X-Factor , Bloodchamber, February 6, 2003